I’ve lost in a deep forest. I’m really tired, hungry and thirsty……….. .

I can’t walk anymore. At that time, I found an old, crumbling house. I expected there are some foods. And I knocked on the door.

“Yes?”

“Please let me in. I feel so cold. I’ll die of hunger.”

”Ｐｏｏｒ　ｙｏｕ！ Were you lost in here?”

Voice from inside the house may be little boy’s. I begged to him again.

“Yes, I was. Please….please let me in.”

“I’m sorry I can’t.”

………I can’t understand what he said. I’m really serious!!

“Wha…..why?? I can’t live without your help. Please!! Please help me!!!”

“Well……, why did you come here?”

He asked me with very calm voice. What is he thinking!? I said ‘I’ll die of hunger’, but he never care of about it! My sight is getting darker. I lost power to beg. And….., I started answering his questions.

 

 

“Why did you come here?”

“Why…? Because… I wanted to escape to somewhere.”

Yeah, I wanted to escape. The World War started 3 month ago. We lost our house, family, country..........everything!! My mouth talked about it by itself.

“I know how you feel. OK now, please close your eyes, and answer my questions.”

I sat down and leaned against the house. Closed my eyes.........

Around the house is very silent. I can hear only his voice. Who.........whose voice is this?

“What’s your name ？“

My thinking was interrupted the voice.

“My name is Jude .......”

“All right, Jude. Now, I’d like you to remind about 2 persons.”

“2.......?”

“Yeah, Jude!! First..........please remind a most precious lady in your life.”

Inside my closed eyes, one lady appeared. Her name is Jewel. She was my girl friend when I was senior high school student. After graduated, we broke up. I forgot the reason of it. It is really old memory........... Now I’m 54 years old. The strange voice said,

“The lady smile at you.”

Jewel smiled as he said. This is not but......   Old memory makes me relax. Jewel who is smiling in my imagination world has not changed from young her., and beautiful.

“Jewel.........”

She is really dear person who I couldn’t without talking to.

“Jude...........”

She answered!!! Is this world really made by my imagination?? I can’t tell which is real world.

“Jude ...... we are in big trouble now, you know. Just now, I want to ask you.”

“What are you going to ask me?”

“What is happy.......?”

“Happy.........?”

Why she asked me such a thing? But she looks very serious. ........Let me think about it.

 

 

“Happy is .....”

“Yes?”

“I think happy depends on peoples. It may be working as own dream..., or spending times with own sweet heart, or eating...sleeping ......   If everyone can do what they really want to, it is happy.”

“Is it possible? If they do so, the war like now will repeat.”

“No no, Jewel!! It should be possible. Happy never stands on the other‘s hope. I believe we can care of each other.”

I don’t know why I had shouted. But it was from.....my heart I feel.

“..........What about you, Jude? What about your....happy?”

“Jewel.....? Why are you looks so sad.....?”

Jewel just smiled, and said noting. My happy...

“Except for now, I was always happy. But best of my happy was......, what I could meet you.”

“.......Ha ha, thank you Jude. Thank you very much. I hope .... I wish we can meet next life.”

“What?”

“Good bye, Jude.”

Suddenly, she disappeared.

“Jewel!?”

At the same time, one old man appeared.

 

 

I....I can’t believe it !! Because he is.....

“Dad? Are you my dad??”

“ Can’t you know that by yourself? Yes, I’m your dad.”

Oh my god!!　Did he die in many years ago?

....Wow,....this is my imagination world. I understood, it shouldn’t be my surprise.

“I heard that the world has been crazy now.”

“That’s true dad. Everyone was injured and killed.”

“I’m so sorry. I had lived in the world.....   Jude, what is life? Everyone lost their lives. But such a crazy life was really precious? Maybe from when I was living, the crazy world already started. What is life? ”

“Dad....?”

Life...? Crazy world.....crazy people......   but....

“Dad, life is living together. I’m really sorry that we made the world crazy, but our life was precious. Because...I could meet many people. I could live with you dad. I do think... it was very nice that we could live together.”

My dad is listening my words keeping silent.

“I ‘m sure everyone wanted to be alive more....”

After my words, tears started running from my eyes.

I also wanted to be with my precious people more. I wanted to save my family…..

I couldn’t …..I couldn’t ……

“OK, Jude.”

Dad smiled at me.

“You were happy in your life. You had really precious people, didn’t you?”

“……Yes…..”

“I was happy too, Jude…”

“Dad!?”

Dad also disappeared suddenly. There is nothing except for weakly his left voice.

“I love you. However we apart a little times, but we can meet again. At the time, let’s live on peaceful world.”

“Dad!!! Where are you going !? Please, don’t go!!”

I’m alone again! I feel that My all body feel lonliness.

Please…… don’t leave me alone…..

 

 

“Don’t cry, Jude.”

Whose voice…. This is the voice which I heard at the climbing house.  I opened my eyes.

The world became white. It is too bright to see anything.

“Look at me carefully, Jude.”

I looked up him.

“……..!!”

I couldn’t say any word by my surprising.

“Hello, Dad. I’m your child. Do you remember me??”

“Ju……Justin!!”

Unbelievable!! I couldn’t save him. I lost him in the war!!

But a boy who is standing in front of me is really my Justin.

I hugged him with crying .

“Why…….why……..!!! Impossible……oh my god!”

“Dad…”

“What?”

“I have a last question.”

Last……   Even hearing such as sadness word, I never think it is strange.

I know this time is our last time.

“OK, please ask me Justin?”

“What is peace?”

“Peace is…”

In white world, there are only us. Suddenly, I remembered of a story that I have heard. “When you love someone, when you feel sadness, and when you go to heaven, you’ll see a dream. The dream is for born, for living, for brightly new life. After the dream…”

I said the answer for Justin’s question remembering the story.

“Peace is…. Never be killing. We never have to lose anything. I never have to lose you. Everyone can laugh, get angry, cry. All of us can be alive. Peace is….

Making such as world.”

Then we covered with very dazzling light.

Justin said,

“I want to born again. I’ll make the world as you told me.Ｉ love you. I love you Dad.”

 

 

I‘m sure the forest and climbing house was a dream.

Because the story that I remembered says….

“After the dream, you can sleep for a long long time. When you wake up, look  your new life. It is the present from angel.”