1-22 First-Year Girl

 

   When I look back on the disaster, I realize that many things around me have changed. I lived without electricity, running water and food. When my house was swept away and everything was gone, obviously I was totally speechless. For some time, my life at a community center continued and gradually it got better. The roads became passable again but since I didn't have a house anymore, I went to my grandparent's house. In Osabe, there was no electricity or running water, and we lived like that for about two months. Now I realize what a comfortable life I'm living.

   When the disaster occurred, I was in class at school. The building shook and I dived under a desk, waiting for the earthquake to stop. Then we all went outside and gathered in the school yard where we were supposed to go home with a parent. My mother and younger brother came, and we tried to go back home but the inside of the house was a total mess, so we went to the school gym, which was designated as an evacuation shelter. A few minutes after arriving, I heard someone shout there was a tsunami, and we fled into the school. Looking outside, I saw that the water was as high as the ground floor and the tsunami was approaching, sending forth a cloud of dust. Just as I thought that this was my end, the tsunami suddenly stopped and receded. During that time, I fled upstairs. The ground floor had been flooded up to the height of my ankles. Just like that, I'd survived.

   It has been one year since the disaster and still the TV reports go on and on about the many natural disasters lying in wait for us, like 8.0 magnitude aftershocks, an earthquake off the shores of Miyagi prefecture,  earthquakes in Tokai, earthquakes in Tonankai, and earthquakes directly underneath Tokyo, the eruption of Mount Fuji, nuclear power plants…. Especially because the future is on our shoulders, I don't want to think of these things as if they were someone else's problems. I want to keep remembering my experience and telling my story to other people. Also, I want to help the towns that were seriously damaged by the disaster so that they can be active towns where people want to live again.

1-22　中１女子

 

   わたしは、震災を振り返って、色々な事が身の周りで変わりました。電気・水道・食べ物が無い生活を送りました。家も流され、何もかも無くなった時は、さすがにポカーンとしていました。しばらく、会館での生活が続き、だんだん生活も良くなっていきました。道が通れるようになり、家も無かったので、祖父・祖母の家へ身を移しました。長部は、電気も水も来ていなかったので、そんな日を二ヶ月間くらい過ごしました。今、思うと、今の生活はどれほど裕福なのかが分かるくらいです。

   震災当時は、学校で授業をしていました。地震が来て、机の下に潜って、収まるのを待ってから外に出て、校庭で集まり、親と一緒に帰る事になりました。そして、母と弟が来て戻ろうとしたのですが、家の中がめちゃくちゃになったので、ひ難場所である体育館に行きました。その何分かした後に、「津波だー」という声がして、学校の中に逃げました。外を見ると、下の一階まで水が来ていて、上には砂煙を上げながら、津波が近づいていました。もうだめだと思ったときに、ピタッと止んで引き返していました。その間に、上まで逃げました。学校の一階は、足首まで水がありました。そういう事で助かりました。

   震災から一年たって、テレビを見ても、今度はマグニチュード8クラスの余震や、宮城県沖地震、東海地震、東南海地震、東京の直下型地震、富士山噴火、原発……などなど、さまざまな自然災害などが待ちかまえています。これからの未来を背負うのは自分達だからこそ他人事にせず考えていきたいです。忘れず伝えていけるようにしたいですし、どんどん人々に伝えられるようにしたいです。そして、震災の被害にあった市町村をまた、人が住んでくれる活気あふれる町にしていけたらいいです。