3rd movement: Kuya’s Compassionate Lullaby – So Let’s Walk Together –

“No, no, no.”
“Shut up and be quiet.”

Oh …

I gasped and let out a little scream at the sight. The appearance was too miserable to call him a human. The child’s arms and face are covered with black dirt, with shaggy hair hanging down to his shoulders, and his small, frail body is barely covered by a ragged kimono. Who is there is no longer a human. It is a hungry demon itself always suffering from hunger and thirst.

The child is rampaging when Gonzo, the owner of Ichikura (store), a dried fish merchant in Higashi city grabs him by one small arm. Clutching a dried fish that he might have stolen in his other small, young hand.

I wonder he is probably one of the orphans who lost their parents.

To be sad, it is not rare case that such children are in the dilapidated city. Parents who have children, but are unable to raise them due to poverty, are forced to abandon them, leaving them as orphans with no one to go to. Or the remaining children whose parents became ill, and were expelled from their community with their children due to the fears against the stains of death, and their parents died on the streets without being helped. The orphans who have been left alone have no choice but to beg or steal in order to survive, or are doomed to be eaten by the stray dogs that roam the capital. In this world where even adults are suffering, how much more difficult and painful it is for a child to live alone and in solitude.

They still continue to live too sad now in the middle of such an era.

Where in the world, did she come from? How much hunger and thirst has she been suffering from, and how much pain has been stabbing her in the chest.

People gathering in the city, you can see it too.

So…

So I want to save that child. I want to receive that child’s sorrow and pain with my body as much as possible. What I really want to save is such weak lives.

I no more had no hesitation at that time. I made my steps toward the deadly child being held by Kenzo by his arm.

adsense2

“You little brat, for God’s sake.”
The moment Kenzo raised his fist toward the child, I had stopped him from doing so.
“Please wait, Kenzo.”
Kenzo glared at me.
“What, a nenbutu monk, you’re interrupting me.”
“I’m sorry, Kenzo, but please forgive her for today for my sake.
“What are you talking about? I’m not going to let a thief get away with it.”
I moved my eyes to the child, crouched down to eye level and stroked its head. (Careful looking made me realize that the child is still young girl. I think the age of her seems to be about eight.”
“If you are hungry, see, even a little, I have food, too. Eat this.”

The girl alternates between me and the food in the bowl with a worried look in her eyes.
“It’s OK, here.”
I picked up one of the pastries (fruit) and showed her I eating it.
“I said, “Yes.”
I offered the girl the food in a bowl with a smile. The girl extended her hand to the food in a bowl timidly. The next moment, once her eyes sparkled, she picked up food one by one and started to eat voraciously.
“Are they delicious?”
The girl said nothing. Saying nothing, she was continuing to eat food I gave her just in earnest. Just silently, and just earnestly.

It’s still a cute thing.

I watched it happen, slowly, with a warm face on my face. Although she had terrible appearance, to be honest, the appearance was really cute, and made me cause the feeling of love that I cannot say anything. She is eating happily with tears in her eyes, and blooming the flower of smile on her face. She is picking up and carring food to her mouth one after another, and keep eating with a mouth full of food and many tears in her eyes, silently, but very happily, and with the flower of smile bloomed full on her face. I watched such a lovely her tenderly and warmly.

Good, eat slowly.

I stroked her head gently again while watching her crying and chewing on sweets and sticky rice cakes (mugi-nawa).

“Good, it’s OK, it’s OK.”

It must have been hard for you, and you must have been lonely. You did your best until now. You have endured so well. Well done, well done.

I kept stroking her head of her who had her face wet with tears gently.

“Namu Amida Butu, Amida Butu. Namu Amida Butu, Amida Butu.”

When I returned to myself, I was reciting so. I was reciting the merciful Buddha’s lullaby that illuminates now and the road to the next day, leaving it to my mouth just in earnest.

“Namu Amida Butu, Amida Butu. Namu Amida Butu, Amida Butu.”

So let’s walk together.

“The third wandering, Kuya’s merciful lullaby – so let’s walk together – ”(Complete).

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Author

じゅうべい(Jubei)
Hello everyone. I am Jubei, an earthling whose energy does not stop today. What I like is playing (manga, movies, music (J-Rock, etc.) and visiting cafes). Thank you for your understanding.