There was nothing to remember them by. My partner died without warning.
There had been no signs. They had not been hospitalized. They had not seemed unwell. That morning we parted the way we always did. “See you later,” they said. “Sure,” I replied. That was all. The phone rang that night, and the world changed.
The family cleared out the room. Nothing of their belongings remained. I do not resent them for it. Family comes first; it was only natural. Still, I had thought it would have been enough to have just one thing left to hold in my hands. A memento, a photograph, a ring. Anything would have done.
Months passed.
A message arrived from my father-in-law. Short, asking if I was all right. He had lost them too, and yet here he was thinking of me. He asked me to come and see him sometime, and I could not bring myself to say no.
He came to the door and welcomed me inside.
I sat and listened as he talked.
“When I first picked them up, they were so light,” he said, and mimed the motion of lifting a small child.
Below the cuff of his long sleeve, a thin wrist was visible.
Around his left wrist was a white wristband.
Worn, the color slightly faded. But there was no mistaking it. It was the logo of the band we had both loved. We had bought it together at a concert we attended.
“Is that…” I started to say, and my throat closed.
“Oh, this? It keeps my medicated patch from slipping. Very handy.” [1]
[1] In Japan, shipu (湿布) are large adhesive medicated patches worn directly on the skin for muscle and joint pain relief, commonly applied to the shoulder, lower back, or knee. They are standard household items for older people across Japan and available at every pharmacy and convenience store. Because the patches are wide and prone to peeling at the edges, some people secure them with a wristband. The father-in-law’s explanation is entirely practical. Whether he is unaware of what the wristband means to the person sitting across from him, or simply chooses not to say, the story does not answer.
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【1分小説】何も残らないはずだった (12作目)
形見はなかった。恋人が急に亡くなった。
予兆はなかった。入院していたわけでも、具合が悪そうだったわけでもない。その朝、いつも通りに別れた。「また後で」と言った。私も「うん」と返した。それだけだった。夜に電話が鳴って、世界が変わった。
家族が部屋を片付けた。荷物は何も残っていなかった。それを恨む気持ちはない。家族のほうが先なのだから、当然だと思った。ただ、何か一つくらい手の中に残るものがあればよかった、とは思っていた。思い出の品や写真、指輪でも。何でもよかった。
数ヶ月が経った。
義父から連絡があった。元気にしているか、という短いメッセージだった。あの人を失って、義父も辛いはずなのに、こちらを気にかけてくれた。一度顔を見に来なさいと言われて、断れなかった。
玄関に出てきた義父が、家の中に招いてくれた。
義父の話を私はただ聞いていた。
「あの子を初めて抱き上げた時はこんなに軽かったのに」と言って、抱え上げる真似をした。
長袖から細い手首が見えた。
左腕に、白いリストバンドが巻かれていた。
擦れていて、色が少し褪せていた。でも間違えようがなかった。私たちが好きだったバンドのロゴだった。一緒にライブに行った時に買ったものだ。
「これ…」と言いかけて、喉が詰まった。
「あ、これね。湿布がズレなくて便利なんだよ」