I wrote this story in Japanese, and it was translated into English with the help of AI.
“Mother, where did you go?”
Tamiko woke up in bed that morning.
In her tiny room, smaller than six tatami mats, there was no one but her.
Feeling lonely being all alone, she climbed out of bed, looked around, and said those words.
“I’m so sad without Mother.”
Muttering to herself, Tamiko stepped out of the room.
Beyond the door stretched a long hallway, leading to many other rooms.
“Mother…”
She called out again and began walking down the hallway.
Outside was still dark, and the hallway lights were off.
But far down the corridor, she could see a faint light, so she headed toward it.
The source of the light seemed to be a room.
A door and a low counter, about chest-high for Tamiko, surrounded it.
Inside, a woman stood up when she saw Tamiko and walked over to her.
“Do you know where my mother is?” Tamiko asked.
“Tamiko, can’t you sleep?” the woman asked gently.
“No… I’m lonely without Mother.”
“Your mother, she went to work. She wants you to rest properly, you know.
Let’s go back to your room, okay?”
“Mother said that?”
“Yes, I’m sure she did. So let’s go back together.”
“Then… if Mother said so, I’ll go back.”
The woman smiled kindly and walked alongside Tamiko.
When they reached Tamiko’s room, she helped her sit on the bed, took off her shoes,
then gently urged her to lie down and tucked her in with the blanket.
“Get some good rest. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Okay…”
Tamiko closed her eyes, feeling sleepy again.
The next morning, Tamiko left her room.
After walking a little down the hallway, she soon found herself in the dining room.
Many people were seated there—more than half of them in wheelchairs.
The woman from last night and another woman were busily handing out tea.
Tamiko glanced sideways at them, then quietly passed by,
slipping into a different room from her own.
“Oh, this is the sock I lost!”
She picked up the sock she found there and tucked it into her clothes.
Nearby, she also spotted a wristwatch and slipped it into her pocket.
“Thank goodness. I found them.”
Feeling happy, she retraced her steps.
The smell of breakfast drifted through the hallway near the dining room.
“I want to eat too. Where was my seat again?”
A different woman, not the one from last night, noticed Tamiko’s bulging belly.
“Tamiko, what’s that you’ve got there?”
Her tone was sharp and irritated,
nothing like the gentle kindness of the woman from last night.
“Huh? What? I don’t know?”
“Let me take a look.”
Saying that, the woman lightly lifted Tamiko’s shirt.
From underneath, a sock tumbled out.
“Tamiko, what is this? Did you take someone else’s things again?”
“I don’t know. I really don’t know.”
Tamiko suddenly felt scared.
She truly had no memory of it.
Just then, the woman from last night appeared.
“Tamiko, can I take this?
It seems to belong to Hayashi-san.
Can I return it to her for you?”
Tamiko felt a little relieved.
“Okay.”
“You’re too soft on her, Saeki,” the sharp woman said.
“But Tamiko really doesn’t seem to remember,” Saeki replied.
The sharp woman began checking Tamiko’s pockets as well.
“What are you doing? You’re scaring me!”
“We have to check, or else you might get into trouble again.”
“At least say something before you touch her,” Saeki said.
“I know, I know,” the woman replied irritably.
“I’m scared! I want to see Mother!”
“There’s no ‘Mother’ here.”
“That’s not true!”
“Look, here’s a watch too. What’s this?”
“I’m scared! Mother!”
“Toyoshima, can you help with feeding? I’ll take care of Tamiko.
She’s my responsibility anyway.
I’ll join you for feeding after this.”
“Fine, if you insist.”
“You’re okay, Tamiko.
Come on, let’s eat breakfast.”
“But… where’s Mother?”
“Mother wants you to eat properly.
If you eat a lot, you’ll feel better, and she’ll be happy too.
You’re hungry, right?”
“Yeah… I’m hungry.
But I want to see Mother.”
“First, let’s eat, okay?
If you don’t, Mother will worry about you.”
“Okay… I shouldn’t make Mother worry.”
Tamiko went with Saeki to her seat.
Breakfast had already been set before her.
“If I eat this, will I get to see Mother?”
Saeki smiled gently with a touch of sadness,
then went to assist another person who needed help with eating.
“I’ll definitely see Mother, right?”
Tamiko said softly, and began to eat.
Her mother had actually passed away many decades ago.
Tamiko and her mother had not gotten along,
and they had spent about twenty years without seeing each other.
The only time they reunited was at her mother’s funeral.
Years passed since then,
and now Tamiko spent her days wandering the halls,
searching for her mother several times a day.
If you happened to enjoy this, a follow on Instagram would be a wonderful encouragement.
