Hanami – Chapter 28
"Oh, god! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to wake you!" Mikey whispered frantically. Raph grabbed the tails of his facemask and dragged his brother out of the living room.
"Way to go, Mr. Ninja." Raph leaned back into the room, "Go back to sleep."
Shima blinked. 'What if I'm not sleepy any more, huh?' She shook her head; that was not how he meant it and she knew it. She sat up and stretched. She'd been asleep for god-knows how long. The last thing she needed was more of it. As she took in her surroundings, a quiet voice spoke behind her.
"You no doubt feel well-rested my child. Feel free to explore the house and to eat anything you like from the kitchen." Splinter nodded toward the yard. "If you need anything, my sons and I will be outside at morning practice."
"Thank you." Shima untangled herself from her blankets and her sisters. None of them stirred. She was surprised; usually Sterling was the only one to sleep so deeply. 'Oh well,' she smiled, 'it looks like I have the whole house to myself. I've read about enough houses; it should be fun to finally explore one.'
Her legs were stiff and uncooperative, but she pushed herself up the stairs anyways. She paused outside of what looked to be a bedroom. After some initial confusion, she realized that all the mattresses were downstairs on the floor. 'That explains the freaky-looking beds.' She toured the upstairs, acutely aware of things she'd never seen in the lab: glass doorknobs, a claw-foot bathtub, a linen closet with cedar flooring and shelves, and clothes closets. 'I feel pretty silly. My sisters would never let me live it down, but I've read too much Frances Hodgson Burnett, Thomas Harding, and even William Faulkner, not to have daydreamed about walking around a real house.' So, even though she knew it was childish, she explored every inch of the upstairs, tried on the human shoes in the bottoms of the closets, turned every doorknob, and sniffed at every lacy sachet in all the drawers she opened. The entire time she felt just like 'Hunca Munca' or 'Tom Thumb' from Beautrix Potter's "Tale of Two Bad Mice." 'I'm being very careful to put things back. It's not like I'm beating up defenseless plaster hams or smashing plates.' She smiled at the thought.
The one thing that captured her eye was the trapdoor in the hallway ceiling. It had a porcelain knob on a string, hanging just barely within her reach. 'An attic! Probably full of human stuff! Well, since no one has come back just yet, and it sounds like my sisters are still asleep… what the hey.'
+"I'm awake."+ Pipes opened her eyes just in time to watch a suddenly empty-handed Cabbage slip an ice cube into her mouth. +"You hate me don't you?"+
"A girl's gotta make her own fun." Cabbage nodded towards the still unconscious form of Sterling. "With two of us, we could roll her off that mattress easy."
"Or. You could just let the poor thing sleep until you've made some coffee." Pipes and Cabbage both turned to face the stairwell. Shima was coated in dust. She had an old cloth-bound book under her arm. She noticed their stares and tried to dust herself off. Eventually she gave up and just brought the book over. "I was crawling around in the attic this morning. Look what I found!"
Cabbage mumbled, "Asbestos?" Her attention had already wandered from the book. The guys were coming back inside.
"No! Well, maybe, but this book is full of patterns!"
+"Patterns?"+
"Yes, for women's clothing. I was looking through it, and I can already see ways to adapt the designs so that…"
"Hold that thought." Cabbage jumped up and called to her sister, "Come on Pipes; it's time to wake the terminally-drowsy-one." Pipes and Cabbage raised one half of the mattress and rolled Sterling off onto the floor.
"Uf!" Sterling sat up slowly, rubbing her shoulder. "I hate you guys."
Splinter approached Shima, "What have you found, child?" She held out the book she'd been so excited about. "Sewing patterns?"
She nodded, "I thought I could adapt some of them. It's cold here, and I found all kinds of cloth up in the attic. I even found a sewing machine. I don't know if it works, but I'm pretty good with a needle and thread even if it doesn't…"
"A sewing machine, huh?" Sterling sat down next to her sister. Donnie brought over a coffee mug for her and settled down across from her with one of his own. "Thanks." Sterling turned to Shima, "If you have projects you'd like to use it for, I'd love to help you tinker with it. I bet I can get that sewing machine running in tip-top shape." Sterling stood and gave Shima a hand up. "That is if that's ok, Splinter." He nodded, but raised his hand.
"You shall eat breakfast first, though. My sons and I would discuss something with you and your sisters."
The toasty kitchen felt great after working out in the cold. Raphael started pulling out silverware and bowls. Mike stirred up the oatmeal, while Leonardo sliced some apples. "There's honey, brown sugar, and cinnamon on the table!" He filled the bowls and passed them round. Mike served himself last and leaned against counter. Nine made the kitchen a tight space.
Splinter spoke, "My sons and I have been most honored to meet each of you. Whatever the reasoning that compelled him, we owe Prof. Perry a great deal." Both Raphael and Leonardo opened their mouths as if to speak, but shut them quickly when Splinter raised his head. He continued, "You were sent to us so that I might adopt you four into my family. However, there are far too many who would be effected were I to make such a decision lightly."
"I have spoken with my sons; they agree with me. You are welcome to join our family." Heads nodded all around the kitchen. "Though they also agree with me in that it is your choice. You were free to make your own decisions the moment we opened your crates. Even if you should choose to live as my daughters, that will not be taken from you."
"We do not live here on this farm. We are guests just as you are. If you choose to live with us, you will live underground, beneath a large city. No human must ever find us. This is one of many reasons I have trained my sons from their youth in the arts of ninjitsu. They are stealthy and strong." Donnie and Mike exchanged high threes. Splinter shook his head. "I only fear for them when they are over-confident. Since you lack such training, you would be wise to remain below."
"We are not wealthy. Nine mouths maybe prove a difficulty. Regardless, what we have would also be yours."
"Finally, I do not wish you to feel trapped into any decision. If, for any reason, you are unable to live under our roof, we will help you without hesitation to set up your own home elsewhere."
Mikey grabbed Cabbage's hand, "So will you live with us? Huh?"
Smiling, Cabbage looked to her sisters. Pipes nodded immediately; Shima shortly thereafter. Sterling bit her lower jaw as eight pairs of eyes watched for her reaction. "I'd like that very much, but are YOU sure, Cabbage?"
Mikey turned to Cabbage, wondering what would make her unsure. Pipes leaned back in her chair. Her lips moved but Cabbage's voice fell out, "Boys are yucky. They smell bad."
Cabbage popped out of her seat, waving her arms, "I WAS TWELVE when I said that! And the guys from the lab DID smell bad!" She sat back down with her arms crossed over her chest. "Stupid sisters."
Shima grinned, "We would be honored to be your daughters."