Tsucchi's "Taiko Kidan" Episode 28 | Short story "Arekara..." Episode 1

～Since then...～

"Dad, dad, wake up."

A voice can be heard from far away. I can feel the warmth of someone's hand on my left hand. A nostalgic feeling. Ah, this is my daughter. I wondered where I was, and when I finally opened my eyes, which had become very difficult to see recently, I saw my daughter, who was smiling a little nervously. "Ah, it's already morning," I said as I finally sat up a little, and the nurse next to my daughter put a thermometer on her left wrist and said with a smile, "Daughter, I'm glad you came. You must have been lonely since you've been alone for a while now."
"Ah, now that I think about it, it's been a while. How have you been?"

My daughter is a little over forty and currently works as a freelance writer. I basically work from home, but I can't really go out. Strict restrictions on going out still remain in place in Tokyo. The coronavirus, which became a global pandemic in 2020, has become endemic, and not only Tokyo but major cities around the world have remained under a state of emergency for 20 years. At the time, I was working in the music industry and was quite busy, but as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of infection, concerts were completely curtailed (actually, it was a voluntary lockdown for the entire music industry), and my work stopped completely.
If you were to tell young children today, ``In the past, there were many events called concerts where everyone gathered in large venues to listen to music.In the summer, there were rock festivals that attracted hundreds of thousands of people all over the world,'' and they would not believe you. Nowadays, virtual concerts are the norm, where everyone can watch bands and artists sing and dance on their smartphones and tablets, and the performers can also see everyone listening.

``Dad, are you okay?Do you have any appetite?'' My daughter looked into my face again, worried. "No, it's okay. I was just remembering something from the past." I pick up my chopsticks and start eating a perfectly nutritionally controlled meal. While pouring a cup of tea, my daughter said, ``Is this the record that dad wanted to listen to?Also, I brought a photo of Naomi-san.It's me, dad, and Naomi-san in the photo.The last time we went to Hakone.''Daughter Nahoko said happily. Naomi is my second wife who passed away 10 years ago. Nahoko remarried after she became an adult, so perhaps calling her mother was a bit of a tickle, and her daughter continued to call her Naomi-san until the end, but it wasn't like they were on bad terms. In fact, we were closer than most mothers and daughters, and we often went out together when I wasn't there for work. They're both only children and shy, so their values ​​probably match. Naomi was infected with the coronavirus 15 years ago and was forced to receive medical treatment at home due to the government's lack of medical attention.

I also spent a lot of time caring for him, and I begged the government many times to make a serum using my blood, which has antibodies, but I was simply turned away, saying, ``I'm waiting my turn.'' Despite this, ministers and others are required to undergo PCR tests and vaccinations just because they have a slight cough. The longest-serving prime minister has been in office for over 30 years. Almost 100 years old. He is still a man obsessed with vested interests and self-interest. On the Prime Minister's Broadcast, which is broadcast every day at noon, the Prime Minister, wearing a yellowed cloth mask that he has been wearing for 20 years and with a horrifyingly smooth tongue, says something incoherent and lowers the corners of his eyes with satisfaction, and the five-minute broadcast ends. When the speech ends, a cyborg-like woman who appears to be a secretary pushes the prime minister's wheelchair and disappears from the screen. The people no longer expected anything from the politics of this country. In fact, the government of this country was not functioning at all. The facility I'm in was opened in various countries by the world government as a detention facility for people who lost their jobs in large numbers in 2020. Since its establishment, the world government has been in a volatile state with the agendas of each country entwined with it, but Sweden and Germany, who have effectively suppressed the spread of the coronavirus, have taken the lead, with South Korea serving as assistants, and Taiwan, which has now achieved complete independence, sitting in the chair, and the current situation is that even the leaders of each country do not give a single murmur to their shrewd political skills. Thanks to this, basic income is paid to all human beings by the World Bank for Humanity, and we are able to live like this. Even though it is called basic income, it is not cash. The monetary system will collapse in 2025, and so-called "money" will no longer have any value. Stocks and securities are just pieces of paper.
We get what we need by subtracting the points we have. Daily necessities are provided, and tuition and medical expenses are generally free. Essential workers were given preferential points, and cash quickly disappeared from the world. Even when my wife was bedridden, I would often go out because I had some work to do. The point award rate was also quite high for jobs related to culture and the arts. This is because the world government has included culture and art that heals people as a necessity for daily life.

I worked as much as possible for my wife and accumulated points.
The purpose was to grant her the euthanasia she had requested.
It was extremely painful to work for the death of my beloved wife, but it was even more painful to watch her deteriorate day by day. It may sound strange to say, but the highest level of euthanasia was one that started six months prior to the day of death, and allowed the patient to live peacefully and without pain until the last day. We chose this method and decided to slowly send it out over six months.
In fact, after half a year, my wife's condition had surprisingly improved, and I wished that the days would continue to be peaceful forever, but the last day had come, and I was secretly worrying about this dilemma every day.
He put his wife in a wheelchair, went out with her, cooked her meals, had casual conversations with her, and was sometimes allowed to travel for three nights and four days as a special measure for euthanasia. At that time, my daughter and I went to Fujiya Hotel in Hakone.
``Hey, Dad, where is the power source for the record player?'' My daughter called out to me as I was lost in thought. After he turned 70, he started to get distracted a lot, and he felt sorry for worrying his daughter.When he told her about it, she giggled and said, ``Dad used to be absentminded when he was at home.He would lock himself in his room, read books, listen to music, and sit in the same clothes from morning till night.My grandmother and I often said that he looked like Jizo.''
His shy smile has not changed at all since he was a child. It's a relieved smile. After finishing my meal, I got off the bed, took my seat, sat down on the sofa by the window with a small audio set supported by my daughter, turned on the record player, and my daughter put the needle down on the record.

I could hear the intro of IN MY LIFE by THE BEATLES. ``Today is the anniversary of Naomi's death, so I thought I'd play Naomi's favorite song.'' 10 years have passed since then. For the last time, we got into the same bed and held my wife to my chest as we celebrated that moment.
Even though I knew that, I was still crying in public. The light she brought into my life was amazing. He became good friends with his daughter, and even though she was a recluse, he took her out to socialize. No words of gratitude are enough.
However, in the 20 years since then, the world has changed dramatically. Things that have remained the same for 100 years can easily change in five years. Nowadays, work is done at home, and going out to the office is a big no-no. Those who work in the primary industry have become objects of respect, and politicians, other than those who work in the world government, have become mere decorations and are still trying to exert power and power, but their power, interests, and assets have all been confiscated by the world government, and their assets are being poured into basic income, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, and medical education. Due to the benevolence of the world government, some major powers have been left with only the bare minimum of assets to remain in the prime minister's chair.
Well, thanks to this, the world is now quieter, and I hear that the global environment has improved considerably over the past 20 years.

Tokyo, where I have grown accustomed to living, is no exception. The skyscrapers that once stood in Marunouchi have all disappeared, and the area in front of the Imperial Palace has become a huge central park with Tokyo Station at its center. The Shuto Expressway has almost disappeared, and the structurally difficult sections that are difficult to dismantle have been turned into floating garden observatories, a place of relaxation for Tokyo residents.
The latest virus protection shield has been installed here, making it an oasis where you can breathe the fresh air without wearing a mask.
Downtown areas such as Ginza still remain, but they look different from the prosperous days of the past. The buildings were getting lower, organic food and clothing, galleries and museums were popping up all over the place, and the city had a calmer look to it.
``Okay, Dad, I'm going to take a bath and go out.'' I was listening to a record while smoking a health cigarette (a pipe-shaped vitamin-mineral inhaler), and hurried me to the shower room.
I can still manage my own life, so I don't think it's causing too much trouble for my daughter.
When I came out of the shower room, I found a set of clothes on the bed. All of them were chosen based on Naomi and her daughter's perspective. If you're not good at it, you may end up with clothes that are more than 30 years old.
Wearing red socks, legs through Levi's 501s, sleeves through a Ralph Lauren oxford shirt, tweed jacket, knit tie, and Dr. Martin's Postman shoes. My attire, which has remained the same since my 40s, was inspired by my wife and daughter. Wrapping my wrist in the Omega I've been using since my twenties, blowing on my favorite cologne, my only outings were to visit the cemetery where my daughter and two wives were buried. The way my daughter would quickly brush my hair when we went out was an inheritance from my wife.
The early autumn sky is clear without a single cloud, and a slightly cold wind caresses your cheeks.
It was very similar to the wind on the outdoor stage when I was young.
The girl who was skillfully arranging the hire car led me by the hand to the car. At that moment, my smartphone rang in my pocket.
I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the name displayed on the screen.

(Why are you calling me now...?)

Will it continue...?

◇ ◇ ◇

Now, this is the page for the familiar Taiko stories.
Is something wrong? You might think that Tsucchii has finally broken down due to the self-restraint caused by the coronavirus, but that's not a lie.
We don't know when these long days of withdrawal will end, and even if they do, we may not be able to return to our previous jobs.
Meanwhile, what will happen to us 20 years from now? So I wrote it as if it were a bit of a copy of a novel. Whether this will continue depends on Nishio-san and everyone's requests, or on my mood...lol

Anyway, to all my readers, please stay healthy and safe.
Protect yourself, your family, and the people you love by #stayhome.
I would like to express my gratitude to all the medical personnel who are working hard every day, to all the staff in various ministries and agencies who are busy responding to the situation, and to all the employees who sell and deliver daily necessities. Also to the cleaning staff who always come every week. Also to everyone who manages lifelines. We are able to live thanks to someone. We look forward to the day when we can provide you with an enjoyable time that will relieve your fatigue with extraordinary entertainment.