Prologue
Hida Province
Sixth year of Tenpo
Kannazuki
Suo wiped her brow with the back of her hand. She looked eagerly at the midwife who washed her crying newborn in the birthing tub.
"Auntie. Is it a boy?" she asked.
The older woman grunted. The mother sighed and leaned back against the wall. She closed her eyes. A boy, finally. She felt the fatigue of the last few hours wash away. The gods had finally answered their prayers.
She heard a soft giggle and opened her eyes to see her two daughters peeking through the door. She gestured for them to come in. Her youngest kicked off her waraji and skipped to the midwife to see her brother. The eldest took off her own waraji then tidied hers and sister's before climbing up to join her mother.
"Kakama, is it another bi?
Suo wiped her legs with the rag her daughter had handed her. She shook her head with a smile.
"No, Aki-chan. It's not a girl. It's a boy."
The nine year old child's eye gleamed with joy.
"Gote is going to be so happy!" she exclaimed. She clapped her hands.
Suo nodded as she lowered the hem of her well-worn yukata, checking for stains. This birth had been much easier than the last one. She threw a glance at her youngest daughter, Chiyo. The three year old fussed over her brother while the midwife tried to swaddle him. She longed to hold him but there was work to be done. She slowly walked to the edge of the platform and sat down to tie her waraji. Aki copied her mother. Finally, she was handed her newborn son.
He had stopped crying but his tiny round face was still red and wrinkly. Such a big and healthy boy, she thought.
"Kakama, will he always be that ugly?" asked Chiyo with concern.
"I think he looks just like you," replied Aki, blowing her sister a raspberry.
Suo laughed.
"I think he looks perfect," she said softly.
"It was a good birth. He is strong," said the midwife as she handed the mother an obi.
Suo nodded and set about to secure her child on her back. Aki helped. The woman stood up and took a few tentative steps. A bit wobbly but strong enough. The old woman handed her a bamboo cup with a dark pungent liquid.
"Do I have to, auntie?" asked the mother.
The old woman shook her head.
"Why ask if you're going to drink it anyway?" she asked.
Suo gulped down the drink and grimaced. Chiyo laughed.
"Let's go introduce your baby brother to gote."
The mid-afternoon sun neared the ridge of the mountains, threatening to plunge the valley in the darkness soon. Suo breathe the cool autumn air. She looked at their little plot of land with love. Now that she had a son, now that they had an heir, the family name would live on. When their daughters got married and moved away, there would still be someone to till the earth and keep it alive. She could feel his warmth against her back. His little beating heart echoed hers. She squeeze her daughters' hands when her husband came into view. The girls let go of her and ran to their father bent over in the field, cutting rice stalks with a sharp kama. He stood straight when he heard their voices. She saw his silhouette against the light. His rounded back told the story of his labor. Nevertheless, he greeted his daughters with kindness, patting them on the head affectionately. They met at the edge of the field.
"Is it another…?" he asked anxiously.
She smiled and shook her head.
"It's a boy."
Motoyoshi beamed, suddenly revived by the good news. She turned around to show him his son. She felt his hand caressing the top of the baby's head.
"Gote! What will we call him?" asked Aki.
"Yes! Yes! What is his name?" topped Chiyo.
"We can't name him now," chided Suo. "We need to wait six days. What if we name him and the gods get angry?"
Aki and Chiyo pouted. Motoyoshi pretended to think. He crouched next to his girls.
"Can you keep a secret?" he asked.
They nodded vigorously, their face solemn.
"I think we will call him...Sarumaro ."
Suo smiled. Sarumaro. How fitting for her son born in the year of the monkey. She swiftly undid the obi and cradled her child to her chest. The newborn had fallen asleep. She looked at his delicate feature in the golden light of this late autumn afternoon.
"Welcome to the world, Ito Sarumaro."
NOTES
Japanese boys were given childhood names that they changed when they came of age. Those names were called yomyo (幼名). We don't know what Seijuro's yomyo was, but I decided to go with Sarumaro because he was born in 1836.
Hida Province was what is now the northern mountainous area of Gifu prefecture.
I've peppered the text with Hida dialect words, which is still spoken today in some areas. Chances are it would have been slightly different back then but I only have modern sources to work with.