OBACHAN'S SCRIBBLES

Time stands still on a summer afternoon when the grilling sunshine makes a sharp contrast with the shade under the trees, and all you hear are the chorus of cicadas and the sound of an old electric fan.

Then from somewhere, you hear a little kid -- your best friend -- calling your name.
"Let's go swimming!" the voice says.

And you see yourself -- a little boy or a girl -- hurrying to the beach with the friend.

The bathing suit feels funny as you walk on the beach, and the old sandals do not completely protect your feet from heated rocks and sands. But you don't care because you know everything will be just fine the minute you walk into the sea...

Have you ever had a drowsy afternoon that merges the present with the past like this?
I happily hallucinated all afternoon today, vividly remembering the sounds, smells and tastes that filled my childhood world in summer.

When I finally went outside to take in the line-dried laundry, the clouds in the sky and the gentle breeze already had a hint of autumn.