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Authors: Patricia Kiyono
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eat with them, but she didn't have much of an appetite. What had their conversation been about? Were they pooling their resources so that they could leave and start over somewhere else? Perhaps they felt they knew enough about farming to start their own. Perhaps â her heart froze at the thought â perhaps they wanted to buy her out!
As soon as the meal was finished, Hanako rose on her knees and reached for the plates to clear them away, but Hiro caught her wrist and stopped her. Her skin warmed at his touch, and the warmth spread up her arm straight to her heart.
"The dishes can wait. Ginjiro and I have something we want to share with you."
Hanako sat back on her heels, apprehensive of the change that she knew would take place. Perhaps she would now know about the mysterious document Hiro and Ginjiro were working on in their hut. Sure enough, Hiro pulled the roll from inside his yukata .
"Ginjiro and I have discussed the matter of wages and benefits."
Hanako's heart sank. Wages? Benefits? She had not paid either of them, and they had received no benefits other than the food from her lands and stream.
"We have agreed we owe you much for what you have given us."
They owe me? What I have given? What does he mean? The questions raced through Hanako's mind.
"We were both in need of a place to stay and a purpose to our days. You have given us that, and excellent meals."
"Butâ"
"Your accommodations are clean and comfortable, and much more suited to our needs than an inn. The air here is cleaner and the surroundings much more peaceful."
"But surelyâ"
"In addition, you are instructing us in a new skill, a noble profession so basic that no one can exist without people like you. In our former profession, we knew nothing of the work you do. Now, no matter what we choose to do with our lives, we will have the skill to provide ourselves with food. So we have figured out what we would have had to pay for an apprenticeship in addition to our lodging. It more than equals the cost of a new home."
Hanako barely glanced at the paper Hiro held. The figures would have no meaning for her. She recognized a few slashes as numbers, but had no idea what they said. Numbers meant little to her, other than the general cost of her needs and knowing which coins would pay for them.
"What is this?" She gestured toward the document.
He angled it toward her so she could look at the figures. She was too ashamed to admit they meant nothing to her. Even the calculations were foreign to her, because they included numbers far greater than any she had ever used. She felt small, so small.
"We have added together the amounts we owe you for our lodging, as well as tutoring in our new profession. And there is a modest retribution for the damage brought by the ronin last year."
"I can't believe you would want to pay me enough for a new home. Besides, you need to subtract what I would pay you in wages for your work on my farm."
Hiro opened his mouth to refute her, but this time Ginjiro intervened.
"Shimizu-san, I owe you my life."
Both Hanako and Hiro turned to him in surprise.
"It is true, Shimizu-san. When I first came here, I intended to commit seppuku . I was unable to find a position as a warrior, the only life I have ever known. I felt I was of no worth and was about to end my life. But you have given me a new purpose, a reason to wake up in the morning. For that I owe you a far greater debt than the figures on that document. I have not much money to offer, but I am honored to work on your farm and will gladly assist in the building of a new home for you. It is the least I can do."
****
Hanako clutched the rolled paper to her chest as she made her way down the dusty road. The sun had barely made its appearance, but Hiro and Ginjiro had already started the work in the field. Hiro had been concerned about her going alone, but she had assured him she would be quite safe walking to her neighbor's home.
The Nakamura home graced
As soon as the meal was finished, Hanako rose on her knees and reached for the plates to clear them away, but Hiro caught her wrist and stopped her. Her skin warmed at his touch, and the warmth spread up her arm straight to her heart.
"The dishes can wait. Ginjiro and I have something we want to share with you."
Hanako sat back on her heels, apprehensive of the change that she knew would take place. Perhaps she would now know about the mysterious document Hiro and Ginjiro were working on in their hut. Sure enough, Hiro pulled the roll from inside his yukata .
"Ginjiro and I have discussed the matter of wages and benefits."
Hanako's heart sank. Wages? Benefits? She had not paid either of them, and they had received no benefits other than the food from her lands and stream.
"We have agreed we owe you much for what you have given us."
They owe me? What I have given? What does he mean? The questions raced through Hanako's mind.
"We were both in need of a place to stay and a purpose to our days. You have given us that, and excellent meals."
"Butâ"
"Your accommodations are clean and comfortable, and much more suited to our needs than an inn. The air here is cleaner and the surroundings much more peaceful."
"But surelyâ"
"In addition, you are instructing us in a new skill, a noble profession so basic that no one can exist without people like you. In our former profession, we knew nothing of the work you do. Now, no matter what we choose to do with our lives, we will have the skill to provide ourselves with food. So we have figured out what we would have had to pay for an apprenticeship in addition to our lodging. It more than equals the cost of a new home."
Hanako barely glanced at the paper Hiro held. The figures would have no meaning for her. She recognized a few slashes as numbers, but had no idea what they said. Numbers meant little to her, other than the general cost of her needs and knowing which coins would pay for them.
"What is this?" She gestured toward the document.
He angled it toward her so she could look at the figures. She was too ashamed to admit they meant nothing to her. Even the calculations were foreign to her, because they included numbers far greater than any she had ever used. She felt small, so small.
"We have added together the amounts we owe you for our lodging, as well as tutoring in our new profession. And there is a modest retribution for the damage brought by the ronin last year."
"I can't believe you would want to pay me enough for a new home. Besides, you need to subtract what I would pay you in wages for your work on my farm."
Hiro opened his mouth to refute her, but this time Ginjiro intervened.
"Shimizu-san, I owe you my life."
Both Hanako and Hiro turned to him in surprise.
"It is true, Shimizu-san. When I first came here, I intended to commit seppuku . I was unable to find a position as a warrior, the only life I have ever known. I felt I was of no worth and was about to end my life. But you have given me a new purpose, a reason to wake up in the morning. For that I owe you a far greater debt than the figures on that document. I have not much money to offer, but I am honored to work on your farm and will gladly assist in the building of a new home for you. It is the least I can do."
****
Hanako clutched the rolled paper to her chest as she made her way down the dusty road. The sun had barely made its appearance, but Hiro and Ginjiro had already started the work in the field. Hiro had been concerned about her going alone, but she had assured him she would be quite safe walking to her neighbor's home.
The Nakamura home graced
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