A Short Trip

“Why don't you take a trip with me?”

It was just a week ago my husband said like that. 40 years have passed since we got married.He has always complained to me
such as “Cook dinner soon!” or “Heat the bath!”. He has been too strict with me. Of course I've thanked to him for working every day to support us, but I was sad. When we started dating, he was very kind to me. But after marriage, his mind has changed. So when he suggested the travel, I was very surprised.

“Let's go to the trip.” Said him. Maybe he was shy about saying because his voice was a little low.

“But, where?”

“Kinugawa. Kinugawa Onsen.”

“Kinugawa? Were you interested in hot springs?”

“You are so rude! Is it bad I'm interested in them? Rather than that, go to Kinugawa.”

You saw, “Let's go” changed to “Go”. But It didn't sound bad. I haven't go to travel since I retired my job. Our son, Kazuki has been busy to work, and he hasn't taken us to the trip, too. When I said OK, my husband said joyfully,“Good.” I sometimes think he looks like a child. After I agreed with him, he brought a travel magazine. When did he buy it? He didn't have an interest in such books. He turned the page and showed a picture of a hotel.

“This hotel is good, isn't it?”

“Yes. But……”

“What?”

“Did you hit your head? Why did you suddenly plan to traveling?”

“No, I didn't hit! I only want to go there! Hey, look. dinner looks delicious, and there is a rope bridge like this.”

He was absorbed in explaining about the hotel, and the appearance was almost the same as our son when he was a child. I thought it was true that the child resembles his or her parent.

“How is there?”

“Um, how about reservation? Should we reserve sooner?”

“Don't worry, I finished.”

He showed two tickets. Those were tickets of the limited express. He was fast at work. But if I refused his suggestion, how was he going to do? ……No. Maybe he forced me to go there because he was stubborn when we decided to get married. “There is no
men who match you!” I still remember the word he proposed me. He put tickets between the pages of the magazine and said,

“OK. We'll leave here three days later.”

Like this, our trip was decided.

On that day, we arrived at Asakusa Station five minutes before the train came. Actually, we were supposed to arrive earlier, but
my husband was too late to ready.

“We don't need a camera because we stay at there only one day,right?”

“Stop bothering me! It's not sure when is the next time we can take a trip! ……Hey, the train is coming.”

“No, it is called limited express.”

“It's the same as train.”

We started arguing again. Our voice were so big that strangers were surprised.After cleaning in the express, I was going to get on. But my husband stopped me in a hurry.

“Hey, our seat is there.”

I was confused. The seat he pointed at was a private compartment.

“What? Why did you reserve such seat? Wasn't it expensive?”

“No, no, that's OK.”

I scolded him, but I was excited in fact. Our seat was the stylish western-style room.Two sofas were equipped facing each other,
and there is a small table between them. We sat facing across the table. He's shy and tried not to see my eyes. His attitude sometimes makes me annoyed. I decided to watch outside from the window. At first I could see only buildings, but an hour later, beautiful green forests and big rivers appeared. I realized there are still nature in Japan,too.

2 hours later, we arrived at Kinugawa Onsen Station. There was more comfortable than Tokyo. The place which is covered with nature is so cool.We started walking to the hotel.But there was a trouble. My husband checked a map in many times.

“Aren't you not sure?”

“……It's only difficult to see the map.”

“You aren't sure,right?”

He said nothing. I was correct.

“Lend it me.”

“No, it's hard.”

“What are you saying? To stay outside is harder than checking the map. Lend it me.”

He made a sigh, and lent me the map. However, that was too general. I couldn't understand easily. To see the state I was troubled with, he had a smile.

“Let's ask others. It is earlier than searching ourselves.”

“Oh, I see.”

I asked a station attendant. She told us thoroughly. We went the way she told, and found the hotel easily. We entered into it and received a key at the front. Our room was on the tenth floor. A clerk led us to the room and explained about the equipment in there. The room was big and the sight from the window was beautiful. I found a rope bridge from the window. The clerk said it was one of famous spots in Kinugawa. When the explanation finished and the clerk left our room, we sat on the legless chair and made a sigh.

“What do you want to do?” Said him.

“Um, how about the hot spring?”

“Ah,that's good idea.”

We went to the hot spring at first. It was on the second floor. Bathrooms were divided into men's and women's. We left for a while. It was really comfortable. It took my fatigue.But I didn't take the open-air bath because it looked a little cold. After that, I
met him again. He said he didn't take the air-opened bath,too.

Next, we decided to go to the rope bridge. It was behind of the hotel, so we could reach there easily. The bridge was made from woods and iron frames. He was interested in it. I noticed he forgot to bring his camera, but he looked satisfied.

Then we started crossing. The bridge was fastened tightly, but whenever we advanced, it swayed a little. I was scared and my pace became slower, but he didn't complain about it. On the contrary, he kept pace with me. It was unusual. What was happened to his mind? I supposed him.

After finished crossing, we reached a small observatory.We could see the big river from there. There was colder than the station. Maybe it's because there was near the river. While watching the river and mountains, he suddenly asked me.

“I heard from Kazuki.” Said him.

“Is it true that you got cancer?”

I didn't say anything. Two weeks ago, I was pronounced that I got cancer. My cancer was spread around my body. My remaining days were only six months. I refuged to take a treatment.I thought It was no longer meaningless. I tried not to say that thing to anyone, but I told to my son just in case. He told to his father about me. I didn't want my husband to know about my cancer. His mind is not strong. If he know my cancer, He would be panicked. I noticed the meaning of all things. Why he planed to the trip, why he treated me gently.

“To tell you the truth, it wasn't me who reserved tickets. I asked Kazuki to get them.”

“Somehow I felt that.”

“Ay,ay.”

He laughed without seeing my face. He didn't see me in the express,too. There may be other reasons why he couldn't see my face.

“Please continue to give me your support.” He said with low voice.

“What?”

“The words the doctor said cannot be trusted. You may be able to live more than six months, right?”

His voice was still low, but I could listen to his speaking perfectly. I answered“Yes.”

My husband was strict and stubborn, and we made many arguments. But he's always concerned and loved me.

“Hey, there is a bell. ‘The Bell of Marriage’!”

“Marriage? We don't need to ring it, right?”

“Why not?”

He rang the bell. The pure sound of the bell continued to ring out.

It was the first time to translate my story. Maybe there are many mistakes. I'm so sorry.

The couple in the story are my original characters, but the hotel, the train and the spot are exist in Japan actually.