Small Town

Iida’s smallness was demonstrated to me on one strange day.
It began when I went for an early morning run. My route took me along a river which is surrounded by little rustic houses. The route then emerged onto a pavement next to the main road. As I ran back towards my apartment on this strange day, I heard the repetitive honking of a car horn. I looked to see who was committing this barbarous act at this early hour. It was Makiko - a student I was going to teach that afternoon. She gave me a cheery wave which I returned before she sped off. I resumed running and a few minutes later I heard another honk of a horn. I expected it to be Makiko again insisting on more waving, but it was another student of mine, Mitzuko. She was in the same class as Makiko. I couldn't believe the coincidence and looked astonished. She waved and so did I. She then curiously honked her horn again and sped off.
I was sweating by now and my cotton t-shirt felt uncomfortable so I decided to run to a nearby clothes shop and purchase a sports t-shirt. Inside the shop was Haroshi - another of my students I was going to teach that afternoon - browsing the golf section. He waved and so did I. And instead of speeding off like the others he walked towards me and we exchanged pleasantries about the fine morning.
I ran back to my apartment wearing my new blue Japan football shirt. I made breakfast and noticed my food stocks were running low so I went to the supermarket down the road.
As I was shopping, a small girl came hurtling towards me clapping her hands and yelling a greeting to me. I thought it was just some crazy kid and chuckled whilst pulling a funny face. The mother came over to me and said hello. I didn't have a clue who she was but I said hello as well. She asked how I was. I said I was fine and asked how she was. She laughed and said she was very well because the weather was sunny. I agreed and a prolonged silence occurred. The girl then started to jump up and down saying my name.
"Wow," I said to the mother. "She knows my name!"
"Yes, of course,” the mum said. "You teach her."
I stared at the girl trying to remember which class she was in but couldn’t come up with an answer. It must have been one of the big ones where all the kids scream, run around and blur into one anarchic mess.
"Ah ha ha. Yes I know," I said whilst waving goodbye to the girl and mum.
I walked back to my apartment to unpack my shopping. Once finished, I decided to go the library to check out the English books on offer. As I was thumbing through Ulysses I heard a woman's voice say, "I love James Joyce."
Startled, I looked to the source of the voice. It was Yoko, a student I was going to teach that afternoon, along with Mitzuko, Makikio and Haroshi.
We then started to talk about the Irish writer. After concluding that Dubliners was his best work I waved goodbye to her.
I walked back to my apartment and heard a honk of a horn. It was goddamn Mitzuko again, waving like a loon. I waved back and she emitted another needless honk before speeding off.
I felt like I was in an episode of the Twilight Zone.
I was convinced that was the final coincidence of the day and drove to my afternoon lesson.
Makiko, Mitzuko and Yoko were already seated at their desks when I walked into the classroom and we laughed about spotting each other in the street earlier.
Just as I was about to begin the lesson, Syuuti, the other student of the class, came bursting into the classroom.
"Do you own a blue Japanese football jersey?" he asked
"Er, yeah," I said.
"I saw you running along the street!!" he said with joy.