The dancing Girl
The story was written by a Japanese writer and reflects his life experiences. The narrator, Ota Toyotaro, is telling the story of his life, filled with travelling and hardship. He was an excellent student, which made his mother be proud of him. Unfortunately, his father could not share the feeling of pride since had died. Ota’s studies of Law brought him to Germany, where he realized he was not living the life of his own. He had been doing what others expected of him since childhood and turned into a walking encyclopedia. As a result, he made a decision to switch to history and literature instead of law.
One evening he met a girl crying at a church entrance, who charmed him with her clear blue eyes. The girl lived a poor life in a small apartment with her mother. Her father had recently died and they needed money badly. Ota decided to help them. Therefore, it was no surprise they fell in love. Unfortunately, the gossip of their relationship reached the head of department and gave him the reputation of a man who loved having fun with actresses. As a result, his post was about to be abolished in a week. To make the matters worse, he got a letter, which said that his beloved mother had passed away.
One day his friend Aizawa Kenkichi, the secretary of the Count Amakata, arrived in Germany. He helped him Ota get a job as a reporter for a newspaper. He and Elise lived a poor, but happy life together. In the winter of 1988, Elise got pregnant. At the same time, Aizawa and the Count came to Berlin, and Ota was offered a job. The Count was satisfied with Ota’s work, but he did not approve of his relationship with Elise. Later, the three of them went to Russia. The cooperation resulted in the Count’s winning over Ota and offering good opportunities for returning home and recovering his reputation.
When Ota returned, Elise’s was happy and he instantly felt remorse. He already knew he was leaving for Japan, but could not bring himself to tell her. Depressed, he went for a long walk and got very ill. Finally, Aizawa revealed Ota’s decision to leave Berlin. Elise was in such a shock that she literally lost her mind, and doctors diagnosed paranoia. When it was time to leave, Ota gave her mother some money for the mad girl and her poor child.
The story helped Ota see what a true friend Aizawa was, but it also made him hate his friend for making him leave Elisa.
