[Annual Series] Short Story: Hume the Concrete Pipe, Episode 1 (Re-run)

I am a concrete pipe.

Civil engineering experts call me a Hume pipe.

So, Hume is my name.

We were born into this world over 50 years ago.

By 'we', I mean me, my brother, and my sister.

The three of us, in a corner of a vacant lot in the suburbs.

The one on top is me, Hume, in my younger days.

The one on the bottom left is my brother, and the one on the bottom right is my sister.

We were all so young back then.

I didn't really have any particular dreams at that time.

I was happy just watching the children play in the vacant lot.

Katsuo-kun and his friends often came by to play baseball.

Gian-kun used us as a stage for his recitals.

Haha. With their shoes on, of course.

My brother and sister used to be a passageway for the little kids.

They are all such nostalgic memories.

But those happy days didn't last long.

At the time, sewer construction to convert toilets to flush systems was in full swing.

My older brother and sister found their destinations early and left the vacant lot.

Before long, wire fences were put up around the lot, and the children stopped coming to play.

According to the adults, it was dangerous.

I was left all alone.

Was I lonely, you ask?

Well, a little, I suppose.

But after a while, instead of children, little birds and haniwa clay figures came to keep me company.

Sometimes dogs and cats would take shelter from the rain with me.

That was enough to distract me from the loneliness.

One day, my turn finally came.

I was so happy.

I thought about how I would be able to serve the world and help people from then on.

After being buried underground in a residential area, I worked really hard.

365 days a year. I couldn't afford to be picky about what was clean or dirty.

Whenever I couldn't fully fulfill my duty, like during a sudden downpour, I would feel ashamed of my own helplessness.

This year, I too will be relieved of my duties.

The service life of a Hume pipe is exactly 50 years.

Soon, I will return to being countless stardust near the constellation Perseus.

Every summer, I will appear before you as a shooting star.

If you manage to find me, please call out to me as Hume.

Sequel releasing tomorrow