Hashiba no Gyokusenken to iu chashiki ryouriya de, icchuubushi no junkou ga atta.

Asa kara don'yori kumotteita ga, hirugoro niwa toutou yuki ni natte, akari ga tsuku jibun niwa mou, niwa no matsu ni hatte aru yukiyoke no nawa ga tarumu hodo tsumotteita. Keredomo, GARASUdo to shouji to de, nijuu ni shimekitta heya no naka wa, hibachi no hoteri de, noboseru kurai atatakai. Hito no warui Nakazu no taishou nado wa, tetsumuji no haori ni, cha no kintoushi no omeshizoroi ka nani ka de sumashite iru Rokkinsan o tsukamaete, "Dou desu, ichimai nuijaa. Kuroabura ga nagaremasu ze." to, karakatta mono de aru. Rokkinsan no hoka nimo, Yanagibashi no ga sannin, daichi no machiai no okami ga hitori kite ita ga, mina shijuu o koshita hitotachi bakari de, sore ni Ogawa no danna ya nakazu no taishou nado no goshinzo ya goinkyo ga rokunin bakari, otokokyaku wa, Uji Shigyou to iu, koshi no magatta icchuu no shishou to, shirouto no dannashu ga hichihachinin, sono uchi no sannin wa, sanza no shibai ya Sannou-sama no gojouran-sai o shitteiru renchuu nano de, kono hitotachi no aida dewa Fukagawa no Tobaya no ryou de atta gidayuu no osarai no hanashi ya Yamashiro gashi no Tsutou ga moyooshita senjafuda no kai no hanashi ga daibu nigiyaka ni deta you de atta.

Zashiki wa hanare no juugojou de, kono uchi dewa ichiban, hiroi ma rashii. Kagoandon no naka ni tomoshita dentou ga tokorodokoro ni marui kage o jindaisugi no tenjou ni utsushiteiru. Usugurai tokonoma niwa, kanbai to suisen to ga furudou no bin ni shiorashiku nageirete atta. Juku wa taigi no fude de arou. Kiiroi bashoufu de susuketa kami no ueshita o tachikitta naka ni, hosoi ji de "Akaki mi to mite yoru tori ya kantsubaki" to kaite aru. Chiisana seiji no kouro ga kemuri mo tatezu ni hissori to, shitan no dai ni notte iru no mo fuyumekashii.

Sonomae e mousen o nimai shiite, toko o kakeru kawari ni shita. Azayaka na hi no iro ga, shamisen no kawa nimo, hiku hito no te nimo, shippou ni hanabishi no mon ga egutte aru, kyasha na kiri no kendai nimo, atatakaku hansha shite iru no de aru. Sono tokonoma no ryougawa e mina, mukaiatte, suwatte ita. Jouza wa shishou no Shigyou de, tsugi ga Nakazu no taishou, sore kara Ogawa no danna to jun o otte migi ga tonogata, hidari ga fujingata to wakarete iru. Sono migi no retsu no matsuza ni suwatte iru no ga kono uchi no inkyo de atta.

Inkyo wa Fusasan to itte, issakunen, honkegaeri o shita roujin de aru. Juugo no toshi kara chayazake no aji o oboete, nijuugo no maeyaku niwa, Kinpei Daikoku no wakadayuu to shinjuu zata ni natta koto mo aru to iu ga, sore kara ma mo naku oyayuzuri no kurogome ton'ya no shinjou o sutte shimai, kiyou binbou to, motta ga yamai no sakeguse to de, utazawa no shishou mo yareba haikai no tenja mo yaru to iu guai ni, sore kara sore e to biroku shite hitoshikiri wa sando no mono nimo koto o kaku shimatsu datta ga, sore demo saiwai ni, wazukana entsuduki kara ima dewa kono ryouriya ni hikitorarete, rakuinkyo no minoue ni natte iru. Nakazu no taishou no hanashi dewa, kodomogokoro nimo wasurenai no wa, sonokoro sakari datta fusasan ga, Kandamatsuri no ban hadamamori ni "Noji no murasame" no yukata de nodo o kikaseta toki datta to iu ga, kono goro wa mekkiri oikonde, sukina utazawa mo metta ni utawanaku natta shi, hitokoro kotta uguisu mo itsunoma ni ka kawanakunatta. Kawarime goto ni nozoki nozoki shita shibai mo, Naritaya ya godaime ga nakunatte kara wa, iku hariai ga nakunatta no de arou. Ima mo, kiiroi Chichibu no tsui no kimono ni chahakata no obi de, matsuza ni suwatte kiiteiru no o miru to, doushite mo, isshou o houtou to yuugei to ni tsuiyashita hito to wa omowarenai. Nakazu no taishou ya Ogawa no danna ga, "Fusasan, itajinmichi no -- nan toka itta - sousou Yaeji Okiku. Hisashiburi de ano hanashi demo ukagaou ja arimasen ka." nado to, hanashikaketemo, "Iya, mou, tousetsu wa karaikiji ga nakunarimashite." to, hageatama o nadenagara, chisana karada o issou chiisaku suru bakari de aru.

Sore demo myou na mono de, nidan sandan to kiite yuku uchi ni, "Kurokami no midarete ima no monoomoi" da no, "Yosakoi to iu ji o kinshi de nuwase, suso ni Seijuurou to neta tokoro" dano to iu, namameita monku wo, ni no agatta, kage e kage e to mawatte yuku shamisen no ne ni tsurete, katatte yuku, sabita koe ga hisashiku nemutte ita kono roujin no kokoro wo, sukoshizutsu mezamasete itta no de arou. Hajime wa se o magete kiiteita no ga, itsunoma ni ka koshi o massugu ni karada o nobashite, Rokukinsan ga "Asama no jou" o kataridashita jibun niwa, "Urami mo koi mo, nokorine no, moshiya kokoro no kawaryasen" to iu atari kara, me o tsubutta mama, ito no oto ni noru you ni chiisaku kata o yusutte, wakime nimo mukashi no yume o ima ni mikaeshite iru you ni omowareta. Shibui sabi no naka ni, nagauta ya kiyomoto ni kiku koto no dekinai tsuya o kakushita icchuu no uta to ito to wa, ikutose to naku kono yo ni sumifurushite, sui mo amai mo, kamiwaketa kokoro no soko nimo, tokinaranai nasake no nami o tatesasezu niwa okanai no de arou.

"Asama no jou" ga kirete "Hanako" no kakeai ga sumu to, Fusasan wa "Douzo, goyururi." to aisatsu o shite, za o hazushita. Choudo, sono toki, gokaiseki de ozen ga deta no de, shibaraku wa iroiro na hanashi de nigiyaka datta ga, Nakazu no taishou wa, fusasan no toshi o totta no ni, yokuyoku odoroita to miete,

"Aa mo kawaru mono ka ne, tsujiban no oyaji no you ni nacchaa, Fusasan mo oshimai da."

"Itsuka, anata ga osshatta no wa anokata? " to Rokukinsan ga kiku to,

"Shishou mo shitteru kara, kiite gorannasai. Geigoto nyaa, kiyou na tachi de ne. Utazawa mo yareba icchuu mo yaru. Sou ka to omou to, shinnai no nagashi ni deta koto mo aru to iu otoko nande. Moto wa are demo shishou to onaji Uji no iemoto e, keiko ni itta mon desaa."

"Komagata no, nan to ka iu icchuu no shishou -- Shichou desu ka -- ano onna to dekita no mo anokoro desu ze." to Ogawa no danna mo kuchi o dashita.

Fusasan no uwasa wa sore kara sore e to shibaraku no aida tsuduita ga, yagate Yanagibashi no rougi no "Doujouji" ga hajimaru to tomo ni, zashiki wa mata moto no you ni shizuka ni natta. Kore ga sumu to sugu, Ogawa no danna no "Kagekiyo" ni naru no de, danna wa chotto seki o hazushite, habakari ni tatta. Jitsu wa sono tsuide ni, namatamago demo suou to iu hara datta no da ga, rouka e deru to Nakazu no taishou ga yahari sotto nukete kite,

"Ogawasan, naisho de ippai yarou jaa, arimasen ka. Anata no tsugi wa watashi no "Hachinoki" da kara ne. Shirafu jaa, daiichi hara ga suwarimasen ya."

"Watashi mo namatamago ka, hiya de ippai hikkakeyou to omotteita tokoro de, godouyou ni sake no ke ga nai to ikiji ga arimasen kara na."

Sokode issho ni koyou o tashite, rouka dutai ni omoya no hou e mawatte kuru to, dokoka de, hisohiso hanashigoe ga suru. Nagai rouka no ippou wa GARASU shouji de, niwa no nagi ya kouyamaki ni tsumotta yuki ga usuaoku kureta aida kara, kurai ookawa no nagare o hedatete, taigan no tomoshibi ga kiiroku tenten to kazoerareru. Kawa no sora o chirichiri to gin no hasami o tsukau you ni, futakoe hodo chidori ga naita ato wa, shamisen no koe sae kikoezu soto mo uchi mo shin to natta. Kikoeru no wa, yabukouji no akai mi o uzumeru yuki no oto, yuki no ue ni furu yuki no oto, yattsude no ha o suberu yuki no oto ga, MISHIN bari no hibiku you ni kasukana tsubuyaki o kawasu bakari, hanashigoe wa sono naka o shinobiyaka ni tsuduku no de aru.

"Neko no mizu nomu oto de nashi." to Ogawa no danna ga tsubuyaita. Ashi o tomete kiiteiru to koe wa, douyara migite no shouji no naka kara sururashii. Sore wa, togiregachi nagara, kou kikoeru no de aru.

"Nani o suneteru n datte koto yo. Sou naite bakari ichaa, shiyou nee wasa. Nani, omaesan wa Kinokuniya no yakkosan to wake ga aru -- joudan iccha ikenee. Yatsu no you na babaa o dousuru mono ka na. Samashite oite, tan to oagannahai da to. Saa sou kiku kara warui wana. Jitai, omae to iu mono ga aru no ni, hoka e onna o koshiraete sumu wake no mono jaanee. Somosomo no naresome ga sa. Utazawa no sarai de ore ga "Waga mono" o katatta. Ano toki omae ga --"

"Fusateki da ze."

"Toshi o tottatte, sumi e wa okemasen ya." Ogawa no danna mo kou iinagara, hosome ni aiteiru shouji no naka wo, oyobigoshi ni sotto nozokikonda. Futari tomo, kuusou niwa oshiroi no nioi ga ukandeita no de aru.

Heya no naka niwa, dentou ga kage mo otosanai bakari ni, bon'yari tomotteiru. Sanjaku no hiradoko niwa, Daitokujimono no juku ga sabishiku kakatte, shina suisen de arou, aoi me o tsutsumashiku fuita, hatsuKOOCHIN no suiban ga sono shita ni oite aru. Toko o mae ni okigotatsu ni atatteiru no ga Fusasan de, kocchi kara wa, kuroBIROUDO no eri no kakatte iru hachijou no kogaimaki o hikkaketa ushirosugata ga mieru bakari de aru.

Onna no sugata wa doko nimo nai. Kon to shirocha to koushi ni natta kotatsu futonno ue niwa, hautahon ga nisansatsu hirogerarete kubi ni suzu o sageta chiisana shironeko ga sono soba ni koubako o tsukutteiru. Neko ga miugoki o suru tabi ni, kubi no suzu ga kikoeru ka, kikoenu ka wakaranu hodo kasukana oto o tateru. Fusasan wa hageatama o yawarakana neko no ke ni fureru bakari ni chikadukete, hitori, namameita kotoba o dare ni iu to mo naku kurikaeshiteiru no de aru.

"Sono toki ni omae ga kite yo. Aa made katatta ore ga nikui to itta. Geigoto to --"

Nakazu no taishou to Ogawa no danna to wa damatte, kao o miawaseta. Soshite, nagai rouka o shinobiashi de, mata zashiki e hikikaeshita.

Yuki wa yamu keshiki mo nai.--

(Taishou 3 nen 4 gatsu 14 nichi)

(2006. 6.17)