Saturday, April 18th, 1885 – Lunchtime

17 thoughts on “Saturday, April 18th, 1885 – Lunchtime”

2. Running ahead of Yamaguchi-san, I get to the house first and go running in. And then back out to take off my sandals.
   “Okaasan! We got persimmons. Do you like those?” I can’t remember. Yamaguchi-san is right, though, she loves pears.
   She looks behind me, to the door. “He’s right behind me.” I tell her.

3. “Oh, yes, I do,” I answer, smiling down at her. She’s been running I can tell… always in motion, always in -action-.
   “Come on, we need to get lunch started…” I tie her apron around her, and step outside onto the engawa to see Hajime coming up the road. Smiling at him, I go back inside and lead Makoto-chan to the kitchen.

4. Seeing Hide come out for a moment, I nod my head before she went back inside. Removing my boots at the genkan, I take the persimmons and head straight to the kitchen.
   These will have to be washed…
   “Do you need an extra bucket of water?” I ask, if I’m going to the well might as well do it in one trip.

5. “Yes, please,” I answer, I will need it for washing later. I already have enough for the preparation aspect. “Thank you for bringing those,” I tell both of them.
   Turning to our daughter, I pull up the crate that I have for her to stand on when she helps me in the kitchen. She is already quite tall for her age, but she works better from a little higher up. I remember to tie her sleeves back and then mine.
   “Now, Makoto-chan, this is zaru-soba, it’s one of your uncle’s favorite foods.” I quickly get the flour and water together, “this has to be done just right to get the texture correct.” I frown a little, not sure how to describe it. Instead, I set out a little scoop of flour in it for her. “Add water a little at at time, like this.” I show her from where I’m working, and she watches me carefully. “Try it.” She does, working a little in, as I guide her hands in pressing the dough. “Good…” I tell her, as she moves her hand to her face to brush her hair back and ends up with flour on her cheek. I smile at her. “Now, see how that feels? That’s what you want.” I bring out a rolling stick. “We roll it out. The stick is a little heavy so why don’t you help me with it?” Not that I need help, but it’s better than me telling her that I’ll do it for her.

6. “Alright.” I head out and pull some water from the well. As I transfer it to the two buckets, a thought comes into my head… A water system has already been established, albeit a bit primitively in Tokyo such that wells were a secondary source. But doing my research, apparently Ito is a place that receives development plans later than the other prefectures. This makes sense though, after all Ito does not have the same government agencies in Tokyo, nor the same history of Kyoto. In this respect Japan is still backward.
   I come back inside and move around the two, depositing one bucket for Hide’s use later and taking a basin of water to wash up the persimmons. After doing so, I go behind the table to sit and watch.

7. “Thank you,” I tell Hajime, looking at him for a moment with a smile before going back to the lesson.
   I bring out a knife. “Stand back, Makoto-chan.” I don’t really want her with anything sharp just yet. I cut a few, and hold them up. “See? This is how they should look.” I’ve not made soba in … a long time.
   Looking at our child, I wonder if he remembers that I served him soba that spring afternoon in the garden?
   The water is already boiling. “This shouldn’t take long at all. If you’re not using fresh noodles, it will need more time.” She seems bored as we wait for the noodles to cook, playing with the bits of flour still on the counter. I hand her a rag and set her to wiping it off, as I add cold water. Once they’re done I drain off the water and pour cool water over them that I had ready. I have Makoto-chan help me put them on a tray, “watch that they don’t clump together,” I point out, and I cover it with a cool wet towel.
   “Now, to the sauce. This is my secret to soba that is more than -passable-.” I glance back at Hajime before looking to Makoto-chan. I set out the ingredients, bringing the liquid ingredients to a simmer. She seems bored, fidgeting as she stands on the crate… so I finish the tsuyu without too much instruction. As it cools she does help me get the plates out, and soon we’re presenting it to Hajime.
   We sit and I look over to Hajime. “So… do tell me… how is it?”

8. Time passes and I just sit watching and waiting. I think I’m starting to grow hungry but one should not force a cook to hurry or the food will spoil, which would be a shame in Hide’s case. I -have- missed someone cooking for myself, well a few acquaintances did and some good establishments had decent noodles… It’s just that somehow it’s not the same. I probably will never find out why though.
   With the way Makoto’s been fidgeting and letting her attention fall prey to everything else except cooking… I’m almost certain this is just boring the child to death. “Listen to your mother Makoto.” I say under my breath, a child should pay attention even if she doesn’t like what’s happening in front of her. It’s discipline… Which reminds me I should speak with Hide about Makoto about several things…
   “Now, to the sauce. This is my secret to soba that is more than -passable-.”
   She glances back at me and a smart remark almost escaped from my mouth, about that time we used to… I stop myself realizing we weren’t alone and just smile slightly and look at the edge of the table. An old memory, I wonder if she remembers?
   “So… do tell me… how is it?”
   I take a few strands and dip it in the tsuyu… Ah exquisite as always… But I’ll never tell her that, she knows it already. “Much better than the last time… Probably because you’ve had help.” My daughter isn’t paying much attention but it’s alright for -now-.

9. I -know- I’m an excellent cook.
   But even the lightest of compliments from him… I can’t help but smile.
   I taste some for myself. Of course…
   “I was afraid I’d be out of practice… but my helper did make all the difference.” Makoto-chan smiles back, and goes back to eating. I have the idea she will never love cooking as I do…
   Of course, having someone to cook -for- makes even something as simple as soba a delight.
   Makoto-chan voices her approval. “Good.” I wasn’t sure if it would be to her tastes, especially plain like this. Children don’t have to be copies of their parents in taste and appearance… but some things are there. “Do finish your lunch, though, Makoto-chan.” I over to Hajime, thinking of the one time he didn’t finish the soba I had made for him.

10. When not distracted I can eat rather efficiently so it doesn’t take too long before I’ve had my fill. Not sure if Makoto liked the soba or not, she seems to… Not that it would matter really it is just food after all. I bring my bowl to the sink, then took the persimmons to the table and bit into one. It’s crunchy to say the least, just about good as apples.
    “Once you two are done,” I move the bowl of fruit towards them, “not too bad for dessert as well.”
    With that I thank the two ladies and go out towards the back to smoke while eating the kaki. We’ll be going to the beach soon I think, but from here I can already see how vast it is.

11. We eat the persimmons… they have a good taste to them. Makoto-chan helps me clean up – and once we have everything from lunch put away, I send her upstairs to get her old sandals – no use in her getting sand in her newer ones. I get the picnic blanket out to take with us as well.
    I go to see Hajime on the engawa. “Ready for the beach? It’s still cool… but a fine day.” I ask as I wait on our daughter.

12. “No not really.” I answer her still looking down at the long expanse of white sand. Ito the town of the tourist, too many people who probably has nothing worthwhile to do or perhaps don’t want to do anything… I’ve never been the one who loved to tarry by the ocean shores. Yaso had wanted to see it everyday so it was always an easy bargain whenever I did something stupid to garner her displeasure. I smirk slightly at the thought.
    “Inland waters has been my preference, calm serence and -certain-.” I look over at her, there are things that have changed and perhaps before I took unnecessary risk… Now, I find it hard to move, to even accomplish the littlest of things. How pathetic. I grin slightly, “But if Makoto’s lucky, she might find a big sea tortoise.”

13. No not really
    I try not to let that effect me. They’re just words.
    Keeping my face composed, I out to the ocean. “Ah, I do like it… the rhythm, the sound. It sparkles on the surface yet has hidden depths. It’s never quiet.” Moving to this house where I could always hear the sea… a sound that could drive away some of the more irrational, dark moments of my mind… it’s not that I hate silence like Hajime does but sometimes, when I felt most alone… to not have it was one of the small comforts I had.
    “Next time… we should go to the Matsu-kawa. It’s not always about finding turtles, after all.”
    “At least with it still cool it won’t be at all crowded… and at this time of the day most of the onsen guests are still recovering from over-eating at lunch.” I touch my hand to his shoulder. “And yes, sea tortise… she’s still talking about that story, you know.”

14. “Ah, I do like it… the rhythm, the sound. It sparkles on the surface yet has hidden depths. It’s never quiet.”
    “Ah…” I spoke as if I understood what she is saying. It’s never quiet she says, that’s good perhaps she’s found peace that way. As the years went by, I wasn’t really sure whether to afford the peace and loneliness that silence brought, or wish for the endless prattle that I thought was good company.
    “Next time… we should go to the Matsu-kawa. It’s not always about finding turtles, after all.”
    “No it’s not…” I look back at her and then looked right pass her, “But it’s not about finding bodies of water either.”
    She touches my shoulder, telling me that it won’t be crowded. I nod. It would be preferable.
    “And yes, sea tortise… she’s still talking about that story, you know.”
    “Oh I see. Perhaps tonight I shall read her another one, she did write me asking for it.”
    Waiting for Makoto, I take a longer drag. “It’s a nice day out, I like the cool breeze.”

15. They’re just talking about oceans and rivers and things. Hmmm.
    Oh, and telling me stories. I was going to tell him, yes, he should tell me a story, but then they would know I was -listening-.
    I step out onto the engawa.
    “I’m ready to go, Okaasan.” I take her hand and look up at Yamaguchi-san.

16. I’m a bit surprised when Makoto suddenly appears and takes Hide’s hand. I wonder if she heard anything? No, it’s alright we were at best speaking in tongues.
    I move discretely to let Hide’s right hand fall to her side. Looking at both of them, “So is there a nice big tree where I can lean on? I’m afraid of the sun…”
    My face contorts slightly, what a horrible joke.

17. “Afraid of the sun?” I -think- that was meant as a joke. It’s not so much the -content- of it as the attempt that makes me smile. “We shall try to find a place to keep you -protected-.”
    One day… we will be comfortable again around each other. Six years… is a long span of time to have passed, no matter what kind of past we shared.
    Makoto-chan answers. “Yes, there’s trees at the edge. Okaasan usually watches me from there.”
    With our daughter, we head off to the beach.
    (OOC – move to a new thread)

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