Criminal Behavior
...written on 2000-12-13, @ 14:53:20
Tales of Kim's Life in Japan
Criminal Behavior
Wed December 13, 2000
By Monday I was a criminal. I knew I would be a criminal the Thursday before after talking with my Japanese language teacher on the phone as she cancelled our lesson for that day. No, I wasn't feeling homicidal because I'd have to forego conjugating some verbs, I just knew that I had planned on returning my book and video at the library next to the center where I would have my Japanese lesson. Now that I wasn't going to class, I felt no motivation to make a separate trip and I knew from my upcoming schedule that I would be too busy to go before the appointed due date, which was Sunday.
Monday was my day off however, so I bundled everything up and headed for the library, going over the many scenarios I envisioned happening as a result of my grave delinquency. Would they take away my new library card (see Stacked )? Would they call my name over the loud speaker and make me walk an angry gauntlet of library patrons who took their check-out privilege seriously? Would they charge me unimaginable sums for being one day late? I had packed a wad of cash just in case. I knew I was a day late, but I sure wasn't going to be a yen short.
I pedaled Red Rover to the Suitopia Center and parked it in the Bike station. My eyes were shining from the ride in the brisk air and my nose and ears were pink from the cold. I walked up to the second floor and figured, "Ok, let's get it over with."
My trepidation comes into play knowing how fanatical the Japanese are about rules. They are very precise in what they want done and how it will be done and everyone must follow the guidelines. The rules are there so everyone can be treated fairly. There are no exceptions, no leniency, just . . . the rules.
I handed my book to the librarian. Before she said anything, I remembered the other day walking to the Gifu Branch with Manami. We were so engrossed in our conversation that we didn't notice (or didn't care) about crossing a little side street with no cars in sight against the light. As we reached the other side, in mid-sentence Manami stops shorts and gasps just as I hear the remnants of a loud speaker announcement dying away. "Oh, the policeman says we should stop there", she said, pointing to the corner on the other side of the street from whence we had just come. Surprised, I looked at the traffic and saw a police car with its lights flashing. I told Manami that I wasn't stopping and of course she followed me. Visions flashed in my head of Manami and I heading down a dark alley to get away from the Gifu police. We would dodge them for a while no doubt, maybe a couple of years even, but eventually some rule-abiding Japanese would spot me under my make-up and wig disguise and recognize me from the most wanted criminal poster in the convenience store. My time as a jay-walking fugitive from the Rules would be over.
"Thank you", said the librarian, brusquely pulling me out of my imaginings. What? Did she just say that everything was alright? In disbelief I pointed to the little piece of paper with yesterday's date on it, proof that I was indeed negligent and bowed to indicate that I was willing to accept my punishment. "II desyoo." I was baffled at her nonchalant "That's fine", and I shuffled away with the video under my arm. Now there's where it will happen, on the 4th floor when I take the video back!
I ran up the two flights of stairs and saw that the same man was working there who lent me the video to begin with. Ok, here goes, I thought as I offered him the video with both hands. I looked to see if I could catch a glimpse of the "Late Video Return" police, perhaps taking a smoking break in the employee room behind the laser discs, but I saw noone. The audio-visual attendant took the blue bag from me, removed the video from the bag, verified that it was rewound and said "II desyoo". That's fine. Again I was stunned, but I didn't point out to him that the video was tardy. I just bowed and went on to browse, feeling rather elated that I wasn't publicly or privately chastised or had to use my 401 k to pay off my library debt.
I didn't find any other videos, but I did check out a couple of books on Japanese etiquette. I'm going to see if I can find a chapter on library use.