CH 93

The next day, Saturday, I left home before noon.

When I was getting ready in the morning, I was late to leave for some reason.

I drove to my parents’ house and arrived there just at 1pm.

My parents’ house is a two-story, 20+ year old, wooden house.

It’s color has faded in some places, and I feel nostalgic.

“I’m back …”

“Oh, welcome back.”

Mom greeted me at the door.

“…Mom, …long time no see.”

“What’s the matter with you? Why do you look like that?”

“Oh, no, …it’s nothing, mom’s just getting old.”

“Don’t be silly, have you eaten lunch yet?”

“I already ate.”

“Then go and say hello to your father.”

As I walked up to the front door, I could hear the floor creaking and squeaking as I walked.

I took the stairs up and headed to the room where Dad is always resting.

“Dad, I’m home!”

Dad was in his study, sitting in a chair, reading a book.

My father, who I haven’t seen in a long time, has gray hair and more wrinkles than he used to have.

He is almost on his 60th birthday.

I guess I’ll just have to celebrate my return.

Dad closed the book.

“Yuta, …long time no see, how are you?”

“I’m fine, and so is my dad. You look as good as ever, by the way, is your back okay?”

About a month ago, my dad was hospitalized because of a back ache.

“Yuta’s worried about me, it is going to snow.”

“I’d be worried about you too. …Dad, you’re old, please take care of yourself.”

“Hahaha! Yeah.”

Dad smiled good-humoredly.

He always had wrinkles in the corners of his eyes when he smiled.

I loved my dad’s kind face like that.

“Are you free right now?”

“What’s up …all of a sudden?”

“Do you want to go for a little walk?”

“Yeah. …Come to think of it, I haven’t moved at all today.”

Dad said, standing up.

“Let’s go.”

We left the house and walk alongside each other for a while.

The scene was nostalgic.

A peaceful atmosphere where time seems to flow slowly, unique to the countryside.

It is the time of harvesting rice and the golden rice sways along the wind.

On the side of the road, old grandparents are chatting happily in front.

As I walk by this scenery, I chew on this view.

“There was a time when we walked like this before, I believe ……it was when Yuta failed his high school entrance exams.”

“You remember it well.”

“You …were so depressed, it was hard to get you out of it.”

“You can’t blame me, I have a weakness for the real thing, just like my father.”

“Hahaha, yes, Yuta is like me, he doesn’t do well with nerves, but… he’s a force to be reckoned with.”

“So …?”

It’s embarrassing when my dad compliments me so seriously.

“So …what’s up with you today, coming home all of a sudden and asking me to go for a walk or something …?”

“What, you don’t like it?”

“I don’t hate it, but… your mood is different than usual.”

Is the atmosphere different …?

I guess it’s business as usual.

But I feel like there’s something … I really want to tell my dad.

I felt like if I didn’t say it now, I would never be able to say it.

“Isn’t it nice to have something like this once in a while, just you and me?”

We arrived at a shrine near our house.

At the end of the year, we count down at this shrine every year.

There are small festivals in the summer and fall, and as a child I looked forward to them more than anything else.

And at the end of the festival, I once annoyed my dad by crying that I didn’t want to go home.

We went through the torii gate and entered the premises of the shrine.

In this space surrounded by trees, you can still hear the cries of the cicadas even though it is autumn.

“What would … dad thought if, just as a matter of fact, I died first?”

I asked my dad a question as I walked down the aisle.

“Do you want me to answer that …?”

“I’m sorry, forget it, I was just asking …”

“Don’t ask me somehow, don’t die before your parents, is all I can say.”

For some reason, those words stuck with me.

The autumn breeze touched my cheeks and I felt unwilling to do anything about it.

When I arrived in front of the shrine, I took out a 5 yen coin from my wallet and put it into the money box.

And then, two bows, two claps, one bow.

I put my hands together and prayed to God.

Then I opened my eyes and my dad was praying with his eyes closed.

Dad’s prayers are always long.

Too long, and the people behind me occasionally look annoyed.

I guess that’s how important his wish is.

By the way, my wish is that my mom and dad will continue to live in good health.

That is the best prayer a … filial child can make.

Well, I just have to take care of my parents from now on.