待ちに待った夜が、ついにやってきた。
我が家では3年も前から「いつかは『ハミルトン』を観に行きたいね」と話していた。ブロードウェイからやってきた革命的なミュージカル。音楽もストーリーも素晴らしい。でも、問題があった。チケットが高いのだ。4人で行けば、それなりの額になる。しかも、当時8歳だった娘には少し難しいかもしれない。そう思って、ずっと先延ばしにしてきた。
ところが、ある日ふと思い立ち、妻へのサプライズとしてチケットを調べてみた。
すると、驚いたことに最前列の席が思いのほか安い。視界が一部制限される席だからだろう。だが、私たちにとってはそれで十分だった。劇場の空気に触れ、あの楽曲を生で聴けるなら、多少の見えにくさなど問題ではない。1人あたり£60程度。悪くない買い物だった。
劇場の前でサプライズを明かすと、妻は目を丸くし、やがて満面の笑みを浮かべた。子供たちも歓声を上げる。夜のロンドンに、家族の期待がふわりと舞い上がった。
開演1時間前、私たちは劇場内でドリンクを手にしながら、その場の空気をゆっくりと味わった。観客が次々と席に着き、ざわめきが高まっていく。そして、ついに幕が上がった。
物語はノンストップで進んでいく。息をつく間もないほどに緻密なリリック、圧倒的なパフォーマンス、胸を突き上げるような音楽。気づけば2時間半が瞬く間に過ぎ去っていた。
翌朝になっても、子供たちの興奮は冷めることがなかった。「昨日のハミルトン、最高だったね！」そう言いながら、息子は次のチケットを探し始めている。
家族にとって、忘れられない一夜になった。ロンドンの街は相変わらず気まぐれな天気だけれど、この日の思い出だけは、きっとずっと晴れやかだ。
文：はる『ロンドンでの失職、生き残りを綴ったブログ。小学生と中学生の子供を持つアラフィフサラリーマンが、ロンドンで長年働いた会社からいきなり（当日）の解雇通告を受け、その瞬間からオフィスにも戻れず退職。フリーランスで僅かな食費を稼ぐも、その後の就職活動が難航中。転身開始から８２７日目を迎えた。（リンク⇨８２６日目の記事)』
最近の記事
おすすめの記事
A Night in London with Hamilton
The long-awaited night had finally arrived.
For the past three years, our family had been saying, "Someday, we should go see Hamilton." The revolutionary musical that took Broadway by storm—its music, its story, everything about it was extraordinary. But there was one problem: the tickets were expensive. For a family of four, the cost added up quickly. Plus, at the time, our daughter was only eight, and we weren’t sure if it would be suitable for her. So, we kept putting it off.
Then one day, on a whim, I decided to check the tickets as a surprise for my wife.
To my surprise, the front-row seats were quite affordable. Likely because they had restricted views. But for us, that didn’t matter. As long as we could be in the theater, absorbing the atmosphere and hearing the music live, a slightly obstructed view was a small price to pay. The tickets were around £60 per person—a deal too good to pass up.
When I revealed the surprise outside the theater, my wife’s eyes widened, then her face lit up with joy. The kids cheered, their excitement filling the cool London night.
An hour before the show, we were already inside, drinks in hand, soaking in the anticipation. The murmurs of the crowd grew louder as more people found their seats. And then, finally, the lights dimmed, and the curtain rose.
From the first note, the performance was relentless. The rapid-fire lyrics, the breathtaking choreography, the music that sent shivers down our spines—it was a whirlwind of emotions. Before we knew it, two and a half hours had passed in an instant.
Even the next morning, the kids were still buzzing with excitement. "Last night’s Hamilton was incredible!" they kept saying. My son had already started searching online for cheap tickets, eager to go again.
For our family, it was an unforgettable night. London’s weather might be unpredictable as ever, but this memory would always remain bright and clear.
By Haru – A blog documenting survival after job loss in London.
A middle-aged salaryman with elementary and middle school-aged children, I was suddenly laid off—on the same day—after working for many years at a company in London. From that moment, I wasn’t even allowed to return to the office.
Now, I scrape together a living as a freelancer, earning just enough for food, while struggling through a difficult job hunt.
Today marks Day 827 since the start of my career transition.
Comments