An essay 0818

 I translated an essay. This essay seems to be my story.  My translation might not explain truly about what the writer wants to say. It is what I understand from the essay. If you feel something strange please tell me.

The photo is our Shaved ice machine.

The shaved ice machine which we used to use   by Kazue-Ohira 

 I tidied up a shelf which had been on my mind.  I had wanted to do it for three years. The shelf is at the entrance hall, and it is very big. I have stored a sewing kit, stacks of old newspaper, daily things, some bins for making jam or pickles, and other seasonal things and so on. 

 There was one thing I really wanted to discard. It was an old type shaved ice machine with a character mark our kids used to like. The machine is very simple, made from plastic, but it is very big. So it takes a lot of space. I don’t remember when was the last time I used it. 

Whenever I open the shelf, the first one I see is the machine. I always think that I won’t probably use it, so I should give it to someone. But I close the shelf saying “it doesn’t matter, next time”. When I married, I got flower-shaped glass bowls for shaved ice as a wedding gift. It was with message that when you have kids, please use the bowls with your kids. 

The time came earlier than I expected. And the time not to use them also came earlier than I expected. In summer we have many more delicious things and anyway it is troublesome to shave ice even using the machine. We have to turn the handle by ourselves. However, every time I tried to discard it, the smile of our kids got back to me. While they were waiting for us to finish shaving, they rested their cheeks on their hands, put their elbows on the table, and watched the machine. The machine was making shaved ice like light snow little by little. It made them very happy. This scenario is still very clear and has not fainted from my memory. 

Even though they started to notice that probably this summer we wouldn’t use the machine, they always used to ask “This is the year. Let’s make shaved-ice” with shining eyes. The machine with the character might have had some magic power to have a dream even though it might not come true. It took time to make shaved ice turning the handle by ourselves. However thinking back, while we were waiting for it, we must have had been excited. And it was fun to pour the syrup on a mountain of shave-ice.  They could pour as much as they liked. As soon as the top of the ice mountain started going down, they would say “Oh no! The mountain broke”. 

Now I realize that such a usual scenario used to be our family summer festival. Such time never return. It was a long time ago. It is a very important and lovely memory. So I don’t want to let go of the machine, I still keep it. I said to my husband “Since I have kept it for a long time, I would rather keep it until our kids get married”. My husband laughingly asked “when would it happen?” I think it would not be so far. It is the fate of family.