新年がくるぞ。ほら！もう着いた！

The New Year fell out of the sky and landed with a thump on the lawn. It sat there, irrespective of the date, inconsiderate of our other plans. It blocked my view of the street, of the spot where I knew my wife's car would be coming soon. With its mass in my way, the honey-colored sunshine revealed nothing. The New Year ate those things from my eyes and left them hungry and wanting.

I wanted to see the flowers in the garden, the ones that I had not wanted and had argued over for an afternoon, and then scoffed at when my wife did the planting, but which I had secretly come to enjoy. I wanted to see the sidewalk and the short section of the street that marched together past my house, wet with rain or melted snow. I wanted to see my favorite TV program. I had never seen it yet.

I put my shoes on, and my coat at the door. For good measure I put on my hat, to look stern, or something. Then I went out to confront this thing. It sat wrapped in fumes of time and was fragrant with so many furtive possibilities. Somehow, for all its massive size, the closer I got to it, the more indistinct it became. Its edges unraveled and spread out like bolts of shrapnel. I crossed a line somewhere along the way, and there was no going back. It had me. I was in the New Year.

What would come of this? I asked myself. Where would this road lead to? Would my wife be able to find me, to follow my trail down paths of time? I hadn't left a note, I hadn't intended to go, just to warn it off. With no way to undo what I had done, I could only have faith in her and trust that her path into this new world would coincide with mine.

Stepping into the New Year, I saw many things. Again my eyes were full. And flowers bloom again, when the time comes for them. And the road and sidewalk bear visitors to and from my door. The TV thing remains unfulfilled, but I am hopeful that one day I'll find a show to enjoy. And, now, here comes the familiar shape of the old brown sedan that my wife uses to go to work and come home again. Even now, in this time, we see our paths come together once again.