ATouchingStory
佚名/Anonymous
ShewassixyearsoldwhenIfirstmetheronthebeachnearwhereIlived.Shewasbuildingasandcastleorsomethingandlookedup,hereyesasblueasthesea.
「Hello!」shesaid.Iansweredwithanod,notreallyinthemoodtobotherwithasmallchild.「I』mbuilding,」shesaid.「Iseethat.Whatisit?」Iasked,notcaring.「Oh,Idon』tknow,Ijustlikethefeelofthesand.」Thatsoundsgood,Ithought.Asandpiperglidedby.「That』sajoy,」thechildsaid.「It』swhat?」「It』sajoy.Mymamasayssandpiperscometobringusjoy.」Thebirdglideddownthebeach.「Good-byejoy,」Imutteredtomyself,「hellopain,」andturnedtowalkon.Iwasdepressed;mylifeseemedcompletelyoutofbalance.「What』syourname?」Shewouldn』tgiveup.「Robert,」Ianswered,「I』mRobertPeterson.」「Mine』sWendyI』msix.」「Hi,Wendy.」Shegiggled.「You』refunny,」shesaid.InspiteofmygloomIlaughedtooandwalkedon.Hermusicalgigglefollowedme.「Comeagain,Mr.P,」shecalled.「We』llhaveanotherhappyday.」
Thedaysandweeksthatfollowedbelongedtoothers:PTAmeetings,andanailingmother.ThesunwasshiningonemorningasItookmyhandsoutofthedishwater.「Ineedasandpiper,」Isaidtomyself.Thebreezewaschilly,butIstrodealong,tryingtorecapturetheserenityIneeded.
Ihadforgottenthechildandwasstartledwhensheappeared.「Hello,Mr.P,」shesaid.「Doyouwanttoplay?」「Whatdidyouhaveinmind?」Iasked,withatwingeofannoyance.「Idon』tknow,yousay.」「Howaboutcharades?」Iaskedsarcastically.Thetinklinglaughterburstforthagain.「Idon』tknowwhatthatis.」「Thenlet』sjustwalk.」Lookingather,Inoticedthedelicatefairnessofherface.「Wheredoyoulive?」Iasked.「Overthere.」Shepointedtowardarowofcottages.「Wheredoyougotoschool?」「Idon』tgotoschool.Mommysayswe』reonvacation.」Shechatteredlittlegirltalkaswestrolledupthebeach,butmymindwereonotherthings.WhenIleftforhome,Wendysaidithadbeenahappyday.Feelingsurprisinglybetter,Ismiledatherandagreed.
Threeweekslater,Irushedtomybeachinastateofnearpanic.IwasinnomoodtoevengreetWendy.「Look,ifyoudon』tmind,」IsaidcrosslywhenWendycaughtupwithme,「I』dratherbealonetoday.」Sheseemedunusuallypaleandoutofbreath.「Why?」sheasked.Iturnedtoherandshouted,「Becausemymotherdied!」andthought,「MyGod,whywasIsayingthistoalittlechild?」「Oh,」shesaidquietly,「thenthisisabadday.」「Yes,」Isaid,「andyesterday,andthedaybeforeandohjustgoaway!」「Didithurt?」sheinquired.「Didwhathurt?」Iwasexasperatedwithher,withmyself.Istrodeoff.
Amonthorsoafterthat,whenInextwenttothebeach,shewasn』tthere.Feelingguilty,ashamedandadmittingtomyselfImissedher,wentuptothecottageaftermywalkandknockedonthedoor.Adrawnlookingwomanopenedthedoor.