高校1年生の栄太は、母が在宅勤務を言い訳にして家事をやらなくなり、父や栄太と喧嘩するようになる。母親の姉が母の荷物を預かり、母が苦しんでいたことを知る。栄太は自分の態度が母を傷つけていたことに気づくが、子供が親に反抗することは普通だと考える。父は母親の仕事はお小遣いを稼ぐだけだと主張し、母親は家庭や家族の世話をすべきだと信じている。次のエピソードでは、母親の置かれた状況が描かれる。
Continuing from last time. I am Souta, a first-year high school student. I grew up in an environment where my father works outside and my mother takes care of the household. However, recently, my mother started using telework as an excuse to say things like “pack your own bento” and “leave your dirty dishes.” As a high school student, I have a lot to do like club activities and studying. Taking care of children is the mother’s job, and we cannot force that on her. But when I tried to assert myself, my mother suddenly left the house.
“Oh, my schedule is messed up because of Megumi!” my father shouted as he left for work. They would be surprised if they let me go. “…There’s no rice or bread… What should I do for lunch?” After three days, the house was a mess, and my father and I started fighting more and more.
There was no sign of my mother returning. I thought she was only earning a little money, but… After a while, my mother’s sister, that is my aunt, returned. “I’ll take care of your mother’s belongings for a while.”
My aunt said, “Your mother is suffering and left after much deliberation.” At that moment, I finally realized that my previous attitude might have hurt my mother. However, it is common for children to rebel against their parents. When it comes to having troublesome parents, I think everyone goes through the same thing. My father said that my mother’s job was just to earn pocket money. That’s why my father and I firmly believe that it is absolutely right for the mother to take care of the home and the family.
To be continued in [Episode 5].
Original: Mamasta Community Script: Asako Furukawa Illustration: Maneko Nakayama Print: Teruko Ii