(Midori)
I can see that indeed, Saturday practice is a thing – from the window in my room I watch the entire kendo squad running laps around the perimeter of the school grounds. Hmm… coach is a hard taskmaster and even if only the top two are going, he’s making the entire team work towards it. But they’ve only just started what is supposed to be an entire morning of drills, so I have time…
Maybe it’s the forgotten birthday – which I don’t care about – or I’m just restless. It’s with the change of seasons I miss Sakata – the first of the -cold- winds coming down from distant lands. Father told me about them – Korea, where he brings us gifts of fine brocade fabrics and asture white pottery, simply decorated; or Russia, where they remain loyal to an emperor on the other side of the world, across a wide frozen land…
But fall in Tokyo it’s just… rain.
I grab my umbrella and, leaving a note for Yamaji-sensei, head out towards the neighborhoods near Ueno park. My favorite, and second favorite bakery, is closed today, but I stop at a nice shop selling senbei, and purchase a variety. I shouldn’t always bring sweets, Makoto-chan is still a child. And there’s a fruit stall next door, so I buy some pears. They’re in season, and they’re from my Yamagata prefecture. Not my favorites, but maybe they’ll taste of home?
Not that I’m homesick. It’s been a long time since it was my home, after all.
Now I’m ready to be a good guest, and stepping outside of the shopping area the rain has started, so I open my umbrella. I go on my way for another block and realize… I’m not alone. I stop walking, and glance back over my shoulder.
“Really, Tsurumi-chan, if you’re going to follow me you should have brought your umbrella. And worn your uniform boots.”
She doesn’t say anything so I keep walking.
“You’re going to make yourself sick.” I sigh. Then her mother will come and that will be all sorts of problems. I don’t miss Masawa-chan but I do miss her as company for Tsurumi-chan – they were more aligned. But it can’t be helped, Masawa-chan left the school to prepare for marriage…
“What’s the point if I die; you’re taking everything from me,” I hear her say. I turn around and walk back over to her.
“Whatever do you mean?” I ask, trying to hold out my umbrella to her, but she scurries off instead to try to find shelter in some trees which overhang the street.
She glares at me. “You’re off to toady to that woman, and arrange to take Tsutomu-kun away from me!”
Is that all? “Hardly,” I say, trying not to roll my eyes at -that-. “I just turned fourteen and I’m not marrying anyone right now,” I tell her.
But this doesn’t seem to sway Tsurumi-chan.
“Nishino-san?” I hear another voice, and it’s… Yagi-san?
—
(Sakaya Tsurumi)
Midori-san seems to be amused by my heartbreak! By my resolve! I’m a samurai’s daughter, though, and a little rain won’t kill us! Why, I’m of the blood that defended Aizu castle…
But it’s then that -she- shows up! The mistress of Fujita-sensei’s captain!
“What are you doing out in the rain?” she asks Midori-chan. “Is this one of your friends?”
Midori-chan bows at her. “Ma’am, I was coming to your home to visit Makoto-chan. And this is Sakaya Tsurumi-chan from my school, she… was coming along.”
That plain woman looks at me and she -frowns- a little. “Well, Makoto-chan isn’t at home… she’s at the school, helping out the kendo team – fetching and whatnot.” She’s quiet for a moment. “But why don’t you both come by, to dry off and get warm? My home is only around the corner.” She looks at the both of us. “But this is my first time leaving the baby, so I’m anxious to get back.”
She starts to walk and I go over and grab Midori-chan’s arm as she follows. “We can’t go to -that- house!” I whisper furiously to her. “Think of our reputations!”
Midori-chan gives me one of her -looks- and it’s not fair that she’s younger but taller! “Fine, go back to school in this rain, without an umbrella. Or you can be sensible.” She pulls my arm. “And be -polite-, for goodness sake. She obviously knows who you are when it comes to Makoto-chan.”
Polite! As if I need to be reminded! Besides… maybe I can do some good for Tsutomu-kun, and he and Fujita-sensei will be -most thankful-.
(OOC – to be continued)
(Sakaya)
“Didn’t she just have a baby? Why is she out of the house?” I whisper loudly to Midori-chan. “My mother stayed at home for -100- days.”
“Stop it,” she whispers back, and jabs me a bit with the handle of her umbrella.
“I had an errand, Sakaya-san,” that woman calls back out. How rude! Listening to me!
But we’re soon there and it’s a -nice house-. If Fujita-san can afford this for his mistress… what sort of hovel is Fujita-sensei being left with? Or did he just dump her on family back in Aizu? She lets us in.
“If you girls want to clean up and dry off a bit – the washroom is past the bedroom, there – we have hot water,” she says, with a smile.
Why is she smiling?
“Don’t you know who I am? I’m Sakaya Tsurumi -”
She looks at me. “Yes, I know what you’ve been doing to Makoto-chan.” A younger woman comes in and hands her the baby, and her face lights up. That woman looks back at me. “But I still wouldn’t wish for a child like you to be out in the rain, risking illness.” She then smiles. “Off with you both, now, and get yourself dry – there’s also plenty of towels.”
I go the way she sent us. “Why is she so stupid, Midori-chan? With that dumb smile of hers?
She can’t mean it. She’s just showing off how nice she can be!”
Midori-chan closes the washroom door. “She’s being a good hostess. And you’re being a rude -child-.”
I take the towel she hands me. “Oh, stop it. You’re just being nice to your future mother in law!”
(Midori)
I guess the other woman was the cousin that Makoto-chan talks about. Yuki something? It’s nice to have family together…
I sigh, as I take down my ponytail and start to rub my hair dry. “Firstly, no, I’m not out to marry Tsutomu-kun. And Fujita-sensei is still his mother – and would be the mother-in-law of anyone he marries, and I doubt that Yagi-san is the one who will arrange his wedding.”
“Oh listen to you – ”
I turn around. “Tsurumi-chan, just… stop it. -You- followed -me- today. We’re guests in this house and I -know- you were raised ‘properly’.”
She just huffs and tosses her hair, sending droplets flying. “I don’t think my father would expect me to be polite to someone like her.”
Would he? I’m just a country fisherman’s daughter but I would know how to behave.
“Why did you come anyway?” She’s finally drying out her hair – good.
I place my towel down. “Don’t you miss it? Being with a family? Not just a school, full of adults -paid- to take care of you?” I remember the other week, laughing…
But that boy has -yet- to repay me my cake…
“Not at all! My so-called mother…” she huffs. “She’s not much different than Makoto-chan’s mother. Rotten women, all of them.”
There’s a knock on the door. “Ladies? I left fresh tabi out for the both of you – wet feet are as bad as wet hair for illness. Your shoes are by the fire, as well.”
“Yes, see, there she is, taking us down with dry socks,” I say, rolling my eyes.
“That’s where it starts – ”
I don’t realize that Yagi-san is still out there until I hear her voice again. “When you’re ready, I’ll have tea and snacks for you in the kitchen.”
(Sakaya)
So we’re dry and present ourselves to that woman as we were told to. She introduces us to the other woman – she’s Fujita-san’s niece? I guess she threw over her auntie for this woman…
I look around. “Oh? You eat in the kitchen?” I ask. Isn’t this a proper home?
“It’s the warmest in the house,” she answers. “Although, were Makoto-chan here, she’d insist you go out and have refreshments in her treehouse.” She indicates the large tree in the back garden…
“I told you it was real, Tsurumi-chan…” I hear Midori-chan say, and she’s -smiling- as she looks at it.
So it’s real but it’s still foolish! To do all of that for a child!
Midori-chan and that woman make polite talk about the weather or whatever and she serves tea and snacks but I just think.
How… how does Tsutomu-kun do this? Sit at a table like a country farmer. Does she smile those fake smiles at him? Ply him with castella cake?
I don’t eat it!
Or drink her tea!
Suddenly I just -burst- out. “I’m not going to apologize! I’m defending Fujita-sensei!” I glare at that woman. “You can’t make me! Not to you!”
Yagi-san puts down her teacup, and refills Midori-chan’s, all while holding the baby. She’s just quiet and I want to scream at her. Then – “She’s a child. What I did…” she shrugs. Shrugs! “You shouldn’t transfer it to her. I’m sorry that you miss your teacher, but it’s not Makoto’s fault. But you’re just a child yourself -”
“Oh? Are you going to tell me that you’ll understand when I’m older? I’ll -never- be a woman like you! Stealing another woman’s husband!” Midori-chan is giving me one of her -looks-. So what? I’m here, aren’t I? Fujita-sensei wouldn’t even -speak- to this woman, I’m certain, and now she’s been sent away… I’m the -only- one left who cares about her.
Yagi-san is quiet, and then she smiles a little, down at her hands. “I wouldn’t wish it for anyone. It’s a high price to pay. But, in time, as you experience the world… well, you should know now that cruelty to an innocent won’t make you feel better. Did it?” She looks at me, that plain face all -serious-. “When you strike a child did it bring your teacher back? When you bully Makoto-chan, does it fix whatever you don’t like about your life?”
I just turn my head away from her. What does she know?
Midori-chan picks back up the conversation, asking about the baby. It’s fat and doesn’t look a thing like the handsome captain -or- Tsutomu-kun.
“I don’t bother her anymore,” I mutter, more into my teacup than out into the room. Makoto-chan’s mother just looks at me, and nods.
“I’m glad to hear it. But I was never the person you needed to apologize to.”
-Whatever-… ugh.
(Midori)
“Would either of you like to feed the baby? I have the milk in a bottle,” Yagi-san says, getting up and opening a wooden box and taking out a glass. “She can’t hold her head up yet so you have to be careful.” I notice that she’s wearing the little sleeper I made her. She’s going to outgrow that soon – when Makoto-chan said that she was a -big- baby I thought it was childish exaggeration.
“Oh I don’t know I might drop her!” Tsurumi-chan stammers. She seems a little stunned.
“I want to,” I say. Yagi-san shows me how to hold the baby, and the bottle. Ai-chan closes her eyes and starts to drink. “I have a niece and two nephews in Sakata I’ve never met,” I tell the baby. She opens her eyes and just watches me. “I wonder if they’re like you.”
“Babies are all alike,” says Tsurumi-chan in a withering tone. “They eat and they sleep.” But she keeps looking at the baby. She has three younger siblings of her own that she never sees, but… her family is -here-. She’s just… stubborn.
Yagi-san speaks, “they have a lot of growing to do. So they need people to take care of them, carefully, lovingly. Ai-chan will not remember this day… but it all becomes a part of her word, the people around her.” She takes the baby from me as the bottle is now empty, and puts the baby on her shoulder to help it release gas.
Tsurumi-chan blurts out, “That’s a loud burp!”
Yagi-san only smiles. “She’s a healthy eater. I don’t know if she’ll be tall, like her brother and sister, but she does like to eat.” She puts the baby on her lap, where it makes babbling noises at her, and Yagi-san coos back at Ai-chan. She then looks back over to us.
“I need to put this one down for a little nap – you girls are welcome to stay and wait for Makoto-chan and Tsutomu-kun to return,” she offers.
I look outside. “The rain has stopped. We should go ahead and go.” I look over at Tsurumi-chan, who’s back to looking away from us all. “Thank you for your hospitality, ma’am.”
(OOC – the girls will exit. Yukiko-san can comment/etc, if not, Hide will post later to wrap this up)