White panty in darkness

Power goes out with more frequency and duration after the national election. One night, the light went off and the fan stopped. I could hear the conversation of the house in front of mine so clearly, as if there was nothing in the air that blocked the voice of my neighbors. (BTW, sound travels well in the village. I used to wake up astonished by the sound MUWAWOOOO of cows, thinking that they were just outside my window, when they were actually very afar.)

Mother: "Yilda! Donde esta fósforo?!" (Where is the matchbox?)
Yilda (10 yrs old): "Se acabó!" (It’s empty!)
Mother: "Ve para donde Ikuko!" (Go to Ikuko’s!)
Yilda: "Barbara! Vamos donde Ikuko para buscar fósforo!" (Barbara, we’re going to Ikuko’s house to look for the matches!)
Barbara (7 yrs old): "Y mira cómo estoy yo! No tengo nada de ropa!" (But look! I have no clothing on me!)

Although our houses are facing each other across the street, there’s a distance of about 30 meters if including the porch, the front yard and the road. Yilda seems to be less bothered by the darkness of the path, but more by her mom’s request that always comes to her just because she’s the oldest. So she makes her younger sister Barbara to accompany her.

I went outside the house, with a match box and a torch in my hand. When I got to the entrance that faces the street, I could barely see Yilda and Barbara standing there. Barbara, wearing only a panty, was smiling, with her hands tied in front of her stomach. The silhouette of her loose white panty stood out in the darkness, and it was simply sweet and adorable. I felt like the match was lit in my heart.


暗闇のなかの白いパンツ

選挙が終わってから、停電の頻度と時間が増えた。ある夜、いつもの如くパッと電気が消え、扇風機が止まる。お向かいの家から、澄んだ空気を伝ってよく聞こえてくる声。

アヤリビ（母）「ジルダー！マッチはどこーっ？」
ジルダ（長女：10歳）「カラだよー！」
アヤリビ「イクコの家に行って少しもらってきなさい！」
ジルダ「バーバラー！イクコのところに行くよ、おいで！」
バーバラ（次女：7歳）「そんなこと言ったって、私、服着てないのにー！」

お向かいとはいえ、ポーチや庭を含めると３０mくらいある距離。暗闇を一人で歩くことよりも、年長だからって自分だけおつかいに出されるのがいやそうなジルダ。妹のバーバラを付き添わせて、私の家へ歩いてくる。

懐中電灯とマッチ箱を持ち庭に出て道路沿いの入り口まで歩いていくと、ジルダとパンツ一丁のバーバラがちょこんと立っているのがかろうじて見える。両手をお腹の前で握ったバーバラのちょっと大きめの白いパンツが、暗闇の中うきあがって見えて、なんとも愛らしく、その一瞬、心にマッチがともされたような気がした。