White River Night Boat -- Yoshimoto Banana. Youth Dream Scroll

Author: (Japanese) Banana Yoshimoto, translated by Xu Jingbo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-11-01
Features: Sleep Trilogy
White River Night Boat—She specializes in "accompanying sleep," helping those exhausted in body and mind to rest on luxurious beds. Over time, the darkness of the guests seeps into her heart, and in the end, even the hanging hammock cannot shake off her accumulated worries, restoring her peace. She can only choose to go to the "world of rest."
Night and the Traveler—The lover dies in a car accident on the way to meet her, and she falls into a half-awake state, chasing after the lover in her dreams and often wandering out at night like a sleepwalker.
One Experience—Whenever she drinks herself into oblivion before sleep, the same melody lingers beside her pillow. After learning it might be a summons from a deceased loved one, she meets with him through a medium, resolving the lingering bitterness in their hearts caused by a triangular love affair. At first, I thought it was the pillow singing. Because I felt that the pillow, which always gently cradled my cheek at any time, could emit such a clear sound. However, I could only hear this sound when my eyes were closed, so I wondered if it was a pleasant dream. The sound was deep and sweet, with a lingering resonance, as if gently massaging away the hardest bitterness in my heart. I heard this sound tonight too. It was a more sensual, more real, and ethereal song than the voice of an angel. I wanted to capture the melody of this song, straining my remaining bits of consciousness to listen desperately. But drowsiness enveloped me, blending this joyful melody with my dreams.