Letter Before the Holiday Rain

敬老の日の前日、雨がしとしと降る夕方、駅前の喫茶店で手紙を書くことにした。

Keirou no hi no zenjitsu, ame ga shitoshito furu yuugata, ekimae no kissaten de tegami o kaku koto ni shita.

On the day before Respect for the Aged Day, on a drizzly evening, I decided to write a letter at the cafe by the station.

祖母には電話もできるけど、言いたいことがうまくまとまらないから、ゆっくり紙に向かいたかった。

Sobo ni wa denwa mo dekiru kedo, iitai koto ga umaku matomaranai kara, yukkuri kami ni mukaitakatta.

I could call my grandmother, but since I can’t organize what I want to say, I wanted to face the paper and take my time.

焦げ茶のテーブルに和紙を広げ、インクの匂いを確かめてから、深呼吸してペンを持つ。

Kogecha no teeburu ni washi o hiroge, inku no nioi o tashikamete kara, shinkokyuu shite pen o motsu.

I spread out washi on the dark-brown table, checked the smell of the ink, then took a deep breath and picked up my pen.

近況や、東京の小さなベランダで育てたミニトマトのこと、それから会いに行けず心配をかけていることを、やわらかい言葉で書き進めた。

Kinkyou ya, Toukyou no chiisana beranda de sodateta minitomato no koto, sore kara ai ni ikezu shinpai o kakete iru koto o, yawarakai kotoba de kakisusumeta.

I wrote gently about my recent news, the mini tomatoes I grew on my small Tokyo balcony, and that I’ve worried her by not being able to visit.

書いては言い回しを直し、消しゴムのカスを集めながら、気持ちが少しずつ整っていく。

Kaite wa iimawashi o naoshi, keshigomu no kasu o atsumenagara, kimochi ga sukoshi zutsu totonotte iku.

I wrote, then fixed my wording, gathered eraser bits, and my feelings gradually settled.

最後に、小さな折り鶴を一枚入れようと思い、レジ横でもらった折り紙を折った。

Saigo ni, chiisana orizuru o ichimai ireyou to omoi, reji yoko de moratta origami o otta.

At the end, I decided to include a small paper crane and folded the origami I’d gotten by the register.

雨が上がったので、封をして切手を貼り、傘をたたんで赤いポストまで歩く。

Ame ga agatta no de, fuu o shite kitte o hari, kasa o tatande akai posuto made aruku.

Since the rain had stopped, I sealed the envelope, put on a stamp, folded my umbrella, and walked to the red mailbox.

投函の前に、宛名の字が震えていないか確かめると、胸の鼓動も少し落ち着いた。

Toukan no mae ni, atena no ji ga furete inai ka tashikameru to, mune no kodou mo sukoshi ochitsuita.

Before posting it, I checked whether the address letters weren’t shaky, and my heartbeat also calmed a little.

ポストに手紙が吸い込まれる音がして、肩の力がふっと抜けた。

Posuto ni tegami ga suikomareru oto ga shite, kata no chikara ga futto nuketa.

As the letter made a sound being swallowed into the box, the tension left my shoulders.

祖母が封筒を開ける顔を想像しながら、次はいつ会いに行けるか、帰り道で静かに考えた。

Sobo ga fuutou o akeru kao o souzou shinagara, tsugi wa itsu ai ni ikeru ka, kaerimichi de shizuka ni kangaeta.

Imagining Grandma’s face as she opens the envelope, I quietly thought on the way home about when I could visit next.