Semua Bab The PUMPKIN LETTER: Bab 1 - Bab 6

I found the first pumpkin just as the last colors of evening were sinking into the garden.It lay beneath the garden bench—a little orange globe small enough to fit in the palm of my hand.The remnant of its vine curled like a cat’s tail. When I picked it up, I noticed words carved into its skin. A poem, etched with a slender blade.> Though the light is small,> it can still show the way.The carved letters were somewhat angular, but perfectly legible. The grooves were fresh, and when I ran a finger over them, I thought I could still feel the raw dampness of the pumpkin beneath its skin.I looked across the garden toward the house next door. Tall sunflowers nodded in the fading remnants of autumn. Behind them stood a figure in a pale-colored shirt.It was Mr. Sasagawa, my next-door neighbor.The shadow went still.Pumpkin in hand, I froze as well.After a moment, the figure slipped away behind the house without ever stepping fully into view.◇◇◇I had returned to my grandmother’s hou

It had been raining since the weekend, and Monday—my day off—was no exception.I spent the afternoon in the living room, completely absorbed in my pressed-flower art.My near vision had recently begun to show its age, so whenever I lifted a petal with my tweezers, I had to be careful not to stab straight through it. Every so often, I pinched the bridge of my nose and massaged the space between my eyebrows. Otherwise, I would suddenly realize how badly I had strained my eyes.I arranged the flowers, petals, and leaves I had prepared between spring and summer, layering them into a composition of gray and blue.“There. Maybe I should add a yellow pansy here and make it look like the moon.”One advantage of living alone was that I could talk to myself without lowering my voice.The disadvantage was that I seemed to be doing it more and more often.I was making bookmarks as Halloween gifts for the children at the library. We had made pressed flowers together during a summer workshop, so I

On Halloween, I was preparing the children’s area for the workshop when Mr. Sasagawa appeared, carrying a cardboard box in his botanical garden staff jacket.“Ms. Ono, will these do?”The box was packed with intricately carved miniature pumpkins.“They’re beautiful… Thank you so much.”We began arranging them along the top of the decorated bookshelves. Mr. Sasagawa helped, taking care not to disturb the origami decorations on the wall.Each pumpkin had a single letter carved into it. Placed in order, they spelled:**HALLOWEEN**At either end stood two pairs of jack-o’-lanterns, each with a different expression.“I know I asked you at such short notice. Thank you, truly.”“It was no trouble. I’ll come and collect them when the event is over.”“Would it be all right if we kept them on display for a while?”“Of course.”Once the pumpkins were arranged, he picked up the empty box, said a quick goodbye, and hurried out of the library.“Was that Mr. Sasagawa?”Mayumi came out of the office