漫才コンビ誕生

　2人の訪問リハの先生が交互に来てくれていて、今回は男性のN先生だった。息子が大得意なかるたを前々回からやっていて、毎回違うかるたをやっている。今回は「あっちゃんあがつくたべものかるた」。息子が大好きなかるたで、おそらくすべての読み札と絵柄を覚えてしまっているから、息子の方が圧倒的有利である。

　N先生はリアクションがとても上手い。上手くしようとしているのではなく、心から楽しんでいるんだと伝わってくる。私や夫はどうしても片手間に息子の相手をしてしまいがちだけれど、N先生は息子と真剣勝負で向き合うことが仕事だから、全力で息子と遊んでくれる。

　2人のかるたのやり取りがめちゃくちゃ面白くて、私は終始大爆笑してしまった。1枚取るごとに、息子が脈絡もない変なことを言う。「ゴリラさんはグラタン食べる？」等。それに対してN先生が「うーん、めっちゃやけどするだろうね！」とテンポよく返す。そのやり取りがまるでボケとツッコミで、リズムよく展開されていく。もはやこれは漫才では？ぜひデビューしてほしい！録画しておけば良かった！息がピッタリの2人だった。

　全力で遊んでもらった息子は嬉しそうで、私も大笑いしてすっかり元気になった。笑うって大事だなと思った。笑ったら力が湧いてきて、無敵になれる気がした。大事なことを教えてもらった時間だった。

　Two visiting rehearsal doctors came alternately, and this time it was Dr. N, a man. They have been playing karuta, which my son is very good at, since the previous visit, and each time they play a different karuta. This time it was “Achan agatsukuru tabe-mono karuta. My son has an overwhelming advantage in this karuta because he loves it and has probably memorized all the cards and pictures.

　N-sensei's reactions are very good. I could tell that she was not trying to be good at it, but was truly enjoying it. My husband and I tend to play with our son on the side, but N-sensei's job is to play seriously with our son, so she plays with him with all her might.

　Their karuta exchanges were so funny that I laughed hysterically from beginning to end. For every card he takes, my son says something strange and out of context, like, “Do you eat gratin, gorilla-san?” and so on. To which Dr. N replied, “Well, you'll get burned so bad! to which Dr. N replies, “Well, you'll get burned very badly! The exchange between the two is like a dialogue between a blur and a comedian, and it unfolds with a good rhythm. Isn't this a form of manzai (comic dialogue)? I really hope he makes his debut! I wish I had recorded it! The two of them were in perfect sync.

　My son was so happy that he got to play with them as much as he could, and I laughed so hard that I felt completely fine. Laughing is important, I thought. When I laughed, I felt like I was empowered and invincible. It was a time that taught me something important.