My Grandson, Me, and Moon-Viewing [Short Short] [#166]

"Grandpa, what are you doing?"
It seems my grandson, Haruto, had woken up to use the bathroom. He must have peeked in because the lights were on in the detached room where I was. This cramped room is designed so that the ceiling can become transparent like glass with the flick of a switch. I was lying flat in the middle of the room, gazing up at the night sky where two large stars were shining.
"…Grandpa was doing some 'moon-viewing'."
"…'Moon-viewing'?"
Haruto asked back, rubbing his sleepy eyes.
"Moon-viewing is a tradition passed down from long ago where you gaze at the moon in the night sky while eating things like rice dumplings. In the old days, it was done to thank the gods for a bountiful harvest that year. Well, it doesn't have that kind of religious meaning anymore. But when I think that maybe... friends I haven't seen in a very long time are also looking at what I'm looking at right now... it fills me with deep emotion. That's why I do this 'moon-viewing' every now and then. Haruto... it's late, but would you like a dumpling?"
"I'll have one."
Haruto grabbed the three-colored dumpling I offered with his right hand and vigorously took a bite of the white one on top.
"Is it good?"
"Yeah, it's sweeet."
Perhaps his brain had finally started working, as Haruto continued while eating.
"But Grandpa..."
"What is it, Haruto?"
"You can't see the moon at this time, right?"
"Hmm... well... that's certainly true."
"Then what are you looking at, Grandpa? Is it a delusion? A dream?"
"No, that's not it... it's different, Haruto. What's important is, well, the spirit of it. You might not understand yet, but the most important things are found in what you can't see."
I answered, stumbling over my words.
"Hmm. Oh, could it be that what you're looking at, Grandpa... are those stars?"
"Uh, well, I suppose so. In the end, I guess that's what it comes down to..."
Haruto stuck out his chin with a look that said he had figured it out.
"Then Grandpa, that's not 'moon-viewing'. It should be called 'Phobos-viewing' or 'Deimos-viewing'. Maybe you get sloppy with those things as you get older, but I think it's important. You should be careful about that."
Saying that, Haruto let out another yawn. He placed the skewer of the finished dumpling on the plate and walked away toward the airlock.
I couldn't think of anything to say back, and just watched his retreating figure. This is Mars. As he said, you can't see the moon at this time. The two satellites... Phobos and Deimos were shining in the night sky, quietly watching over our exchange.
In the room where silence had returned, I popped the remaining dumpling into my mouth, lay back down, and continued my 'moon-viewing'.

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