Found in Translation

May 5 cont...

We soon started collecting new friends.

We first came upon Mamasan while she was not-so-discretely having a comfort stop - her son standing politely nearby. When on the trail, one could feel like the only soul on the planet but on this day the trail was a virtual highway full of people, so her water was unceremoniously cut off by our arrival around the corner.

Mamasan was 69 and her son looked about 17, so he was probably 42. I didn’t know what was in the Japanese diet but I was getting bored with my own incredulous responses to finding out someone was at least 20 years older than what they looked.

Later we caught up with another older woman who could have been Mamasan’s sister because she had the same small, compact and wiry frame. All of these people had done the entire 88 temples before, some of them multiple times, yet I was still stunned at their strength and vitality.

Next to join the pack were Tsusuo San and his wife Akemi San, who both spoke fluent English - both of them denying it vehemently. They became our groups link and were able to translate the answers to the many questions my friends had been craving to ask me about my lifestyle and why the heck I had come so far to do such a crazy thing that most Japanese found difficult.

Henro Ascent (L-R Akemi San (obs), Tsusuo San, Myoko San and Iwamoto San)

Every time I answered a question, they talked amongst themselves, indicating toward me and laughing or ahsoeing, then asked another question. I realised very quickly that humour was universal and we were soon all joking and laughing and sharing stories.

I can’t pinpoint when it started happening but intuitively I had started dropping a lot of joining words. I found myself making statements such as “You very young!” or “Which way we go?” etc. If I said these slowly and clearly enough, everyone seemed to understand me and eventually the less fluent of them started being brave enough to say a few words and sentences and were clearly chuffed when I understood them.

Eventually we all stopped for lunch and I was given settai treats from all directions.

Akemi San had humbly indicated that Mamasan’s son would like to speak with me at some stage but that he was very shy so, at lunch, using the settai they had offered me as a reason, I went and sat with them. I found out that he had learnt his English from a 15 minute TV program that was on everyday at a certain time. I don’t think he'd had a chance to practice with an English speaking person so his face lit up like a Christmas tree when I sat down with them. (I admired Akemi San’s diplomacy and wisdom in not sitting with us which forced us to work out ways to communicate). I could see by the way that he and Mamasan talked to each other that they were both extremely humble, respectful and patient so it felt like an honour to be around them and I enjoyed our exchange. Also – I noticed in the half hour we talked, his English got better and better by the minute.

Just before we set off again Mamasan insisted that her son (I never found out their names) rearrange my hat with the cord from his own hat. The way he tied it meant it sat more firmly on my head and was adjustable. Mamasan then gave me her own polkadot scarf from around her neck and showed me how to tie it around my head so it could soak up any perspiration and stop the internal frame of the hat leaving indents on my not-so-cushioned skull. I knew, on relative terms, they may has well have given me their own backpacks because they didn't have much and the son was conveniently vague when I asked how he would now tie his hat. I said thank you sincerely, bowing deeply to hide the welling tears.

Before we knew it, the valleys and forests opened up and presented us with temple 12 and we all automatically switched into worship mode…

Iwamoto San, E, Myoko San, Tsusuo San and Akemi San at the bottom of temple 12 steps...(the backs of Mamasan and her son further up the steps)

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In yet another ironic twist of fate, the day after I published this post I was delighted to receive this photo of Mamasan and her son in the mail - so now I knew their names were Shinji and Nobuko (though I wasn't sure who owned which name). This was taken at the bottom of the steps at the small shrine between temples 11 and 12.