Family Time (by Inoue Takashi)

A special polarizing glass had been developed to replace raster graphics for showing stereoscopic movies, and successfully put to use in TV screens. Thus, 3D images that previously could only be seen in theaters could now be enjoyed in one’s own home.


“I’m home!”

“Welcome home.”

As if she had been standing and waiting for Masahiko’s return, housewife Yuuko cheerfully came out to greet him, smiling broadly. “You must be tired, dear; I’ve run a bath for you in case you worked up a sweat today.”

The tub was filled to the brim with water at just the right temperature. Soaking comfortably, Masahiko stretched his arms and legs, and thought, It sure cost a lot, but I’m glad I sprang for that 3D TV. Yuuko’s in a really good mood, and my boy Hiroshi’s been delighted. His heart filled with familial love, and a satisfied sense of well-being enveloped his whole body along with the steam from the bath.


When Masahiko finished his bath and strolled into the kitchen, still toweling his hair, there was another magnificent dinner waiting on the table. Yuuko was an excellent cook. What’s more, she could make almost anything – French, Italian, Chinese, or Japanese cuisine. And all at a level of ability that would put a professional to shame. Today’s dinner was a full-course Japanese-style meal. The dishes and the beautiful arrangement of food in them wouldn’t have been out of place at a five-star restaurant – no, more than that, it was a wonder to behold. Taking the beer poured for him, Masahiko asked Yuuko, “How is Hiroshi?”

As if he’d been waiting to hear the words, Hiroshi opened the door and came in.

“Welcome back, papa. Today, I was so busy!” he said, and pouted cutely.

“Oho, why were you so busy?”

“Yeah, they gave me loads of homework, but see, I’ve got it all done.”

“You finished it already? Good job, Hiroshi!”

“That’s right, dear. Today, Hiroshi’s teacher said that he was the only one to get a perfect score on the math test…” said Yuuko, taking over the story and gazing at Hiroshi fondly. Then, “Oh! I’m sorry.” Noticing that Masahiko’s glass was empty, Yuuko poured him some more beer.

The cold beer went down very nicely after the warm bath. Masahiko found himself deeply happy. A beautiful and gentle wife, a cute and obedient son who moreover had grades to boast about – now, surrounded by this happy family, he unthinkingly gave a sigh of satisfaction.


Yuuko was talking cheerfully. “So anyway, honey, today….” Glancing at him and away again, with a trace of flirtatiousness in her movements, she told him about all the things that had happened that day while Masahiko was away. The events of the PTA board meeting, the competition to be fashionable, critiques of people’s jewelry and accessories. How the Suzukis next door had also bought a 3D TV, and neighborhood gossip brought by Saburou, the liquor-shop’s delivery man, and so on almost without limit.

And Hiroshi, as if doing his best not to lose, worked his young wit to the fullest to bring Masahiko’s attention to his own stories. “So, papa, hey papa….” Things that had happened at school, next week’s field trip, little stories about friends whose names Masahiko had come to remember himself, a little pestering thrown in to be rewarded for his accomplishments, about entering a childrens' art show as a representative of his school. Masahiko’s heart filled all the more with contentment, and the day’s weariness faded away without a trace.

“Alright, next summer vacation, let’s take a trip to Europe,” he said, as if with that the matter were decided. Yuuko, cheeks a little flushed from sharing his beer, practically sparkled as she turned to Masahiko.

“Really? Oh, that’s lovely, dear.”

“Yey, papa’s the best!” said Hiroshi, celebrating. And with that the happiness of the family circle was increased again, and so the matter was settled.


That night, Masahiko was relaxing on the sofa with the newspaper spread in front of him. Then Yuuko came down from the second floor where she had put Hiroshi to bed, stopped by the potted Benjamin Fig in the doorway, and called out to him. “Oh honey, how does this look; does it suit me?”

She had changed in to a translucent, pale blue negligee. Now she struck an affected pose, swaying her body and smiling mischievously. She had a wonderful figure.

“It’s good… looks great on you.” Masahiko swallowed as he watched her, enchanted. “More than that, it’s incredibly sexy, Yuuko.”

“Oh! Why, thank you. Hey, dear, if you don’t wrap things up and come to bed soon….” She smiled invitingly.

“Yeah, I guess so.”

After stretching out his whole body and heaving a yawn, Masahiko reached out unwillingly for the remote. Crossing his legs and falling into a yearning posture, he glanced across at Yuuko sitting on the other sofa. A flicker of regret passed over his face. Then he looked down at the remote in his hand to make sure of the buttons.

Next to the button labeled [Life Size] there was another labeled [Original Size]. He pushed it.

The spacious living room, the other rooms with their Scandinavian furniture, and Yuuko all vibrated for a moment, and in the next instant their outlines blurred, and everything was sucked into the screen of the 32x18 HDTV in one corner of the room.

On the screen, Yuuko was now walking with a provocative swing up the stair to the bedrooms. Partway up she stopped at looked back with a bewitching wink. Then, across her backside, a white caption scrolled twice. [In accordance with ethics regulations, the scene ends here. Farewell, and good night. Please be sure to check out H Graphics products in the future—]

I’m a little tired of this video, let’s borrow a different one tomorrow.

He pushed the remote’s OFF button. The image vanished, and only the TV was left, palely exposed under the fluorescent light in a terribly large one-room apartment devoid of any other furniture.


With the recent spread of 3D TVs and this kind of ‘Happy Family’ video, the number of young people without any desire to get married was on the rise. This was causing a serious drop in the birth rate, much to the government’s concern.

<+ + +>

団欒　－　井上たかし

　ステレオキノ方式の立体映画で，ラストルに代わる特殊偏光ガラスが開発され，それをテレビのブラウン管に応用することに成功し，今迄映画館でしかみることの出来なかった映像，家庭でも楽しめるようになった。


「只今」

　「お帰りなさい」

　昌彦の帰りを待ち構えていた様に，妻の裕子が満面に笑みを浮かべ，いそいそと出迎える。

　「お疲れになったでしょ，あなた，先にひと汗流されたら，お風呂の支度出来ておりますの」


　丁度いい加減のお湯がたっぷり，溢れる湯舟にゆったりと浸り，手足を伸ばしながら昌彦は思う—ずい分と高い買い物だったが，立体テレビを買ってよかった。裕子もすっかりご機嫌だし，息子の浩も喜んでいる—。家族に対する愛しさが甘く心を満たし，満ち足りた幸福感が，立ちこめる湯気と共に全身をすっぽりと包みこむ。

　風呂から出た昌彦が，頭を拭きながらダイニングキッチンに這込ると，食卓の上には今日も豪華な夕食の用意が待っていた。裕子はとても料理が上手である。それに，フランス，イタリー，中華，和食とどんなものでも作れる。それも玄人裸足の腕前なのだ。今日の夕食は日本料理のフルコース，盛り付けの美しさも器も，一流料亭にひけをとらない，いやそれ以上に見事なものであった。

　注がれたビールのグラスを手にして，昌彦は裕子に尋ねた。

　「浩はどうしたの—」

　その声を待ってたように，扉が開けられ浩がはいって来た。

　「パパ，お帰りなさい。僕ね，とっても忙しかったんだ」

　小さな口を可愛く尖らせて浩は言った。

　「ほうー，忙しいってどうしてなんだ」

　「うん，宿題がね，どっさりあったの，でもね，もう全部済んじゃったよ」

　「そう，もう済ませたの，浩は偉いな」

　「そうですのよ，あなた。算数のテストも浩だけが満点だったって，今日，先生が—」

　裕子が話しを引きとり優しく浩を見つめる。

　「あらっ，ごめんなさい」

　昌彦のグラスが空いたのに気付き，裕子がビールの酌をする。湯上りの喉に冷えたビールが心地よく通り抜ける。

　昌彦はつくづく幸せだと思った。美しくて優しい妻，可愛くて素直でその上成績のいい自慢の息子，そんな家族に囲まれてのこの団欒のひと時，思わず満足の吐息をもらした。


　裕子が明るく陽気に喋る。

　「あのねえ—，あなた，今日ね……」

　昌彦の居ない昼間の出来事，それこそ今日一日に起こった全てを，くるくるとよく動く目と，一寸コケットリーな身振りも交えて話すのだった。PTAの役員会でのこと，競い合ってたファッション，飾りたてていたアクセサリーの批評。お隣の鈴木さんも買った立体テレビの話し，酒屋の御用聞きの三郎さんから仕入れた御近所の噂話し等々限りなく。浩も負けず一生懸命，幼い知恵を働かせ，昌彦の気を引こうと話しかけるのだった。

　「パパあのね，ねえっパパったら……」

　学校での出来事，来週の遠足の話し，昌彦ももうすっかり，名前を覚えてしまった浩の友達の誰彼のエピソード，ご褒美のおねだりも交え，学校代表で出品する児童画展のこと。充足感がよりいっ層心を満たし，一日の疲れが跡かたもなく消えてしまう。

　「—ようし，それじゃあ，今度の夏休みにはヨーロッパ旅行をしよう」

　締め括るように昌彦が言う。お相伴のビールでほんのりと頬を染めた裕子の顔が，明るく輝き昌彦に向けられる。

　「あらっ，本当に，うれしいわあなた」

　「わーい，やった，パパきっとだよ」

　はしゃぐ浩，団欒の幸せがよりいっそう増幅され，確かなものになって行く。


　その夜，昌彦がリビングのソファーでくつろぎ，新聞を広げていると，浩を寝かせつけ，二階のベッドルームから降りて来た裕子が，入口の所に置いてある植木，ベンジャミンのそばに立って，昌彦を呼んだ。

　「あなた，これどう，似合うかしら—」

　淡いブルーの、透き通るような薄いネグリジェに着替えた裕子が、気取ったポーズをつけ身をくねらせ、悪戯っぽく笑いかける。すばらしいプロポーションだ。

　「いいよ、すごくよく似合うよ—」

　ごくりと唾を呑みこみ、昌彦はうっとりとしてそんな姿の裕子を眺める。

　「それに、すごくセクシーだよ裕子」

　「あらっ、ありがとう。ねえあなた、もうお休みにならないと—」

　誘いこむような微笑で裕子が言う。

　「ああ、そうしよう」

　大きく伸びをして欠伸をひとつもらし、昌彦はもの憂そうにテーブルの上のリモコンに手を伸ばした。脚を高々と組んで悩まし気なポーズで、向かいのソファーに目をやり、ボタンを確かめる。

　〈等身大〉と記された横の、〈原画〉のボタンを押した。

　ゆったりとしたリビング、北欧調の家具で飾りたてられた部屋も、裕子も一瞬ぐらっと揺れ、次の瞬間輪郭がぼやけ、部屋の隅に置いてある、３２ｘ１８ハイビジョンタイプのテレビの画面に、すーっと吸いこまれていった。

　画面では裕子がすごく挑発的な歩きぶりで、寝室への階段を上がって行く所だ。途中で立ち止りふり返り、嫣然とウインクを送ってくる。その後ろ姿にダブらせて、画面にはテロップの白い文字が流れた。

　〈画像倫理規定に依り、この先のシーンはカットされております。ではご機嫌よう、お休みなさい。次回もぜひＨ映像の作品を—〉

　—このビデオも少し飽きたなあ、明日、違ったのを借りて来よう—。

　リモコンのＯＦＦボタンを押す。映像が消えテレビだけがやけに大きな、一ＤＫの家具らしいものが何一つない部屋が、蛍光灯の下に白々とさらけ出される。


　立体テレビと、この種の家庭団欒ビデオの普及で、近頃、結婚する気を無くした若者が増加し、それが出生率の低下という深刻な事態を招き、政府は憂慮していると言う。