The 156th Episode : Phone call in the mid-night
[September, 1999 Bogota, Colombia]
The president of the distributor took me for dinner with his family, Sushi again… Do they have the awareness that Japanese remind them of Sushi and Sushi is a luxury food? The sushi served in Chile was made by Japanese cook but no idea here as I couldn’t see the kitchen. And I don’t remember the taste but the Chilean was better that only remains in my mind.
As mentioned previously Bogota lies on the altitude of 7,700 feet, besides 200 - 250 miles inland from the sea. I had no idea at all to eat sushi at this place.
The day was Friday, I was to go drinking after dinner with his son, a university student. He, his wife and his daughter went back home. We stepped into the downtown and walked around for a while to feel the atmosphere. The town was not as that of Japan with high buildings but detached bars were lined on. There were not so many streetlights and the dim lights leaked from the establishments illuminated the pavement. And each bar was playing music so loudly. To my curious every doors were kept opened. It was convenient for me to observe the inside of the bars to choose where to drink. It was indeed Friday night, there was a large turnout.
I suddenly remembered Andrés Escobar, the late football player killed by a deadly bullet due to the own goal in the football game. It wasn't here in Bogota he was shot down but in Medellín, the second largest city in Colombia approx. 200 miles away. In any case, it might be the similar place in similar atmosphere. I felt scared a little. We drank in a couple of bars and he took me back to the hotel.
Around 0:00 a.m. I returned the hotel. As soon as I got into my room, the phone began to ring. “Moshi moshi (= hello)” I answered in Japanese for I could predicted who was that. It was 2:00 p.m. mid-day in Japan, no problem at all for calling. The voice on the phone was the president’s of the head office in Japan, exactly I predicted. “Where were you!? Returned just now!?”… his questions. “I was taken to drink as it’s Friday night.” I answered. “Is it alright? Please, don’t hang around.” Did he anxious about my life or ransom!?!?
