ある朝、９時直前にゲストハウス庵（いおり）大阪 に電話がかかってきました。ここ数か月、新型コロナウイルスの影響下で、宿泊予約お問い合わせの電話よりも業者からの電話の方が多いのが現状ですが、さすがの業者も早朝や夜遅くには電話をかけてきません。９時前だったので業者ではないだろうと推測しながら、「はい、ゲストハウス庵です！」と電話に出ました。すると、「○○さんですか？」と、庵スタッフの名前をご存知の方のようです。
「先日そちらで宿泊した○○です。」と、男性。
その名前を聞いてすぐに思い出しました。
バイクで投宿された、西国三十三所巡りをされていた30代男性です。初めて宿泊されたにもかかわらず、庵スタッフと話しが盛り上がり、深夜まで語り合ったものでした。
聞いてみると、西国三十三所巡りの全行程を終えて、京都で一週間座禅修行もしてきたとのことでした。そして、「お世話になったので」お菓子を送りたい、とのことでした！
その日の午後には郵便が届き、中には生菓子と一緒にその方による手書きのお手紙が！！
西国三十三所巡りについて触れられた後、「鮎の季節なので干物にして食べて下さい」とありました。…送られてきたのは、果たして鮎の形をした、鮎の名前を冠した、生菓子でした…。
ありがとうございます！！またお会いしましょう！！
I got a phone call at Guest House Ioly Osaka one morning right before nine o'clock. In the past few months, due to the coronavirus, we've been getting more calls from firms trying to make a deal with us than from prospective guests making inquiries, but the firms don't usually call us early in the morning or late at night. It was right before nine, and I answered the phone assuming it wasn't from one of them. 'Guest House Ioly.' said I, with a rather high-pitched voice. Then the voice over the phone said 'Is that you, Mr bla bla?' addressing my own name. Saying 'Yes' still cheerfully, I wondered who it was, knowing my name but calling the Guest House's number, rather than texting or calling on LINE or facebook. It must be someone I knew to know my name, though.
He then said 'It's me, who stayed at your place the other day.' and he gave me his name.
It took me no second to remember the guy as soon as I heard his name out of his own mouth. It was a guy in his 30's travelling by motorbike, doing the Saikoku Pilgrimage. He only stayed at Guest House Ioly one night, and it was his first visit, but we had a great time chatting and we talked until after midnight.
Having found out who he was, I asked him if he'd finished with the Pilgrimage, which is to visit all the designated 33 temples in and near the Kansai region. He said yes, and he even stayed at some place in Kyoto for a week doing zazen!
He called in to check the Guest House's address, phone number and my full name, so that he could send us some sweets, which we received the same afternoon. As I opened the box, there were some sweets together with a handwritten letter! In it he mentioned his past trip, and then he mentioned the sweets he chose for us saying it's the season for the sweetfish, so he suggest we dry them'. The 'fish' we got were sweets shaped like sweetfish...
Nice one, mate! See you again!!
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