2-20 Second-Year Girl
The day of the Great East Japan Earthquake. I can’t forget 2:46 PM March 11th. Me running away during the intense shaking. What I could hear at the first evacuation area was a lot of crying and the blaring sound of the warning. What I could see fleeing up to higher ground was the tide drawing out from Takata Matsubara [1]. During the continuing aftershocks, I saw the waves of Matsubara stop their retreat and become a tsunami, gradually swallowing up the town of Takata. After escaping into the mountain because staying where I was would have been dangerous, I evacuated to Futsukaichi.
I spent a sleepless night and on the second day gradually realized how big an earthquake it was. Since my parents’ companies were near the ocean, I was worried whether they had evacuated. I was able to go home that day at noon. My mother was already home, and I remember crying as my anxiety and tension were dispelled on hearing that my father, whose company was in Kesennuma which I heard was a sea of fire, was also safe. Although the days after that were tough, there were many things that made me happy such as people sending food to us.
One day after the disaster, two nurses came to my house. I was home alone and learned those nurses were from Takata Hospital. They asked me if they could see the medicine that my grandparents were taking, and as I showed them I tried to talk with them and realized that nurses who try to comfort the people they are with are amazing people. It was a cold, rainy day, so when I handed them hokkairo [2] heat packs for their return, they thanked me and said that I was caring, which made me happy and that became a good day that remains in my memory.
Happy memories, painful memories, I had a lot after the disaster. However, school restarted and I have a lot of happy memories and fun memories being able to hang out with my friends again. I experienced many things, and I think what has made it possible for me to have enjoyable memories for all of the painful memories I have is my family and friends as well as all of the people who sent aid and encouragement. It was a year during which I came to know respect for life and the connections between people.
From now on, I hope to help Takata to recover even a little and work to achieve my dreams, without forgetting the joy of being able to live with a feeling of gratitude. And some day, I’d love to repay my family and those who gave so much for their kindness.
2-20 中２女子
東日本大震災があったあの日。忘れることのできない三月十一日の午後二時四十六分、大きな揺れの中、走って逃げた私。第一避難場所で聞こえたのは、たくさんの泣き声と大きな警報の音だけでした。もっと高い所へと避難して見えたのは、どんどん波が引いていく高田松原でした。何度も起こる余震の中、松原の波は引くのをやめ、津波となって高田の町を飲み込んでいくところを私は見ていました。このままでは危ないと山の中へ逃げた後、二日市の方へ避難しました。眠れない夜を過ごし、2日目にだんだんとどれだけ大きな地震だったのかを知りました。父と母は海の近くに会社があるため、避難したのか心配でした。家に帰れたのはその日の正午。もう家には母が帰って来ていて、火の海だと聞いた気仙沼に会社のある父も無事と聞き、私は不安と緊張がほどけて泣いてしまったのを覚えています。それからの日々は、大変なものでしたが、食べ物が送られて来たりととってもうれしいことがたくさんありました。
被災してからある日、2人の看護師さんが私の家に来ました。1人でいた私は、その看護師さんたちは高田病院に勤めている人たちと知りました。祖父母が飲んでいる薬を見せてほしいと言われたので、見せながら話をしてみて、相手を安心させようとする看護師さんたちはすごいと実感しました。雨が降っていて寒い日だったので、帰りにホッカイロをあげると、「ありがとう。優しいね」と言われてうれしくなったあの日は印象に残るいい一日となりました。
辛い思いも悲しい思いも被災してからはたくさんありました。でも、この一年学校が再開したり、友達と遊べるようになったりとうれしい思いも楽しい思いもいっぱいしました。色んな経験をしたけれど、やはり悲しい思いをした分、楽しい思いをできるようになったのは家族と友達、そして支援や声援を送って下さったたくさんの人たちのおかげだと思います。命の尊さと人と人との絆を知った一年でした。これからは、感謝の気持ちと生きていられるという喜びを持ちながら、少しずつでもいいから高田を復興させて、目標を達成できるように生きていきたいです。そしていつか、家族や色々して下さった方々に恩返しをしたいです。
1. Some 70,000 pine trees along a 2km stretch of ocean, a nationally designated place of scenic beauty, known as Takata
2. Inexpensive disposable heat packs that provide about eight hours or more of continuous heat
