energy.’
She sniffed. ‘That dog’s a fiend. Better get rid of him. You here to stay?’
‘Not yet.’ This was a sore subject, and Tora hoped the nosy biddy would go back into her house.
But she slipped her bare feet into wooden clogs and waddled to the fence between their houses. The dog, recognizing an arch enemy, growled. Mrs Hamada fixed Tora with an accusing look and said, ‘Hanae’s talking about taking a job. In her condition! You know she’s not very strong. How about asking that grand master of yours to take her in? Hanae works hard, and she’s good with children.’
Tora shook his head. ‘Can’t. The master has no children.’
‘No children?’ She gaped at him. ‘In a noble house? Howcan that be? Your master isn’t … you know?’ She waved a limp hand.
‘No, he isn’t,’ Tora snapped. ‘They had a boy, but he died from the smallpox in the spring.’
‘Oh.’ She relented, as Tora knew she would, having lost her husband and one of her own children in the epidemic. So many had died. It was the reason the small house next to her had become available. She gave him a shrewd look. ‘You aren’t afraid to tell them, are you?’
Tora stuck out his chin. Of course not. We’ll manage. I’ll find a way.’
‘That’s what you men always say. In the end it’s us who have the babies and then have to scrimp and save to put food in their mouths. And nine times out of ten, we end up feeding their father while he squanders his money on wine and loose women.’
Tora was getting angry, all the more so because he could not antagonize Hanae’s neighbor. ‘I’m not like that,’ he growled.
Encouraged by Tora’s tone, the dog burst into furious barking.
Someone called from the street, ‘Tora?’
They turned and saw a young woman with a large market basket over her arm. She was slight and very pretty, with a tiny waist and such fragile wrists that the basket seemed much too large and heavy for her.
Tora gave a whoop of joy and rushed to meet her, the dog at his heels. Taking the basket and putting it on the ground, he swung her up into his arms, while Trouble danced around them, yapping with pleasure.
‘Tora, let me down,’ she protested, laughing. ‘What will the neighbors think? Oh, and Trouble is loose again.’
‘I don’t care,’ he said. ‘I don’t care what anybody thinks. You’re my wife. Why shouldn’t I do as I want with my own wife?’ He swung her around, and she giggled.
At the fence, Mrs Hamada watched, a sentimental smile softening her face. Young love.
But even young love must come back to earth. Tora put his wife down and picked up the basket instead.Hanae caught up the dog’s broken rope and waved to Mrs Hamada.
They walked together through the gate and retied the dog. Then they went inside the small house, closing the door on neighbor, dog, and cat.
Tora took the basket into the small kitchen. ‘A fish?’
‘Yes. For our supper. With some of your cabbage and a few mushrooms.’
‘It’s still early,’ he said, reaching for Hanae again.
She blushed. ‘Let me at least start the vegetables.’
‘I’ll help you.’ He rummaged in a box and brought out a couple of knives, passing one to her. They worked side by side at the wooden counter, scraping and chopping quickly, and when she had tossed the last handful into the black kettle and hung it from the chain over the fire, Tora stirred the coals and added a little more wood.
‘We’re almost out,’ she said, glancing at the wood pile.
He turned to look at her, aghast. ‘You want me to split wood, too?’
She chuckled. ‘No. Of course not. Later.’
He took her into his arms and carried her into the main room they used for eating and sleeping. There he knelt, laying her gently on the single thick mat in its center. He untied her sash and parted her gown.
Later they lay side by side, smiling. Tora felt almost dizzy with love. He turned on his side and put his hand on her still flat belly. ‘A
She sniffed. ‘That dog’s a fiend. Better get rid of him. You here to stay?’
‘Not yet.’ This was a sore subject, and Tora hoped the nosy biddy would go back into her house.
But she slipped her bare feet into wooden clogs and waddled to the fence between their houses. The dog, recognizing an arch enemy, growled. Mrs Hamada fixed Tora with an accusing look and said, ‘Hanae’s talking about taking a job. In her condition! You know she’s not very strong. How about asking that grand master of yours to take her in? Hanae works hard, and she’s good with children.’
Tora shook his head. ‘Can’t. The master has no children.’
‘No children?’ She gaped at him. ‘In a noble house? Howcan that be? Your master isn’t … you know?’ She waved a limp hand.
‘No, he isn’t,’ Tora snapped. ‘They had a boy, but he died from the smallpox in the spring.’
‘Oh.’ She relented, as Tora knew she would, having lost her husband and one of her own children in the epidemic. So many had died. It was the reason the small house next to her had become available. She gave him a shrewd look. ‘You aren’t afraid to tell them, are you?’
Tora stuck out his chin. Of course not. We’ll manage. I’ll find a way.’
‘That’s what you men always say. In the end it’s us who have the babies and then have to scrimp and save to put food in their mouths. And nine times out of ten, we end up feeding their father while he squanders his money on wine and loose women.’
Tora was getting angry, all the more so because he could not antagonize Hanae’s neighbor. ‘I’m not like that,’ he growled.
Encouraged by Tora’s tone, the dog burst into furious barking.
Someone called from the street, ‘Tora?’
They turned and saw a young woman with a large market basket over her arm. She was slight and very pretty, with a tiny waist and such fragile wrists that the basket seemed much too large and heavy for her.
Tora gave a whoop of joy and rushed to meet her, the dog at his heels. Taking the basket and putting it on the ground, he swung her up into his arms, while Trouble danced around them, yapping with pleasure.
‘Tora, let me down,’ she protested, laughing. ‘What will the neighbors think? Oh, and Trouble is loose again.’
‘I don’t care,’ he said. ‘I don’t care what anybody thinks. You’re my wife. Why shouldn’t I do as I want with my own wife?’ He swung her around, and she giggled.
At the fence, Mrs Hamada watched, a sentimental smile softening her face. Young love.
But even young love must come back to earth. Tora put his wife down and picked up the basket instead.Hanae caught up the dog’s broken rope and waved to Mrs Hamada.
They walked together through the gate and retied the dog. Then they went inside the small house, closing the door on neighbor, dog, and cat.
Tora took the basket into the small kitchen. ‘A fish?’
‘Yes. For our supper. With some of your cabbage and a few mushrooms.’
‘It’s still early,’ he said, reaching for Hanae again.
She blushed. ‘Let me at least start the vegetables.’
‘I’ll help you.’ He rummaged in a box and brought out a couple of knives, passing one to her. They worked side by side at the wooden counter, scraping and chopping quickly, and when she had tossed the last handful into the black kettle and hung it from the chain over the fire, Tora stirred the coals and added a little more wood.
‘We’re almost out,’ she said, glancing at the wood pile.
He turned to look at her, aghast. ‘You want me to split wood, too?’
She chuckled. ‘No. Of course not. Later.’
He took her into his arms and carried her into the main room they used for eating and sleeping. There he knelt, laying her gently on the single thick mat in its center. He untied her sash and parted her gown.
Later they lay side by side, smiling. Tora felt almost dizzy with love. He turned on his side and put his hand on her still flat belly. ‘A
Similar Books
