Day 32 of the 37 days of the Peking to Paris Motor Challenge.
The rally was reaching its climax, and from morning to night we were battling on
to see that final finish.
In the days since the start I had forgotten the cancer completely.
Never mind a bath — camping in the desert, days at 50 degrees inside the car, covered in sweat and dust.
When the dry air made the scar itch, there was no time to change the protective tape,
so I peeled it off and scratched.
And while I was at it — where did it go?
Even the prosthetic breast was lost somewhere in the world.
Ah. So I really am driving this with one breast.
Ah. And the scar that was closed so beautifully has gone red, like a keloid.
There was exactly one day during the rally when I could care for it (see the video).
Even so, I was driving this challenge having completely forgotten that I was living with cancer.
And then some welcome news arrived from Japan.
This challenge of mine was in the morning edition of 18 June 2024, Japan time.
Which reminded me of the hurried interview at a café near my home
a week before departure. And it runs now?
Thirty-two days later.
I am still driving, and what I feel has not changed. Five days to the finish.
“What are you driving for?”
To me, in days that were hard and painful and close to tears,
it said: you have come through this much to be here, so you will be all right.
It gave me confidence, and reminded me there are people to whom this finish
can hand courage and hope.
It was a cheer for myself — and the first time in a long while
I had remembered the cancer at all. Thank you, Asahi Shimbun.