It was the following week.
On Friday, I finished work as usual and got on the train just after 8:00 to head home to Fukuoka City.
It looked like it was about to rain.
Just like last week, I called Noriko from the deck.
The call rang three times, then the line was cut off.
"Hello."
"..."
Was the signal bad?
"Hello? Can you hear me?"
"..."
Then there was a beep as the call was cut off. Apparently
the signal was bad. I'll call again later. As
I got closer to my stop, I called again from the deck.
But this time, there wasn't even a ringtone.
Thinking that it hadn't worked, I called home.
My daughter Mana answered the phone.
"Tell Mom to come pick me up,"
I told her, and Mana said, "
Mom hasn't come home yet."
I frowned.
Not again... Was she out playing again? Without even cooking dinner.
"Well, I'll just take a taxi home then,"
I said, hanging up the phone.
I got off the train, got in a taxi, and headed home, thinking.
I'm going to give her a piece of my mind today. I know she
's having fun with friends, but what is she thinking, not taking care of her household chores? It's one thing
if she's a middle or high school student, but what is a respectable mother in her late 30s doing?
When I got home, my daughter Mana and eldest son Akihiro were eating dinner.
"Are you going out to play again, Mom?"
I asked Mana.
"Huh? She's working today. She's been busy lately."
Work? It was already past 9 o'clock. She'd never been this late before.
It couldn't be explained away as work. The kids are preparing for exams,
especially Akihiro's high school entrance exam. I want to provide the bare minimum for them. Anyway, I'll
talk to her when she gets home.
In the end, Noriko got home a little after 10 o'clock. She looked
a little tired and immediately went to the bathroom.
I wanted to tell her off, but something must have happened at work.
I was working too. Her words at a time like this would only irritate me.
I thought I was being considerate.
Noriko went straight to her bedroom and fell asleep without eating.
It was the first time I'd ever seen her so tired.
Had she made some big mistake?
The irritation I'd felt a few hours earlier had vanished, and all I could do was worry about Noriko.
The next morning, since it was Saturday off, I woke up a little late.
Late, but it was still only 9:30.
Noriko was nowhere to be found beside the double bed we'd bought a few years ago.
Noriko never slept that late, even on her days off, and woke up at her usual time to start doing her housework.
I came downstairs from my bedroom on the second floor, passed Mana watching TV in the living room as usual, sat down at the dining table as usual, and read the newspaper as usual.
"Good morning," Mana and Noriko called out. I was a bit weak in the morning. I
was feeling a bit dazed.
"Good morning," I replied, and continued reading the newspaper.
Just as I finished reading the paper, rice and miso soup were laid out in front of me, and Noriko went upstairs to wake Akihiro.
Sigh. I still had no appetite in the morning. Yesterday, I watched Tamori Club until 2 o'clock and then fell asleep.
I may seem like a child, but Fridays and Saturdays are the only days I can stay up late.
When I was younger, I'd easily stay up even if I had work the next day, but as I got older, I started to feel more responsible for my work and stopped staying up late.
Perhaps it's more of a physical issue as I get older.
Some people say they only need an average of three or four hours of sleep, but that's just not possible for me.
I don't usually say "just five more minutes..." in the morning, but I always try to get some sleep.
Mana sat next to me and started eating breakfast.
The daughter and son faced each other, and the father and mother sat next to them.
That's how we sat at
meals. We ate while chatting about trivial things.
After breakfast, I went to wash my face.
By this time, I was awake and finally realized I was awake.
It takes time to fully wake up in the morning.
When I returned to the living room, Akihiro had finished eating and Noriko had started cleaning up.
Mana had left to run an errand.
Akihiro starts reading the newspaper, while I watch TV.
After all, home is the most relaxing place.
As Akihiro finished reading the newspaper and went upstairs, I asked Noriko.
"Did something happen at work?"
Noriko looked a little troubled, but answered "No."
I spoke to her with concern.
"You seemed tired yesterday. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I've been a little busy lately."
"I see."
If it's interfering with your family life, then quit your job.
I felt sorry for myself for not earning enough to be able to say that.
It was that night. As I was lying in bed, Noriko spoke to me.
"Hey, I wonder if I should change jobs?"
Changing jobs? Did something happen at work?
"Really? Did something happen? Things have been tough at my current company lately, so maybe a new job is a good idea."
"Someone from a client company asked me if I wanted to work there... The salary would be higher than I'm currently getting. But it's going to be an hour's commute from here."
"I see..."
I felt even more pathetic, thinking my wife was better at her job.
And the commute was an hour...
"Do you want to change jobs?"
"Yeah, maybe... I'll give it a try... I need the money..."
"I see, but don't push yourself too hard. I'm sorry I don't make much."
Suddenly, I began to love my wife more.
She might not be able to pick me up when I come home on the weekends.
If that happens, I'll have no choice but to take the bus home from the station.
I felt a sense of loneliness, like my child had become independent and was moving out of my reach.