新しい言葉
いっしょに考えましょう
- When you think of summer, what comes to mind?
- What did you do during summer vacation as a child?
- What did you often do for fun as a child?
読みましょう
When I think of my father, I inevitably associate him with a certain scent. On summer evenings, when my father came home, he would call my brother and me to the garden and have us help with the gardening. Following his instructions, we would get covered in sweat as we pulled weeds and moved soil. Just as we began to feel tired, we would hear my mother’s voice saying, “Dinner is ready.” My father would then say, “Let’s water the plants one last time, then wash our hands and eat,” and that was when I smelled the scent of noon.
It would be more accurate to call it the scent of the end of noon. It was the smell of grass and plants revived by water after being baked by the strong sun all day, or perhaps the scent of parched soil greedily drinking in the water. In any case, it was an unforgettable and joyful scent that I experienced when I was finally released from the garden work and exchanged happy smiles and nods with my brother.
As a way of thanking us for our help, my father, in a good mood on a pleasant day, took us to the garden to enjoy some fireworks. However, considering the time period, these weren’t the kind of fireworks that would explode in the sky or make loud noises to startle passersby. I took a firework to my father, who was sitting comfortably in a chair in his yukata, and asked him to light it for me. “This is the last one,” he said as he lit it. When that firework went out, the bright flowers of fire I had been staring at vanished in an instant, leaving everything dark. In that moment, I smelled “the scent of noon” again. It was a slightly sad smell that marked the end of childhood time.
I don’t remember everything from the past, but certain moments can trigger memories that come to mind. It has been over ten years since my father passed away. Occasionally, I take my children to the park to enjoy fireworks together. I wonder if these fireworks will become cherished memories for them as well. As I watch my children joyfully enjoying the moment, I think about what they will nostalgically remember when they grow up, and I am reminded of the “scent of noon.”
答えましょう
- What did the father have the children do when he came home?
- When does the smell of noon occur?
- What does the author say the smell of noon is specifically like?
- How did you feel when you smelled that scent?
- When does the smell of noon occur again?
- How does the author feel at that time?
- What does the author do when the children plead with them?
- What does the author think about at that time?
使いましょう
まとめましょう
- What scent is associated with the father?
- What is that scent like?
- When does the author remember that scent after losing the author’s father, and what does the author think about at that time?
話しましょう
- Is there a scent that makes you feel nostalgic? When and in what situation does that scent occur?
- Please share a strong memory you have with your family.
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