そして父になる (佐野 昌・是枝 裕和)

「金でな、買えるもんと買えへんもんがあるねん。」

Imagine you have a son.
You work hard to give him everything you can.
You prepare him for his school life.
You teach him right from wrong.
You would do anything for him.
After all, he is your son.

But then, after six years of bringing him up you get a call to say there was a mistake at the hospital and he isn't your son at all. The hospital and the lawyers recommend that you give the boy back to his true parents. In return you will get your true son.

You question why you didn't realise.
You question what it is to be a father.

You are torn between a boy you know and love and a boy who is related to you but you don't know. You feel as though you are betraying the boy you brought up if you begin to love your real, "new" son. The boy you brought up, your "old" son doesn't understand why Daddy is sending him away to live with other people. Maybe it's because he failed his piano classes. Your new son finds you boring and just wants to go back to his old life. You find escape at work. You work even when you don't need to. Anything to avoid going home and facing reality.

What can you do to be a good father to both your new and old sons?
What should you choose? Love or blood?
Should you even be choosing at all?  

「そうだよな、パパじゃない… でもな、6年間は…。 6年間はパパだったんだ。出来損ないだったけど、パパだったんだよ。」
「ごめんな。ごめん…」

***

Good book and very smooth to read.
Intermediate-advanced level.