==JAPAN: KM== [Adventure]

"Why is the sun setting in a hurry?" I felt like crying. It was already pretty dark and a chilly wind blew. I was exhausted from walking so long. In spite of my impatience to walk quickly, my legs just wouldn't follow my desire. Can I reach the foot of the mountain before the day is out? How will I be able to walk after sunset without a flashlight? Looking up at the sky and noticing that the first star of evening was already shining, I sighed with despair.
My family climbs mountains every summer. That year we had chosen Mt. Yoko, one of the peaks of the Yatsugatake range. Early, we started our walk in the morning haze. It became a very fine day and the temperature rose rapidly as we went up. The tall trees decreased by degrees and finally there was nothing that blocked the sunlight, so it glared down on us as we went on dripping with sweat. Around noon we reached the top of the mountain. After we ate lunch, the climb back down began zigzagging on a steep rocky slope with the sun beating on us as before. My head was swimming because of the burning heat. Finally, the groves came in sight. "Oh, we can escape from the sun! From now on we can walk comfortably." The shade of the tall trees relieved us and we relaxed our attention and we freely drank all the water we carried.
Unexpectedly, however, the heat didn't really go down. Indeed we avoided the direct rays of the sun, but we felt even more stuffy. We were drenched in sweat and got intensely thirsty. At length my mother couldn't walk because she fell into dehydration. Though the best way to cure dehydration is to supply water, we had none left. We much regretted that we hadn't saved any water. My father decided that we would rest until she recovered her strength. We threw our rucksacks down and sat on the ground with our heads bowed, not even stirring. Nobody said anything at all.
I suppose a fairly long time had passed, when suddenly the strong yellow sunlight came in through the branches. We realized it was nearly dusk. Knowing we should hurry down the mountain, we struggled to our feet and started to walk again toward the foot. We went through the deep forest, and then the bush of bamboo grasses obstructed our view. I felt gloomy when I thought of walking through those sharp leaves. The bush was so thick that my sister who walked right in front of me vanished at once. We pushed our way through the bamboo bush as if we swam in a bamboo sea.
We walked and walked, the sun becoming more reddish, but the bush didn't come to an end. I felt the boring bush would go on forever, and the accumulated fatigue irritated us, so we dragged our feet in depressed silence. All of a sudden my sister suggested playing "shiri-tori." Although my parents and I turned a deaf ear to her suggestion, she began the game selfishly. "Now, I will start. Hum...ah, ichiban-boshi. Next, it's your turn, Father." "Stop such a foolish thing!" I shouted at her angrily, but she still persisted in her idea. My father gave in to her with reluctance. However, once "shiri-tori" began, we were strangely absorbed in it. It seemed to me that we tried to forget our tiredness and thirstiness. Before we know it, the time passed and we arrived at the foot at last.
Through this experience, I realized our powerlessness against nature. There was nothing to do but be at a loss against the cruel heat and the inevitable sunset. But, if we united our efforts, we could get over difficulties which nature had caused us. Although at that time our feelings broke down, my sister's suggestion revived our spirits, helping us to our safe arrival. That also holds true in the case of the severe earthquake which occurred in Kobe. About five thousand lives were lost and many others were hard hit. But they owned some small space for living and slept jointly with others and shared a little food and water. They encouraged each other to live through the tragedy. Though they couldn't resist the natural forces, they did endure the natural trial. I keenly realized a human being's weaknesses and strengths through this summer experience.

COMMENT She and her family climbed Mt. Yoko that summer. They continued to walk on a rocky slope and went through a forest. On their way, they met Mother's dehydration, a bamboo sea with their exhaustion and thirst. I was so impressed with her family's endurance and their "shiri-tori". Though "shiri-tori" is a simple game of words, the game of the day was something important. It was like water for her family. When they had the game, I think, they shared their suffering and encouraged each other. From her essay, I could realize not only human being's strengths but also the good relationship of her family.

Yukako Kamiya