Apart from people who were waiting bus, I sat down on a stone and opened my sketch book. The crater was about one kilometer across. Wide grassland was surrounded in the rock wall which changed height gradually. I hesitated where I should draw. In a moment I decided to draw around the top of rock-wall which I had just climbed.

　When I finished drawing the rough contour with pencil, I feel a sign of person in my back. I hardened my body. I disliked that someone peeped my work when I was drawing it. Immediately I heard“Hello!”It was cheerful voice. I looked back. An old plump gentleman was standing with a rattan hat in his hand. He wore cool-looking white pants and light blue shirts. His sweat stained trim shirts partially.

“Hello, Mr.”So replying, I turned my face from him and continued to draw the picture. I thought the old person departed soon. But, he got near to me and watched the sketch over my shoulder.

“Excellent! ”He shouted. It was delightful to be praised, but my concentration was broken off. I started drawing wrinkles of the rock wall, but lines became suddenly clumsy. I abandoned to continue drawing .

“Have you climbed to the top of Diamond Head? I asked.

　The old gentleman nodded and picked out a notebook of black cover from a small bag.

“I sketched from the top.”

　So saying in fluent Japanese, the old gentleman sat down next to me. He opened the notebook and showed it to me. Many hotels seen from the top of moutain were drawn roughly with a pen.　Buildings were drawn as if mere boxes. Several lines which displayed windows of buildings had protruded from the building. I cannnot comment his picture.　I said only“Nice”and I changed the subject.

“Can you speak Japanese?”

“ Yes, A little. ”

“Your Japanese is very fluent.”

“Thank you.”

　The old gentleman turned over pages. He showed pictures one after another and explained where he had drawn them. Because every picture was not good, I rather had favor to him. The old person showed his pictures not to be proud of them but to speak to me more intemately by them.

　Suddenly soud of engine roared. I found a bus had started from bus stop. Oh,my god. Next bus will start about an hour later. “Wait!”I shouted. But the bus increased speed and vanished into the tunnel drilled on the rock wall.

　I stared the tunnel where the bus went out in utter amazement.The sun of winter season was going down and the shadow of the rock wall had extended in the crater. After one hour it would become much dark.

“I am very sorry.”

　His voice had tone of apology but he was settled.

“At the other end of that tunnel there is a stop of trolley bus. From there many bus start to Waikiki .”

“How long to go the stop?”

“About 15minites”

“ Oh,it’s good”

“Let’s go”

　The old gentleman began to walk. I put away the sketch book in my shoulder bag and chased him. The the old man was as tall as me,but his back and waist are much more stout than mine. In the rear part of his thick neck,there was pleat of greace.

　As the old gentleman said, there was a bus stop near the end of tunnel.An open trolley bus circled with pipes of brass in place of hard body was waiting. We got on the bus quickly and sat downn to seats together. There wewe no passenjers without us. I feeled releaved and relaxed. I wanted to speak to the old man and I introduced myself.

The old gentleman told his name as Charles Brook. He started speaking with very open mind. He was Canadian and his parents were British. He was a retired professor.

　 He had researched the resource inquiry at a university of Vancouver, but seven years ago he had retired at the mandatory. Now he took care of academic society of resource inquiry and wrote books and enjoyed traveling. He has no family. He said so lonesomely.

　Mr.Brook said he would like to invite me to a restaurant as a token of apology.

　Hearing it I became suspicious. I had read a caution in a guidebook that a good dressed gentleman spoke to travellers to induce a dangerous bar and drink together for the sake of swindle money.　

But, because the name of restaurant he mentioned was attached with a very famous hotel, my angxiety was much reduced.

I had deposited nmy passport, credit cards and the large denomination bills to a safe of my hotel.Ｉdecided to go with him. I wanted to speak a little more with Mr.Brook.　My father had died in my childfood. And so I am interested in some men as old as my father. My experiences over forty years told me that Mr.brook was not a liar.

　The restaurant was in a corner of grand courtyard of fine hotel. Half of the seats were inside, half were outside which were close to sea.

Mr.Brook asked me which seat I wanted. I answered “outside one”. A waiter approached us. He seemed to know Mr.Brook as a hotel guest. He led us pleasently to a table near the sea.

“Ask anything you like, please,” said Mr. Brook.

“Thank you, I want to eat same menu as you.”

I answered passing menu to Mr. Brook.

“Japanese often says as you”

　He laughed and called the waiter and asked beaf steaks. “Well done please,”I said to him.

　There was a beautiful pool in the middle of big courtyard. Inside the pool there was a mosaic of flowers. As It had been dark, nobody was in the pool.

　Two litle bottles of beer were carried. Mr.Brook took a bottle in his hand, filled up my glass. Mr.Brook stoped me to take another bottle of beer and he filled up his own glass.

“Cheers!”We cried.

　 Mr.Brook was so delightful. His face was filled with affection and familiarity .　Taking meal, we talked about the impression of this island and other countries which we have visited.

　Mr.Brook asked me why I was travelling alone. The reason was alittle complexed.

　My wife had won a Hawaii trip ticket at a lot of year-end sale. The travelling ticket was just single, furthermore travelling day was appointed to week days of February. My wife could not travel for her job in this season. Any her relatives did not want travel to Hawaii. After all I could not refuse this cheap ticket. Because I was a researcher in laboratory and it was reatively easy to take a holiday. I spoke this mixing English word ocasionally.

　As for Mr.Brook he came here for cherishing the memory of his son. This was the last city that they travelled together. Mr.Brook narrowed his eyes.

“My son was named Kenichirou. He was a Japanese.”

　I wonder if Mrs.Brook was a Japanese and she gave her son Japanese name.

“ Kenichirou was a good-skilled chef. He worked at a grand French restautant. We were not related by blood. But he was my son and my family and my partner. Nine years we lived together. He was a splendid man. As Japanese expression - Ki wa yasasikute tikara moti-In English he wsa very gentle and powerful. We were happy, I think. At least I was very happy.”

The tale of Mr.Brook should be strange for me Japanese, but his words sounded not queer but natural and beautiful. I remembered that Canada was a free country where marriage of any sex was accepted.

“I am sorry,”Isaid.

　I heard buzz from near the pool side. I looked toward there to know what happened.

Elegant dance of this island was being showed.

　I turned away from pool side and watched Mr.Brook. He looked unusual. His face turned pale and he clenched his fists.　

“Are you all right ?”

I asked. Mr.Brook did not answer to me. He probably wanted to take out something from pocket of the shirt. His hand trembling and fingers just hanged around the entrance of the pocket. I stood up hurrily and tured the table. I crouched just　beside him and thrust my hand to the pocket. As some plain sheet touched to my fingers, I pulled out it quickly. It was thin case of tablet. Mr.Brook nodded and raised the thumb and the index finger. It probably ment two pills. I pushed out two round tablets and showed them to Mr.Brook. He carried them to mouse in a harry and drank them with beer which was at hand.

“Shall I call the waiter ? ”

When I asked , Mr.Brook shook his head strongly.

　Mr.Brook gazed one point on the table and was enduring motionlessly.

Two or three minutes later his pale face became a littele reddish. Also his expression became calm.

“Pardon me. I frightened you. I am free from danger now.”

Mr.Brook said directing his face to me.　

“ Do you have a chronic disease ? ”

“ Yes,I have. Blood vessels around my heart occasionally choke”

“ You should go to hospital.You should.”

“ Oh,yes. Two weeks later, surgery is scheduled in a hospital in Vancouver. I don’t know surgery will succeed or not because I am so old “

The voice of Mr.Brook became merry again. I returned to my own seat. From my fingertip smell of sweat of Mr.Brook was drifting. It had been attached when I had taked out the tablet. In my fingerchips soft touch of his chest remained also.

“Thank you for your invitation to meal. Now you must go your room in this hotel and lie down quietly”

I started to stand up.

“Please wait!”　Mr.Brook gazed at me.

“ Please hear me a little more” Mr.Brook begged. Feeling not ordinary sign in him, I sat down again.

“Kenichirou died three years ago. He was 43 years old. It was an accident. A little before the accident, I proposed to him that we should become family formally.It was the time when the government of Canada accepted free marriage which had been accepted in several states of Canada. I strongly hoped that he could inherit my legacy smoothly and that we spent as formal family in near the end of my life.

Kenichirou’s reply was ambiguous unusually. Kenichirou said he wanted to return to Japan in several days. I thought he was talking to leratives about our deep affectionate relationship. Kenichirou who had returned from Japan seemed to be depressed.　After a month, Kenichirou slipped down from the rock wall in a moutain of Canadian Rocky. Kenichirou was familiar with that mountain. I am sure he had not lost his way. I believ he did not kill himself. Even though I can not think that my proposal was unrelated to his death at all. He should worry about it. Perhaps he could not concentrate. I heard after his death many Japanese had unbeleable prejudice for same sex affection. That torchered Kenichirou severely, I think. It’s so regrettable that I could not share his pain.” Mr.Brook sighed.

I didn’t know what words I must say.

“ Oh,　I told you so sad story , perdon me,”said Mr.Brook.

He didn’t miss my expression of embarassment.

“ Today I climbed Diamond Head because I wanted to trace the road which Kenichiriu and me had walked along together. I knew it was bad for my sick heart. But I hoped strongly to feel breath of kenichirou. Fortunately no attack occurred in my climbing. I felt Kenichirou here and there in mountain road ,in stairs,in tonnels, in obervatory.　When I came down from he moutain, you were sketching. You were similar to Kenichirou. Very similar.somewhere had been similar to [kenichirou]. I did not reflect upon my impoliteness and spoke to you with absorption. Perdon me ,please.”

“ Oh, you are welcome.I enjoy talking with you very much.”

“　Your words put me at ease.”

Mr.Brook smiled comfortably.

“If you don’t mind , would you call me OTOUSAN ? “

“What?”

I asked and Mr.Brook blushed.

“Would you call me OTOUSAN ? ”

“Yes, of course. But･･･”

“Oh, I surprized you, Did I ?　I do not tell that you should think me as dad. I only want to hear the beautihul Japanese word OTOUSAN once again. Kenichirou had called me OTOUSAN.”

I am not good at such action as this. But I decided to say“OTOUSAN”for his sake.

The word “OTOUSAN”slipped out from my tong much easily than I expected. It was the word which had not been mentioned for a long time. My father died 30 years ago. And I could not call father of my wife “OTOUSAN” by any means .

Sweet sound which had been forgotten sank into my body. My heart became calm. Suddenly, I thought I should say something which would cheer this old gentleman.

“OTOUSAN! OTOUSAN! I don’t know whether his death was accident or not. But Kenichirou should　be very happy in the life with you. Perhaps it was a most brilliant term in his life.”

　 It was quiet. Dance show beside the pool had finished. In the restaurant only several people remained at tables. My voice was low but it sounded around. Pupils of Mr.Brook were moist.

“Thank you. I wonder if your words were spoken by Kenichirou. Thank you !”

So speaking Mr.Brook closed his eyes. Darkness spread just beyond the light circle made by lanterns of the restaurant.

　Sounds of waves reached us.　　　　　　　　 (END)