When I was in the second year of high school, I went on a three-day summer trip with the Earth Science Club. The place we stayed was located in the countryside of a city two hours train ride away from my hometown. The owner of the hut came to pick us up at the train station, and from there, we drove through rice fields and fruit gardens until finally we entered a small mountain. The hut was sitting near the top of this small mountain.
As soon as we got inside of the hut, we learned that the owner was an ardent stargazer. The walls were covered with pictures of different planets and stars that he had taken with his telephotographic camera, and we were told that he would watch stars using his astrograph every night and we were welcome to join him.
I must say it was one of the most unique places to stay. The entire hut was run single-handedly by the owner, and because he stayed up late watching the stars, there was no breakfast offered. My friends and I, who didn’t stay up late and woke up early, couldn’t wait for the first meal of the day, and we walked for a few kilometers searching for food.
However, when the meals did arrive, they were delicious. Moreover, at each meal, a stack of fresh peaches were offered. The region was very famous for its peach production in Japan, and usually, peaches from that region were considered to be luxury. They were usually expensive, and at my home, my mother bought them only occasionally, offering them in small pieces at breakfast.
So, when I saw the stack of peaches at our first meal at the mountain hut, I jumped with joy. I immediately picked one and placed it next to my tray. It was so plump, smooth and perfect in shape.
“Look, how cute this peach is!” I exclaimed as I caressed the peach with my hand.
It was almost too beautiful to be real. And when I tasted it, my mouth was filled with the juice and a happy smile flowered on my face.
Thus, at every meal, I enjoyed the luxury of taking a few fresh peaches to my table, caressing them, marveling their beauty and eating them.
Years later, my friends who were there with me mentioned to me how happy I looked with the peaches and how I was talking about their beauty. I found it funny that everybody remembered me eating the peaches among all the different things we did on that trip.