Beans In My Garden

　　I cleared up my garden today. My house stands near the central park of the city, and dead leaves from the trees in the park always blow into my garden. In this season, I often realize that the choice of the positioning of my house was wrong. However, it's too late now for regret. I continued sweeping up dead leaves.

　　While sweeping, I found lots of beans scattered in the garden. Instantly I knew that those beans were scattered in the bean-throwing ceremony which must have been held a few days ago, when I was staying at my hospital overnight. Why beans, though? I doubted again. I have never noticed any beans in the garden before though my family performs the bean-throwing ceremony every February. This ceremony is called "Setsubun" and is one of the Japanese traditional events. It has been observed to pray for the family's happiness and to ward off evil spirits.

　　I became sad to have noticed something. It's Mocha, my dog. I understood
who had cleaned up the garden after the annual ceremony. He had been eating
beans, misunderstanding that the beans were fed to him.

　　The ornaments associated with the New Year were alike. The picture shows the branches with dried bread-like pieces of wheat gluten. Mocha liked to break the pieces and eat them. Now, he is absent and these, his related objects, never disappear and make me sad.

(Vocabulary)
sweep up dead leaves  枯れ葉を掃く
dried bread-like pieces of wheat gluten  麩

 

Comments

[KUMO]

Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I believe that he had lived his happy life as a dog.

[Shiroi Tora]

I do know how you are feeling. I love dogs especially. We lost our dog many years ago. However, I still have very good memories of him and his playful antics. What true friends and companions they are. I was deeply sad over his death...however, I am comforted by the fact that he had lived a very happy existence with us. He was one of our family. He had always felt our love for him and he had lived a very happy life with us. Not once did he feel the pain of neglect or abuse. His life was filled with true and expressed love and affection...the only way to truly live life.

I am sure Mocha felt your love for him deeply also. You were lucky to have had each other.