I work as a part-time teacher, and my income changes depending on how many classes I have. So March is a very worrying month for me. If my classes become fewer next year, most of my income will go to taxes. I remember that my job is unstable.

For non-regular workers, there is a rule that you can work at the same place for only five years. Whether you can work in the sixth year depends on your employer. Many people have to change their workplace every five years.

This is my fifth year at my school. Normally, I should look for a new job. But after my employer asked me many times if I wanted to keep working as a part-time teacher, they decided to hire me again next year. Still, I cannot stop them from reducing my classes.

The economy is getting worse. My school will reduce the number of classes. Because of that, my classes will become about half of this year. My income will also become half. This is a serious problem. I need to find another job to live.

I finished reading Babayaga no Yoru by Masaru Otani.

“Babayaga” is a witch from Slavic folklore who lives in the forest. She is scary, wise, and pushed outside society. When I think about that image, Babayaga looks like a symbol of women who have been hurt and oppressed.

But the novel also has a light, entertaining feeling. It is like a “light violence story.”

Yoriko lives by using strong violence. But even people who do not have such clear strength must live with the abilities they have.

We cannot escape from our own bodies until we die. Whatever body or mind we have, we must live with it.

In work and society, I can be replaced easily. But inside myself, I cannot be replaced. The only person who lives with this body, these feelings, and these memories is me.

That is why I think life is a kind of survival. Even if we are not in extreme situations like Yoriko or Naoko, everyone lives each day with no place to escape. Living is hard work. Everyone faces this hardness. For what purpose, I wonder. After finishing the book, I thought quietly about this mystery.