仔牛近道

愛媛生活で出会った大好きな二家族に見送られて、荷物と私たちをぎっしりつめこんだミニバンが出発です。 目指すは、山梨県の早川町。ですがまずは、徳島県の友人宅に寄らせてもらって、そこからフェリーで東京の実家に向かいます。 東京で車を一台譲り受け、3月末に2台の車で早川町に入るという計画です。こんな大移動ですもの、旅程も楽しんでいきたいもの。

引っ越しトラックで、大方の荷物はすでに送ったものの、手荷物やトラックで送り損ねたものなど、車の中で荷物とぎゅう詰めになりながら、（う）が「こりゃ、まさに『トトロ』のサツキとメイの引っ越しだ！」と叫びました。



徳島の友人宅は、いつ行っても居心地がいいところ。これから行く早川町で仕事をしたこともある先輩夫婦のお宅で、まさに早川町から送られてきたばかりという自然薯をつまみにいただきながら、夜をふかします。翌日、一家でフェリー乗り場まで見送りに来てくれました。甲板の上ではしゃぎながら、船の音に負けないくらい大声で叫びながら手を振りました。



東京では、たまたまその期間に東京を訪れていたインドからの友人に13年ぶりに会い、私たちの親や親戚と会い、睡眠と栄養で皆しっかり体調を整えてから、いざ、早川町へ。練馬から車で走って3時間くらいでした。まだ桜が少し咲き始めたくらいの早川町。どんな出会いが待っているでしょうか。先入観を捨てられるだけ捨てて、子どもたちをしっかり見つめていきたいな。私たちの新しいお話の、はじまりはじまり～

（わ）


Clickety-clack


On the morning of departure, two families were with us to see us off. They are best family friends of us over 8 years of Ehime-ken life, and we are so pround of them having such positive minds, skills, and experience. They have supported us a lot in many ways.

Our plan was to visit another family friend of us in Tokushima-ken for one night, and then take a ferry from Tokushima Port to Tokyo. Visitting our parents in Tokyo, we were suppose to get one of their cars and drive to Hayakawa-cho in the end of March. Having had an opportunity to travel such a long way, we were ready to enjoy our journey. Sitting in a cattle car, Umeo shouted "Wow. this is really like a move of Satsuki and May in TOTORO story!" She looked so excited.

Whenever we visit the friends in Tokushima, we feel so comfortable with their warm welcome. Having worked in Hayakawa-cho before, they know where exactly we were moving to. They are still in touch with Hayaklawa people, so even the day we visited, we enjoyed a huge Japanese yam just arrived from Hayakawa. Next morning, they navigated us to Tokushima-Port to see us off. Kids were yelping with delight on the huge ferry, and we all waved our arms.

In Tokyo, we visited our parents, and also met an old friends of mine from India (it was just a coinsidence that she visited Tokyo for the first time during that time!) I met her after 14 years. Having sound meal and enough sleep, I think we are also physically ready to the journey. Driving for 3 hours from Tokyo, we saw cherry blossoms that were starting to bloom in Hayakawa. Here we are; what kind of encounters and meetings will be waiting for us? I'd like to enjoy the life here in Hayakawa trying to avoid fitting into a preconceived mold, and appreciate the time spending with our children. Our new chapter of stories has just started.

Wakana