仔牛近道

　奈良田に越してきてからの生活で、私にとって88歳のYばあちゃんとの出会いは大きな意味があるように思っています。

　ある日の昼下がり、私と（ま）が家にいると「ごめんくださーい・・・」と小さな声が。玄関口に初めて見るおばあちゃんが立っています。「もうこの家に入ったって聞いたから、何度か来てみたんだけど、ようやく会えました」と言って、立ち話が始まりました。おばあちゃんは耳が聴こえにくいそうで、先日うちの子どもたちが後ろから挨拶しながら追い抜いて行ったのを後になって気づき、挨拶も返せずに悪かったなぁとずっと思っていたというのです。というわけで、そのことを説明したくて何度かうちに足を運んでくれていたとのこと。私も、話すときは正面に立って、ゆっくり口を大きく開けて、身振り手振りで会話するようにしました。練習中の外国語を話しているような、懐かしい感覚を思い出したりしていました。（ま）も足元でなんやかんや一生懸命話しかけています。ひとしきり賑やかにおしゃべりして、「さて、ずいぶん長居しちゃったわね、帰ろうかね」とおばあちゃんは杖を突きながらゆっくり帰っていきました。

　さて、翌日。今日はあのおばあちゃんちを探してみようか、と（ま）と散歩に繰り出します。大体教えてもらっていたので、すぐに見つかりました。玄関から覗いて大きな声で呼ぶと、何やら神妙な顔つきで出てきます。そして、開口一番、

「あなたのうちは、何か神様を拝んでる？」

と尋ねるのです。「特に何もないですよ」と答えつつ、どきどきしながら話を聞いてみます。どうやら、昨日うちから帰った日の夕方、何だかどっと疲れて、「頭からすっぽり籠をかぶったような」感覚がとれなかったとのこと。何を話したかも思い出せず、自分が自分でなくなるような、このままどうかなってしまうようなそんな状態で、居間に飾ってある観音様の前でいつもより30分も長く拝んでいるしかできなかったそうです。布団に入っても寝付けず、観音様のペンダントを握りしめ、お祈りしながらひたすら目を閉じていたとのこと。

　そんな話をきいて、私の方が愕然。一体この話はどこに向かっているのだろう・・・とハラハラしながら耳を傾け続けます。そして、「今朝の気分はどうなんですか？」とようやく聞いてみると、

「それが、朝起きたら何ともないのよ～　ほら、今もこんなに仲良くおしゃべりできているでしょう？」

「カゴ現象」の解釈に再び耳を傾けます。

　「私思ったのは、お宅の神様の波動に、私の観音様の波動が負けてしまったのではないかな、と・・・。今まで、月に一度は観音様の波動の補充に、遠くの先生のところまで出かけてたんだけど、最近足も痛いし、行けてなかったから、それでうちの波動も弱まっていたのかしら、なんて思ったのよ。そう、神様は特にないのね、不思議ねぇ・・・」

　波動！？と、鳥肌が立つのを感じました。よく宗教を深く信仰している人たちと親しくなることが多いけれど、こんな風に言われたのは初めてです。でも、ひとしきり話を聞いて感じたのは、おばあちゃん、何十年ぶりに「若い人」とこんなに長く話をして、しかも話しただけでなく、この人たち家族で近所に引っ越してきたという衝撃があって、心も身体も一気に興奮しちゃったのかな、それで疲れちゃったのかな、と・・・。

　と、とにかくそれ以来、とても仲良くしてくれるので一安心しています。「カゴ現象」の話を聞いた翌日も、うちの前まで来て「ま～ちゃーん！」と呼ぶおばあちゃんの声。一緒にコケ玉作りのコケを取りに行こうというのです。喜んでついていって、おばあちゃんの家の玄関先で一緒にコケ玉を作りました。以来、私と子どもたちの間でコケ玉作りブーム。道を歩いていても、かわいいコケや植え付けにいい草を見つけると放っておけません。

　そんなこんなで、これがYばあちゃんとの出会いです。今ではすっかり、私たちの散歩での寄り道場所の定番に。心なしか、最初の頃よりよく私の話を楽に聞き取れるようになってくれているようにも思います。心と身体はつながっている、そんなことを改めて考えさせてくれました。

　今日も、私と（ま）は神社の方へお散歩へ。そこにあった大きな石からコケをはいできて、私たちの「波動」という名の元気を込め、丸いコケ玉を作って飾りました。


（わ）





Vibes and Moss ball


Since we started living in Narada, I feel that the encounter with 88-year-old-Y san has a huge meaning for me.

One afternoon, when Makasa and I were at home, someone came to the door and said "hello...." in a low voice. That was the first time I saw her. She said, "I've heard that a new family had already moved into this house, so I have tried visiting you a few times before, but...good, you are here today...!"

Then, we had quite a long chat at the entrance. She was hard of hearing, so I spoke loudly trying to stretch my mouth as far as possible, using gestures as well. I was thinking of the time when I started learning English and Hindi, I was speaking exactly like this to let other people understand my poor second/third languages. Anyway, after chatting about various things, she said "Alright, it's getting late, I got to go now." Using her cane, she slowly went back home.

Next morning, Makasa and I decided to find Y san's house during our morning walk. It was not so difficult as she had given us a rough explanation on the previous day. We rang the bell of her house and we called her loudly. She soon came out and asked me very seriously,

"Do you believe there is any specific good thing in your house?"

"Well, not especially." I replied wondering what exactly she meant. Then, what she explained to me was quite surprising. According to her, in the evening after our long chat, she was extremely tired and felt like her head was "totally covered with a big basket". She said she couldn't remember what we talked about, felt like she might have become someone else, and wondered what would happen to herself eventually. Only what she could do was pray in front of the statue of Kannon-sama. While sleeping, she was holding her small statue of Kannon-sama, and praying to make her feel relaxed.

Listening to all this story, I was a bit scared. Somehow, I managed to ask "...then, how are you feeling this morning?" Then she replied with a friendly smile, "I'm so good this morning! See, I feel so relaxed talking to you now."

You can imagine how relieved I was! Then, her explanation went on...

"...To my understanding, your god's vibrations were much stronger than my Kannon-sama's (the Goddess of Kannon) , so I myself was overwhelmed by your god's vibrations. I used to go to see my guru to re-charge the energy of these vibrations, but these days I haven't managed to visit my guru due to the pain in my legs etc...so I thought my vibrations have become very weak now. But, well, if you don't pray for any specific god, what is the feeling...very weird."

Vibes?! Vibrations? I was a bit confused with her words. I have many good friends who are very serious praying to gods, but it was the first time someone spoke me like her. However, listening to all her stories, I felt was that it was very shocking and stimulating for her to meet and talk to me and Makasa - after many many years of quiet living. Spending most of the time alone in her house, she hardly had interacted with any of "the young", but now suddenly such an energetic family appeared in front of her and had a chat for a long time.... Unconsciously, her excitement overwhelmed her body and brain?! Yes, I'm such an optimistic person, I comprehended the situation that way. hahaha!

Anyway, since then, she often comes to our house and calls us sometime for giving us her vegetables, and other times for inviting us to join her walk. One day, she came and said that she was on the way to collect some mosses to make "moss balls" that are plants grown in a ball of soil covered in moss. We were very happy and followed her, then learned how to make moss balls in her garden. Even now, myself and our kids love making moss bolls and display them at various places of our house.

So, this is how we became friendly with Y-grandma. Now her house is one of our regular stop points while walking. Somehow, I feel that she can hear and understand what I say much more easily than the first time we met. This experience led me to think about the deep relationship between body and mind, and I appreciate getting the chance to think about it.

Today also, Makasa and I walked to the local shrine and played around. We found a big stone covered by fresh green moss, so we got excited and took some home to make a nice moss ball containing our positive vibes inside.

Wakana