はるひ苑仁保
At Haruhi-en Niho
御誕生日会でお渡しする記念の寄せ書きを書いて頂いて回りました。
じ～っと考え込んでから、おもむろに書き込んでいかれる方もあれば、
しゃべった勢いで書かれる方、恥ずかしがって代筆を頼まれる方も。
I asked every resident to write something nice on a birthday card for a resident.
Some were done after pondering for a while, the others wrote by the force that they said, or felt small and asked someone else to write for them.
そして、Ｗ様に寄せ書きをお願いしたら、謡いが始ってしまいました。
When I asked Ms. W, I didn’t know why, but she started singing an utai, chanting a noh text.
誕生日会の余興に謡いをお願いしたら、「わたしなんてとてもとても・・・・」と、
断られたのかと思ったら、練習が始ってしまったのです。
I remembered that I had asked her to sing an utai on the birthday party before asking for a congratulatory message.
She had told me that she couldn’t do it. So, I thought she’d declined politely. But she, as a matter of fact, started practicing it!
日本のお年寄りはヤルときはヤルのです。
そして、右足を踏んでリズムをとりつつ、謡いは続きます。
Japanese elderly people do it to the end, once they decide to do something.
She kept on practicing, tapping the beat on her right foot.
ヤル気満々のＷ様に「それイネ！」
She was fully motivated.
I asked, “Will you?”
She said, “WHY NOT!”
