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One phone call received by an ordinary man (Part2) 一人の平凡な男が受けとったに1本の電話(後編)

Writer's picture: Masaya Maeda  ♠ JapanMasaya Maeda ♠ Japan

I received a phone call from my cousin in the middle of the night.

My wife's condition got worse suddenly.

I, my son, and my cousin took turns to support her back all night.

We delivered the voices of families from Taiwan and Canada over the phone. In the morning, my wife departed quietly.

A few days later, Mr. S joined the funeral of my wife and went back to join the tour group in Tokyo as promised with Mr. B, and returned to China.

Five months later, I and my cousin visited China and reunited with Ms. S's family for the first time in six years. There was one more girl in Ms. S's family. Ms. S told me she adopted the girl and was teaching as the girl had no family or relatives to take care and had only graduated from elementary school. After a time, the girl got married. Of course, as Ms.’s child.

There were many stories to tell each other. In the area of Ms. S, there were more than 100 high school students who gave up admission to university for economic reasons every year. Mr. S asked her friend, who was a newspaper reporter, to write about this plight as an article and solicited a scholarship from private companies. According to Ms.’s, nowadays more than 100 high school students from poor families go to college with scholarships from companies.

I asked, "How are the children at the meadow elementary school?"

Mr. S answered, "The children are still studying well. Let's visit them again next year."


The Meadow Elementary School is an elementary school that our NGO built in the Meadow Village at an altitude of 3400m with introduction by Ms. S. At the time of construction of school, the annual income per villager was less than 5000 yen. In winter, a -20-degree wind blew, and the children were going to school in the cold. I am wondering if the children in the village are still doing fine.


I promised to meet them again next year and departed while seeing Ms. S’s family waving at us in cold autumn wind.


夜中に従兄弟からの電話が鳴った。妻の容態が急変した。


私と息子と従兄弟が一晩中、かわるがわる妻の背中を支えた。

私たちは台湾やカナダの家族の声を電話越しに届けた。朝、妻は静かに旅立った。


数日後、Sさんは妻の葬儀に参加して、Bさんとの約束通り東京で旅行団に合流し、中国に帰国して行った。


5か月後、私と従兄弟は二人で中国を訪問し、6年ぶりにSさん家族と再会した。Sさん家族には、女の子が一人増えていた。Sさんの話では、彼女には身寄りがなく、小学校しか卒業していないので、養子にして勉強を教えているということだった。その後、女の子は結婚した。勿論、Sさんの子どもとして。


つもる話は、たくさんあった。

Sさんの地域では家庭の経済的理由で大学入学を諦める高校生が毎年100数十人もいた。

Sさんは友人の新聞記者に頼んで、この窮状を新聞記事にしてもらい、企業から奨学金を募った。今では、毎年、100人を超える貧困家庭の高校生が企業の奨学金を得て大学に入学しているそうだ。


私は、「草原小学校の子どもたちは元気ですか」と尋ねた。Sさんは、「子どもたちは今も元気で勉強していますよ。来年、また一緒に訪問しましょう。」と答えた。草原小学校は、Sさんの紹介で私たちのNGOが標高3400mの草原村に建設した小学校だ。小学校建設当時、村民一人当たりの年収は5000円にも満たなかった。冬は-20度の風が吹き荒れ、子供たちは今もその極寒の中を通学していた。


草原村の子どもたちは今も元気にしているだろうか。


私は、翌年の再会を約束して、少し冷たい秋風の中、手をふるSさん家族と別れた。


The Meadow Elementary School that our NGO constructed, located at 3400m in altitude.


Masaya Maeda


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