In the long traffic jam on the highway, I saw the words "parking area ahead".

I put on my blinker and changed lanes, just as she had said she wanted me to stop there once.
I could see the parking area, but the traffic on the freeway was not moving forward at all, and she was in a bad mood and did not speak much.
However, when we were only a few dozen meters from the parking area, she suddenly and hurriedly pulled open the glove box in front of the enger seat, fished out the contents, picked up something, ripped open the plastic wrapping, and said,

"Turn up the music!"

Half yelling, and then unbuckled her belt in a messy, clattering motion, and slid into the backseat. I saw her for a moment, holding a cell phone in one hand.
It was, without a doubt, a emergency mini toilet bag.

I turn up the volume of the music playing in the car.
I hear her breathing heavily and the sound of her taking off her jumperskirt. No matter how loud the music is, you can still hear the flurry of activity so close that it hits the chair right behind you.

And then, "Ah, no!" I heard a voice.

Unintentionally, I reflexively looked in the rearview mirror, and there I saw her impatient face, as if she was about to cry.
Immediately she turned her face down. I thought it might be ......, but the next moment I heard a muffled, but quite vigorous and distinctive sound of water.
It changed its sound the more it filled.
She was only able to exhale roughly. Perhaps ...... she made it in time.

She remains in the back seat in silence until we reach the parking lot.
During that time, no matter how much I sealed it, her smell, a peculiar scent, wafts through the air.
The smell of her urine, which she could not hold back even for a few more minutes until the parking lot, and which she had let out, filled the air.

I managed to park the car, and finally, I got out and stretched.

She came out, too, and unexpectedly came into view.

長い渋滞の中、パーキングの文字が見えてきた。

一度パーキングに寄って欲しいと訴えた彼女の言葉通り、ウィンカーを入れてどうにか車線を変える。
見えたは見えたが、やはり一向に進まず、彼女は不機嫌なのかあまり喋ろうともせず。
しかし、パーキングまでほんのあと数十メートルという所で慌ただしくもダッシュボード、助手席の前のグローブボックスを引き開けて、中から車検証やら何やらを漁り、何かを手に取ってそのビニール包装を破いた。

「音楽っ音量上げ、てっ！！！」

そう半ば叫ぶ様にも言うとガチャガチャと乱雑にベルトを外し、後部座席へと滑り込んだ。一瞬見えた彼女の片手に持ったそれは。
見紛うこともなく、携帯トイレであって。

車内で流している音楽の音量を上げる。
荒い息遣いと、ジャンパースカートを脱ぐ音。いくら音楽の音量が大きくとも、すぐ真後ろで椅子に当たるほど近く慌てた様子は耳に入る。

そして「あっ、あ！？」という声。

思わず反射的にバックミラーを見てしまい、そこには今にも泣きそうな焦り顔があって。
それも直ぐに伏せ、もしかして……と思った瞬間、くぐもった、しかし相当に勢いのある独特な水音が響く。
それは満たされる程に音を変えていく。
荒い息を吐き出すだけになった彼女の様子。恐らく……間に合ったようだ。

パーキングに着くまで、彼女は無言で後部座席に座ったまま。
その間、いくら密封したとしても漂う彼女の匂い、独特な香り。
彼女があと少しのパーキングまでの間すら我慢できず、出してしまったものの匂いが、充満していた。

そうしてなんとか駐車に到り、ようやくという様子で外に出て伸びをしたところで。

彼女も外に出てきて、思わず視界に入った。