mantilo: a miscellany

Dear Grover Yamane,

Today I had a long day. I had an exam and didn’t come home until near seven because I was doing homework. But you know, it beats any stuffy job I have had since graduating. Instead of heating up a Hot Pocket for dinner (I don’t have any, anyway), I washed and boiled rice, steamed broccoli, cooked chicken, and made a nice peanut sauce. When I headed to the table to eat, I saw a package waiting for me from Texas.

Inside the box was a vintage gakusei-kaban - an old black leather briefcase that Japanese students used once they left primary school - that I won on Ebay for forty dollars. It’s still a little stiff, even though the bottom is worn and the creases need to be oiled. No big scratches or anything of that. Once I have time this weekend to polish it a little, it will look even better than it does now.

Inside the leather is untreated, but clean smelling. And penciled carefully in capital letters is your name.

This renews my faith in old things. I haven’t gone out yet to the thrift stores or the garage sales. My room is too small, although I couldn’t pass this old school bag of yours. Such an exotic thing, how did end up so that someone would sell it on Ebay? Did you give it away? Did you forget about it and have someone take it away from you? I’m not sure if those are good stories, though, because if you didn’t for it, why did you write your name inside?

Are you still alive out there, somewhere?
Do you think of this leather school satchel, from time to time?

Sincerely,
M

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