第５話 すべての始まり ～The Beginning～ ふと、携帯が鳴った。由美子からだ。
「りつ、何時に家出るの？」
「もう、出た。今、美坂公園の手前」
「早っ。じゃあ、うちに寄ってよ。一緒に学校行こう」
「うん、分かった。じゃあね」
律は、さっきまで卵焼きが刺さっていた楊枝を見て、由美子の家で捨てて
もらおうと思った。三年前に病死した母は、どんな小さなゴミも
道端に捨てる事を許さなかった。それが律には身についていたし、最近は公園から
ゴミ箱が撤去されている。
Ritsu heard her cell phone ringing with a sudden caution.
It was Yumiko.
“When are you going to leave for school?”
“I already have. I am near Misaka Park.”
“Wow, that is an early start for the day. Why don't
you then stop by my home and go together?”
“Yeah sure. See you soon”
Ritsu noticed the toothpick she was still holding in her hand.
She thought she would dump it at Yumiko’s. It was her habit that
she didn’t just throw anything away on a street. Her mother
who had died of illness taught her and forbidden Ritsu to do it.
Beside, trashcans had been taken away in any public space these days.
真直ぐ道なりに行けば学校。由美子の家は、公園の裏手に在る雑貨店。
律は、公園の手前を右に曲がった。町にはいくつも公園は有るがこの美坂公園は
一番大きい公園で、何羽かガチョウが放されている池もある。午後になると
犬を散歩させる人や小さな子供を連れた人達で随分にぎやかになる。
律のお気に入りの場所だった。
道路と公園の境に植えられた木々からは蝉の大合唱。さきほど律が家で
聴いたのとは違い、こちらは輪唱している。
The school was straight ahead but Ritsu turned right before
the park. Yumiko’s family ran a grocery store located at the back
of the park. There were other several parks in the town but
this Misaka Park was the largest in space had ponds where geese
were on the loose to see. In afternoon people with their dogs and
mothers with their kids gathered making the park so lively
as it was Ritsu’ favorite place. Now, cicadas were in big chorus
on the trees planted along with the border separating the part
from its side street. The sound was different, Ritsu thought,
than the one she heard at home a little before. They were trolling.
少し歩くと、公園の側面に位置した小さな公衆トイレが見えてきた。
古ぼけたそのトイレは、夜になると集まってくるホームレスだけが利用している
と何となく皆思っている所だ。律がその前を通り過ぎようとした時、ふと一匹の蝉が
合唱隊を離れてトイレの上を飛んでいった。結構な低飛行だ。でもすぐに高度を上げ、
他の木に止まった。律は立ち止まって、ぼんやりと蝉の持つ自由自在さを眺めていた。
その時、蝉の鳴き声に交ざって、律の耳に人のうめき声のようなものが一瞬聞こえた
気がした。想像するより先に、聴覚からの反応は律に警笛を鳴らしている。
―腹の底から出たような声……低い男の声― 律は直感した。
Ritsu continued to walk for a while and a small public lavatory
came into her sight. Neighbors in the area somehow thought of
the old toilet only used by homeless people who emerged after dark.
Just before Ritsu was about to pass it, one cicada suddenly
flew over away from the chorus. It was flying really low but
soon gaining altitude and jumped onto another tree.
Ritsu gawked at the cicada having such control over its body.
It was then she thought she heard moan although it was overlapped
with cicadas’ chirp. But instantly she became alert something within
her was warning.
―It was a low and visceral voice. A man's voice―
Her gut was telling Ritsu that's it.
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