Do you know the Tanabata festival? It is a
celebration for lovers who are in an old Japanese story. That
story has a tragic ending when the lovers finally became stars
and can meet only once a year by each side of the milky way in
the sky. The man is called Hikoboshi and the woman is
Orihime. It is on July seventh, and my birthday is July
sixth, which is just before the cerebration. I loved the story
very much. Maybe it was because the date is close to my birthday.
I went so as far as to think that I was Orihime before I
was born. Somehow I believed that I had some connection with
Tanabata.
Japanese don't celebrate that festival at home very much, and
neither does my family. However, there is a big festival in
Sendai, in the Tohoku area. But I never forgot to celebrate that
tradition every year. In the night, I went out of my house to see
the milky way and wished on the stars. Usually, to celebrate that
occasion, we get bamboo trees and put strips of paper with our
own wishes on them. Then we believe that two lovers would make
those wishes come true to thank us for celebrating. Instead of
doing so, I wish on a star since my family never got bamboo.
But one year, I made a fake bamboo with colored paper by
myself. And I made a lot of wishes on strips of paper and hung
them on the fake bamboo. Then I put it on our veranda. First I
wrote that the world should stay peaceful. I made it a rule to
pray for that all the time if I had a chance to pray. The next I
wrote for my family to be healthy and happy. Then I went for my
own wishes, which were more than above. I wrote some impossible
wishes like "Please make me prettier" or "May I be taller"
because I believed in the superstition that the wishes come true
if we ask the lovers. Even so, I was giving up such wishes. But
at last I made a wish that could come true if I tried.
At that time, I was working hard to be promoted in a softball
club. There were so many freshmen that it was very difficult to
be one of the members. My last wish was this. I wanted to
practice with seniors and join the regular team. It was during
summer vacation but we had practices almost everyday. Most
Japanese club activities at school are like that. It was
extremely hot in Fukushima in the summer and the practice was
hard, so I didn't want to go. Some didn't appear very much, but I
wasn't absent at all. Even so, I was not chosen, but one girl
was. So I had become anxious and felt like I didn't want to go
anymore. One day, I felt like that so strongly and refused to go
out of my house. I said to my mother, "I don't want to go today;
it's dull." Then she said, "If you don't want to, then don't go.
But you don't know what's going to happen."
I was leaving my house after that moment. I knew that I was
leaving my house thinking the same thing in my mind every time.
But it was she that pushed me. In spite of this, nothing happened
all through practice. I thought, "It's the same again." I was
losing my confidence and thought my effort must not be enough. I
decided to quit the club. I didn't want to waste my time. After
the practice, there was a meeting for reviewing and information
as usual. I was so tired again and wanted to go home as soon as
possible. That moment I heard my name called.
"Is there NARITA MOTOKO? Is she here today?"
I said, "Yes, yes! I'm here. "
I was standing away from the center, so I elbowed my way
through the other freshmen and showed myself in front of the
seniors.
The next moment the word that I expected came from the
captain's mouth. "You are going to practice with us by the next
time, OK?"
"Yes." I said it briskly. I was so soaked in a feeling of
accomplishment and superiority. And I was full of volition to aim
for another step. I was happy going home. When I got home I
couldn't tell my mother how much I appreciated her.
I thought one of my dreams came true at that moment, I knew it
didn't have to be because of Tanabata. But I wanted to believe it
was Tanabata that helped me. I think I wanted to believe in the
old story and make it true. I wanted to have such a childish
belief, or in other words, a pure heart that most people forget
easily as they grow up. I still think in that way, though I
sometimes feel foolish being so. But if I lose it once, I think
it wouldn't come back anymore. So I believe that kind of pure
heart is the last treasure that people shouldn't lose.
by Motoko Narita
