地元 / old memories

地元、千葉の病院で、中学時代の同級生に会った。
突然呼び止められ振り返ったものの、今ひとつピンとこない。戸惑っている私に、「カチュウだよね？」。うなずくと、さらに「バレー部だよね？」。はい。でも、彼女の名前を聞いても思い出せない。。。
う〜ん、、同じ学年に居ただけならまだしも、同じ部活の子を覚えてないなんて、結構ショック。でも覚えてもらえてない彼女はもっとショックだよな。
「全然変ってないからすぐ分かった〜」と言われて、申し訳ないと思いつつも、「ごめん、思い出せない」というしか無い私。「ベビーブームでクラス多かったしね〜」（ひと学年１０クラスあった）なんてフォローしてくれる彼女に、「家帰ったらアルバム見てみるね」と伝え、その場は退散。
家帰ってアルバム見てようやく思い出した。ちょっとだけほっとした。次に会ったら伝えよう。
２０年前とはいえ、記憶力は割とある方だと思っていたのに。。。。本当にごめん。

そういえば５、６年前にたまたま行った飲み会で、やはり「カチュウっすよね？」と言われ、1学年下の同じ中学出身の男の子に会った。場所は渋谷で、飲み会のメンバーも千葉は全く関係ない。遊んだ覚えは無いけど、共通の男友達も居て、同じ町内会だった。この時も頭の中は「？？？？」

私はそんなに変ってないのだろうか。 


２０歳で千葉を離れてずいぶん経つ。今は東京に住んで１０年近く。地元の友達とはほとんど縁が薄くなってしまい、実家に帰っても、親に会うくらい。高校で仲の良かった友達も東京に出て来ている子が多いので地元で会う事は皆無。中学時代の友達とは全く付き合いが無い。
.....そんな訳で、中学時代の思い出も少し薄い...のかな。という事にしよう。
次に誰かに会ったら、自分から先に気づけるようになりたいなー。。。

"hey"
The girl stopped me on the hallway at the hospital of my hometown, Chiba.
As I stopped and looked her, she goes "hey, did you graduate from XXX(Jr high name) ? We were in the same grade! "   humm...  I could not remember her at all, but she kept going "We were even in the same Volleyball team! You haven't changed!"
Even then, I could not recall her at all.
I was shocked for not remembering her though we were in the same club team...
I would guess that she was more shocked than I was.....
I felt really bad, but I could not bullshit with her, so I told her that I don't remember. 
She was nice enough to say that we had many students in our grade (400 students) to remember each student, so I told her that I would check our year book and left.  
I checked the year book at home, and now I remember her.
Though it's been over 20 years, I thought I had good memory with many things....

5,6 years ago, I met this guy at the random party.  When he saw me, he went "Did you graduate from XXX (jr. high name)?  You must be a year older than I am."   The party was held in Tokyo and had no relation with our home town, Chiba.   He said he recognized my face from the old times.  As we talked, I found out that our houses are really close and we had some mutual friends when we were kids.   Even then, I could not remember any contacts with him.   I felt bad then. 

Do I look really the same as 20 years ago...??

It's been a long long time since I left my home town at age 20, and now I live in Tokyo close to 10 years.   
I only see my mom whenever I go back to Chiba.  Most of my close friends from home town live in Tokyo as well, so I never see them in the home town.  Or, I am not close to any of the friends from Jr. High school.

Well,, that might be the excuse for not having memory from Jr. high...   Well... I'm sorry anyway...