Chapter 5
Retrospect
"Furimukanaide..." (Don't look back) were the last words Haku would convey to Chihiro for several years. He watched her disappear over the hill, then turned around and headed back to face Yubaba's wrath. Yubaba was in front of the bathhouse, alone, when he returned. She looked as if she was ready to make good her threat to tear him apart. Her intense eyes told Haku everything he wanted to know. "My office. Ten minutes."
"Yes, ma'am."
Yubaba disappeared into the bathhouse. Haku waited about one minute and then headed for her room at the top. As nearly as he could estimate the time, Haku announced his presence by knocking on Yubaba's outer door. The door opened. Yubaba was standing right there; she had opened the door by herself this time. "Follow me," she commanded, "I want you to see the damage you caused." They walked down the corridor toward her inner office. There were several portraits of women. "Do you see the women who grace these walls? They are my predecessors. Their responsibilities were the same as mine today: provide rejuvenation for Japan's gods. Last night you forced me to decide whether I wanted my only child or wanted to risk the future of this important enterprise. If you were my employee, I would have killed you on the spot for treason. Chihiro was my only hope of having a successor and now I may never retrieve her."
"If I were your employee...?"
"You are very lucky, Haku. The terms of our contract were valid until we came to a mutual agreement or until I didn't need your services anymore. When I had the Kashira (heads) dump you into the spiritual trash pit, your contract disintegrated. You have been unemployed for nearly twenty four hours."
"That should mean nothing different to you about me. I didn't know I wasn't your employee so, by your standards of justice, you should destroy me."
"If you were my employee, I would have had to destroy you as a matter of honor. As you are not, I am free to use my discretion. For only the second time in our association, Haku, your conduct has impressed me. I am prepared to take my justice out on you by conscripting you for five years as my aide. I promise you will never be required to do anything unethical."
Haku looked like he was full of mixed feelings. "I accept your justice. If I never impressed you, why did you let me be your apprentice?"
"Apprentice?" Yubaba laughed. "You? My apprentice? You were a lackey. I'd say, 'go fetch,' and you'd fetch. Until last night's events, I had no respect and little trust in you. Why do you suppose I was ready to toss you into oblivion?"
Haku, under his breath, recalled, "the test..."
"The test is right, Haku. When I sent you back on your task, your performance was barely acceptable."
"Because I didn't go through with the withdrawal? that I chose not to be your thief?"
"Haku, you have been my thief since I hired you. You were a thief during the test. You were not only a thief, but deceptive, vain, lacking in proper etiquette, and riddled with many other faults. You were honest, but not because it was the right thing to be; you were merely afraid of getting caught. Such people can be useful as employees, but they are never to be fully trusted. The incident in the bank was the only thing you did right, and there was only one thing you did that impressed me back then."
"I'm afraid to ask..."
"Yes, Haku. You're the only candidate who ever figured out the watch. Now lets go have some tea."
END
Retrospect
"Furimukanaide..." (Don't look back) were the last words Haku would convey to Chihiro for several years. He watched her disappear over the hill, then turned around and headed back to face Yubaba's wrath. Yubaba was in front of the bathhouse, alone, when he returned. She looked as if she was ready to make good her threat to tear him apart. Her intense eyes told Haku everything he wanted to know. "My office. Ten minutes."
"Yes, ma'am."
Yubaba disappeared into the bathhouse. Haku waited about one minute and then headed for her room at the top. As nearly as he could estimate the time, Haku announced his presence by knocking on Yubaba's outer door. The door opened. Yubaba was standing right there; she had opened the door by herself this time. "Follow me," she commanded, "I want you to see the damage you caused." They walked down the corridor toward her inner office. There were several portraits of women. "Do you see the women who grace these walls? They are my predecessors. Their responsibilities were the same as mine today: provide rejuvenation for Japan's gods. Last night you forced me to decide whether I wanted my only child or wanted to risk the future of this important enterprise. If you were my employee, I would have killed you on the spot for treason. Chihiro was my only hope of having a successor and now I may never retrieve her."
"If I were your employee...?"
"You are very lucky, Haku. The terms of our contract were valid until we came to a mutual agreement or until I didn't need your services anymore. When I had the Kashira (heads) dump you into the spiritual trash pit, your contract disintegrated. You have been unemployed for nearly twenty four hours."
"That should mean nothing different to you about me. I didn't know I wasn't your employee so, by your standards of justice, you should destroy me."
"If you were my employee, I would have had to destroy you as a matter of honor. As you are not, I am free to use my discretion. For only the second time in our association, Haku, your conduct has impressed me. I am prepared to take my justice out on you by conscripting you for five years as my aide. I promise you will never be required to do anything unethical."
Haku looked like he was full of mixed feelings. "I accept your justice. If I never impressed you, why did you let me be your apprentice?"
"Apprentice?" Yubaba laughed. "You? My apprentice? You were a lackey. I'd say, 'go fetch,' and you'd fetch. Until last night's events, I had no respect and little trust in you. Why do you suppose I was ready to toss you into oblivion?"
Haku, under his breath, recalled, "the test..."
"The test is right, Haku. When I sent you back on your task, your performance was barely acceptable."
"Because I didn't go through with the withdrawal? that I chose not to be your thief?"
"Haku, you have been my thief since I hired you. You were a thief during the test. You were not only a thief, but deceptive, vain, lacking in proper etiquette, and riddled with many other faults. You were honest, but not because it was the right thing to be; you were merely afraid of getting caught. Such people can be useful as employees, but they are never to be fully trusted. The incident in the bank was the only thing you did right, and there was only one thing you did that impressed me back then."
"I'm afraid to ask..."
"Yes, Haku. You're the only candidate who ever figured out the watch. Now lets go have some tea."
END