memory ten (day 150)

[seldomseen]

Trivial Negative: 'Something that should have been there...wasn't where it was supposed to be.'

Maria raised the bag with the oden container high......
"..............................Huh......?"
『......Uryu? What is it, Maria?』
".........The key isn't in Maria's pocket."
Standing in front of the door to her house, Maria searched all over her body.
......The key to the house wasn't there.
She always methodically put it in the same pocket.
So there was no way she had put it in another pocket, but she searched her whole body just in case.

......Unsurprisingly, it wasn't there.
『Did you drop it when you took your wallet out......?』
"No. When Maria took her wallet out, definitely felt it. Also felt it when Maria searched her pocket partway here. ......It was there until partway. Didn't drop it! Uu-uu-uu-...!"
Even though the late autumn wind had been bearable when Maria had been thinking of returning home, where the heater was, now that she was confused and had lost her key, she had to deal with it.
But no matter how hard she searched, she didn't find it.
She turned out all her pockets, and even tried taking off her jacket and hitting it, but to no avail.

......Of course, she also turned the knapsack Sakutaro was in upside down, but the key didn't come out.
".........Uu-. .........Uu-uu-uu-!!!"

Something that should have been there...wasn't where it was supposed to be.
Why isn't the key there, when Maria didn't do anything wrong?

......Why isn't it?!
Why?! Why...?!!!
Maria was cold and frustrated and angry, and she stamped on the ground...
The bottom of her foot throbbed, but that didn't lessen her frustration.

......At the same time, her tears poured out.
"......Uu-. ......Uu-!! Uuuu---!!"
It wasn't her fault.
So it's someone's fault.

But Maria didn't know who that someone was, and could do nothing but continue to let out a moan of anger.
『......Uryu...... I'm sure you dropped it partway... Let's look for it, okay? Let's return on the road we came by and search, okay...?』
"......Uu-... Even though Maria went to all the trouble of buying oden, ......and got eggs and stuff for free...... Can't eat it while it's hot...............Uuuu----!!!"
『...Maria......, I know it's frustrating, but let's search, okay...? It's no one's fault..., let's search...』
Maria finally lent an ear to Sakutaro's words, and began to trod back down the road she had come on.

......The wind was colder than it had been, and it felt like it was blowing in through the corners of her jacket in a mean way...
『Uryu... Let's watch our feet closely and search, okay...? Then let's get home quickly, get warm from the heater, and eat oden, alright? I'm sure it'll be delicious.』
".........Uu-. ......Not here. ......Uu-. ......Not here..."

As Sakutaro encouraged her, Maria searched for the key...
But she made it all the way back to the convenience store where she'd bought the oden.
......She hadn't found it.

Just in case, she asked the man at the convenience store whether they had found a dropped key, but they hadn't found anything.
......One more time, she returned home, paying close attention to the area around her feet.
But, unsurprisingly, she didn't find it.
She was no longer frustrated enough to stomp her feet.
......But hot tears dripped down her face.
The oden had cooled down completely.

...Even though she had been told it would be delicious when warm, she hadn't been able to eat it.
......Even though that man had given her so much free stuff......
『......Uryu...... Don't cry............Mama isn't coming back tonight. ......Let's do our best and search......』
".........Why can't Maria find it.........Uuuu......, ......uuuuuuuu!"
『Maria, don't cry...! Let's do our best and search...! .........Maria......』
Maria was no longer able to hold back her tears.

Sobbing, she clutched Sakutaro and held the bag of oden, returning once more down the road she had come by.
Perhaps because more and more houses and stores had turned their lights off by now, it was even darker and harder to search than before.
......And, once again without finding the key, she returned to the convenience store.
"Maria-chan, ......still can't find your key...?"
"...Uu-.........Key, ......not here..."
"Wasn't your mother away for the night? So you can't get into your house without a key?"
"Uu-............Can't get in......"
"Yes, that does seem troublesome... Did you try going to the police? They might be able to help you."
"............Mama said not to talk to policemen, even if they start talking to Maria."
"Oh? Well, why is that?"
"........................"
It was probably because Rosa was liable for making such a young girl like Maria watch over the house by herself, and because she knew that this was not something that would be permitted by society.
So Maria was indoctrinated into changing the stores she bought things at so that she didn't catch the eyes of adults, and into saying no more than a greeting to policemen, even if they talked to her.
Maria had obediently done as she was told.

Instead of considering why she must do that, she was much more concerned with meekly obeying because her mother had told her so.
But the manager of the convenience store probably didn't think of it that way.

......Naturally, seeing such a young girl being forced to watch over the house alone, and so frequently...would cause anyone to worry......
......And then.
After making the round trip between her home and the store once more, and arriving at the convenience store for a third time...
...A policeman was there.

notes
- From Chance's game.
- "all memories come in the form of a chocolate coin wrapped in foil that matches your team colour. both sides of the coin are decorated with a pair of lips. eat the chocolate to get the memory -- one use."