Doll Stand
It happened when I went to play at my friend D's house when I was young.
The two of us usually took a soccer ball in one hand and went to a local park to play, but that day it was unfortunately raining, so as a last resort we read manga in D's room and played with the Famicom which we had lost interest in a long time ago. I disliked it despite being patient, so I suggested to D, "Hey, let's do something else okay? Ah! Let's play tag?"
D's house is an unusually large house for Japan these days, and it goes without saying that it would have a long hallway for all those rooms, so I would say that it seemed more like a temple than a house.
"Can't! If we're noisy inside the house, it'll make my Mother angry..." D said, while controlling the character in the TV screen.
In my mind I was tsk-ing but saying she'd be angry meant that I couldn't pressure him.
"Ahhh. This spare time..." While I was saying that I flopped over on the floor, and at the same time the sliding screen of the room opened and D's mother appeared with snacks and juice on a tray. In a panic I sat up in correct posture and greeted her with, "Ah, I'm in the way!" But at that moment, I heard the voice of D's younger sister from beyond the sliding screen. It seemed like she was singing a song... At that time I experienced a strange sense of discomfort, but while I was stuffing my face with the potato chips in front of me, I swallowed that uncomfortable feeling too.
A little while after that, D stood up saying he was going to the restroom and opened the sliding screen again.
Of course, I could hear D's younger sister singing... Since I could hear her even more distinctly this time than before, I even knew the song. It was 'Ureshii Hinamatsuri'. However, I felt an uncomfortable feeling of course...
I surely understood it now. The 'Ureshii Hinamatsuri' that I had been taught was in a dark minor key, but instead D's younger sister was singing in a cheerful major key. Recognizing the nature of my uncomfortable feeling, I inquired of D when he returned from the restroom, "Hey, why is your sister singing like that? Isn't it different?"
D said, "Ahh, I don't understand it well but she has to sing it like that at home. If she doesn't, the display dolls will cry..."
I didn't understand what D said at that time, but for some reason I felt a chill in the muscles along my spine so I didn't pry anymore.
Some days after that I had the chance to go hang out at D's house again, and of course I somehow got caught in the matter from the other time. I timidly asked D, "Um, you said there are dolls on display in your place? Could you show me?"
To my surprise D complied with a quick response, "Sure!"
Lead by D, I was brought into the inner parlour where there was a tiered doll stand.
In addition to the tiered doll stand positioned in that room just where the sunlight wouldn't touch, the room was decorated with various Japanese dolls and hanging scrolls, each of which drew my gaze. But, I became aware of a certain something, and unintentionally uttered an "ah!"
There were no dolls which one would expect to be adorning the very top of the doll stand... D seemed to notice my reaction and said, "Ahh, a lot of relatives' children came over the day before yesterday, and without knowing about that song they were singing in loud voices. I told them but they thought I was poking fun... Then, from the next day, the display dolls weren't there anymore. Mother said they got angry and ran away from home."
Having explained it as such with his usual unchanging tone, D briskly walked out of the room by himself. I was confused and needless to say I ran after him.
After that, as we moved on through Junior High and High School, I became estranged from D but the matter from that time is still a load on my chest. In D's house, what is adorning that tiered doll stand without dolls, now...?
The two of us usually took a soccer ball in one hand and went to a local park to play, but that day it was unfortunately raining, so as a last resort we read manga in D's room and played with the Famicom which we had lost interest in a long time ago. I disliked it despite being patient, so I suggested to D, "Hey, let's do something else okay? Ah! Let's play tag?"
D's house is an unusually large house for Japan these days, and it goes without saying that it would have a long hallway for all those rooms, so I would say that it seemed more like a temple than a house.
"Can't! If we're noisy inside the house, it'll make my Mother angry..." D said, while controlling the character in the TV screen.
In my mind I was tsk-ing but saying she'd be angry meant that I couldn't pressure him.
"Ahhh. This spare time..." While I was saying that I flopped over on the floor, and at the same time the sliding screen of the room opened and D's mother appeared with snacks and juice on a tray. In a panic I sat up in correct posture and greeted her with, "Ah, I'm in the way!" But at that moment, I heard the voice of D's younger sister from beyond the sliding screen. It seemed like she was singing a song... At that time I experienced a strange sense of discomfort, but while I was stuffing my face with the potato chips in front of me, I swallowed that uncomfortable feeling too.
A little while after that, D stood up saying he was going to the restroom and opened the sliding screen again.
Of course, I could hear D's younger sister singing... Since I could hear her even more distinctly this time than before, I even knew the song. It was 'Ureshii Hinamatsuri'. However, I felt an uncomfortable feeling of course...
I surely understood it now. The 'Ureshii Hinamatsuri' that I had been taught was in a dark minor key, but instead D's younger sister was singing in a cheerful major key. Recognizing the nature of my uncomfortable feeling, I inquired of D when he returned from the restroom, "Hey, why is your sister singing like that? Isn't it different?"
D said, "Ahh, I don't understand it well but she has to sing it like that at home. If she doesn't, the display dolls will cry..."
I didn't understand what D said at that time, but for some reason I felt a chill in the muscles along my spine so I didn't pry anymore.
Some days after that I had the chance to go hang out at D's house again, and of course I somehow got caught in the matter from the other time. I timidly asked D, "Um, you said there are dolls on display in your place? Could you show me?"
To my surprise D complied with a quick response, "Sure!"
Lead by D, I was brought into the inner parlour where there was a tiered doll stand.
In addition to the tiered doll stand positioned in that room just where the sunlight wouldn't touch, the room was decorated with various Japanese dolls and hanging scrolls, each of which drew my gaze. But, I became aware of a certain something, and unintentionally uttered an "ah!"
There were no dolls which one would expect to be adorning the very top of the doll stand... D seemed to notice my reaction and said, "Ahh, a lot of relatives' children came over the day before yesterday, and without knowing about that song they were singing in loud voices. I told them but they thought I was poking fun... Then, from the next day, the display dolls weren't there anymore. Mother said they got angry and ran away from home."
Having explained it as such with his usual unchanging tone, D briskly walked out of the room by himself. I was confused and needless to say I ran after him.
After that, as we moved on through Junior High and High School, I became estranged from D but the matter from that time is still a load on my chest. In D's house, what is adorning that tiered doll stand without dolls, now...?
Notes:
Ureshii Hinamatsuri is a song about the Hina Matsuri, or Doll Festival. It's a little bit creepy, I think. But I'm not a doll person...
Ureshii Hinamatsuri is a song about the Hina Matsuri, or Doll Festival. It's a little bit creepy, I think. But I'm not a doll person...