(1)
There’s a big turtle lying behind the rock.


The shell of the turtle and the rock are both grey in colour. The turtle was not moving, and it looked as though it was a rock by that view.

This turtle has lived for 200 years. Yet, it still has a 100 years to go.
“It’s boring.”

Said the turtle as it looked at the sunset.
“There’s nothing meaningful, but plenty of time.”
Then, the turtle closed its eyes. It’s been the same dream lately. It’s always about the girl who lives under the sea, who wears a bathrobe and 3 feet wide red belt. She’s dancing like a flower in the water.
“Who is she?”

The turtle couldn’t recall about her. But for now, it wished to drink. There was once when the turtle crawled up the shore, it grabbed the people’s attention. The people fed it with hard drinks. It was its first time to taste alcohol. It made him felt like there’s sunset in its body. Since then, the turtle has been crawling up to the shore for more. But its heavy body made him so sluggish that he did not even want to move. This is why it’s lying motionless behind the rock, and dream…

Ahh~ There’s still a 100 years to go!
“I can’t take it anymore.”

The turtle sighed. Suddenly, there’s a voice that says “I can’t take it anymore.”

“Who… who is it?” asked the turtle.
“It’s impolite to copy what others have said.”

That ‘voice’ replied “Are you saying that I’m copying? I said that because I really can’t take it anymore.”

The turtle tried his best to project his neck to get a clearer view, but failed. Then, it asked: “Are you human?”

“Yes, I’m a human. I’m a fisherman named Ryota.”

That ‘voice’ was actually a young man who was standing on the rock.
“Well, what is it that you can’t stand?” asked the turtle.

Then, the young fisherman replied “I’m always so busy, I don’t get any free time.”

“Isn’t it a good thing to be busy?” said the turtle.

“What is so good about being busy? Everyday is so packed that I don’t even have the time to sew the fishnet. Neglecting the small hole on the net day by day, now it turned out this way. Look.”
The young fisherman pulled down the net, there’s a big hole at the middle of it.

“Hahaha, this hole is as big as a whale!”
The turtle laughed and said “It’s been a while since I’ve seen something so interesting.” In the same time, the turtle has been thinking about something even more interesting.
“Hey, Ryota. Since you’ve always wanted free time, why don’t I give you my time.”

“………..”

“I have a hundred years of free time to go.”

“But… but, how could I possess your time?”

Then, the turtle replied him with a tone as if it was a wise old man “No worries. We turtles have our own way. With a touch of magic, you can have all the free time that you ever wanted. How about an extra hour a day?”

“An extra hour a day? But this seems too little…”

“Gosh, please don’t be so greedy. All the people have 24 hours a day, but you have 25! This is a miraculous thing! Within that hour, no one will know what you did. It will be as if you wore an invisible cloak. Let me see, what could be the interesting things that you could do within that time…”

“If it will be what you’ve said, when does this ‘extra hour’ begin?”

“It’ll begin after 12 midnight. After that extra hour, the time will turn back to 12, but the things you’ve done, will remain. If you were to repair the net within that hour, when the time turns back to 12 again, the net will still be fixed.”

“Wow, this sounds great! Thanks!”

The turtle further explained “In exchange, you must give me some hard drinks.”

“You wanted hard drinks? You drink?”

“Yes, and give a full glass of it to me.”

Ryota nodded his head and agreed.

“Let’s begin tonight. I’ll give you an hour by an hour. This way I can reduce my time too.”


(2)
Ryota’s house, up at the grounds above the shore.

It was a small house made from rocks and stone. Even if there were a hurricane, the house could stay safe. There’s only a door, a window, and a room. There was only him and his grandmother in the house.

Ryota’s father passed away in the sea, and his mother passed away from illness. Ryota wasn’t married yet. The only things left behind by his parents, is an old boat and a worn out net. Still, he wasn’t ashamed of his life, but he thought that it’s free and easy to be poor.

Today was a different day for him. He found something so special that none of the people would ever have!

“I’d fix the net on the first day. What should I do on the next day? Oh, I can exercise on the drums! I can train myself to be a good drummer before the Summer Festival! I could even get famous if I succeed. The people would be so amazed.”

He dragged the net along the shore, jumping up and down like a happy child.
He couldn’t stay calm even after he got home. He kept on looking at the clock, and his mind was drifted away by his thoughts. He couldn’t pay attention to what his grandmother had say or even taste anything from his dinner.
“Ryota, you seemed different today. Did you eat any plum seed again?”

Soon, the clock strikes 12. Ryota couldn’t fall asleep as he waited.
(Finally! It’s the time!)

He gripped his fist tight, and stayed up all night. All he could see is the small lamp lighting up the small house in the dark, and his grandmother sleeping as usual.
(This is just as usual.)

Ryota became a little disappointed after seeing this.
(Did the turtle lie to me?)

Though he tried to get up to fix his net. While he was trying to get up, he knocked the pile of water beside him and it created a loud noise.
(Gosh!)

Ryota was afraid that this could wake his grandmother, so he looked to his grandmother’s bed. Grandmother was lying there, without any sign of waking. Usually, his grandmother would easily be waken even just by the blowing of the wind. But now, it seems like she did not heard what had happened.
(This should be it!)

Now, Ryota finally understood how this ‘magic’ works. This is really a ‘time of his own’.
He grabbed the fishnet, and began fixing it. To make it stronger, he fix the net tightly this time.
As he was done, the clock strikes at 12 again.
(This is what the turtle has told me.)

On the next morning, Ryota woke up during sunrise. He prepared some alcoholic drinks for the turtle.
The turtle lied beside the rocks that are in the same colour of its shell. But this time, there was no response from the turtle no matter how he knocked or called it. At the end, he left the drinks in front of the turtle and went back home.

Ryota grabbed the fixed fishnet up to the boat and prepared to get out to the sea. With the help of the net, he was able to catch a bunch of fishes. After a whole day out on the sea, his skin was burnt, but there’s a smile on his face. As he got back, he sold the fishes, earned some money and bought himself a large drum.
(I can begin training tonight! I must not lost in the festival this year, I must win the first place!)

After his dinner, Ryota slept for a while and waited till midnight. When the clock strikes 12, he jumped up and began his training as loud as he could.
Yet, this can never wake his grandmother up.
No one would ever know that he’s gone through days of practice on the drum.
However, the people knew about him buying the drum as the drum seller told the villagers about this. She mentioned that “That boy from the seaside bought a large drum. He said he’ll win the first place in the Summer Festival this year. But still, he won’t have free time to train.”
The villagers nodded their head.

“When could he practice? He would have no time.”
“It must be during the nights”
“I wish I could go and have a look.”
Discussed by the villagers.

When the sun falls, the villagers gathered outside Ryota house, and hid themselves in the bushes. They waited for the whole night, but they couldn’t hear anything. On the next morning, Ryota came out from his house with his pajamas on.
“Oh, good morning. What are you guys doing here?”

 The villagers were panic, and they replied “Oh… erm… We just wanted to see how your drum looks like.”

Ryota smiled and said “The drum is over there. I hit it so hard every night that it might break someday.”

It was so fun to have a ‘magical time’. It was 20 days from the Summer Festival.
(It’ll be even more fun when Summer Festival comes!)

He had so much faith in himself. With his continuous practice, his skills have improved.


(to be continued…)

Labels: n. Story palace