OLDMAN"S ORDEAL

Kirtley R. Cook

*1*

It was not the best of times for my good friend Oldman. He had been having a string of bad luck.
He had a wreck which totally destroyed his car. The IRS was after him to the tune of several
thousand dollars. As he grew older, his health was beginning to decline. He was having trouble
with some of his research assistants. I will tell you about them soon, but first let me explain why I am doing this.

I considered it a great honor when Oldman asked me to edit and publish some of his personal letters. I agreed without hesitation. I have carefully collected all the information necessary to explain why the letters were written. I present it to you now with complete accuracy as I
promised him I would.

Oldman was known among scholars throughout the world for his translations of Japanese poetry and fiction. He had also done some outstanding original writing on Japanese history and international relations. He was very popular in Japan for his outspoken viewpoints regarding Asian politics. Oldman was quite fond of Japan and was very pro-Japanese in his opinions.

Oldman was one of my best friends. Although he was not a recluse and had many friends, I believe I knew him better than anyone. Thus I think it is appropriate that I add some words of explanation and commentary to his letters as we go along.

At the time the letters were written, he was living in Tokyo. He was employed by a prominent
stateside newspaper as their journalist in Asia. His human interest stories were widely syndicated and he earned a considerable income from them. He divided his time between America,
Singapore, and Japan.

We often met for lunch and evening events whenever our schedules placed us in Tokyo. We both
belonged to a private, members only club near Harajuku Station. It was a gathering place for an
assortment of scholars who were apologists for Japan. They were a venerable old herd that
moved along at a leisurely pace, but were surprisingly adept at keeping up with the times.

*2*

November 23, 1995

Dear Mister Oldman,

Thank you very much for the video tapes you sent me. I enjoyed watching them. Did I see you
in one of them?

I am sending you a music cassette. I hope it will make you happy.

Ryuko

*3*

It is ironic that the first letter in the collection handed to me by Oldman should be a short note from Miss Ryuko Komoto. She was one of the two people to whom many of Oldman's letters were addressed. He told me he had given her video tapes of the movies Hang 'Em High, Dirty Harry, and The Unforgiven. Oldman bore a remarkable resemblance to Woody Allen, but he had the mistaken idea that he looked like Clint Eastwood. Not even his best friends had the heart to tell him the truth.

Miss Komoto was one of a long series of young Japanese who assisted Oldman with his research
in exchange for help with their English. This type of arrangement worked very well and was one
that benefitted both parties. His previous students had continued to be his lifelong friends and
frequent reunions were held.

I was present when Oldman first met Miss Komoto. A party was held in the upstairs room of a small Japanese restaurant in Shibuya. Miss Komoto was with a small group that arrived late and
the only vacant place for her was beside Oldman. I noticed they talked together for the rest of the evening, ignoring everyone else. I learned they had agreed to meet later and she became one of his regular students.

Whenever Oldman and I met afterwards, he always had something nice to say about Miss Komoto. He said, "She's the best student I've ever had. I never need to repeat anything. She remembers everything the first time, then uses it correctly the next time we meet. She is very dependable, too. She always does what she says she will do."

I heard that Miss Komoto was from Akita on the west coast of Japan. She was a graduate of Toyo University with a degree in English. She worked for the Musashi Travel Agency, which was a subsidiary of the Musashi Trading Company, a huge conglomerate which owned department stores, savings banks, hotels, train lines, amusement parks, and a baseball team. She appeared to be much younger than her age of thirty-two and she was a very lively person.

*4*

December 5, 1995
Dear Miss Komoto,

Hello from Key West. I wish you could be here to enjoy the good weather and pleasant seaside view. The sun has been out every day and in the evening it sets through the palm trees with a
spectacular display of colors. The old haunts of Tennessee Williams and Ernest Hemingway are
an inspiration to writers.

When I am here I miss Japan and when I am in Japan I miss Key West. It seems I am equally fond of both places. There is no reason why I shouldn't say that I miss our classes together and I am looking forward to my return to Japan. Please write to me while I am here. It is part of your English training. Also, please call me collect. My telephone number has been changed to 305-892-2212.

Best wishes,
From Your English Teacher