A Humble Life

In reality, not even ten seconds had passed, but it felt as though the shaking had lasted for tens of minutes. Irieda thought that no matter how many times he experienced it, he could never get used to earthquakes. The mountains visible from the north-facing window looked like the keratinized scales of a reptile, with the rocky surface standing out more than the trees. Those mountain folds overlapped one another, hiding the north side like a folding screen. Beyond them, a single mountain loomed as if it possessed a will of its own. It was an ominous mountain that made Irieda harbor a vague shadow of death within his chest.
"It shook again this time, didn't it?" a voice called out from behind him. When Irieda turned around, Amber was standing there. She was dressed lightly in a white T-shirt and black pants, and her neck and arms were tanned. She approached the window, her carelessly tied hair swaying on her shoulders. The scent of sweat drifted from her body. When it stimulated Irieda's nasal cavity, he reflexively wanted to turn his face away. However, thinking that doing so might hurt Amber's feelings, he endured it and stayed where he was. Then, his gaze naturally turned to her face. Her cheeks were flushed, and the corners of her mouth were slightly relaxed. It was as if she were looking at something pleasant.
"It's been frequent lately, hasn't it?" Amber said. They were treating infectious diseases at an isolation facility called a Kurort in the mountains. The building was base-isolated, but it didn't seem very effective against vertical tremors.
"Were you working outside?"
"Yeah." Amber wiped her temples with the sleeve of her T-shirt and looked out the window again. She and Irieda had only met for the first time the day before. "That's tough," Irieda replied, choosing his words carefully.
"Growing vegetables is surprisingly fun," Amber said with a smile. "From the perspective of the local residents, I suppose that would be considered a luxury."
"I suppose so..." Amber thought for a moment before saying, "But being here is a right."
"You were born on the mainland, right?" Irieda asked.
"Yes... I came here as a child, brought by my parents."
"So, you don't intend to go back?"
"I wonder? I don't know, but I can't go back now, can I?" Amber tilted her head vaguely. "Sakichi, you were born in Fifty-One, right?"
"Yeah. As you can see."
It hadn't even been ten years since Japan became the fifty-first state. The only former Japanese citizens who could live a decent life were the wealthy or the military.
"Did I offend you?"
"That's not it. This country felt like a part of the States long before that. I admired America."
"Is that why you're on a plane?" With a hazy look in her eyes, Amber stared at Irieda. Irieda thought that the fat around the corners of her eyes, typical of white people, was hiding her true intentions.
"I suppose so." He said that and stared back at Amber. She tilted her head as if puzzled, then said, "Oh well," and moved away from the window. To Irieda, it looked like Amber was enjoying her life in this place.
"I think I'll get going now," Amber said.
"Where to?"
"Back to work."
"Ah. The fields. It wasn't that strong of an earthquake, but be careful."
"Thank you."
Amber walked toward the back door. There, a middle-aged woman wearing a disposable protective suit was mopping the floor.

Continued ➩A Humble Life 2