（続き）
The music used for the slides was
chairhouse
But Thou Wilt Live With Me In Love - #3818 (84R17 Percent 717 Left) By Chair House 240528
SoundCloud
The storm was caused by a typhoon far to the south and lasted for two days.
During that time, the shutters and curtains remained closed.
It feels chilly even though May is almost over. I switched on the hot carpet and the cat immediately lay down. I, too, lay down next to the cat, some distance away. The warmth is pleasant to my aching back, which I feel again. I rubbed my spring-fingered right hand.
I resisted the urge to doze off and started shooting the doll I had prepared.
I started thinking about Degas's sculptures and the artist's later years, but before I knew it, the word 'gun blue' popped up in my mind. I also remembered my classmate from the sixth grade of primary school who collected model guns.
I had stopped receiving pocket money since I was in the third grade of primary school. Therefore, it was impossible for me to have a hobby of collecting expensive model guns, and I did not even look at the ones in the glass case of the model shop.
The first time I went to visit a classmate that day was in a room in a building near Sogo department stores'. Of course, it was outside the primary school district. The other three people I went to play with were not that far away, but I realised for the first time that they were all outside the school district. They must have had some common circumstance that made them get along, other than being model gun enthusiasts. I didn't fit into any of those categories, so why was I invited that day? Was it because I told one of them that I liked watching the TV drama 0011 Napoleon Solo and that I was attracted to the Walther-P38 U.N.C.L.E. Special?
The first time I went to a classmate's house, he had that P38. Unlike today, model guns back then were made of metal. The muzzle was also open, and I think the only difference between it and the real thing was that bullets could not be shot. We decided to go up to the roof of the building and try it out, and the other three took out the model guns they had brought with them. Each one a different gun. Some were revolver types, others had magazines attached to the grips. I don't remember the details, but that was the first time I heard the name Browning.
They all had a silencer inserted into the muzzle. I was told that if they didn't, they would get angry from all sorts of places.
What I still remember is the complexity and thoroughness of the subsequent disassembly, cleaning and maintenance work on the guns, rather than the test firing itself. The clean-up was longer than the time spent shooting and playing with them, and they were all very enthusiastic about it. It was then that I learned about a fluid called Gun Blue. In response to the explanation that it creates a black rust coat to prevent the gun from rusting, I asked if it was not enough to just oil the gun. Everyone agreed that oil is necessary, but a sticky, greasy gun is not beautiful. Although I thought this made sense, when asked if I would want a model gun even if I had to do that work, I felt that it was impossible.
But there was indeed a dark blue glow on the shiny black barrel, and it was a real beauty.
Model guns at that time were soon afterwards illegal to sell and possess. This was because they could easily be converted into guns and there were frequent incidents.
What happened to my classmates who were maniacs? Only one of them went to the same secondary school. I have never played with him after primary school either.
My classmate's house near Sogo department stores' was, like mine today, dimly lit even during the day.The door to the room where his mother was still sleeping was slightly ajar and I could see a large bed. As I walked past, I could smell something thick, and I wondered why I thought it was the smell of an adult.
Many things that are beautiful are not understood by people, are frowned upon and denigrated as being in bad taste.
Many of Degas's sculptures, made of beeswax, were destroyed by his relatives after his death.
遥か南にある台風の所為で、2日間、嵐になった。
その間、雨戸もカーテンも閉じたまま。
５月が終わりかけているのに肌寒さを覚える。ホットカーペットのスィッチを入れると猫がすぐに寝そべった。私も、猫の横、ある程度の距離を空けて横たわる。腰痛気味だったのを改めて感じるところへ温もりが心地よい。そのままバネ指の右手を摩った。
居眠りしたくなるのを堪えて、用意していた人形を撮り始める。
ドガの彫刻や、晩年の画家のことを考えながら撮り始めたのだが、いつの間にか、頭の中に、ガンブルーという語が浮かび上がる。モデルガンを集めていた小学校６年生の級友のことも思い出した。
私は、小学校３年生くらいから、お小遣いをもらえなくなった。したがって、高価なモデルガン蒐集の趣味は持ちようがなく、模型店のガラスケースの中にあるものを見ようともしなかった。
その日、初めて遊びにいった級友の家は、そごう百貨店近くの、ビルの一室だった。むろん小学校の校区外。一緒に遊びにいった他の三人も、そこまで遠くはなかったが、皆、校区外だったことに初めて気づく。彼らには仲良くなる共通の事情があったのだろう、モデルガンマニアという以外にも。私は、そのいずれにも当てはまらなかったのに、その日何故誘われたのか。テレビドラマの「0011ナポレオン・ソロ」が好きで見ていること、ワルサーP38 アンクル・スペシャルに惹かれることを、その中の一人に話したからなのだろうか。
初めて行った級友の家には、そのP38があった。今とは違い、当時のモデルガンは金属製。銃口も空いていて、弾が出ないことだけが実物との相違点だった気がする。ビルの屋上に上がって、試射してみようということになり、他の三人も持参したモデルガンを取り出した。それぞれが異なる銃。リボルバータイプのものもあれば、グリップにマガジンを装着するタイプも。詳しく憶えていないが、ブローニングという名前は、その時に初めて聞いた。
皆、銃口に消音器を差し込んでいた。そうしないと、いろんなところから怒られるからと聞いた。
私が今でも思い出すのは、試射そのものよりも、その後の、銃の分解、掃除、メンテナンス作業の煩雑さ、徹底ぶりだった。撃って遊んだ時間よりも、後始末の方が長く、彼らは皆、それに熱中していた。ガンブルーという液があることは、その時に知った。銃が錆びないように黒錆びの被膜を作るとの説明に対して、オイルを塗るだけではダメなのかと訊いてみた。オイルも必要だけど、油まみれのべとべとの銃なんか美しくないと皆が口を揃えた。なるほどと思ったのだが、私が、その作業をしてまで、モデルガンが欲しいかどうかと問われるると、無理な気がした。
しかし、黒光りする銃身には確かに暗い青の輝きあり、それは本当に美しかった。
当時のモデルガンは、その後すぐに、販売も所持も違法ということになった。容易に改造銃となり、それによる事件が頻発したためだ。
マニアの級友たちは、どうしたのだろうか。同じ中学校へ行ったのは、その内の一人だけ。その彼とも、小学校卒業後、一度も遊んだことがない。
そごう百貨店近くの級友の家は、今日の私の家のように、昼間も薄暗かった。お母さんがまだ寝ているという部屋のドアが少しだけ開いていて、大きなベッドがあるのが見えた。前を通った際に、何か濃厚な匂いがしたのだが、それが大人の匂いだと思ったのは何故だったのだろう。
美しいと思うものは、その多くは人には理解されず、眉を顰められて、悪趣味だと誹られる。
蜜蝋で作られたドガの彫刻も、彼の死後、親族によって多くが破棄された。
