二つの同窓会
今月は同窓会が二回あった。一つは教え子の同窓会で、もう一つは私の高校時代の同窓会だ。
教え子の同窓会は南山男子部の教え子達で、10人集まった。44歳か45歳の連中で、独身もいれば、まだ一ヶ月前に赤ちゃんが生まれた(それも双子)という者もいる。K君は九州から来てくれた。もっとも盆休みで名古屋の実家に来ていたのだが。今年はS先生の身体の調子が悪くて欠席されたが、色紙に寄せ書きをして幹事のA君がS先生に渡してくれる。同僚のM先生とは「文禄・慶長の役」の話をしたが、スペインに対抗するため秀吉が朝鮮出兵したのではないらしいことが分かった。
大垣北高の同窓会は約70人が集まった。皆75歳か76歳で、後期高齢者ばかり、男性は白髪か禿げ頭ばかりであった。W君と久しぶりに長く話した。彼の娘さんがエコノミー症候群で五年前に亡くなった事情を話してくれた。ご冥福を祈るばかりだ。今年も4人の同窓生(親友のH君を含めて)が亡くなっていた。300人いた同窓生が、もうかれこれ40人か50人ぐらいは亡くなっているはずだ。恩師のS先生も奥さんの世話でご欠席であった。来年の喜寿77歳で北高同窓会は終りになる予定だ。
わたしもこの先、長年にわたり教え子に囲まれることができるよう、身体を大事にしなければならない。
TWO ALUMNI MEETINGS
Recently I attended two alumni meetings: my Nanzan High School ex-students’ and my high school days’ meetings.
Ten ex-students attended the Nanzan alumni meeting. They are around 44 years old. Some are bachelors, and others married. One of them had a twin babies about a week ago. K-kun came to the meeting all the way from Kyushu. (His home is in Nagoya, though.) Mr. S, my ex-colleague teacher was absent because of his disease. The students and I wrote letters in a shikishi paper, which A-kun took it to Mr. S.
Sixty-seven people attended Ogaki Kita Senior High School alumni meeting. They are either 75 or 76 years old. All of them are so called “Koki Korei sha” (elderly over 75). Men were either bald or had gray or white hair. I talked with my close friend, W-kun after a long absence. He said his daughter had died of economy-class syndrome five years ago after she flew back from London and arrived home. I offer my sincerer prayer for her.
Four alumni members had died during the past year, including H-kun, my close friend. There were 300 fellow alumni, but about 50 of them had died. My home room teacher, Mr. S did not attend the meeting; he had to take care of his wife. The alumni meeting will end next year, our Kiju (77-year-old year).
I hope I can attend my ex-students’ alumni meeting as many years as possible.