I DID KNOW

Taka and I 25 years ago

     The other day when Patrick S. came to my house to "play with a tree", as he put it, we ended up at the table, having tea and cake and a conversation. I don't know him almost at all. He is a man in his early sixties, American, had a knee surgery recently, his Japanese wife still looks great, they are pretty well to do. Did I remember everything? Probably not!
     We all felt easy and free talking with each other. Park mentioned my husband. Patrick said:
- "Oh, yes, Mr. Toyoda is a very special guy!"
- "Really?" - I replied -
 -"Why do you say that?"
 - "Because he accepted Rev. Moon's match for him: you!"
     Now, I love to have guests in my house and always give them the benefit of a doubt, but here was a guy who came here for the first time and he was saying that I was lucky because Taka accepted me as his wife. I wouldn't argue with that: I am lucky because, despite all the problems, we are still together and doing better than before. But Patrick was saying something else.
- "What do you mean by that?" - my inquiry.
- '"Well, you know...."
- "No, I don't know!"
      With every word I became more and more sure that he was referring to my weight. I wanted to tell him that when we were matched, I was much lighter and quite beautiful.

Taka and I when we were introduced to each other

I wanted to attack him and say that by his logic, his wife is a saint.
 I only said:
- "No, I don't know what you mean!"'

When I was 21