Monday, 18 March 2024

Container Grandpa

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コンテナ爺さん

gomidashi_big.gif「良き隣人」に恵まれたアメリカ生活は思い出深いものになるはずです。私の隣人はとても優しいジュー イッシュの老夫婦。毎年、クリスマスには家同士でプレゼントの交換をしています。お互いに「今年は隣りより早くプレゼントを渡そう」と計画しているので、 年々競争意識が強くなり、12月になるとソワソワ、ヤキモキ。残念ながら、ここ数年は隣に先を越され、完全に「クリスマス合戦」を制覇されてしまいまし た。

最近、新たに火ひぶた蓋を切ったのが 「ゴミコンテナ片付けバトル」。毎週木曜日にゴミ回収車が巡回するのですが、隣りのお爺さんが自分のだけでなく、私達のコンテナも元の場所にきちんと戻し てくれるのです。「いつも悪いわ」と感じている私が回収日に隣のコンテナを片付けたところ、その後3週連続で早々と先手を打たれてしまいました。

とても素早い行動なので、4週目の木曜日に友人と一緒に窓から様子を見ていたら、回収車が去るや否や電光石火の如く現れて、楽しそうにコンテナを運んでい るお爺さんの姿が目に飛び込んできました。余りにもタイミングが良すぎるのが不思議…。「ドアの隙間から回収車の動きを見ている」というのが友人の見解な のですが…。

老後の楽しみを見つけましょう


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Container Grandpa


If you are fortunate enough to have nice neighbors, your life in America is enjoyable, making lots of good memories. Our next-door neighbors are a kind Jewish elderly couple. On every Christmas, their family and our family exchange gifts.

We always plan to give presents sooner than they do, but I guess they think the same way. As a result, we have become more competitive every year, which makes us nervous when December arrives. Unfortunately, in the past few years, they have gone ahead of us, completely winning our “Christmas Battle.”

Lately, another battle has started, which we call the “Waste Container Cleanup Battle.” On every Thursday, after a waste collection truck comes, our neighbor grandpa returns not only his container but also ours to its place. I felt bad, so one Thursday I put his container away for him. After that, he went ahead of us for three weeks in a row.

He was so quick. So, on the fourth Thursday, a friend and I observed through a window what the old man would do. As soon as the waste collection truck left, he appeared as quick as lightning and enjoyed moving the containers. His timing was just perfect. My friend suspects that the guy is watching the truck every move through a window in his home.

“Let’s find fun for your retirement life”