Aru kumotta fuyu no higure de aru. Watashi wa yokosuka hatsu nobori nitou kyakusha no sumi ni koshi o oroshite, bon'yari hassha no fue o matte ita. Touni dentou no tsuita kyakusha no naka ni wa, mezurashiku watashi no hoka ni hitori mo joukyaku wa inakatta. Soto o nozoku to, usugurai purattofoomu ni mo, kyou wa mezurashiku miokuri no hitokage sae ato o tatte, tada, ori ni irerareta koinu ga ippiki, tokidoki kanashisou ni, hoetatete ita. Korera wa sono toki no watashi no kokoromochi to, fushigi na gurai nitsukawashii keshiki datta. Watashi no atama no naka ni wa iiyou no nai hirou to kentai to ga, marude yuki gumori no sora no you na don'yori shita kage o otoshite ita. Watashi wa gaitou no pokketto e jitto ryoute o tsukkonda mama, soko ni haitte iru yuukan o dashite miyou to iu genki sae okoranakatta. Ga, yagate hassha no fue ga natta. Watashi wa kasuka na kokoro no kutsurogi o kanji nagara, ushiro no madowaku e atama o motasete, menomae no teishajou ga zuruzuru to atozusari o hajimeru no o matsu to mo naku machikamaete ita. Tokoro ga sore yori mo saki ni ketatamashii hiyorigeta no oto ga, kaisatsuguchi no houkara kikoedashita to omou to, mamonaku shashou no nanika ii nonoshiru koe to tomo ni, watashi no notte iru nitoushitsu no to ga garari to hiraite, juusan, shi no komusume ga hitori, awatadashiku naka e haitte kita, To douji ni hitotsu zushiri to yurete, omomuro ni kisha wa ugokidashita. Ippon zutsu me o kugitte iku purattofoomu no hashira, okiwasureta you na unsuisha, sore kara shanai no dareka ni shuugi no rei o itte iru akabou -- sou iu subete wa, mado e fukitsukeru baien no naka ni, mirengamashiku ushiro e taorete itta. Watashi wa youyaku hotto shita kokoromochi ni natte, makitabako ni hi o tsuke nagara, hajimete monoui mabuta o agete, mae no seki ni koshi o oroshite ita komusume no kao o ichibetsu shita.

Sore wa aburake no nai kami o hittsume no ichougaeshi ni yutte, yokonade no ato no aru hibi darake no ryouhoho o kimochi no warui hodo akaku hoteraseta, ika ni mo inakamono rashii musume datta. Shikamo akajimita moegiiro no keito no erimaki ga darari to taresagatta hiza no ue ni wa, ookina furoshiki dutsumi ga atta. Sono mata tsutsumi o idaita shimoyake no te no naka ni wa, san tou no akagippu ga daiji sou ni shikkari nigirarete ita. Watashi wa kono komusume no gehin na kaodachi o konomanakatta. Sorekara kanojo no fukusou ga fuketsu na no mo yahari fukai datta. Saigo ni sono nitou to santou to no kubetsu sae mo wakimaenai gudon na kokoro ga haradatashikatta. Dakara makitabako ni hi o tsuketa watashi wa, hitotsu ni wa kono komusume no sonzai o wasuretai to iu kokoromochi mo atte, kondo wa poketto no yuukan o manzen to hiza no ue e hirogete mita. Suru to sono toki yuukan no shimen ni ochite ita gaikou ga, totsuzen dentouu no hikari ni kawatte, hake no warui nanran ka no katsuji ga igai na gurai azayaka ni watashi no me no mae e ukande kita. Iumade mo naku kisha wa ima, yokosukasen ni ooi tonneru no saisho no sore e haitta no de aru.

Shikashi sono dentou no hikari ni terasareta yuukan no shimen o miwatashite mo, yahari watashi no yuuutsu o nagusamubeku, seken wa amari ni heibon na dekigoto bakaride mochikitte ita. Kouwa mondai, shinpu shinrou, tokushoku jiken, shibou koukoku -- watashi wa tonneru e haitta isshunkan, kisha no hashitte iru houkou ga gyaku ni natta you na sakkaku o kanji nagara, sorera no sakubaku to shita kiji kara kiji e hotondo kikaiteki ni me o tooshita. ga, sono aida mo mochiron ano komusume ga, ataka mo hizoku na genjitsu o ningen ni shita you na omomochi de, watashi no mae ni suwatte iru koto o taezu ishiki sezu ni wa irarenakatta. Kono tonneru no naka no kisha to, kono inakamono no komusume to, soushite mata kono heibon na kiji ni uzumatte iru yuukan to, -- kore ga shouchou de nakute nani de arou.fukakai na, katou na, taikutsu na jinsei no shouchou de nakute nani de arou. Watashi wa Issai ga kudaranaku natte, yomikaketa yuukan o houridasu to, mata madowaku ni atama o motase nagara, shinda you ni me o tsubutte, utsura utsura shihajimeta.

Sorekara ikubun ka sugita ato de atta. futo nani ka ni odosareta you na kokoromochi ga shite, omowazu atari o mimawasu to, itsunoma ni ka rei no komusume ga, mukougawakara seki o watashi no tonari e utsushite, shikiri ni mado o akeyou to shite iru. ga, omoi garasudo wa nakanaka omou you ni agaranai rashii. Ano hibi darake no hoo wa iyoiyo akaku natte, tokidoki hana o susurikomu oto ga, chiisana iki no kireru koe to issho ni, sewashinaku mimi e haitte kuru. Kore wa mochiron watashi ni mo, ikubun nagara doujou o hiku ni taru mono ni wa soui nakatta. Shikashi kisha ga ima masa ni ton'eru no kuchi e sashikakarou to shite iru koto wa, boshoku no naka ni karekusa bakari akarui ryougawa no sanpuku ga, majikaku madogawa ni sematte kita no nimo, sugu ni gaten no iku koto de atta. nimokakawarazu kono komusume wa, wazawaza shimete aru mado no to o orosou to suru, -- sono riyuu ga watashi ni wa nomikome nakatta. Iya, sore ga watashi ni wa, tanni kono komusume no kimagure da to shika kangaerarenakatta. Dakara watashi wa hara no soko ni izen to shite kewashii kanjou o takuwae nagara, ano shimoyake no te ga garasudo o motage you to shite akusen kutou suru yousu o, marude sore ga eikyuu ni seikou shinai koto de mo inoru you na reikoku na me de nagamete ita. Suru to mamonaku susamajii oto o hatamekasete, kisha ga ton'eru e nadarekomu to douji ni, komusume no ake you to shita garasudo wa, toutou batari to shita e ochita. Sou shite sono shikaku na ana no naka kara, susu o tokashita you na dosuguroi kuuki ga, niwaka ni ikigurushii kemuri ni natte, moumou to shanai e minagiridashita. Ganrai nodo o gaishite ita watashi wa, shukin o kao ni ateru hima sae naku, kono kemuri o manmen ni abiserareta okage de, hotondo iki mo tsukenai hodo sekikomanakereba naranakatta. ga, komusume wa watashi ni tonjaku suru keshiki mo miezu, mado kara soto e kubi o nobashite, yami o fuku kaze ni ichougaeshi no bin no ke o soyogase nagara, jitto kisha no susumu houkou o miyatte iru. Sono sugata o baien to dentou no hikari to no naka ni nagameta toki, mou mado no soto ga mirumiru akunatte, soko kara tsuchi no nioi ya karekusa no nioi ya mizu no nioi ga hiyayaka ni nagarekonde konakatta nara, youyaku sekiyanda watashi wa, kono mishiranai komusume o atama gonashi ni shikaritsukete de mo, mata moto no toori mado no to o shimesaseta no ni soui nakatta no de aru.

Shikashi kisha wa sono jibun ni wa, mou yasuyasu to ton'eru o suberinukete, karekusa no yama to yama to no aida ni hasamareta, aru mazushii machihazure no fumikiri ni toori kakatte ita. fumikiri no chikaku ni wa, izure mo misuborashii warayane ya kawarayane ga gomigomi to semakurushiku tatekonde, fumikiri ban ga furu no de arou, tada ichiryuu no usujiroi hata ga monouge ni boshoku o yuratte ita. Yatto tonneru o deta to omou -- sono toki sono shousaku to shita fumikiri no saku no mukou ni, watashi wa hoo no akai sannin no otokonoko ga, mejirooshi ni narande tatte iru no o mita. Karera wa mina, kono donten ni oshisukumerareta ka to omou hodo, sorotte se ga hikukatta. Sou shite mata kono machihazure no insan taru fuubutsu to onaji you na iro no kimono o kite ita. Sore ga kisha no tooru no o aogi minagara, issei ni te o ageru ga hayai ka, itaike na nodo o takaku sorasete, nan to mo imi no wakaranai kansei o isshou kenmei ni hotobashiraseta. Suru to sono shunkan de aru. Mado kara hanshin o noridashite ita rei no musume ga, ano shimoyake no te o tsuto nobashite, ikioi yoku sayuu ni futta to omou to, tachimachi kokoro o odorasu bakari atataka na hinoiro ni somatte iru mikan ga oyoso itsutsu muttsu, kisha o miokutta kodomotachi no ue e barabara to sora kara futte kita. Watashi wa omowazu iki o nonda. Sou shite setsuna ni issai o ryoukai shita. Komusume wa, osoraku wa, korekara houkousaki e omomukou to shite iru komusume wa, sono futokoro ni zou shite ita ikuka no mikan o mado kara nagete, wazawaza fumikiri made miokuri ni kita otouto tachi no rou ni mukuita no de aru.

Boshoku o obita machihazure no fumikiri to, kotori no you ni koe o ageta sannin no kodomotachi to, sou shite sono ue ni ranraku suru azayaka na mikan no iro to -- subete wa kisha no mado no soto ni, matatakuma mo naku toorisugita. ga, watashi no kokoro no ue ni wa, setsunai hodo hakkiri to, kono koukei ga yakitsukerareta. Sou shite soko kara, aru etai no shirenai akirana kokoromochi ga wakiagatte kuru no o ishiki shita. Watashi wa kouzen to atama o agete, marude betsujin o miruyou ni ano komusume o chuushi shita. Komusume wa itsuka mou watashi no mae no seki ni kaette, aikawarazu akagire darake no hoo o moegiiro no keito no erimaki ni ume nagara, ookina furoshiki dutsumi o kakaeta te ni, shikkari to santou kippu o nigitte iru. ‥‥‥‥‥‥

Watashi wa kono toki hajimete, iiyou no nai hirou to kentai to o, sou shite mata fukakai na, katou na, taikutsu na jinsei o wazuka ni wasureru koto ga dekita no de aru.