On World Water Day, Spice read aloud the water quality data for Dragon God’s Lake.
“clarity , pH, dissolved oxygen — all within the normal range. This town’s water is still clean, even now.”
Sonchō spoke, looking out at the lake’s surface.
“They say water holds memory. People long ago believed that.”
“There’s no scientific basis for it.”
“Maybe not. But this lake — in the years the Dragon God was angry, in the years conflict dragged on — has returned the light the same way, from the same place, every time.”
Spice closed his terminal. Something older than data was there.
“…There are things that can’t be measured.”
“That’s so. But Spice — the fact that you try to measure it — isn’t that, in itself, the greatest courtesy you can show the water?”
Spring light fell onto the lake and shimmered . Spice opened his terminal once more, and this time wrote only: “Log date: spring, clean.”
Margin note: In Spice’s data log, a folder named “Emotional Margin” was created for the first time that day.
【Today’s Drop】
- World Water Day (March 22): An international day established by the United Nations, dedicated to reflecting on the world’s water resources and spreading awareness of the importance of access to safe drinking water.
This is an English translation of “水の記憶”, part of Tales of Amencho Town (蛙鳴町奇譚).