Anchor
Written by: RinoaDestiny
#39 – A Servant's History
Thud. Silence. Thud. Silence. Thud.
The ashtray beside him overflowed with ground out cigarette butts. Iori lit a fresh one, brief sharp pain overriding the noise in his head and took a deep pull. Out here in the courtyard, he sought relief, with the musical rhythm of the water fountain a distant companion. On the wooden walkway, a small empty box lay crumpled, joined by one still half-full.
He released the smoke from his mouth, wisps curling upward.
There were flowers on the estate grounds, but no peonies. He'd checked and asked Kuramochi, who was also responsible for the estate's landscaping. Seasonal blooms and yet, that one particular flower wasn't present. Iori had shut his eyes, peonies in silken weave clear in his mind and then shook his head, as if trying to banish them.
It didn't work, since he was out here smoking away his daily supply.
Thud. Silence. Thud.
The sound of the perpetually tipping water fountain masked the approach of Akane, whose presence became known to him by the soft clatter of a tray. Surprised, he turned to her, cigarette between his fingers. A small lacquered tray had been placed next to him, a mug of tea and a plate of sweets on it. Akane smiled at him, unassuming and at ease.
"It's been a while since lunch, so we thought you might want a snack."
With all the smoking, the previous flavors were lost. We. Asakawa must've prepared this and sent Akane out to give it to him. Not matcha in the glazed ceramic mug, but hojicha. Along with the tea were an assortment of multicolored gelatin cubes and some cut fruit. To remove the strong taste of nicotine, he drank some of the mild tea first, readjusting his palate and then tried a yellow cube. Lemon. Not his favorite, but not bad, either.
"How is it?"
"Don't usually like fruit, but…" The light green cube was lime, which he preferred. "This is good."
"Try some with the tea. Asakawa-san said it goes well together."
"She would know." He did as recommended and found it improved the flavor, including the cut fruit which included green melon. "She just made this?"
"Cook's secret," Akane said, a small mischievous smile on her face. "Actually, she made it two nights ago. We had fresh fruit and agar, so she wanted to make a refreshing dessert."
Asakawa was a hidden treasure of the current Yagami clan, if this refreshment and her past meals said anything about her credentials. "And you were in on the secret?"
"I only knew today." Another pleased smile. "She'll be thrilled to know you enjoy it."
"I'll give her my commendation."
"That's great!"
Despite himself, Iori couldn't suppress the upward turn of his lips. Akane was definitely younger than him or simply more jubilant in nature. Also, with his father long dead and gone, the atmosphere around the estate was relaxed and the servants without fear. Respect, but none of the cringing and telling looks exchanged. If Akane had been around during his father's time, she wouldn't be able to speak like this without severe censure. His father might even dismiss her.
At least in this, he was different.
"No school today?" He made a motion with his hand. "Come on. Sit down."
Akane gave him a careful look – she was a servant – but Iori gestured again. With youthful girlish grace, she settled herself onto the wooden walkway, smoothed out her cotton kimono and returned his inquisitive gaze. Without a care, he slid the tray in her direction, inviting her to partake in this break as well.
Her eyes widened, look darting between the laden tray and him.
"Go on. Maybe you can tell Asakawa how good it is with my permission." That was important. While his snack wasn't off-limits to the staff, it was given to him; therefore, to forestall any issues, his word would prevent a scolding. "I'll write a note later." His room wasn't far from here.
Released from a servant's obligations, Akane reached for a bright orange cube and popped it into her mouth. Only after she finished a second cube did Iori ask her the same question again.
"Mother discussed it with the school. I have a different schedule from my classmates." She shrugged, a tiny roll of one shoulder. "We're beholden to the clan, so I'm not to neglect my duties here."
"Beholden? How?"
"Your ancestors brought my family's line in centuries ago. We never forget a debt." Telling a clan's story, as was done before the invention of written language. Did they have itinerant musicians during the ancient days? "One of my ancestors ran into hard times and couldn't feed his family. Was willing to offer himself into servitude, so they could survive. Some doors were closed to him. Only one clan took him in and also provided for his family."
"The Yasakani? Or were we Yagami already?"
"Yasakani, I think."
"They didn't go to the Kusanagi?" Iori doubted the Kusanagi clan would turn aside people in need. "Or they simply approached the Yasakani first?"
"I'm not sure. We only know he begged around until someone accepted him."
Iori glanced down at his cigarette and ground it out in the ashtray, pushing the other discarded butts onto the walkway. Only ash, which he'd wipe off later. Reaching for the tea, he took a drink and then went for a distinctive pink cube. Strawberry? His taste buds confirmed it, the flavor delightful.
Akane must've seen his expression, because she giggled. "It's in season right now. We have plenty stored away."
How much was Asakawa being paid? Maybe someone could show him the books and he could consider upping her salary.
"Do you know what he did? Or the era?"
"Hmmm…" A spill of dark hair as Akane tilted her head. "Maybe a charcoal or medicine seller?"
"Can be lucrative when times are good. But during famine or war…"
"Can't remember the time period. I'm sorry, Yagami-san."
"Nothing to be sorry about." It was a common saying, yet he still wanted to let her know it was no fault of hers. With the difference in their statuses, it was best not to leave behind an impression that he was slighted. It was time to revisit the archives. "Same surname or he didn't have one back then?"
"I don't think he had a surname."
"Commoner?"
"Think so." Akane pursed her lips in thought, a soft dip in her brows. "If my ancestor's line gained a surname later on, either it was granted or given."
"I may be able to find out." Picking another agar cube from the sweets plate, Iori chewed and ruminated on the matter. "The head of the clan would have that authority. We may have written it down." It all depended on the era, of course, but an intensive look into the employment records or branch families might yield results. "I don't guarantee anything, but if I find something, I'll let you know."
"Oh." An astonished expression on Akane's face. "You really don't have to –"
"Consider it a little project," Iori said, already making mental categories of where to start. "Everyone remembers the emperors, shoguns, daimyo, and clan heads. Who remembers the servants?" Or the lower disreputable classes codified in certain eras, but it was better left unsaid. Maybe…just maybe, the Kusanagi clan also had branch family records or an errant entry about wandering beggars. He could ask Kyo, despite it possibly leading nowhere.
"But why?"
"My father treated the clan's servants poorly. They were nothing to him – simply help pressed into service, subject to his whims." He cleared his throat with a drink of warm tea. "He knew their names, but never bothered to know them. It was a failing of his, yet it saved me." He didn't elaborate and although Akane appeared puzzled, she didn't ask further.
"Thank you."
"There's not much left on the plate. You can finish it before you go."
While Akane took care of the remainder of the snack, Iori headed for his room. A brief note written with pen and paper would suffice. He'd leave it on the tray for Asakawa. Two short sentences later (one mentioning discussion of a private matter), Iori returned and found Akane eating the last of the fruit. Placing the note on the tray in plain view, he nodded.
"Whenever you're ready, you can take that back to her."
Akane stood and bowed low to him, as if in gratitude. As the heir and master of the house, this was to be expected. Perhaps, his father would've used his standing and lorded it over her, giving her a curt dismissal. Or he'd register it, only to have Akane fade into the background like all the other servants he didn't bother to understand or sympathize with. She certainly wouldn't be able to share morsels from the master's plate and his father wouldn't even conceive of the idea.
Leaning down, he picked up the ashtray, the fallen cigarette butts, and wiped the wooden walkway free of ash. "If anyone needs me, I'll be in the archives."
"I'll let the others know."
First, a quick meeting with the estate's bookkeeper to assess Asakawa's salary. Then, a stay in the spotless archives surrounded by old clothbound books and scrolls. If Akane's ancestor was taken in by the Yasakani (not Yagami), that narrowed down the era. Before the fall of the Kamakura shogunate – maybe even the volumes in his apartment had the information.
He didn't mind delving into their history, especially before the change.
As he strolled towards the archival building, the muted sound of the bamboo water fountain accompanied his steps.
Thud. Silence. Thud.