A Mysterious Morning
Strange things often happen in our house.
I take the sauce out of the fridge, ready to use it, and when I look, it's yakiniku sauce.
Why?
I think, let's have fruit granola for breakfast, and when I go to open the bag I just bought, it's already been opened.
Why?
I must have bought it without noticing.
This is...
Contamination...!!! (I instinctively cover my mouth with my hand)
What should I do!
Report it!
To where!?
The supermarket?
Is the supermarket okay?
(I look at the clock. It's still 7 o'clock.)
They're not open yet!!
What should I do, what should I do!!!
As I'm panicking, I happen to look, and...
There's a torn-off piece of the seal next to the bag.
Was it me?
It was me, wasn't it.
I must have opened it.
I have absolutely no memory of it, though.
Because, there's the torn-off piece right there.
And so, such strange phenomena happen all the time.
My husband and children are no longer fazed even when I'm panicking.
And,
Oh, there it is. It was me.
They watch me say that with very quiet, cold gazes.
Thank you.
A few years ago, our sleepyhead Hanako-chan (my daughter) woke up at a time when she had to leave the house in 15 minutes or she'd be late.
She walked over with a very slow gait, moving gracefully, and sat down at the dining table.
(Is she actually going to eat!?)
I think to myself, but I don't say anything unnecessary and watch over her warmly.
Toast is already prepared.
Several types of jam and a spoon are also ready so she can spread her favorite jam.
One minute passes.
She doesn't move a single millimeter.
Is she a stone statue?
I try calling out to her, just in case, saying, "You won't make it if you don't leave in 10 minutes."
Her right hand begins to move slowly.
Slowly
Slowly
Slowly
Too slow!!!
Finally, she grabs the toast and slowly brings it to her mouth.
Crunch...
A very small bite.
Chew, chew, chew, chew...
..............Crunch
The sun is going to set!!!
"Hana-chan. If you don't hurry up a little more, you're really going to be in trouble!"
Our eyes meet.
Crunch.
Nnnngggghhhh!!!
I wish I could eat it for you!!!
Caaarly.
Whether she knows the time is running out or not, she doesn't seem to have given up on finishing it. And yet, she doesn't show any sign of losing her form.
She's a big deal.
She's my own child, but she's a big deal.
But seriously, we are really out of time.
Hana-chan! Seriously, it's impossible now! Let's give up! Brush your teeth and get changed!
Our eyes meet.
Slowly, ever so slowly, she puts the half-eaten toast back on the plate.
She starts moving sluggishly and heads to the bathroom.
During this time, I'm pacing around pointlessly.
My daughter has a very serious personality.
She cares about what others think.
She would never do anything to get scolded by her teacher.
Being late is out of the question.
Her pride won't allow it.
But sadly, she's not a morning person.
And she moves slowly.
This kind of battle happens almost every morning, but today we have especially no time.
Please! Come out of the bathroom quickly!!
Aren't you moving so slowly it's like you're sleeping in there!?
Creak...
She came out.
She sluggishly heads toward the sink.
I pace around.
She slowly washes her hands, wipes them, and moves sluggishly.
No, no, wash your face there!
Go wash your face!
She sluggishly goes back and washes her face.
That's it! Hana-chan! Good! That's good!
I say, while pacing.
Even though everything is like this, she managed to get changed just in time to leave the house right now...
As a serious girl, Hana-chan finished her school schedule last night.
All that's left is to get her out of the house.
Just as I thought that,
Mom, fix my bedhead.
Now!?
Forget about bedhead already!
Hurry up and go!!!
Ugh... no.
Nnnngggghhhh!!!
Sit down.
I say, giving up and making my daughter sit in a chair at the dining table.
But I'm feeling impatient.
For now, I spray the bedhead fixer.
Evenly, roughly, quickly, spray, spray...
...Huh?
There's a faint scent of Febreze.
...Mom, doesn't it smell like Febreze?
...It does.
In my hand, which I looked at with dread, was unmistakably a bottle of Febreze.
Eeeeeek!!!
Fe, fe, Febreeeeze!!!
Is Febreze something you can spray on people!?
Is it okay!!??
Is there any harm in spraying it on an elementary schooler's scalp!?
Won't something or other get into her pores!?
It will! It probably will! Of course it will!!
This is bad!!!!!!!!
Hana-chan!
Go take a shower right now!
Wash it twice! Carefully, wash it twice!
I shout.
Only at times like this does my daughter head to the shower at a bit of a trot.
Ah, it's no use.
I don't care if you're late anymore.
If the teacher asks, 'Why are you late!!'
then answer,
'My mom sprayed Febreze on my head.'
The teacher won't be able to get angry any further than that.
It's okay.
I don't mind if the teacher looks at me strangely.
I'm used to those kinds of looks.
Use me as a stepping stone and go!
With that sense of resignation, I let her get in the shower, dried her hair when she came out, and drove her to school.
We made it.
Even though I thought we had no time at all.
We made it.
My daughter's hair was silky smooth, too.
As a result, her bedhead was gone.
On the way back from dropping off my daughter,
bathed in the refreshing morning sun,
humming a tune,
I headed to work.
And,
I arrived at the office earlier than usual.
It was a mysterious morning.