Smile of the Sun - 太陽のほほえみ
生前ハヤット神父が寄稿されたお話しを英語と日本語で毎月お届けします。
Don't Worry About the Money
Mr. A arrived in Tokyo one evening recently on a business trip.
He checked into a hotel, had dinner and went to bed early. That evening he had a nightmare.
He was home watching television when he heard a loud crash in the front of the house. Opening the front door, he saw that an accident had caused the noise.
The car his wife was driving was badly damaged. Mr. A's heart jumped, as he ran toward her car to see if she was still alive. Then he woke up.
Instinctively, he reached for the phone and called his wife in Osaka. "Is that you, Sachiko?" he asked. His voice shook Mrs. A out of her drowsiness, as she responded clearly, "Yes, of course. What's the matter?"
"You are the most wonderful person in the world," he blurted out. "And you are drunk," was all she could say. It had been years since he had made such an affectionate remark. He protested that he had not had a drink for several days.
When he told her about his bad dream, there were tears in her eyes by the end of his story.
Convinced by his sincerity, she was also concerned about the cost of the long-distance call.
"Don't worry about the money," he said. "There are more important things than money. I'll be home as early as possible tomorrow." They both hung up, but neither was able to sleep. They were regretting what they had missed by not appreciating each other more.
