Chapter 20
I jolted awake as Ujio lowered me to the mattress, I looked around the room, confused for a second.
"How did I get here?" I asked groggily. Ujio pulled at the obi around my waist, discarding it to the side.
"I carried you," He spoke simply slipping the pink kimono down my shoulders and then from under me.
"From Taka's?" I asked, my eyes struggling to stay open. Ujio retrieved the white silky night dress from next to the bed, he had found it out for me earlier in the day.
"Yes, from Taka's," He nodded slipping my arms into the night gown. He wrapped it over me and tied it loosely around my waist, he moved to push me down into the mattress but I had already fallen into it myself, I pulled my knees up and pawed for the blankets, Ujio reached for it and laid it over me gently.
"Strong," I smiled burying my hands in into the thick wool blanket, my eyes falling shut.
Ujio did not retire to bed with me, instead he moved quietly through the house to the room where his armour stood. He sat and stared at the ancient armour for hours, meditating, thinking. He breathed heavily as he thought of all the great warriors in his lineage that had fought, and died, in the armour.
Ujio was not there when I woke up, I couldn't tell if he had joined me at all through the night, his mattress was eerily cold, his blankets looked untouched.
I got up and dressed, I noted how Ujio had folded my Kimono and obi delicately, I smiled at his meticulous ways. I pulled my hair back behind my shoulders, brushing through the blonde curls with my fingers, loosening them up slightly. I sighed when I realised, I had no ribbons or ties to pull my hair back. Never mind.
I searched the house for Ujio but he was gone with no indication where he had gone or for how long, now I know how he feels when I disappear all the time, I thought to myself. I helped myself to fruit and bread for breakfast and then headed out, pulling on my cloak and sandal-like shoes.
I decided to visit the temple, it had been a long time since my eyes had seen its beauty, I wondered if anything would be left of the garden in this harsh weather. I couldn't help but keep looking over my shoulder as I made my way through the village and up the hill, I felt uneasy after yesterday's experience with that woman, Kyoto.
I made my way straight to the garden where I was disheartened to see the once flourishing garden now consisted of bare twigs and trees. Some of the beautiful plants had completely gone back to the ground, waiting for spring to come around before they pop their heads back above soil.
"After the barrenness of winter," A voice behind me spoke, I turned to see Katsumoto stepping down the temple stairs towards the garden. "The cherry blossom blooms will be the first to bloom," his hand reached out to a naked branch that hung down from a sad looking tree.
"You know, the perfect blossom is a rare thing," he spoke, "You could spend your whole life looking for one," He eyed me as I stepped over to him. "And it would not be a wasted life,"
"I like that," I smiled, he had a way with words and I admired the beauty of them.
"You are the perfect blossom Ujio spent his life looking for," Katsumoto spoke. I looked him in the eyes, a look of guilt and regret reflected back on me. "I owe you an apology,"
"What for?" I asked furrowing my brow.
"For arranging your return to the French man, I ignored the feelings and happiness of my greatest friend for political advantage, it makes me no better than our enemies," Katsumoto spoke with regret, "I told Ujio his feelings for you were conflicting with his duty," He sighed, "I knew he would choose duty over a woman, for this I hope you accept my apology"
I took in deep breaths as I listened to his words, so he was the snake in Ujio's ear, telling him to push me away.
"Why are you telling me this?" I asked, pulling my cloak tighter around my body as the wind whipped up.
"When you and Ujio marry you will be a member of this village, this community, it is important to me that you know how I regretful I am of my actions," Katsumoto spoke candidly.
"I forgive you," my small voice said from beneath my hood.
"Thank you, Arabella," He said with a smile, "Walk with me to the village?" He offered, I thought about it and decided I would venture to Taka's house.
Snow began to fall from the sky in tiny flakes as we walked down the hill to the village.
"So, I hear you said yes to Ujio's proposal," Katsumoto mentioned as we walked.
"He told you?" I blushed.
"As his lord he had to ask me permission to propose," Katsumoto spoke, he smiled wide, "Of course I said I would allow it, he told me yesterday you accepted,"
"I did," I nodded.
"You are not excited?" Katsumoto asked, noticing my lack of enthusiasm, most women would be wedding planning and gushing over their big day.
"I feel as if I have already skipped over the wedding part, I live with Ujio, his child already grows within me, it's as if we are already married," I spoke candidly.
"Yes, I understand, perhaps you will feel more excitement on the day, there is not a feeling like devoting yourself to another for life," Katsumoto sighed. We walked by the blacksmith who hammered what looked to be a sword.
"Perhaps," I mused, I looked around anxiously as we walked through the busier area of the village, I had my eyes peeled for Kyoto.
"I must thank you again Arabella, for being a good friend to my sister," Katsumoto spoke as we neared Taka's home. "She has struggled deeply since the loss of her husband, I know she finds comfort in her friendship with you,"
"She is there for me as much as I am for her" I said honestly as we stopped outside the little path that led up to Taka's porch.
"Are you coming in?" I asked I stepped towards the house.
"No, I must go find your future husband, he is training in the fields,"
"In the snow?" I furrowed my brow, typical of Ujio to train in this freezing weather, I bet he never gives the samurai of the village a break, I thought to myself.
"Battle can happen in any weather," Katsumoto wisely said, I guess he was right, better to prepare for a battle in snow than to be caught off guard in the winter months.
"I guess you're right, please tell him where I am, he worries," I asked of the bald man.
"I am aware, he has spent his whole life worrying about me, I get no moments peace, it is good he now has someone else to worry about too," Katsumoto joked as he walked away, I smiled at the man as he trudged off towards the fields.
I was careful climbing the steps to the porch, they were slippy beneath my sandals, the ice glistened off them like diamonds.
As I reached the door, I knocked on the frame, waiting for an answer or for someone to open the door. But as I waited a ball of snow and ice, mostly ice, hurled passed my head and collided with the side of the house. I yelped and ducked, avoiding a second icy projectile. I peered down the garden path to see Kyoto stood there with a smug smirk on her face. As she bent down to take a handful of more snow the screen door slid open and slammed against its frame loudly.
"Kyoto, I am going to give you a chance to leave before I go inform my brother of your actions," Taka spoke from the doorway, she didn't raise her voice or shout, she didn't need to. Kyoto glared at me as I straightened up and moved towards Taka, the kind young woman ushered me into her house quickly as Kyoto skulked away.
"What happened?" A voice called out from the house, the owner of the voice, Nobutada, appeared seconds later.
"Kyoto was intimidating Arabella," Taka spoke to her nephew, I pulled the hood off my head, my blonde curls falling out as I lowered the thick fabric.
"She threw a snowball at my head," I reported.
"If you feel she is a danger you must tell Ujio or my father Arabella," Nobutada warned.
"There's no need, I was not harmed,"
I helped Taka with her chores, I scrubbed clean clothes, mostly belonging to the two young boys, and hung them to dry above the fire pit whilst Taka scrubbed the floors. Nobutada sharpened his swords as he watched over Higen practicing his calligraphy.
"Where is Mr Algren?" I asked
"Training, with Ujio and the rest of the men," Nobutada replied.
"Why are you not training with them?" I asked curiously.
"I do not like the cold," He smiled up at me, I didn't like the cold either. After all the days jobs were finished, I sat down with Taka to speak with her privately.
"Taka, when you had Higen and Magojiro, there was pain?" I asked pointing to my stomach.
"Lots pain," She nodded. "Pain for long time,"
"How did you fight, erm… tatakai, the pain?" I wondered, they did not have access to the same medicines we did in the western world, I had heard of women in France taking opium to combat the pain, not without its own complications though. It was the pain and the suffering of childbirth that I could not stop thinking about, it haunted the back of my mind.
"My husband," Taka spoke honestly, "He strong, for me,"
"Hirotaro refused to leave Taka's side," Nobutada recalled as he entered the room, he had obviously been listening in from wherever he lurked. "Men must remain outside the birth room and wait, but not Hirotaro he wanted to be there," Nobutada said proudly, it was obvious he admired and liked his uncle, I wish I had met him. I smiled sweetly at the young man, but inside I felt bitter disappointment, I knew Ujio would not break tradition and be my strength, he would honour their ways and remain outside, that's if he was present at all. I prayed silently he would be there that day.
The days and nights passed quickly through the winter, I celebrated Christmas privately with a prayer, my faith was not as strong as was expected to be by western society, but I made the effort to try. Taka taught me the basics of childcare; I never had any siblings so my prior knowledge was very limited. My Japanese improved a lot, I began to speak it as much as possible, Nobutada was a patient teacher. Algren continued to train through the winter months with Ujio and the other samurai, whilst I wouldn't call them friends, there was a mutual respect growing between the two men. I only occasionally saw Kyoto around the village, I learn that she lived with her brother, her brother the stable hand. I had already unknowingly met him the day I fell pregnant.
Winter rolled into early spring, snow hadn't fallen for weeks and small shoots began to sprout out of the ground wherever you looked. My bump had grown from barely existent to a respectable size, I just passed my fifth month, over half way there. Katsumoto had decided our wedding would be when the cherry blossom tree at the temple flowered its pink fluffy blooms. I knew it was going to be any day now as last I saw buds had begun to form on the tree's branches, I prayed it would be sooner rather than later otherwise the white Kimono Ujio had sought out for me would no longer fit my form.
I awoke one spring morning to birds tweeting from the rooftop, I lay on my side, the blanket slightly tucked under my growing stomach for support, Ujio's limp arm loose hung over and around me, cradling my stomach. He grew more protective and territorial by the day, he banned me from doing chores around the house, not that I did them that often anyway, instead he hired in a village girl to complete them for me.
I carefully peeled Ujio's arm away from me, I had awoken desperate to use the outhouse, my bladder was getting worse by the week. I sat up taking a deep breathe, my hand rubbing my stomach.
"Morning," Ujio mumbled with half open eyes.
"Good morning," I breathed, standing from the bed ungracefully. I slipped off the night gown that barely covered my growing stomach and slipped into a plain navy kimono.
"Where are you going?" Ujio asked, narrowing his eyes on me.
"Benjo, the restroom," I replied, pulling on my white socks.
"Return to me when you are done," Ujio's rough voice spoke as he closed his eyes once again,
"Hai, I will," I replied.
The toilets in Paris were the one thing I missed, they had proper toilet basins with mahogany seats, sinks to wash your hands in and plumbing that took away the dirty water, it was a city ahead of its time, sadly Japan had not caught up yet. Doing my business in the outhouse grew harder as I got bigger, the wooden bench was uncomfortable and rough. I did my business quickly and retreated from the outhouse. Only to be shoved up against the wooden wall of the small hut, it was Kyoto, and her brother.
He held my shoulders roughly as she covered my mouth. Her expression was blank but the glint in her eye made me feel sick to my stomach. Releasing my shoulder the stable hand pulled out a small blade with a wooden handle.
"Scream and I'll gut you," Her brother spoke as he pressed the blade against my stomach, I understood the gist of what he was saying and remained silent as they shoved a rag into my mouth. Silent tears fell down my face as they dragged me through the field that once held wildflowers.
Writer - thank you for reading, I could not wait to get this one out so here it is, a little slow but also a little juicy at the end, please send me your thoughts, ideas and constructive criticism, I really appreciate it.