数年前、妊娠したユイは夫の直彦と義母と暮らしていた。義母は女医が必要だと主張し、ヨガサークルで批判を受けるが頑固になる。夫は義母をなだめようとするが、私は蚊帳の外にいる感じだ。義母の非現実的な言動に反対するが、彼らの立場は弱く孤独を感じる。もし実の両親がいれば違ったかもしれないが、彼らは孤独な立場から見られている。誰も味方してくれない状況に悲しみを感じる。
Continuing from last time. This happened a few years ago. I’m Yui. I live with my husband Naohiko and my mother-in-law. I recently got pregnant with our first child, but my mother-in-law is making a big fuss saying, “You absolutely need a female doctor for check-ups and delivery!” When my mother-in-law mentioned this at her senior yoga circle, she was thoroughly criticized by the ladies there, who thought her idea was absurd. However, because of this, my mother-in-law became even more stubborn, making it even harder to choose an obstetrician.
My husband tried to reassure my mother-in-law, but her behavior didn’t stop. In the end, my husband gave up. Meanwhile, I felt left out. It felt like I wasn’t even allowed to start a conversation.
Waiting for my husband to come home, driving on the highway… Just how safe is it to be so relaxed? Is there a possibility that things could take a turn for the worse as labor progresses? What my mother-in-law is suggesting is just too unrealistic.
When I gently objected, my mother-in-law’s expression became even more stern. She is the type who doesn’t tolerate differing opinions and especially dislikes hearing the opinions of someone like me who is her daughter-in-law. My heart froze at my mother-in-law’s cold words.
In the first place, the reason I’m being treated like this is because I don’t have a reliable family or siblings I can consult with. Their vulnerability is known precisely because they are lonely. If my own parents were alive and watching over me, they would have protected me, saying, “You can’t give birth with such a mother-in-law, come back home and give birth!” Taking risks to give birth in a distant hospital is something that should never happen. I feel like I’m being looked down upon from the position of being alone in the world.
Nobody is on my side, so I feel sad.
To be continued in [Episode 4].
Original concept: MamaStar Community Script: Sakura Oshima Illustration: Yoshihana Editing: Moe Tsukada