Big Sister's Voice 761 characters

Early in the morning, I go to the roofed bench to practice the ukulele.

Before that, I always used the broom kept there to sweep around the bench and the street. There are a lot of fallen leaves, you see.
While doing so, I became friends with a woman who passes by there. We became close, calling each other "Tsuru-chan" and "Big Sister."

She was naturally cheerful and had a sunny personality. Soon, when I couldn't make it, she started doing the sweeping for me.

I made an effort to say "Good morning" to everyone who passed by that bench. While sweeping, she started imitating me, too. Perhaps because she has a more honest personality than I do, she immediately hit it off with everyone else and started exchanging short conversations.

"I'm grateful to you, Tsuru-chan. You always listen to everything I say and answer me. Everyone really just wants to be heard, don't they?"

"You need to be heard too, Big Sister. That's what I'm here for."

"I can tell when I look at other people. It's only recently, though. I realize everyone just wants to be listened to."

Her voice is crisp and carries well. So, I also make an effort to speak in a clear voice to respond to her. I'm matching her energy, but since it doesn't feel bad, I'm happy to spend the energy. It makes for a good morning.

When the cleaning is done, she makes her big, round eyes sparkle and says, "I'm off to radio calisthenics, thank you, Tsuru-chan," before saying goodbye.

I thought I was looking after her, but before I knew it, she had become so reliable that I found myself looking up to her. It's not romantic, but I've come to feel her charm as a person. If I go to the bench, I can see her briskly sweeping and hear her energetic "Good morning." It's amazing the kind of encounters one can have. It really pays to try sweeping.

#noteDENoelLetter