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Itta and MotherAuthor: Miyamoto Yuriko
| Original Title | 一太と母 |
|---|---|
| Author | 宮本 百合子 |
| Genre | Modern Short Fiction |
| Author Type | Female Author |
| Summary | In the bustling streets of early 20th-century Tokyo, young Itta navigates a life of hardship, hawking natto and eggs to support his weary mother, Tsumeo. Each dawn, he boards trains to affluent neighborhoods, trading silent exchanges with geishas and enduring curious stares from strangers who question his ragged appearance. His world is one of contrasts: the warmth of sunlight on his face as he sells, the claustrophobic gloom of a three-tatami room during rainstorms, and the fleeting joy of roasted chestnuts or rare treats from kind strangers. Tsumeo, haunted by past comforts lost to poverty, oscillates between sharp practicality and despair, dragging Itta on humiliating visits to old acquaintances for charity. Yet Itta’s spirit flickers—chasing pebbles, teasing shopkeepers, dreaming of tigers in Korea—a place his mother claims might save them. Through dust-choked alleys and whispered hopes, their fragile bond persists, a tender thread in a life frayed by struggle and resilience. |
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