2014.11.15
ウィリアムに想う６
佐藤賢太郎

 ウィリアムが来て２週間が過ぎています。彼は２週間で帰る予定でしたが、延長して良いかと私たちに許可を求めて、滞在することになりました。言葉が不自由でありながら、他人が我が家に長期間滞在するというのも初めてです。毎日の食事は健康に良く、言うまでもなく美味しいものばかりです。そのせいばかりではないでしょうが、延期することになったのです。

毎日お手伝いしていただくのですが、今日は何をしてもらうか考えるのも大変です。雨の日は困ります。雨の日は家の中の仕事です。昨日は和彩館の額をそろえて飾りました。とても丁寧です。そして小雨の中、力仕事のビオトープの水路の整備もしました。土砂が水路にたまりそれを掘り出す仕事です。

　それよりも何よりも、ウィリアムがいることで夫婦喧嘩を大々的にできないのです。私は良い夫の分類に入りませんが、家内も立派とは言えないかもしれません。私の一言が許せないと言います。だから、夫婦喧嘩ができないことは不自由です。しかし、不自由だけれど、それが我が家には良いことなのです。

Day 12 - Time Travelling

Today Sato-san gave another lecture on his life and experiences, this time in Aizu-Wakamatsu. This one was in the afternoon, but Sato-san had various errands to run before getting there, so we planned to leave at 10:30am. This meant that I had the first part of the morning free to work, which I spent cleaning Fukurou-kan and dusting the sculptures and other artwork housed there. It was pretty easy and pleasant work, allowing me to admire each piece as I cleaned. It was another rainy morning here in Funato, so it was nice working indoors, and my surroundings combined with the rhythmic pitter-patter on the roof made for a very peaceful atmosphere.

First of Sato-san's errands once we'd left was to deliver a handmade sign to his mother, Masa-san's, old house, where there the current owner is an apple farmer. We met him and his two young sons in front of the house, and he admired a copy of Sato-san's new book on his latest trip to Greece, which were bringing a couple of boxes of to the lecture. On the way there we also passed through Aizu, which Sato-san pointed out as the area Makiko-san was born in. Next, we visited a barbers in Aizu Wakamatsu which used to be owned by a friend of Sato-san's, and he had a shave whilst I sat with and tried to entertain the new owner's two little daughters and their friend using my very limited Japanese. My favourite of the day's visits, however, was when we visited a cafe in Aizu Wakamatsu next to Tsuruga castle, and Sato-san showed me his sculptures displayed outside and introduced me to the owner, Igarashi-san, whose father was an old friend of his. The cafe was very cozy and lushly decorated with souvenirs from various periods of history around the world, and we sat and talked for a while over a delicious cup of coffee. By the time we actually arrived at the lecture venue I'd been given a very interesting tour of Sato-san's family and friends' past.

The lecture itself went very smoothly, and seemed well received by the large audience in the hotel where it was happening. Various gifts were given and a dinner held for Sato-san in thanks. In the evening, we returned home and were warmly received back at the house by Makiko-san, who'd spent the day indoors with Masa-san. We were tired, but satisfied at another job well done by all!