小さな語りシリーズ2024/07/13　 Small Story Serie

2024/07/13「故郷」"Hometown"

夏の日差しが窓辺に差し込む中、私は故郷の町へ向かう電車の中にいた。都会の喧騒から離れ、心地よい田舎の風景を車窓から眺めていると、懐かしさと共に心がほぐれていくのを感じた。

田んぼが広がる景色、緑の山々、そして川沿いに咲く花々。その風景に見惚れながら、記憶の中に眠っていた思い出がふっと浮かんでくるのを感じた。子供の頃、家族と一緒にピクニックに行った場所や、友達と探検ごっこをした裏山のことがまるで昨日のことのように鮮明によみがえる。

私が特に好きだったのは、夏の終わりのお祭りだ。色とりどりの屋台や提灯が並び、夜空には大きな花火が咲き誇る。その光景は今でも心に深く刻まれている。

目的地の小さな駅に到着し、重い荷物をまとめて降り立った。駅舎は昔と変わらず、どこかほっとする温もりがあった。駅前の商店街を歩きながら、懐かしい店の看板や風景が次々と目に入る。幼い頃、母と一緒によく立ち寄った小さな雑貨店に足を運び、そこにある手作りの小物を一つ一つ見て回った。

その雑貨店の奥に、私の大好きだった古い木製の椅子がまだあった。座ってみると、少しぎしぎしと音を立てながらも、安心感が広がった。まるで時間が止まっているかのようなこの場所で、彼女はふと、今までの自分の人生を振り返ることができた。

午後になると、彼女は近くの丘に登り、そこからの眺めを楽しんだ。青い空と緑の大地が一つに溶け合い、遠くに見える町並みがどこか優しく見えた。彼女は心の中で、また新たな旅の計画を立てながら、この瞬間を大切に感じた。

「またここに帰ってこよう」。心には、故郷の温かさと共に、これからも続く「私だけの旅路」に思いを馳せるのであった。

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On a summer day, with sunlight streaming in through the window, I was on a train heading to my hometown. As I left the hustle and bustle of the city behind and gazed out at the pleasant countryside scenery, I felt a sense of nostalgia and relaxation wash over me.

The landscape of sprawling rice fields, green mountains, and flowers blooming along the riverbank captivated me, and memories long asleep began to surface. The places where I had picnicked with my family as a child and the hill behind our house where my friends and I played adventures came back to me as vividly as if it were yesterday.

What I loved most was the end-of-summer festival. Stalls adorned with colorful decorations and lanterns lined the streets, and the night sky was filled with magnificent fireworks. Those scenes are still etched deeply in my heart.

Arriving at the small station of my destination, I gathered my heavy luggage and stepped off the train. The station building remained unchanged, exuding a comforting warmth. As I walked through the shopping street in front of the station, familiar shop signs and scenes came into view one after another. I visited the small general store where I often stopped by with my mother as a child, looking at each handmade item there.

At the back of that store, the old wooden chair I loved so much was still there. When I sat on it, it creaked a little, but I felt a sense of reassurance. In this place where time seemed to stand still, she could reflect on her life so far.

In the afternoon, she climbed a nearby hill and enjoyed the view from there. The blue sky and green earth blended into one, and the distant townscape looked gentle and serene. In her heart, she cherished this moment while planning a new journey ahead.

"I'll come back here again." With the warmth of her hometown in her heart, she envisioned her ongoing personal journey, filled with new adventures yet to come.