coincidence

Everything that happened yesterday was almost out of my control. I just floated through the day, very conscious but passive at the same time, allowing the city and its people to act upon me, rather than exerting effort to do something myself. I went out and somehow accidentally walked a new route through Aoyama to Omotesando then ended up in Harajuku where I bought a few things. I always buy items that are marked down significantly, they are usually out of fashion and plainer, but more my style. I bought two long sleeve shirts and a skirt, then some decorative chains.

I went home and changed into one of my new shirts and Zero came to pick me up. It was nice to drive in a car. He lives in Ebisu, and, naturally, he drove toward there. He asked if I was hungry, and I said not really (I had eaten a big strawberry ice cream crepe in Harajuku), I just wanted to have some drinks.

Ebisu is an interesting area; I have never been there before. The station was a lot bigger than I had imagined it to be and it seemed like an active area, even yesterday night, a Monday. In the car, I told him I was listening to the Beatles earlier in the day, and that I wanted to drop acid in Tokyo. He laughed and said that another one of his American friends had expressed the same desire to him. We went to one bar café, but it was full, so he took me to another place he warned was more homey and woody. He made it sound like a bad thing. It was an Italian restaurant where we shared a small pizza margherita and some appetizers, I enjoyed it. I started drinking afterward at the bar and we chatted.

We spoke about coincidence, the strange timing of things, and drug use. He used to live in New York and tried almost everything. He was shocked when I mentioned leaving in September. He had somehow assumed that I would be staying in Japan for a longer time. I said no, I move around often. Later, he told me that his ex-girlfriend had called him the night before, and it was such strange timing, since he had just met me. I appreciated the honesty but it did not matter. I am nothing, he is nothing, and it would be silly to think otherwise. I drank three cocktails and a shot of tequila, went to use the bathroom and ignored a phone call from a customer, then we left.

It had begun to rain. We walked silently to his car then sat inside for a little while. I told him to take me home, but he wouldn’t, he told me that he did not want me to go home yet. He invited me to his house and I told him no, his girlfriend would be coming back to Japan soon and it would be inappropriate. He told me that her return didn’t mean anything, they were not together. It did not matter to me really, it was up to him, I wanted simply to remind him of the circumstances. When he was sure he wanted to have me, I went to his apartment.

It was a nice place, very clean and orderly with no sign of a woman. His small cat (which he was not supposed to have in the building) looked at me strangely, I felt unwelcome.

We smoked some weed even though I resisted at first. It was good quality. He told me he did not have much to drink, soda and water. I told him I was fine. Then suddenly something occurred to him. He said no one would ever drink it, so it was perfect, a miniature bottle of champagne. He poured the drink into a pretty champagne flute, a bit sweet but still delicious. It was not the first time I’ve had marijuana and champagne in the same setting, and it was not unpleasant.