This story is based on a self-published book I wrote after I returned from my visit to England. I published five hundred copies and gave them for free to people for whom these events have meaning. The title of the book was For Anne and My Son. More than ten years has passed since its publication, and my book and Anne’s grave seem to have long been forgotten.
One day, however, I was looking at an Internet homepage of a person who is engaged in welfare activities for pet animals. There I found a message saying, “I am looking for Mr. Satoh’s book.” I wanted to give a copy of my book to that person, but I only had two copies left, which I wanted to keep for my son. I thought that perhaps I could use the opportunity to re-edit my book, and rather than self-publishing it, have it commercially published so that people could find it in bookshops. I wanted as many people as possible to know about Anne’s grave.
I contacted several publishers, but with the current recession and all, none seemed willing to publish this story. I then thought of a way to have many people read my story, and decided to create my own homepage. Only a few people might notice it at first, but I hope that the number will gradually grow. I am not very at home with computers so, needless to say, it was my first experience with creating Web content. I am worried about expressing my feelings well enough, but if the people reading my story feel even a slight bit of sympathy, and increase their appreciation of the sacrifices that so many animals have made for the betterment of humanity, I believe that Anne’s heart’s desire will be fulfilled.