Chapter 3
Trouble
Lin was, indeed, thrilled that Ae was going to tutor her. She finished her initial four-page assignment in one night and went to leave it on Ae's desk before she entered her own class. As the teachers lived in their own classrooms, she couldn't enter without being noticed. She slid open the door, and the two made eye contact. Lin bowed humbly, entered the room, silently carried the papers to her desk, bowed again, and left without saying a word. Words weren't necessary: the eyes told all. As the door quietly slid closed, Ae smiled triumphantly and went to work directly on the homework assignment. "Well now I know why I had to correct the old frog," she thought to herself, as she started to mark Lin's not-quite-perfect paper. Thus began a routine that would start Lin down the path where she is today, but it nearly came to a disastrous halt almost as soon as it began.
On the first morning after each new moon, the bathhouse management met to discuss their budgetary needs for the coming lunar cycle. Chichiyaku presided over the meetings, but Yubaba always made a point of being present as an interested observer. Worldly supplies were not easily obtained, so each department sought to get as large a portion of the budget as they could get. Ae was using more than her normal allotment of paper because of Lin's assignment and was running dangerously short. She knew she had to ask for an extra hundred sheets a month. Such an increase without a proportionate growth in her classroom was going to be a difficult sell. Not only that, but she was worried about Aniyaku, in this case a competitor, and what he might reveal. When it came her turn for requesting supplies, she stood up and addressed Chichiyaku--while studying Aniyaku's face.
"Sir, the Snail School requires one kilogram of soap, a mop to replace an old one that had worn out, two sponges, twelve pieces of chalk, sixteen pencils, six hundred sheets of paper..." She looked into Aniyaku's eyes to see a reaction. There was a reaction and Ae didn't like the look of it. "...and two new washcloths." She held her breath for a reaction.
Aniyaku spoke up as she had feard, "Ae-san, there must be some mistake. I'm used to hearing you ask for five hundred sheets a month. Why such an increase?"
As lying could cost you your life in Yubaba's realm, she had to be truthful. "I have been teaching a young mammal how to read on her free time." The room went dead silent. She continued, "It's against the rules for her to be in my classroom, but she in intensely interested in learning and I am intensely interested in any student that eager to learn. I need the paper to prepare special lessons for her."
Ae couldn't read Yubaba's face, but she knew everyone else in the room was stunned--possibly disgusted. Chichiyaku spoke. "Ae-san, it's one thing to teach a student on your free time, but we can't allow you to waste school resources on this private venture. Your request is..."
Yubaba spoke up, "Wait, Chichiyaku. This matter is not closed so easily. This is a serious development and I must speak with Ae alone. Continue your business in our absence."
He stood and bowed in her direction. "As you wish, Yubaba-sama." At that, Yubaba stood up and left the room with Ae following close behind. After they left the room, Yubaba turned around, looking fiercely angry. "Ae! You have crushed my faith in you. After all these years, I finally thought I found the right person for the job--and you let me down like that. You are useless to me. You are free of your contract and may go home to your family any time you choose. Your name is Aiko Tanaka."
Aiko's memories flooded back to her upon hearing her own name. She was a nineteen-year-old office lady who lived and worked in Sendai, a city a few hundred kilometers northeast of Tokyo. She lived with her parents and brothers in a tiny and filthy apartment. Her job was meaningless. She wore a powder blue company uniform, made tea for the men, and did little more than provide the men a pleasing visual environment. She remembered getting lost on a company outing and coming upon this old shrine. Then her mind returned to the present. "Yubaba-sama, I really don't understand what plans you had for me or what I did wrong, but I love to teach. Am I fired?"
"No, dear, I'm not firing you. You can stay if you like, but we'll need to draw up a new contract if you wish to continue." Yubaba softened her voice a little. "It's not your fault, Aiko-san. It is mine for thinking someone as old as you could be pure enough to be my replacement. I'll simply have to keep looking."
"I know I broke the rules, but I really felt Lin could be a great asset to you."
Yubaba smiled. "Aiko, this isn't about breaking the rules. People pure of heart will break rules whenever they feel the rules go against what's right. People pure of heart, however, are also willing to face any consequences that might arise. You weren't willing to do that. When you stated that Lin couldn't attend the class because it was against the rules, you were trying to imply you didn't break the rules. You did, however, break the rules and were told to stop. Your statement was intentionally misleading."
"So you knew all along..."
"Of course, Aiko-san. I know much more about what goes on around there than many give me credit for. Your work with Lin is excellent. She might actually be a valuable asset to me someday."
Aiko's eyes lit up. "Does that mean I can get the additional paper for my class?"
"That's none of my business. That is between you and Chichiyaku. In the meantime, let's go upstairs and redo that contract, Ae-san."
Trouble
Lin was, indeed, thrilled that Ae was going to tutor her. She finished her initial four-page assignment in one night and went to leave it on Ae's desk before she entered her own class. As the teachers lived in their own classrooms, she couldn't enter without being noticed. She slid open the door, and the two made eye contact. Lin bowed humbly, entered the room, silently carried the papers to her desk, bowed again, and left without saying a word. Words weren't necessary: the eyes told all. As the door quietly slid closed, Ae smiled triumphantly and went to work directly on the homework assignment. "Well now I know why I had to correct the old frog," she thought to herself, as she started to mark Lin's not-quite-perfect paper. Thus began a routine that would start Lin down the path where she is today, but it nearly came to a disastrous halt almost as soon as it began.
On the first morning after each new moon, the bathhouse management met to discuss their budgetary needs for the coming lunar cycle. Chichiyaku presided over the meetings, but Yubaba always made a point of being present as an interested observer. Worldly supplies were not easily obtained, so each department sought to get as large a portion of the budget as they could get. Ae was using more than her normal allotment of paper because of Lin's assignment and was running dangerously short. She knew she had to ask for an extra hundred sheets a month. Such an increase without a proportionate growth in her classroom was going to be a difficult sell. Not only that, but she was worried about Aniyaku, in this case a competitor, and what he might reveal. When it came her turn for requesting supplies, she stood up and addressed Chichiyaku--while studying Aniyaku's face.
"Sir, the Snail School requires one kilogram of soap, a mop to replace an old one that had worn out, two sponges, twelve pieces of chalk, sixteen pencils, six hundred sheets of paper..." She looked into Aniyaku's eyes to see a reaction. There was a reaction and Ae didn't like the look of it. "...and two new washcloths." She held her breath for a reaction.
Aniyaku spoke up as she had feard, "Ae-san, there must be some mistake. I'm used to hearing you ask for five hundred sheets a month. Why such an increase?"
As lying could cost you your life in Yubaba's realm, she had to be truthful. "I have been teaching a young mammal how to read on her free time." The room went dead silent. She continued, "It's against the rules for her to be in my classroom, but she in intensely interested in learning and I am intensely interested in any student that eager to learn. I need the paper to prepare special lessons for her."
Ae couldn't read Yubaba's face, but she knew everyone else in the room was stunned--possibly disgusted. Chichiyaku spoke. "Ae-san, it's one thing to teach a student on your free time, but we can't allow you to waste school resources on this private venture. Your request is..."
Yubaba spoke up, "Wait, Chichiyaku. This matter is not closed so easily. This is a serious development and I must speak with Ae alone. Continue your business in our absence."
He stood and bowed in her direction. "As you wish, Yubaba-sama." At that, Yubaba stood up and left the room with Ae following close behind. After they left the room, Yubaba turned around, looking fiercely angry. "Ae! You have crushed my faith in you. After all these years, I finally thought I found the right person for the job--and you let me down like that. You are useless to me. You are free of your contract and may go home to your family any time you choose. Your name is Aiko Tanaka."
Aiko's memories flooded back to her upon hearing her own name. She was a nineteen-year-old office lady who lived and worked in Sendai, a city a few hundred kilometers northeast of Tokyo. She lived with her parents and brothers in a tiny and filthy apartment. Her job was meaningless. She wore a powder blue company uniform, made tea for the men, and did little more than provide the men a pleasing visual environment. She remembered getting lost on a company outing and coming upon this old shrine. Then her mind returned to the present. "Yubaba-sama, I really don't understand what plans you had for me or what I did wrong, but I love to teach. Am I fired?"
"No, dear, I'm not firing you. You can stay if you like, but we'll need to draw up a new contract if you wish to continue." Yubaba softened her voice a little. "It's not your fault, Aiko-san. It is mine for thinking someone as old as you could be pure enough to be my replacement. I'll simply have to keep looking."
"I know I broke the rules, but I really felt Lin could be a great asset to you."
Yubaba smiled. "Aiko, this isn't about breaking the rules. People pure of heart will break rules whenever they feel the rules go against what's right. People pure of heart, however, are also willing to face any consequences that might arise. You weren't willing to do that. When you stated that Lin couldn't attend the class because it was against the rules, you were trying to imply you didn't break the rules. You did, however, break the rules and were told to stop. Your statement was intentionally misleading."
"So you knew all along..."
"Of course, Aiko-san. I know much more about what goes on around there than many give me credit for. Your work with Lin is excellent. She might actually be a valuable asset to me someday."
Aiko's eyes lit up. "Does that mean I can get the additional paper for my class?"
"That's none of my business. That is between you and Chichiyaku. In the meantime, let's go upstairs and redo that contract, Ae-san."