Miraijin—Marina

Miraijin’s relationship with her grandmother Marina is marked by attentive care over time. As Marina’s condition leaves her vulnerable, Miraijin’s efforts help her improve until she can move and live independently; their bond is shown most clearly through the quiet contrast between Marina’s fragility and the practical change her granddaughter’s care has made possible.

Care and Independence

At Marco’s gathering near the end of his life, Marina is among the relatives and friends Miraijin has brought together. When Marco looks toward her, Marina holds his gaze only briefly, then lowers her eyes and shakes her head. The moment gives their relationship a restrained, visible presence within the larger farewell: Marina is there, but does not sustain the encounter.

The account describes Marina as deeply affected by time and medication, comparing her to a wounded gazelle. It also records a change: over the years, with Miraijin’s attentions, Marina has improved enough to move and live independently. The narrative thus connects Miraijin’s care not to a single gesture but to a gradual restoration of everyday autonomy.

The Final Gathering

Miraijin’s concern for those who will remain after Marco’s death shapes the gathering in the living room at Piazza Savonarola, which has been converted into a hospital room. She brings together people Marco had lost contact with, including Marina, so that the farewell becomes a gift to the survivors as well as an occasion for him. Marina’s presence places the grandmother-granddaughter bond among the relationships Miraijin is trying to hold together.

The scene does not explain Marina’s thoughts or give her an extended exchange with Miraijin. Instead, it shows her through a fleeting look and withdrawal, while the account of her improved independence supplies the longer history behind that brief appearance. Care is therefore rendered both as a continuing practice and as a change whose effects remain visible even when Marina cannot stay in the room.