コロナ禍で世界が混沌とするなか、やむを得ぬ事情があった。
家族と一部の仕事関係者以外には誰にも連絡しないまま、
日本に行き、ニューヨークに戻ってきた。
当初予約していたJAL便は、５月末まですべて運休。
ボストン支店長夫妻が心配してアドバイスをくださり、
早々にシカゴ行きのチケットを予約し直した。
しかし検疫で足止めされたら、シカゴで２週間過ごさなくてはならない。
かろうじて週に１便運航しているANA便のチケットを買い直すことだけが、
ニューヨークに真っ直ぐに戻る唯一の手立てとなった。
フライト当日、成田空港はガラガラで、空港内の店舗もすべてクローズ。
搭乗した飛行機は、前方に乗務員がたくさん乗っていたけれど、
乗客は全部で20名ほどで、私の座ったキャビンは、私1人の貸切状態だった。
乗務員はマスクと手袋を着用して、必要最低限しか接客しない。
機内換気システムで、３分間で空気を入れ替えるというアナウンス。
幸い、具合の悪そうな乗客もいないし、ソーシャルディスタンシングも十分。
胸のざわめきと不安感で一睡もできぬまま、JFK空港に到着。
強面をした入国審査官からいろいろ質問された後、ようやく彼が微笑んだ。
「ウェルカム・バック（お帰りなさい）」
夜半から雨が降り始め、通りから救急車のサイレンが鳴り響く。
時差で朦朧とするなか、過ぎ越した時間を振り返る。
日本に戻るフライトは乗客も多いらしく、乗務員の苦労が偲ばれる。
日の丸をつけた飛行機が、いまだ米国を往来していることに心底感謝。
いっそのこと、家族みんなで祖国に引き上げたいけれど、
娘を残して日本には帰れない。
以前のように、自由に往来できる日が再びやってきますようにと願う。
While the world was in chaos due to the COVID-19 disaster, there were unavoidable circumstances.
Without contacting anyone but my family and some of my business associates, I went to Japan and came back to New York.
The JAL flights that I had originally booked were all cancelled until the end of May.
The Boston branch manager and his wife were concerned and gave me some advice.
Early on, I rebooked my ticket to Chicago.
But if I were stranded in quarantine, I should have to spend two weeks in Chicago.
The only thing I could do was to buy a new ticket of ANA flight.
That was barely-there once flight a week, and the only way to get straight back to New York.
On the day of the flight, Narita Airport was so quiet and all the shops in the airport were closed.
The business class of the plane had a lot of flight attendants.
There were about 20 passengers in all, and the cabin I sat in was chartered to me alone.
Flight attendants wear masks and gloves and served only the bare minimum necessary.
An announcement was made that the in-flight ventilation system would change the air in three minutes.
Fortunately, there were no passengers who looked unwell, and there was enough social distancing.
I arrived at JFK airport after not getting any sleep due to anxiety.
He finally smiled after being asked a lot of questions by the strict-faced immigration officer.
"Welcome back.
It started raining in the middle of the night and the ambulance sirens blared from the street.
While I was troubled the time difference, I looked back at the time that has passed.
It seems that there were many passengers on the flight back to Japan, which reminds me of the hardships of the flight crew.
I am grateful that planes with the Japanese flag are still flying in and out of the United States.
I wish I could take the whole family back to my country.
I can't leave my daughter and go back to Japan.
May the day come again when we can come and go as freely as we did before.
人気ブログランキングへ
海外永住 ブログランキングへ "
