小さな語りシリーズ2024/06/29　 Small Story Serie

2024/06/29「姉弟」"Siblings"

姉は中学二年生、弟が小学五年生のとある姉弟がいた。ある日、姉がリビングで学校の宿題をしていると、外で友人と遊んできた弟が帰宅して、宿題をする姉の様子を覗き込んだ。「お姉ちゃん、何してるの？」と聞くと、姉は少しむっとした顔をして答えた。「今宿題してるの。邪魔しないでよ」

弟は無邪気に笑いながら、「じゃあ、僕も手伝うよ！」と言い、姉の肩を叩いたり、周囲をとした。あまりにも弟が騒がしさに我慢できず、「もう、うるさいな！　一人でやりたいんだから、あっち行って！」と姉は怒鳴った。

怒鳴られた弟は一瞬顔をひきつらせたが、すぐにふてくされた顔になって、「姉ちゃんのバカ！」と言って、自分の部屋に籠った。やっと一人になった姉は宿題を再開するが、集中できずにため息をついた。

しばらくして、母が買い物から戻り、姉に声をかけた。「ただいま。宿題は終わったの？」。姉は寂しそうにうなずく。母はその様子に気づき、「何があったの？」と尋ねると、姉は顔を背けた。

夕食時も姉と弟は口を利かず、二人はそれぞれの部屋に戻り、夜が更けていった。姉はベッドに横たわり、天井を見つめていた。もやもやとした感情と後悔の気持ちが心に引っかかっていた。弟の無邪気な笑顔と、ふてくされた顔が交互に浮かんでくる。

次の日、学校から帰宅した姉は、弟の部屋へと向かった。弟は机に向かって宿題をしていた。姉が入ってきた瞬間、「ね、姉ちゃん、どうしたのさ」と戸惑った声を出した。

「昨日はごめんね。折角『手伝うよ』て言ってくれたのに」姉は軽く頭を下げた。弟は面食らった様子で見ていたが、すぐににっこりと笑って「いいよ、お姉ちゃん。僕もごめんね。」と言った。

その日の夜、二人はリビングで一緒に宿題をすることにした。弟は姉の横に座り、難しい問題に挑戦していた。「これ、教えてくれる？」と聞くと、姉は優しく教え始めた。チ、チ、と壁に掛けた時計の針が響く中、二人はかけがえのない大切な時間をいつまでも共有し合ったのだ。

There was a certain pair of siblings: the sister in the second year of middle school and the brother in the fifth year of elementary school. One day, while the sister was doing her homework in the living room, her brother came home after playing with his friends outside and peeked at her doing her homework. “What are you doing, sis?” he asked. The sister replied with a slightly annoyed face, “I’m doing my homework right now. Don’t bother me.”

The brother, smiling innocently, said, “Then, I’ll help you!” and started patting her on the shoulder and fussing around. Unable to tolerate her brother's noise any longer, she shouted, “Enough already! I want to do it alone, so go away!”

The brother, startled by her shouting, grimaced for a moment, then made a sulky face and said, “You’re so mean!” and retreated to his room. Finally alone, the sister resumed her homework but couldn’t concentrate and sighed.

After a while, their mother returned from shopping and called out to the sister, “I’m home. Did you finish your homework?” The sister nodded sadly. Noticing her expression, the mother asked, “What happened?” The sister turned her face away.

During dinner, the sister and brother didn’t speak, and they each returned to their rooms as the night wore on. Lying in bed, the sister stared at the ceiling. Mixed emotions and a sense of regret weighed on her mind. Her brother’s innocent smile and his sulky face alternated in her thoughts.

The next day, after coming home from school, the sister headed to her brother’s room. He was at his desk doing his homework. When the sister entered, he looked bewildered and said, “W-What’s up, sis?”

“I’m sorry about yesterday. You offered to help me, but I got mad,” she said, bowing her head slightly. The brother, looking surprised, soon smiled brightly and said, “It’s okay, sis. I’m sorry too.”

That night, the two decided to do their homework together in the living room. The brother sat next to his sister, tackling difficult problems. “Can you help me with this?” he asked, and the sister began to teach him gently. As the clock on the wall ticked, the two of them shared precious, irreplaceable time together.