First night

Author: Hayashi Mariko
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-01
Features: A story about a pet shop A story about a pet shop"Oh, Mien, come here, come here, shall I give you a bath?" kissed the small terrier in my hands and slowly moved it to her chest. This action was so natural that it made me think that the rumors about her having children might be true.In this old residential area, the "Galaxy" pet shop was a rather unassuming gray-white building. The window displayed comic illustrations of puppies and kittens, next to which was a veterinary hospital and beauty salon called "" ( Pet Hospital), which was twice the size of the shop. Judging by the name, Kizuko must be related to this hospital. However, Kizuko claimed to be single, and at the veterinary hospital director in his 50s, his wife was often seen standing at the door.Kizuko might be the daughter of the former director. Of course, this was just speculation. I heard that Kizuko had once gone through a failed marriage and gave her child to her husband. After the divorce, she returned to her family and, after discussing it with them, opened a pet shop in a corner of the hospital to support herself. This seems likely to be correct.However, there was a strange and indifferent relationship between the veterinary hospital and the pet shop. For example, the dog collars and cat food sold in the shop could also be found in the hospital, which had a limited selection of goods. I had never seen a doctor or beautician from the hospital coming to the pet shop, nor had I ever seen anyone from the pet shop going to the hospital. Many people in this area keep dogs and cats, and the hospital's waiting room is always packed with anxious customers clutching cages—it's often difficult to find an empty seat. But Kizuko's pet shop has never been so bustling."That's only natural, I never sell things that attract crowds like that. It's better to be relaxed and leisurely," she said, usually standing by the glass counter, watching passersby, or drinking tea at a small table inside. The puppies and kittens for sale were all placed in cloth boxes, looking like cloth toys, drowsily asleep.But Kizuko had an extraordinary sense of smell; she could immediately tell when regular customers had gone to the nearby hospital. Today, she had just finished grooming the small terrier and had walked about five steps out of the hospital when she bumped into Kizuko, who was smiling warmly waiting for her."Oh, Mien, how cute you've become! You just got a bath, didn't you? It's wonderful!"