SSS『Killing Mother』
Introduction
In this story, you can learn three important lessons.
An overview of the real-life "Shiga Medical University Student Mother Murder Case."
Children subjected to oppressive education might seek revenge against their parents as adults.
This phenomenon is termed "educational abuse," and in the worst cases, it can escalate to murder.
Keeping these points in mind, I invite you to enjoy the narrative.
『Killing Mother』
Zip, zip, zip.
The gravel and grass beneath my shoes are crushed with feeble force.
A sound that is both light and yet tinged with a sense of emptiness echoes across the riverbank.
Zip, zip, zip.
I watched helplessly as they were trampled upon, unable to do anything.
"Like me..."
Zip, zip, zip.
I killed my mother. There was no other way for me to survive but to kill her.
If I hadn't killed her, I would have died eventually.
So, I had no choice but to kill her. There was no other option but to kill my mother.
Zip, zip, zip.
Since elementary school, my mother had been telling me to "become a doctor." That's what she believed happiness was.
As a child, I didn't really grasp the meaning of "happiness," but spending time laughing with my mother made me content. Yet, my mother strongly asserted that becoming a doctor was "her happiness."
I loved my mother. So, I followed her words.
And as I continued to hear her, I gradually started to think that way myself, and before I knew it, I aspired to become a doctor too. I worked hard in my studies. I put in a lot of effort.
At first, my grades improved significantly. I received high scores in tests for all subjects - language, math, science, and social studies. My mother was thrilled with the results. It made me happy.
However, my grades began to decline over time. Particularly in math, as I progressed to the upper grades of elementary school, my test scores plummeted suddenly. Even though math was crucial for becoming a doctor, my test scores kept dropping despite my earnest desire. Of course, my overall performance also suffered.
And that's when my mother's anger emerged.
Zip, zip, zip.
Naturally, my mother had a temperamental disposition.
Whenever something displeased her, she would fly into a rage, uttering harsh words and resorting to violence.
My father was the first target of her outbursts within the family.
As a result, he grew tired of her anger and left the house when I was in elementary school.
I was left alone with my mother. No one was there to stop her behavior.
Zip, zip, zip.
Furious at my declining grades, my mother subjected me to verbal and physical abuse, which she called "discipline." During elementary school, she cut my forearm with a knife, and in middle school, she scalded me with boiling water.
I was in pain and scared. All that remained were scars and fear.
I hadn't realized during my elementary years, but as I progressed to middle and high school, I understood that my mother's actions were abnormal, and what I was experiencing was abuse. I did consider seeking help.
However, I couldn't do it.
I imagined what would happen if my mother found out about any attempt to seek help. Just that thought paralyzed me.
The pain and fear that my mother had ingrained in me kept me bound within the confines of our home.
Zip, zip, zip.
In the end, I couldn't secure admission to medical school while still in high school. I worked hard on subjects like math, which I struggled with, but I still couldn't grasp the concept of "passing."
Yet, my mother didn't give up.
I felt like I had reached my limit. It was my capability. I knew my limits better than anyone else. I wasn't my mother, and she wasn't me.
Still, my mother persisted. She clung to the idea of getting me into medical school, even if I had to retake the exams.
My life wasn't mine to determine.
Zip, zip, zip.
During those years of retaking exams, I tried multiple times to escape from my mother. I attempted to leave the house unnoticed and live somewhere she wouldn't find me.
But my mother didn't give up. She hired a detective to track me down.
It was the moment I realized that despair could take this form.
Zip, zip, zip.
And then, after nine years of retaking exams, I finally managed to get into medical school. I was admitted to the nursing department. I was content with that.
However, my mother wasn't pleased. She had hoped I'd become a midwife.
She berated me for not fulfilling her hopes. Her words bound me with fear. I was terrified.
How much longer would this continue? I thought. How much longer could this go on? I had reached my limit. I truly had.
Zip, zip, zip.
And then, at some point, I realized. This nightmare would continue until either my mother or I died.
In that case, I had no choice but to kill my mother.
That way, I wouldn't suffer. I wouldn't feel pain or fear. I was myself, not my mother. It was simple. I had overcomplicated things until now. My mother was already 58. I was stronger. What had I been afraid of? It wasn't so difficult.
I had to kill my mother. There was no other way for me to survive.
In March 2018, a portion of the remains of a woman identified as Taizaki Myoko (pseudonym, 58 years old at the time) was discovered in the riverbank of the Yasu River, flowing through Moriyama City in Shiga Prefecture. The body had been dismembered, with both hands, both feet, and the head severed from the torso, leaving only the central part of the body intact. Subsequently, Taizaki Akari (pseudonym, 31 years old at the time) confessed to disposing of the other parts by burning them as combustible waste.
Epilogue
Hello, this is Kazuki. Thank you very much for reading until the end. For this short story, I referred to the content from the book "Dangerous Parenting As Seen by a Criminal Psychologist" by Professor Yasuyuki Deguchi, as well as the article "Severe Educational Abuse Leading to Maternal Homicide After 9 Years of Repeated Medical School Attempts" on Toyo Keizai Online. In Professor Deguchi's book, he categorizes risky parenting into four types, providing an explanation about children potentially heading towards delinquency in the future. This book is not only a must-read for parents with children now, but also for those considering having children in the future.
What struck me the most while reading this book was the source material for this short story – the "Maternal Homicide Case of a Shiga Medical University Student" – which is introduced as an example of an event caused by a child subjected to oppressive education. When I first read about it, I was left speechless due to the severity of its contents. Of course, this case is an extreme example among those demonstrating the dangers of high-pressure education. However, it undoubtedly serves as an example to understand the cause-and-effect relationship that children subjected to such intense education from a young age might even commit matricide.
By the way, the details of this case have been documented by the journalist Ayame Saito in her book "The Curse of Mother, The Prison of Daughter," so if you wish to learn more about this case, I recommend checking that out. Regarding the first-person perspective of the female protagonist in this story, please note that it is a work of fiction based on the referenced books and articles.
The reference source
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