When Japanese people think of “Bulgaria,” they also think of “yogurt.” And it turned out Bulgarians really do have yogurt with everything. In Japan yogurt usually goes with dessert, but in Bulgaria, it goes on fish, meat, and even vegetables. And, Bulgaria is famous for flowers! I bought tons of floral souvenirs: rose oil, rose water, rose jam…what girl doesn’t love roses?
We had a great time everywhere we went, but the most unforgettable experience was our shoreside picnic.
Just imagine: a forest blooming with mimosas and magnolias. The calm, rolling tide. Birds cheeping sweetly. It was like we were lost in a fairytale. We sat on the grass, drinking sweet plum juice with our sandwiches. Though Ema had taken us to so many historical sights and ruins, for me, that simple picnic was the most fun of all.
I got to be alone with Itsumi on the picnic. Ema and Diana were busy with something else, so Itsumi and I decided to set off on our own adventure.
The lake was too pretty not to go in. We hadn’t brought our swimsuits, so we decided to skinny-dip. The water was a little chilly, but in the warmth of the May sun, the cold felt refreshing. And Itsumi’s body was so gorgeous. Her long, glamorous hair clung to her figure when she rose from the lake, and the sunlight coming through the tree leaves glinted through the drops of water falling from her body. It was like she was Venus in William-Adolphe Bouguereau’s The Birth of Venus. And I say that as someone who has seen that painting in person. When I lived in France, I saw it in the Musée d’Orsay. But I have to say that Itsumi’s body was far more sensual even than Bouguereau’s painting.
By the way, did you know that Venus was born from a severed penis? The Sky Father, Uranus, hated his son so much that he put him back into his mother, Gaia’s, womb. Gaia punished Uranus by ordering her son to cut off his father’s penis with a sickle. Uranus’ genitalia splashed into the ocean, with liquids seeping out of it that turned into bubbles, and thus Venus was born.
Here is a poem that Angelo Poliziano wrote about this myth:
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In the stormy Aegean, the genital member is seen to be received in the lap of Tethys, to drift across the waves, wrapped in white foam, beneath the various turnings of the planets; and within, born with lovely and happy gestures, a young woman with nonhuman countenance, is carried on a conch shell, wafted to shore by playful zephyrs; and it seems that heaven rejoices in her birth.*
Most people agree it was Poliziano’s poem, which I just read to you, that inspired Sandro Botticelli for The Birth of Venus.
Still, imagine having your genitals cut off and thrown into the ocean. Awful, isn’t it. But I totally get how Venus’ beauty could be born from the Sky Father’s castration. And I feel like this “beauty born from male castration” somehow fits Itsumi to a tee. A world devoid of men—a divine beauty that only existed in an all-girls school. I guess unique environments breed exceptional beauty.
Emerging from the lake, Itsumi’s naked body wasn’t lascivious, but was pure, mystical, and bursting with light. The wind fluttered behind her, green grass sprouted from the earth, and ripples formed on the water as if nature was worshipping her as a goddess. That naked body and gaze, as soft as the Virgin Mary’s, broke all the rules! If I were a boy, I would’ve been so twisted by her beauty that I would’ve thrown myself into the lake…Ah, yes, I can probably use that idea in my next novel.
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After the picnic, we were supposed to visit a museum with Mr. Hojo. But it was too much of a hassle to go after swimming. I lied and said I was sick. Then I wandered off on my own, taking pictures. And, man, I really took a lot.
I think the reason I feel comfortable walking alone in a foreign country is because I used to live in one for so long. Due to my father’s work, I lived in France from grades one through six. I travelled to various European countries with my family: Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, England…At the time, I had taken my travels for granted, but now I realize that I had truly been blessed.
France is my second home. I want to live there again someday. I feel like it somehow suits me better than the rigid confines of Japan. I feel calm when I’m in France. I guess this is the kind of thing that happens when you grow up overseas.
Perhaps my time abroad as a child is what made me so extraordinarily picky about the Japanese words I use in my novels. Yes, I’m sure of it. Without a doubt, the six years I spent in France are as much a part of me as my flesh and blood, and they have most certainly improved my writing skills.
Even after we returned to Japan, Itsumi and I were still like sisters. We joked around in the salon and I did silly things to get her attention. But Itsumi had fun with our little games and let me depend on her as I would on a sister.
After Diana came to Japan, the three of us often reminisced about Bulgaria together. I felt bad that this left the other members out, but it wasn’t intentional. Sonoko seemed especially pissed about it. But for the three of us, this was such a special memory that we just couldn’t help it.