A New Life
Bang! Bang! I was awoken by a loud sound of what sounded like something hitting the floor or table. Each time the sound resonated, the place where I was sleeping, and in turn causing a pain like someone had just hit me in the head. I moaned from the pain and knitted my eyebrows tightly.
So noisy… seriously so noisy.
That annoying sound didn’t seem like it would end anytime soon, and as it was occurring at an even rhythm, it was not something easily ignored while trying to sleep.
Each vibration from the sound reverberating in my head and thus causing my awakened consciousness to attempt to cover my ears and block out the sound.
Yet despite this, my body isn’t able to move like it’s supposed to, seeming to be afflicted by the fever and joint pain caused by the flu spreading throughout my body.
Rano “Ugh…”
In order to try to grasp the situation my glasses are necessary. With my eyes still closed, I tried to reach out where I always kept them, underneath my pillow. As I was searching, pain was shooting throughout my body, dulling my hand’s movements.
As I restlessly moved my hand about, I heard the rustling sound of the dry, paper or grass like bedding beneath me.
Rano “… What is that noise?”
Instead of hearing the hoarse voice I expected from the fever, I instead heard a high, childish voice escape my mouth. No matter how you looked at it, it wasn’t my familiar usual voice.
Ignoring the impulse to go back to sleep from my feverish, sluggish body, and unable to ignore the abnormality emanating from my surroundings, I slowly opened my heavy eyes.
I seemed to have a fairly high fever, as my vision was blurred and hazy. The tears seemed to serve as a replacement for my glasses, as my vision seemed much clearer than normal.
Rano “Eh?”
What entered my vision was what was likely originally white, but was now stained a sooty black ceiling, several thick pillars, and a giant spiderweb.
Each one of them were things that were completely absent from my memory.
Rano “… Where is this place?”
Being careful not to unleash tears from my teary eyes, I moved only my eyes to look at my surroundings. The one thing that I could immediately tell was that this place was obviously not the Japan I was born and raised in.
Looking at the architecture of the cieling, it was easy to guess that this place was obviously not Japanese styled. It appeared more western styled, and not of modern design, but much older.
The bed I was laying on was hard, and there was no mattress, but an oddly prickly material used in place of a cushion. The blanket I was covered in seemed to be quite dirty and gave off a strange smell. And are there mites or ticks here? My body seems to be strangely itchy in places.
Rano “Wait a minute…”
My last memory was of being buried underneath a pile of books, and it seemed like I wasn’t rescued from underneath that pile. At the very least, as far as I know an uncleanly hospital that would cover their patients’ with a dirty cloth doesn’t exist in Japan.
Timidly I placed my hand before my eyes, and what entered my vision was an unhealthily thin small child’s hand.
I commonly stayed indoors and read books all day, so an untanned, unhealthy skin tone was the same, but as I was 22 years old I had a proper adult’s hand. This malnourished small child’s hand and my old hand are clearly different.
Consciously opening and closing my hand, the child’s hand did the same. The body that was moving under my own will was obviously not my normal one. The shock from this caused the inside of my mouth to get dry and parched.
Rano “… What… is this?”
Could this perhaps be reincarnation? Was my wish heard by god, and was I reincarnated to satisfy my wish to be able to read books once again? Incomprehensible.
I wished for even the smallest piece of information, and slowly raised my heavy head. Completely disregarding my hair, now drenched in sweat and stuck to my neck, I looked around the room.
All there was was several racks serving as beds with dirty cloths above them, and several wooden chests to contain things, there were no bookshelves to be found.
Rano “There are… no books…”
There was an open doorway, and without realizing it the sound assaulting my senses had disappeared. I heard instead the sound of someone walking around and doing something.
I have no idea what the situation is, but based off of the furniture in the room, this seems to be an older western style. It’s not modern though, so either it’s not a very civilized country, or perhaps went into the past. Exactly how am I supposed to grasp the present situation.
Rano “Am I seeing a weird dream on the verge of death?”
As I slowly contemplated using my feverish, muddled mind, a single woman showed up, did they hear my voice or hear my movements?
She had a triangular handkerchief tied to her head, and seemed to be an unfortunate beauty in her upper twenties. Her face was a beautiful but she was very dirty, if she just washed her face and clothing she would be quite the beauty, how unfortunate.
Personally, for both others and myself, I don’t put too much thought into appearances so long as they aren’t dirty and unsightly. Looking at it from the other direction, no matter how beautiful they are, if they are dirty and unsightly it ruins everything.
? “Maine, %&$#+@*+#%?”
Rano “Agh!?”
At the same time as I heard the woman’s incomprehensible words, there was a flood of memories that were not mine that forced themselves into my head.
In several blinks of the eye, several years worth of memories were forced in, and I reflexively held my head from the unpleasant feeling from my brain feeling like it was being churned about.
? “Maine, are you alright? I was very worried as you showed no sign of waking up at all.”
From here on Rano will now be known as Maine for the rest of the story
Maine “… Mom?”
The flood of memories told me that the woman gently caressing my head and looking into my face was my mother and that my name was Maine.
The words that I couldn’t understand just a few moments ago could now be understood, but I was in a severe state of confusion from the massive amount of information that my mind had received. Honestly, even if the flood of information was necessary, I would have preferred if it took into consideration my current physical condition.
The person who had wished to reincarnate in order to read more books was in fact me. But to suddenly be reincarnated and to be told to recognize the woman in front of me to be my mother, I can’t just immediately obediently accept it as fact.
Mom “How are you feeling? It seems like you have a headache.”
The fingertips that was heading towards my forehead was unevenly dyed colors such as yellow and green. Does this parent perhaps work in a dying or staining related job? They are similar to the indigo dying workers that I remember seeing in Japan.
I somehow don’t want to be touched by the mother that I only know of existing in my memories, knowing her and not knowing her at the same time. So in order to dodge being touched by the hand approaching me I covered my head with the smelly blanket, then closing my eyes and denying contact.
Maine “My head, still hurts. I want to sleep.”
Mom “I see, then slowly go back to sleep.”
While waiting for my mother to exit the room packed tightly with beds, I sank deep into thought.
My mind was still dizzy with fever, but I can’t possibly just quietly go to sleep with my mind in confusion like this.
Main “I without a doubt… died then didn’t I?”
What popped into my mind was my own mothers appearance. To the mother that I will never again meet, I apologized from the bottom of my heart.
I’m sure she is angry, saying “That’s why I told you to reduce the number of books you had so many times!”, being angry whilst crying.
I slowly raised my dull, heavy hand to wipe the tears from my eyes.
Maine “Mom, I’m so sorry…”
After muttering the apology that will never reach her, I consciously changed my thoughts. I decided to carefully go through the young Maine’s memories that just flowed into me.
Maine’s most recent memory was being under the fever, and being in constant, unbearable pain.
Somehow or another, I think this body’s original owner, Maine, died and I possessed her body afterwards. Or perhaps, while being delirious with fever, I regained my previous life’s memories.
Maine “Either way I think is fine, since I’ll have to be living as Maine from now onwards anyways…”
Then what I must do is to understand the surrounding situation the best I can from Maine’s memories, otherwise my new family will immediately get suspicious of me.
I’m desperately trying to remember it all, but Maine’s memories are of a young girl who still can’t speak very well. She couldn’t completely understand all the words that her mother and father spoke, and hence the meaning too cannot be understood. Inevitably her vocabulary is limited, so the majority of her memories are cryptic at best.
Maine “Uwaa, what am I supposed to do with this then…”
The things that I can say with definite certainty from seeing young Maine’s memories is that her family is 4 people. The mother that I had just met was her mother, her sister Tori, and that Maine’s father is a soldier or similar occupation.
Plus, and this is the really important part, that this place is not earth.
Within Main’s memories, her mothers appearance also had that triangular cloth, but also her hair color, which was a jade like green. There didn’t seem to be any unnaturalness such as from dying it, it was really green. It was such a shocking color that I almost want to check whether it is a wig or not.
Rather than thinking Mom is a cosplayer who constantly wears a wig and dirty clothes around the house, it’s more realistic to think this is a different world.
By the way, my sister’s hair color is Turquoise, and my fathers’ hair color is blue. Maine’s hair color is a deep blue. Maybe it’s more pleasant to think that it’s more close to black, or that grieve that I too am a part of this Cosplay family.
Anyway, there is no mirror within this house, and even if I search my memories I don’t have a clear picture of what my appearance is like. Well, based on my parents and sisters good facial structure, I think that mine too should be pretty good. Plus, I’m sure I am quite dirty right now too.
Maine “Man, I really want to have a bath… but does this house even have one?”
In actuallity, compared to my living standards, my own appearance isn’t really that much of a concern. The biggest problem is that this new home I find myself living in looks incredibly poor.
If I look around at my surroundings, one thing that is painfully clear, is that the clothing that a sick person such as I am wearing is incredibly worn out and thin. It’s already falling apart, and even for a hand me down from my sister, it’s condition is horrible.
At first I thought it was just harassment, but by searching through Maine’s memories, even her mother’s and sister’s clothing is patched together and falling apart as well. This must be my new home’s standard level of living.
Only my father is wearing comparatively better clothing that is in better condition and with minimal patching. But that clothing seems to have been granted from his soldier profession on a one every couple of years basis.
This house also doesn’t seem to be a single home, as from the closest stone brick wall I can hear footsteps and what seem like the neighbors voices, so this might be an apartment building.
Hey, isn’t reincarnation usually supposed to be as a noble or something similar… someplace that doesn’t have discomfort in daily life?
It’s such an environment that I unwittingly breathe a sigh, as in my previous life I lived in a normal Japanese household, and the difference in living standards is quite stark.
I don’t quite know what place or time the country I am living in is in, but Japan was a good country. It was natural for good things to overflow, such as cloth that is good on the skin, soft beds, or books, or books, or books…
Main “Haa, I want to read a book, I have a feeling if I read one my fever would go down.”
So long as I have books I can handle any sort of horrid environment. I lightly tapped my head with my finger, and searched my memories for books. Where within this house would the bookshelf be, I wonder.
? “Maine, are you awake?”
As if to obstruct my thoughts, a young girl of probably 7-8 years of age entered the room with light feet. According to my memories she seems to be my sister Tori.
I could tell from a glance that her carelessly braided turquoise hair has had very little care done on it. And just like my mother I wish that she too would at least wash her face. It’s a complete waste of her cute face.
Perhaps me immediately thinking this is influenced by my Japanese point of view, as even foreigners consider us as abnormal.
But if you are poor all the more reason to take as great care of living healthily as possible, as if you fall sick you might not even be able to afford the doctor’s visit.
But, all of that is of no importance, right now what is most important is one thing only.
Words in quotes are said in Japanese.
Maine “Tori, can you bring me a ‘book’?”
There is already a sister this old, there should be at least 10 picture books somewhere in this house. Even if I need to rest to get over my sickness, I can still at least read a book.
I was able to specially reincarnate, there is nothing more important than being able to read books from another world.
Maine “Tori, pretty please?”
Begging as her cute sister, Tori had a look of puzzlement on her face as she tilted her head.
Tori “Eh? What’s a ‘book’?”
Maine “What… uh, something that has ‘pictures’ or ‘words’ ‘written’ into it…”
Tori “Maine, I have no idea what you are saying? Can you please properly speak?”
Maine “Like I said, ‘book’! I want a ‘picture book’!”
Tori “What is that? I don’t know what that is you know?”
It seems that using words that do not exist in Maine’s memories get spoken as the Japanese pronunciation.
No matter how much effort I put into trying to explain it, Tori only had a confused expression and tilted her head to the side. Even if I said “Give me books” there is no way it would get through. I immediately have to remember more words.
Maine “Ahhh, geez! ‘Translation function, do your job!’”
Tori “Maine, why are you angry!?”
Maine “I’m not angry, I just have a headache.”
It would be too much and not like an adult getting mad at Tori because she can’t understand my words, well, I already did.
What I first must do is listen as closely as I can to the voices of other people in order to learn as many words as I can. Between the young, pliable brain that Maine has and my 22 year old college graduate mind, learning words should be simple… I hope at least.
At the very least, if I remember the pain and effort I put forth in learning new words and languages in order to read foreign books, this much is nothing at all. My passion and love for books was enough for people to retreat from me, rudely enough.
Tori “Are angry because you still have a fever?”
She must want to try to measure my temperature, as Tori is bringing her dirty hand closer to me, and I unconsciously grabbed that hand.
Main “I still have a fever, you’ll catch it you know?”
By making it look like I’m worrying about the other person, I’m able to run away from things that I find unpleasant. I used this adult technique in order to dodge getting touched by Tori’s filthy hand.
Tori “I guess so, I’ll be careful next time.”
Safe.
If she were to get clean she would be a good older sister, but right now I don’t want her to touch me. Since it’s come to this point I’ll stop at nothing in order to get the idea of hygenic living pounded into their minds. If I don’t improve my current living conditions, I have a feeling that I won’t be able to live.
At least according to my memory, Maine was a child with a very weak constitution. She commonly was forced into bed with fever, as her memories from within bed are way too many.
In order for me to read books to my heart’s content, I have to improve the overall health of both me and my surroundings. We seem to be poor, so even if we get sick I have a feeling we won’t get to see doctors anyway. Plus, from looking at these living conditions and what I imagine the level of doctors must be, I wouldn’t want to meet them anyway.
Mom “Tori, come help with the preparations for dinner.”
Tori “Coming mom!”
It seems that Mom’s voice came from somewhere, and Tori went racing out of the room.
Judging from angle of the sunlight from the view outside, most likely it’s preparations for dinner. Tori at first glance seems to be in the lower grades of grade school, but she is reliably helping around the house.
Considering these poor conditions, most likely children are considered manual labor.
Maine “Uwa, no way…”
Just thinking about the time when I will have grown more is a depressing thought. No matter how you think about it her alone helping with house work is unthinkable. My book reading time will no doubt be reduced.
Even in Japan, with all of its useful electric applicances making housework easy I still found it troublesome. As a useless person such as myself who focused on getting as much book reading time as possible, will I be able to adapt to life here?
Bang! Bang! I heard lively sounds echoing about, since they mentioned dinner preparations, those sounds must be the sounds of cooking. But exactly what are they cooking, I can’t see from being put to bed in this place, but honestly I don’t think I want to see.
I was specially able to reincarnate into this new life, I should have a more positive look about things. I’ll be able to read books that didn’t exist on earth. For that reason too, I should focus on getting myself healthy, thinking that I slowly closed my eyes.
? “I’m home.”
Tori “Welcome back, Dad.”
Hearing the clanging sound of armor rubbing against each other, it seems by the time dad got home dinner was ready.
Since feverish Maine couldn’t eat, feeling distanced from the happy family meal occurring in the distance, I could feel my consciousness slowly drifting.
As my consciousness was drifting into the darkness, I was thinking about only one thing.
Aah, whatever it is I want to read a book.