Tennouji no bettou, Doumyou azari wa, hitori sotto toko o nukedasu to, kyouzukue no mae e nijiri yotte, sono ue ni notteiru hokekyou hachi no maki o akari no shita ni kurihirogeta.

  Kiritoudai no hi wa, hana no you na chouji o musubinagara, akaruku raden no kyouzukue o terashiteiru. Mimi ni hairu nowa kichou no mukou ni yoko ni natteiru Izumishikibu no nesugata de arou. Haru no yo no zoushi wa tada shinkan to fukewatatte, sono hoka niwa nezumi no naku koe sae mo kikoenai.

  Azari wa, shiroji no nishiki no fuchi o totta warafuda no ue ni za o shimenagara, shikibu no me no sameru no o habakaru you ni, chuuon de shizuka ni Hokekyou o zushi hajimeta.

  Kore ga, kono otoko no higoro kara no shuukan de aru. Mi wa, funo dainagon Fujiwara Michitsuna no ko to umarete, tendaizasu Jie daisoujou no deshi to natta ga, sangou mo shuu sezu, gokai mo ji shita koto wa nai. Iya mushiro "Ame ga shita no irogonomi " to iu, DANDY no kaikyuu ni zoku suru you na, seikatsu sae mo tsuzuketeiru. Ga, fushigi nimo, sou iu seikatsu no aima niwa, kanarazu hitori Hokekyou o dokuju suru. Shikamo azari jishin wa, sukoshi mo sore o mujun da to omotte inai rashii.

  Gen ni kyou, Izumishikibu o otozureta no mo, genza to shite kita no dewa, mochiron nai. Tada kono koujo no kazu no ooi joujin no hitori to shite shunshou no tsurezure o nagusameru tame ni shinonde kita. --sore ga, mada ichibandori mo nakanai no ni, kossori toko o nukedashite, sakekusai kuchibiru ni, issai shujou kaijou butsudou no myoukyou o dokuju shiyou to suru no de aru.

  Azari wa hensan no eri o tadashite, sennen ni kyou o yonda.

  Sore ga, donokurai tsuzuita ka wakaranai. Ga, shibaraku suru to, kiritoudai no hi ga, itsu no ma nika, sukoshizutsu kuraku naridashita no ni ki ga tsuita. Honoo no saki ga aoku natte, hikari ga dandan usurete kuru. To omou to, chouji no mawari ga susu no tamatta youni kuromidashite, oioi ni hi no katachi ga ito hodo ni hosotteshimau. Azari wa, ki ni shite nisando toushin o kakitateta. Keredomo, kurakunaru koto wa, izen to shite kawari ga nai.

  Sore bakari ka, futo ki ga tsuku to, akari no kurakunaru no ni shitagatte, kiritoudai no mukou no kuuki ga hitotokoro dake kokunatte, sore ga shidai ni, kage no you na hito no katachi ni natte kuru. Azari wa, omowazu dokyou no koe o tatta. --

 "Dare ja. "

  Suruto, koe ni jite, sono kage kara boyaketa henji ga tsutawatte kita.

 "Oyurusare. Kore wa, gojounishi no touin no hotori ni sumu okina de gozaru. "

  Azari wa, mi o yaya ato e suberasenagara hitomi o korashite, jitto sono okina o mita. Okina wa kyouzukue no mukou ni shiro no suikan no sode o kakiawasete, shisairashiku suwatteiru. Mourou to wa shinagara mo, eboshi no himo o nagaku musubi sageta monogoshi wa manzara kori no henge to mo omowarenai. Koto ni kiiroi kami o hatta oogi o motteiru no ga, akari no kurai nimo kakawarazu kedakaku hakkiri to nagamerareta.

 "Okina to wa nan no okina ja. "

 "Ou, okina to bakari de wa gogaten mairu mai. Ariyou wa, gojou no saenokami de gozaru. "

 "Sono saenokami ga, nan to shite kore e mieta. "

 "Okyou o uketamawari moushita ureshisa ni, semete hitokoto nari to mo onrei mousou to te, makari ideta no de gozaru. "

  Azari wa fushinrashiku mayu o yoseta.

 "Doumyou ga Hokekyou o yomi tatematsuwaru no wa, tsune no koto ja. Koyoi ni kagitta koto de wa nai. "

 "Sareba. "

  Saenokami wa, choito kotoba o kitte, shoushoutaru kouhatsu no atama o, monouge ni katakenagara aikawarazu tsubuyaku you na, kasukana koe de,

 "Kiyokute yomi tatematsuraruru toki niwa, kami wa bonten taishaku yori shimo wa kougasha no shobutsu bosatsu made, kotogotoku choumon seraruru mono de gozaru. Yotte okina wa gesen no kanashisa ni, onmi chikou mairu koto mo kanai mousanu. Koyoi wa --" to iikake nagara, kyuu ni hiniku na choushi ni natte, " Koyoi wa, go-gyouzui mo asobasarezu, katsu nyonin no hada ni furerarete no gozukyou de gozareba, moromoro no butsushin mo fujou o inde, kono atari e wa genzerarenu ge ni mie moushita. Sareba, okina mo kokoroyasuu genzan ni iri, choumon no onrei mousou bengi o, eta no de gozaru. "

 "Nanto na. "

  Doumyou azari wa, kigen rashiku koe o togaraseta. Saenokami wa, sore nimo ki no tsukanai yousu de,

 "Sareba, eshin no gobou mo, nenbutsu dokyou shiigi o yaburu koto nakare to ooserareta. Okina no kahou wa, yagate gobou no dagoku no akushu to oboshi mesare, kougoha"

 "Damare. "

  Azari wa, tekubi ni kaketa suishou no nenju o masagurinagara, surudoku okina no kao o ichiben shita.

 "Fushou nagara Doumyou wa, arayuru kyoumon ronshaku ni manako o sarashita. Bonbyaku no kaigyou tokumoku mo shuuse nanda mono wa nai. Sono hou zure no mousu koto ni ki ga tsukanu utsuke to omou ka. " --ga, saenokami wa kotaenai. Kiritoudai no kage ni uzukumatta mama, jitto atama o tarete, azari no kotoba o, kikisumashite iru you de aru.

 "You kike yo. Shouji sokunehan to ii, bonnou sokubodai to iu wa, kotogoku ono ga mi no busshou o kanzuru to iu kokoro ja. Ono ga nikishin wa, sanshin sokuitsu no hongaku nyorai, bonou gouku no sandou wa, hosshin hannya gedatsu no santoku, shaba sekai wa joujatsu koudo ni hitoshii. Doumyou wa mukai no biku jaga, sude ni sankan santai sokuitsushin no daigomi o mitoku shita. Yotte, izumishikibu mo, Doumyou ga manako niwa mayafujin ja. Nannyo no kougou mo banzen no kudoku ja. Warera ga shinjo niwa, kuon honji no shohou, musa hosshin no shobutsu ra, kotogoku eigen shi zo yo. Sareba, Doumyou ga juusho wa ryouju houdoja. Sono hou zure gotoki, shoujou shuufun no jikaisha ga, midari ni ashi o iru beki no bukkoku de nai. "

  Kou itte azari wa katachi o aratameru to, suishou no nenju o futte, niganigashige ni shikaritsuketa.

 "Gouchiku, hayabaya ni nokiorou. "

  Suruto, okina wa, kiiroi kami no oogi o hiraite, kao o sashikakusu youni omowareta ga, miru miru, kage ga usukunatte, hotaru hodo ni natta kiritoudai no hi to tomo ni, kieru to mo naku, fu' to kieru to, tooku de kasukanagara, isamashii ichibandori no koe ga shita.

 "Haru wa akebono, youyou shiroku nari yuku" toki ga kita no de aru.

(Taishou 5 nen 12 gatsu 13 nichi)

(2005.12.31)