【第8日】消えゆく光の瞬間

昼下がりのオフィスで仕事に追われていると、携帯電話が静かに振動した。画面を見ると、母からの着信だ。普段、昼間は会議や業務で電話に出られないことが多いため、母には夜9時以降に連絡してほしいと伝えてある。だから、この時間帯の電話は何か緊急の用事があるに違いない。

急いで電話に出ると、母の少し沈んだ声が聞こえた。「スマホの右上の数字が19から18に減っていくの。どうしたらいいのかしら」と心配そうに言う。おそらくバッテリー残量のことだろう。私は充電ケーブルが正しく差し込まれていないのではと考え、「一度ケーブルを抜いて、もう一度差し込んでみて」と提案した。

しばらくして、母は明るい声で「18が19に増えたわ！」と喜んだ。その声に安堵しつつも、一瞬「こんなことで電話しなくても」と思ってしまった自分がいた。しかし、すぐにその考えを恥じた。もしバッテリーが切れて連絡が取れなくなれば、母の安否を確認できなくなる。そうなれば、すぐにでも母の元へ駆けつけなければならない。

さらに、数字が19から18、そしてゼロに向かって減っていく様子は、まるで時間が限られているかのような焦燥感を覚えた。自分自身も、もし心のバランスを崩してしまえば、スマホの使い方さえわからなくなるかもしれない。

減っていく数字は、ただのバッテリー残量ではなく、何か大切な意味を持っているのではないか。誰かが「この意味を考えてごらん」と問いかけているような気がした。

窓の外を見ると、柔らかな日差しが差し込んでいた。私は深呼吸をし、小さなことにも耳を傾ける大切さを胸に刻んだ。

While I was swamped with work in the office during the early afternoon, my cell phone vibrated softly. Glancing at the screen, I saw it was a call from my mother. I had told her that I often couldn't answer calls during the day due to meetings and tasks, and asked her to contact me after 9 p.m. So a call at this hour meant there must be something urgent.

I quickly picked up, and heard my mother's slightly troubled voice. "The number at the top right of my smartphone is decreasing from 19 to 18. What should I do?" she asked anxiously. She was probably referring to the battery percentage. I thought perhaps the charging cable wasn't properly connected. "Try unplugging the cable and plugging it back in," I suggested.

After a moment, she exclaimed happily, "It's gone back up to 19!" Hearing the relief in her voice, I felt at ease, but for a split second, I thought, "You didn't need to call me for something like this." Immediately, I regretted that thought. If her battery died and I couldn't reach her, I wouldn't be able to ensure her safety. In that case, I'd have to rush to her side.

Moreover, watching the number drop from 19 to 18, inching toward zero, gave me a sense of urgency, as if time were running out. I realized that if I ever lost my mental balance, I might not even know how to use a smartphone.

Perhaps those decreasing numbers weren't just about battery life but held a deeper meaning. It felt as though someone was urging me to "ponder the significance of this."

Looking out the window, soft sunlight streamed in. I took a deep breath, embedding in my heart the importance of paying attention to even the smallest things.