ゴールデンウィークも終わって2週間後の土曜日に、私はLine交換していたのでよっしーにLineで「あなただけバイトに来ない？」と誘ってみた。古い写真が大量に残っていたので何とかデジタル化をサクサクと進めたいという気持ちと、大学生になったばかりのよっしーはまだバイトをしていないので多少でもお小遣い稼ぎになればいいかなと思ったのだ。もう2回もうちに来ているのだから、千葉から都内への移動は大丈夫だと思った。一応、秋葉原で総武線に乗り換えて来るようにリマインドした。当日10時に来ることになっていたが、突然何か予定が入ったのでということで12時半にしてほしいと連絡があった。大丈夫ですと応答しておいた。
12時頃、Lineで何時に最寄り駅に着くか聞いてみた。すると突然電話がかかってきて「今〇〇駅です」というのだが、はっきり〇〇駅が聞き取れず、もうすぐ着くと思い最寄り駅に出向いた。Lineで「今、駅に着きました。今どこらへん？」と聞いてみると、すかさず電話が鳴った。「実は今、大学近くの駅にやっと着いたところで、これから電車に乗ります」ということだった。「じゃあ14時頃には着くね。うちの最寄り駅の1つ手前の駅に着いたらLineしてね。駅で待ち合わせましょう」と書くと「はい、わかりました。お願いします」と返事が来た。13時47分に「着きました。今、どこにいますか？」とLineが来た。私は「はや。今行きます」と言って家を出て最寄り駅に走った。しかし、よっしーの姿は見えなかった。うちの最寄り駅は改札が1つしかないので、北口とか南口という表記がない。しかし、駅の北側も南側も走って見に行ったが、よっしーの姿はなかった。
私は不安になり電話した。「今どこ？」「えーっと、北口です。」私は携帯電話を耳に当てながら線路の北側のエリアに走っていって探したがよっしーはいない。「どこ？△△駅にちゃんといる？」と最寄り駅名を言うと、「あっ」という驚きの声を発した。「××駅にいます。」私はどうして？と思いながらも「ああ、ひとつ前の駅で降りちゃったんだね。」と確認した。多分、私が1つ手前の駅に着いたらLineしてねと言ったため、1つ手前の駅に着いたから電車を降りたのだと思った。最寄り駅が△△駅だということは過去2回、職員さんと来ているのだからわかっているはずなのだけど、どうして1つ手前の見慣れない駅に降りて、着きましたとなったのだろう。不思議だった。
私は一つ手前の××駅にいるよっしーに「1番線に来る□□行きの電車に乗ったら1駅で△△駅だから、そこで降りて」と電話で伝えた。今度こそ大丈夫と最寄り駅で待っていた。しかし、10分待ってもよっしーは来ない。不安になって電話すると、ほとんどパニック状態のよっしーが「今◇◇駅に来てしまって」という。ああ、逆方向の電車に乗ってしまったんだ。「じゃあ、降りて反対側に□□行きの電車が来たら乗って。2つ目が△△駅だから」と伝えた。「わかりました。今度こそ大丈夫です！」と力強いよっしーの返事だった。
One day, I sent a Line message to Yossi to see if he wanted to come to my house again to work. The agreed date was one Saturday which was two weeks after the Golden Week. I wanted get rid of my old pictures, plus Yossi had not started looking for a part-time job yet as he just became a college student. He probably needed some allowance for himself. Yossi came to my house twice already, so I thought he could come to my house from Chiba without getting lost. I reminded him to transfer at Akihabara into Sobu Line. He was supposed to come to my house at 10 am. on that day; however, he sent me a Line message, requesting the start time to be changed to 12:30. I responded that was okay.
At around noon, I sent a Line message asking what time he would arrive at the destination. Then, suddenly he called me and said, “I am at such and such station”, but I could not capture this such and such station name. I assumed that he would arrive shortly so I headed toward the nearest station. I sent a Line message, asking “I arrived at the nearest station. Where are you now?” Then, the phone rang again immediately. “As a matter of fact, I am still at the railway station nearest my college. I will be hopping on a train now.” was his response. “OK. Then, you will be here at around 14:00, right?” When you arrive at one station before the final destination, please send me a Line message. I will meet you at the station.” Yossi responded “yes, understood. Thanks.” At 13:47, he sent me a Line message, “I have just arrived. Where are you?” I said, “that was quick. I will head toward the station now.” I rushed to the station, but I could not find Yossi anywhere. The station did not have north exit nor south exit as there is one exit, so I ran to the north side of the track and the south side of the track to see if Yossi was waiting there, but no Yossi.
I was worried and called him. “Where are you now?” “Well, at the north exist.” I ran to the north side of the railway track, while keeping my mobile phone on my ear, but there is no Yossi. “Where are you? Are you at this such and such station?” I gave him the exact station name where he was supposed to get off, and then, “Oh” he uttered. “I am at XX station.” I said to myself “why?” but said to him, “Oh, you got off one station before the final destination, then.” to double check. I thought that he misunderstood what I said earlier, i.e., send me a Line message when you arrive at one station before the destination, so he got off at one station before the destination rather than sending me a message. Yossi should know that the station he needs to get off to come to my house was this station as he had come here twice in the past along with the supervisor, so I was just perplexed how he could have said he had arrived at the station when he got off at the station he was not familiar with. That was a complete mystery to me.
I instructed to Yossi, “please go to the track number 1 and hop on the train bound for such and such. After one stop, that is the final destination for you to get off.” I was sure that this instruction would bring him here safely. I waited for ten minutes, but there comes no Yossi. I was now very worried and I called Yossi. He was in a panic, saying “I arrived at such and such station now.” Oh, my goodness. He took the train bound for Chiba, the other direction. “OK, get off the train and hop on the train which comes to the other side of the platform. The second stop from that station is your final destination.” “Got it. I think I can do it this time.” was his strong response.