Eve's Story | Judgment Fables | Ella and Yoru | The Day of Departure
This story is one part of a
short story series themed around "judgment."
Even if you don't know the series,
you can read this story on its own.
【The Day of Departure】
The morning air was a little cold.
I pulled the strap of my bag,
and tied it tight once more.
Inside the bag were two days' worth of food.
A leather canteen and a small knife.
And some spare clothes.
That was all.
Beyond the village gate,
a narrow path continued toward the forest.
I looked back just once.
There was no one there.
No one to see me off,
no one to call out to me.
But my feet did not stop.
——
Today is the day of my departure.
By village custom, children become independent from their parents when they turn twelve.
I, too, have just turned twelve.
However, what makes me different from those around me is that I had no one I could call family.
I heard they passed away when I was very young.
I don't know the circumstances.
To be precise, I can't remember.
It was the village chief who took me in.
What remains in my early memories are large hands.
And the way he spoke to me so gently.
The village chief's house had no children.
I learned later that they had lost a child around the same time.
His wife was a good person.
She welcomed me as family.
But what was reflected in her eyes
was not me, but someone else...
Perhaps that was just my own assumption.
But, in sudden moments,
the way she looked at me seemed just a little different.
It wasn't that I was dissatisfied with that.
A place to sleep.
Clothes to wear.
Food to eat.
They provided everything.
It was just the silence that would suddenly visit the edges of our conversations.
I knew, at least, who that silence was directed toward.
That is why I decided to be a proper child.
I wouldn't be selfish.
I would follow instructions.
Perhaps that is only natural.
Even so, I was afraid.
What I could do as a child
was to honestly follow what I was told.
To act like a child who wouldn't be a burden.
I know.
I know.
It's no one's fault.
I am blessed.
I know.
I know.
But I don't know.
What is it that I truly want to do?
For someone like me, that day came.
The day of departure.
My foster father asked me what I wanted to do.
My foster mother told me to do as I liked.
I couldn't find the words.
——What do you want me to do?
Truthfully, I wanted them to decide.
Just like before.
But they said I should decide.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I haven't decided things for myself.
I had never even thought about what I wanted to do.
I don't know.
I don't know.
Even so, I knew.
The only thing I knew was that this was my first decision.
I said,
"I will leave home.
I will travel and find what I want to do."
My body trembled.
It wasn't because I was afraid.
It was because, for the first time, I had decided for myself.
My foster father nodded silently.
My foster mother smiled, looking a little lonely.
The day I left.
I received the luggage they handed me.
A bag packed with things necessary for travel.
They even gave me a little money.
I bowed my head.
"Thank you very much."
Saying that, I left the house.
I took a step forward.
Turning my back on my hometown.
Suddenly, I noticed a small letter tucked into my pocket.
The address was for me.
I opened it quietly and began to read.
——
Thank you for being by our side until now.
——It was my foster father's handwriting.
Take care of yourself.
Show us your face once in a while, even if it's just occasionally.
——It was my foster mother's handwriting.
You are our precious daughter.
Please, never forget that.
——
I couldn't stop the tears.
It wasn't that I was sad.
It wasn't that I was happy, either.
It was just that my feelings were overflowing.
I bowed my head once more toward my hometown visible in the distance.
That was the day of my departure.
And—
the first day I knew I had a place to return to.
I haven't found the reason for my journey yet.
But I know the place I can return to.
If the atmosphere of this story
has lingered with you somewhere,
I would be happy if you could
gently leave a "Like" in place of a bookmark.
⸻
If you feel like you want to walk through this world a little more,
if you follow me,
the next story will quietly reach you as well.
▶️ If you are interested in the Judgment Fable short story series
▶️ A guide to Eve's Story
▶️ What are Judgment Fables?