集団登校は、6年生の班長の池田くん、4年生の副班長の柳沢くんに挟まれて、3年生の女の子二人の班にアラタカラも入れてもらった。朝、班長が集合場所に来ると、「きみは一年だから一番前」と、班長の次に並ばされるタカラ。みんなで真っ直ぐ一列になっておしゃべりもせずに通っていく姿はとても新鮮。
初日は迎えに行ったが二日目からは、みんなと別れる地点までおばあちゃんが迎えに行くことにした。ところが、どうやら、下校時間を間違えていた私。一時間早く帰ってきた。
タカラが他の子供と別れる場所におばあちゃんの姿は無し。日本へ到着後4日目な上に、生まれて以来一度も一人で外を歩いたことがないタカラは当然迷子に・・・。
道に迷ったタカラは、お店をみつけて、その前にいた人に「中里くんの家はどこですか」と聞いたんだそうだ。残念ながらその人はわからず、タカラは間違った方向に向かって歩いて行った。しばらく行くと、こっちじゃないと気が付き、戻り、同じお店の違う人に同じ質問をして、（たぶんその人はお店のオーナーで実家のことを知っていた）教えてもらって帰ってきたそうだ。
おばあちゃんは、まだ時間に余裕があると、居眠りをしていたので、戸も開かなかったらしいが、タカラは家の周りを周って鍵のかかっていない窓から侵入。寝ている母の前に立って「おばあちゃん！」と驚かしたということです・・・。たくましい次男・・・。
It's only 5 minutes walk to Osato Higashi P.S. from my parents' house. But we have never let our kids go outside of house without us in their whole life, I felt really nervous.
In the morning, children walk to school with a group of other children. The group is pre-formed and there is a group leader and a sub-leader. In Aratakara's group, the leader is a Year 6 boy, and sub is Year 4 boy, then 2 Year 3 girls are with them. When the leader arrived at the gathering location, he said to Takara, "You are year 1, and you have to walk just behind me." The leader leads the group and the sub leaser comes last.
It's very interesting and to be honest, a bit wired to see kids go to school in lines silently.
When children come home, there are no particular groups, except for year 1 children. For Takara's case, he came home with other few children to the nearest corner from my parents. From there, he had to walk alone for about 100 meters. On the first day, I went to school to meet him, but from the second day, we decided to go to meet him at the corner. As I was out on the second day, I asked my mum to go there.
But Takara came back one hour earlier than I thought! Takara had been only in Japan for 4 days and he didn't exactly know where my parents' house was... he got lost....
Smart Takara didn't cry. He found a hardware store and asked a man standing in front of a vending machine, "Do you know where Nakazato's house is?" Unfortunately he didn't know. So Takarak decided to keep walking. Quite soon, he realised it wasn't the right direction. He went back to the same store, and asked the same question to another man. This man knew my parents. (I don't think he realised Takara was my parents' grandson, though.)
My mum was still having a nap thinking she had another hour before she went out to meet Takara, so that all the doors were locked. But Takara didn't give up. He walked around the house and found a window which was unlocked. He opened it, and climbed thorough to the house. He then stood in front of my mum, who was still dozing off, and said, "I'm back, Obachan." Of course, she was so shocked to see him!
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