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A Foolish DayAuthor: Toyoshima Yoshio
| Original Title | 愚かな一日 |
|---|---|
| Author | 豊島 与志雄 |
| Genre | Modern Short Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In a secluded sanatorium, a bedridden man drifts between feverish dreams and the muffled voices of his wife and closest friend discussing an unsettling remedy—a horse’s spinal cord, rumored to cure tuberculosis. Trapped in isolation, he fixates on their fragmented conversation: the sacrifice of an animal, unproven medical claims, and veiled doubts about his recovery. Shadows of resentment linger as his wife’s gentle care clashes with his friend’s pragmatic optimism, their camaraderie tinged with unspoken tensions. Memories of strained birthdays and abandoned manuscripts haunt him, while a surreal dream of riding a celestial horse amplifies his growing obsession with the elusive treatment. As autumn chill seeps into the room, so does his paranoia—about his fading vitality, his wife’s loyalty, and the true nature of his friend’s visits. Between stifled coughs and restless nights, he teeters on the edge of revelation or delusion, where hope and despair intertwine like the roots of unseen moss creeping through his garden’s soil. |
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