ある絵本専門店がある
オーナー夫婦が営んでいる
絵本への愛情がある
子どもへの愛情もある
その二つが、店の隅々にまでにじんでいる
素敵な絵本屋だ
その絵本屋のGoogleマップに、長い口コミがあった
星は一つだった
子どもが絵本を手に取ろうとした
店主は、歓迎しているように見えなかった
投稿者は戸惑った
腹を立てた
もう行かない、と書いた
他のコメントで、自分のことを何か言われたらしい
追記があった、さらに長かった
初めは小さかった「モヤモヤ」
追記によって、モヤモヤの立派な建造物になった
店には、店の事情がある
本屋に並ぶ本は、本である前に商品でもある
傷めば売れない
1,500円の絵本を１冊売って店にいくら残るのだろう
400円か500円ほどだという
１冊が売り物にならなくなれば、
その穴を埋めるために、別の本を３冊ほど売らなければならない
小さな子どもに悪気はない
悪気はないが、折れたページは元に戻らない
絵本は、手に取るためにある、開くためにある
小さな子どもなら、親が子に読み聞かせる
そして、絵本屋の絵本は、売るためにある
触れてほしい
でも、傷めないでほしい
店主は、その二つのはざまに立っている
親の気持ちも分かる
親子で本を読む写真を見れば、自由に手に取れる店だと思うだろう
店にも、説明できることはあった
見本を置く
閲覧できる本を分ける
ひと言、お願いを書く
たぶん、どちらにも事情があった
口コミには、客が店に星をつける欄がある
でも、店が客に星をつける欄はない
「説明を聞かなかった」
「子どもから目を離した」
「店主の表情を勝手に読んだ」
そう書いて、客の名前の横に星を一つ置く仕組みはない
客は評価する
店は評価される
初めから、バランスを欠いている仕組み
もちろん、口コミには役目がある
危険な店を知らせる
悪質な商売から、次の客を守る
ただ、自分の不機嫌な感情を
みんなのための忠告、と正当化する人がいる
「皆さんもお気をつけください」
そう書くと、個人的な腹立ちは、公益通報のような顔をする
書いた人の名前は、よく分からない
書かれた店の名前は、よく分かる
なぜ店主はそうしたのか
何を守ろうとしていたのか
そこまで考えると、言葉の勢いは少し鈍るはず
たぶん、その鈍さは必要なのだ
自分の感情は自分で消化する
それが、大人だ
私はGoogleから離れる
書いた人は、ずいぶん勝手な人だと思う
会ったこともないのに
そして気づく
その人に星を一つ、つけていた
There is a picture-book shop.
A husband and wife run it.
They love picture books.
They love children too.
You can feel both.
In every corner.
It is a lovely shop.
On Google Maps, I found a long review.
One star.
A child had reached for a book.
The owner had not looked pleased.
Or so the reviewer thought.
The reviewer was confused.
Then angry.
They would never go back, they wrote.
Someone had apparently said something about them in another comment.
So they added an update.
It was longer still.
At first, there had been only a small unease.
A nagging feeling.
With the update, it became something grander.
A monument to grievance.
But every shop has its reasons.
The books on its shelves are books.
They are also stock.
Damage them, and they cannot be sold.
How much does a shop keep from a ¥1,500 picture book?
¥400, perhaps.
¥500 at most.
If one book is ruined, the shop must sell another three to make up the loss.
A small child means no harm.
Of course not.
But good intentions will not smooth a creased page.
Picture books are there to be held.
To be opened.
For a small child, they are there to be read aloud by a parent.
But the books in a bookshop are also there to be sold.
Please, pick them up.
Please, do not damage them.
The bookseller stands between those two wishes.
I understand the parent too.
A photograph of a parent and child reading together suggests a certain kind of shop.
A shop where books may be picked up freely.
The shop could have explained things better.
It could have provided browsing copies.
It could have set aside books that were safe to handle.
It could have put up a short, polite notice.
There were probably reasons on both sides.
A review site lets the customer give stars to the shop.
It does not let the shop give stars to the customer.
‘Would not listen.’
‘Took their eyes off their child.’
‘Decided what the owner’s expression meant.’
There is nowhere to write such things.
No way to place a single star beside a customer’s name.
The customer judges.
The shop is judged.
That is how it is arranged from the start.
Reviews have their purpose.
Of course they do.
They warn us about dangerous places.
They protect the next customer from dishonest businesses.
But it is easy to take a private irritation
and dress it as a public warning.
‘A word of caution to others.’
Write that, and personal anger takes on the air of public service.
The reviewer’s name tells us very little.
The shop’s name tells us exactly where to look.
Why did the owner act as they did?
What were they trying to protect?
Think that far, and the words may lose some of their force.
They may slow.
Perhaps they should.
Our feelings are ours to deal with.
That is part of being an adult.
I close Google.
What a selfish person, I think.
I have never met them.
Then I realise.
I have just given them one star.