ジョラあるいはジュジュスの話 The Story of Jora or Jujus

作　犬飼亀戸

竹書房怪談マンスリーコンテスト一次選考通過作品

「母は、誰かを熱狂的に助けたかと思うと、ある日急に冷たくなってその人を突き放したりする人だったんです」

都内の喫茶店で、A子さんは語り始めた。

「特に理由がなくてもですか？」

「本人なりに何かあったのかも。でも何がきっかけかいつもわからなかったです。突然火のついたように怒り出したりとか、よくありました」

「それは、大変でしたね」

「はい、それはもう。もう亡くなって十年ですかね。正直ほっとしてるんです」

「それで、お聞かせいただける怖い話っていうのは、そういう…いわゆる毒親系の話ですか」

「いえ、そうではなくて…私が中学生に上がったくらいの頃、うちの離れに、若い黒人の男性を住まわせ始めたんですね」

「なかなかびっくりですね」

「でしょう？その人は、近所の農業大学の留学生で、アフリカの、どこか小さい国の人でした。母は“苦学生だから助けてあげないと”って。なんだかポコポコした英語を話す人で、私達はなんとかカタコトの英語で話してました。彼はうちの庭が好きだと、特に柳がいいと言ってましたね。その人の名前が、私思い出せなくて…覚えてるのは、ジョラ。ジョラ、ジュジュス…確かそう言ったんです。その、ジョラとか、ジュジュスって言うのは、呪いみたいな…なにせこっちは中学生で、むこうは日本語が話せなかったから、あいまいなんですが、ジョラを取り込むと…鉄が体を通らない。そう言ったんです。ジョラはどんな刃もそれが鉄であれば退ける、と」

「それは、どういう…」

A子さんはジェスチャーを交えながら話した。そのジェスチャーは、遠い日にそのアフリカの青年が、彼女にしてみせたものに違いなかった。

「紙に書く、水に浮かべる…それを飲む、でも、植物だと。…お茶のように…飲む人もいる…着る…身につける。魔法の言葉だと。ジョラ、ジュジュス、鉄が体を通らない…」

「うーん…それが実際なんなのかは、あとからでもわかったんでしょうか」

「いえ、あとから自分でもずいぶん調べましたが、わかりませんでした。それで…母の親切が突然終わるタイミングが、案の定やってきて。もう、鬼の形相で。罵声を浴びせながら出ていけって言って。見ていられなかったです。彼は、最初は何がなんだかわからないという風で…だんだん悲しそうな顔になって。それはもう、寂しそうな顔で、わかったよ、という風に手をふって…あの、その時私達は庭にいました。彼が好きだった庭です。彼は、あの柳のすぐそばに立っていて、柳をポンポンと叩いて、木の幹に何か言いました。そして離れに向かって行って…その翌日に出ていきました。母はそれでもまだ怒りがおさまらないのか、彼が好きだった柳を切ると言い出したんですね。木に罪はないと思いましたけど…園芸屋さんが来て、チェーンソーで刃を入れようとしたときに、ギャリンってすごい音がして、刃が弾かれたんです。その時、何かバチっと弾けて、ちょっと離れて見ていた母の顔に刺さって…目のすぐ下あたりに。傷は浅かったけど、出血もしたし、救急車を呼んで…大騒ぎでした。跡も残さずに治ったけど、その後、あの木を切るとは死ぬまで言いませんでした」

「…鉄だから、でしょうか…」

「何もかもただの偶然かもしれませんが…まだその柳があります。今も思い出すんです。ジョラ、ジュジュス。鉄が体を通らない…」

"My mother was the kind of person who would enthusiastically help someone and then one day suddenly turn cold and shun that person."

At a coffee shop in Tokyo, Ms. A... began to tell her story.

"Even if there was no particular reason?" I asked.

"Maybe there was something going on in her own way. But I always didn't know what triggered it. She would often suddenly become angry as if she were on fire."

"That must have been tough."

"Yes, it was. It has been ten years since she passed away. To tell the truth, I am relieved."

"So, today you have a horror story to share with me, is it about so-called toxic parents?"

"No, it's not, ... when I was in junior high school, she invited a young black man to live in our house."

"That's quite a surprise, isn't it."

"Yes, really. He was an exchange student from a nearby agricultural college, from some small African country. My mother said, 'He is a struggling student, so we have to help him'. He spoke English, maybe with his country's accent, and I managed to speak in broken English. He said he liked our garden, especially a willow tree. I can't remember his name...the one I remember is Jora. Jora, or Jujus...I think that's what he said. Jora or Jujus are like a curse...I was in junior high school, and he didn't speak Japanese, so it's a bit fuzzy, but I believe he said that when you take Jora...iron can't pass through your body. That's what he said. Jora will repel any blade if it is made of iron."

"What does that mean?"

Ms. A... spoke with a gesture. The gesture must have been the one the young African man had made to her in the distant past.

"He said, 'Write it on a piece of paper, float it in water...drink it, but call it a plant...like tea... some people drink it... wear it... . It's a magic word. Jora, jujus, iron does not pass through the body...'.

"Hmmm...did you find out later what that actually was?"

"No, I did a lot of research on my own later, but I couldn't figure it out. And the timing for my mother's kindness to end abruptly came as expected. Her face looked like an ogre. She was cursing at him and telling him to get out. I couldn't bear to watch. He didn't know what was going on at first...and then his face gradually became sad. Then he waved his hand at her as if to say, 'Enough, I understand.' ...we were in the garden at that time. It was his favorite. He was standing right next to that willow tree, and he tapped the trunk and said something to it. Then he went away...and left our house the next day. My mother still couldn't get over her anger, so she told me that she wanted to cut down the willow tree. I thought the tree was innocent... . When the gardener came and tried to put the blade in with the chainsaw, there was a loud clatter and the blade was flicked off. And then something, probably a piece of wood, came flying at her face who was watching from a little distance...just below her tight eye. The wound was shallow, but it bled, we had to call an ambulance...it was a big mess. It healed without leaving a mark. After that, she never said she would cut down that tree until she died."

"Because of it is made of iron... .”

"Maybe everything is just a coincidence though...I still have that willow in the garden. And I still remember it. Jora, jujus. Iron can't pass through your body... ."