Canon's Diary

Monday, June 16. I woke up at 6 a.m. Morning sunlight was pouring into the room through a gap in the curtains. I stepped out onto the balcony and looked outside. The sky was clear, but the ground was slightly wet—it must have rained a bit before dawn.

I was glad I’d brought the laundry inside last night. I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and made breakfast: fried rice and miso soup with white leeks. The detoxifying effect of leeks is something I could get addicted to. After doing the dishes, I had no time to turn on the TV and headed straight out to work.

The sun was bright. The damp ground sent cool air upwards, but as I walked, my body temperature rose, and the blazing sun started to make my head feel hot. If it’s already like this in mid-June, I dread to think how harsh the real summer will be.

When I arrived at the office, I sat down and took a sip of the sparkling water I’d brought with me. The air conditioning made it comfortable, though it gets chilly quickly, so I always keep a jacket nearby. I hadn’t brought coffee today, so I used the office coffee machine, which grinds the beans fresh. The aroma was better than I expected, and it gave me a moment of calm.

Then a message came from my mother via Line. She said she was heading to the hospital, then to the bank to withdraw some living expenses. Since I was working, I just replied briefly: “Take care.” She’s already 85. I worry that the heat might be hard on her.

After lunch, I climbed the stairs up to the sixth floor as I usually do. The heat made my breathing labored. About four years ago, I injured the inner meniscus of my left knee. At the time, I weighed around 76 kg, and after playing tennis, even walking was tough. I couldn’t bend my knee deeply. I tried strength training and injections, but what ultimately helped was losing weight—about 10 kg—which eased the pressure on my knee. Now I can walk without trouble and play tennis again. But I’ve been told that the inner part of the meniscus is called the “white zone,” where blood flow is extremely poor and natural healing is almost impossible. So I try to move as much as I can—climbing stairs, walking—to stimulate circulation. Gaining weight again is strictly off-limits. I guess my body is starting to show its age.

My mother also has knee issues and gets regular injections at the orthopedic clinic. Her back is relatively straight, but her hearing has declined significantly, and she occasionally experiences dizziness. She’s said to have a mild case of Parkinson’s disease. But what worries me more is her naïve and impulsive nature. No, she doesn’t have dementia—but still, I feel uneasy leaving her alone.

On my way home from work, I stopped by the supermarket to pick up some pork. I’m planning to prepare a batch of cabbage soup tonight. I eat heartily in the morning and at lunch, so I try to keep dinner light to maintain my current weight. I’ve got the recipe down pat: boil pork, chopped carrots, and cabbage in a pot, then season with soba sauce, bonito stock, and ginger. Just before eating, I add chopped white leeks and sesame oil. There was only one egg left in the fridge, so I saved it for breakfast tomorrow. Tonight, I’ll go with a small serving of ochazuke (rice with tea) to keep the calories in check. It’s easy on the stomach too, which is a plus.

I’m planning to head back to Tokyo this Friday and work from home there next week. I’ve arranged to take time off on June 26 and 27 to go to city hall and take care of my father’s inheritance procedures. It’ll be my first time in a while to check in on the family home.