Finally, it was my turn to go to school today. Starting this semester, my high school switched to hybrid after the Japanese government issued an emergency alert nationally. It means that some of us take classes online while the rest of us commute and attend the classes in person. I like it when I get to see my friends although I cannot see their smiles because they are covered by the masks. On the train from home to the school, there are barely any people, eerily. Maybe it was because 10 am is past rush hour, but I never get used to not seeing the chairs on the train fully packed, especially on busy lines like the Saikyo line. This morning, I saw a woman, seemingly in her 20s, sitting face down on the platform of Ebisu station. I asked her if she was okay, then she told me that she was on period and got dizzy because of anemia. I was a bit surprised, and pissed off, that no one passing by seemed to care about this woman who was obviously so sick. I was also mad at the company, or even at capitalism, that makes her work even though she is in a condition where she cannot manage to stand up and support herself.
But having those thoughts did not help her in any way. I could not do anything and just left her there. I transited to another line and waited for the train to come. The announcement resonated into the silence of the subway platform. It goes: Mamonaku, densha ga mairimasu… Kiiroi senmade osagari kudasai… The train is arriving…Please stand behind the yellow line… This was probably the first voice that I heard besides the woman who was almost fainting on the platform earlier. I feel so lonely.
Now as I am writing this, I am heading back home from school. Today is Friday! On Fridays, my mother always makes curry for dinner and packs lunch that my two younger sisters and I bring to the school. She says it is because it is easy for her when she does not need to decide what to cook even for one day. I bet this hybrid-style schooling has saved her a lot of time because in that way she does not have to wake up at 5 in the morning and pack her lunch every single weekday. This quarantine makes me reflect on what I have that I do not appreciate enough. I am excited for the curry tonight.