It is hard to imagine that Rumiko-hime hasn't been living here for long. It has been roughly
seven months since the wedding. I can't imagine life without her. She and mother are great
friends, I am happy for Mother, she deserves a friend. Rumiko-hime comes to our bungalow every
day. We all sit together and talk about many things. We sit around a small table and drink honey
ginseng tea, Tea is unique and perplexing. Tea is exciting, invigorating, yet very soothing.
Mother and Bai are like tea. I wonder if Rumiko-hime is like tea?
Mother, Bai and I are all seated, waiting for Rumiko-hime. The steam rises slowly from the tea
pot. A plate of almond cookies sit, waiting to be devoured. A bowl of water in the center of the
table has a lotus blossom (not mine) floating in it. We wait and wait, Rumiko-hime has never been
late before. She had been acting strangely, Bai often finds her in the bathroom, vomitting. Bai
only told me this, she is worried about her. I look over at Bai now, a look of worry crosses her
features. I look at Mother. mother is looking someplace else, at something Bai and I cannot see.
She moves her lips slightly and whispers something. I cannot hear it.
"She?" asks Bai.
Mother suddenly collapses. I rush to her side and sit her up. She blinks, a look of confusion on
her face.
"Mother? What did you see?" I ask.
"I.......I'm not sure. There was a door to nowhere, You and Bai were there and the Eighth. Thast
is all I remember,"
"The Eighth? The eighth child?"
"I think so," mother looks tired, but she sits herself up and thanks me.
We sit waiting a few minutes more, then Rumiko-hime slides open the door. She looks very
dissheveled, her hair is loose, her face is pale and she smells faintly of bile. She has tried to
cover the scent with strong cinnamon perfume, It would fool most, but nothing escapes my nose.
I also notice that her stomach is bulging. I have been noticing it for a few days now, but it seems
more evident today. Her robe is not fixed as it usually is. She has been hiding something.
Something I know that she cannot hide mush longer.
"I'm sorry I'm late, Rei,"She sighs,"I haven't been feeling well,"
"Do not worry, Rumiko. If you do not feel well, you can lay down here if you wish. We have an
extra room. We can drink tea in there if you like," Mother offers.
Mother is kind and good. I am proud of her. Rumiko-hime looks as if she is in a pit of despair,
her eyes tear up and she answers:
"You are so kind, Rei, but I am afraid that would not help. You see, I'm......I'm not...sick that way,"
Bai cocks her head, confused. Mother cocks her head as well, but it is a question, a nonverbal
prompt.
"Oh Rei!" Rumiko-hime collapses into Mother's arms and sobs. The woman is an emotional wreck.
"Shhh.What is it that worries you so, Rumiko?" Mother's voice is comforting.
"I'm.." Rumiko-hime starts, but she cannot finish.
Bai is getting annoyed, I can tell by the way her tail twitches. She gives an impatient scowl and
reaches for an almond cookie. This solicites a fierce glare from Mother. Bai withdraws her hand.
Mother sits with her arms around Rumiko-hime, rocking her like she used to rock Bai and myself
when we were small.
Finally, Rumiko-hime is ready to speak again.
"I'm pregnant,"
The room becomes totally silent. Bai blinks stupidly, I'm not surprised but it is still rather
shocking, the reality of it. Mother is quick to break the silence.
"How wonderful, Rumiko! You must be so happy! Have you told Marl? I'm sure he will be ecstatic, he
gets into such a fuss over these things,"
"Oh, no, Rei! Don't tell Marl or anyone else! I don't want them to know,"
"Why on earth not?" Mother asks.
"I don't want the others to hurt my baby,"
It all makes sense, if father's other wives found out, they may try to hurt Rumiko-hime's child
or her. They are horribly superstitious. They are also quite malicious, I would not be surprised if
they would attempt an assasination. Mother's expression becomes stern.
"Don't worry, Rumiko. Tso, Bai and I will protect you. I promise that we will not allow anything to
happen to you or your child. Do you understand?"
Rumiko-hime nods weakly.
"There's a good girl. How long have you been hiding this?" Mother asks.
"A little more than four months," Rumiko-hime answers.
"You're a very sneaky one," Mother says, "But you must tell Marl, he does deserve to know,"
Rumiko-hime nodded, smiling.
"And don't worry. Either Bai, Tso or myself will be with you at all times afterwards, the others will
not try anything in our presence. Do not go anywhere alone after you tell him, understand?"
Mother asks.
another nod.
Rumiko-hime did tell father that very day. I now see why she did not at first. Within three
minutes, everyone else knew. He told everyone and I do mean everyone. Naturally, his other
wives began to fret and they rushed to the temple to pray for blessings good fortune and I am
quite sure, a slew of unpleasant things as well. True to her word, Mother made sure that one of
us was with Rumiko-hime wherever she went. We all grew exxtremely close. Rumiko-hime ended
up moving into our spare room as her pregnancy went on.
It has now been four months since she came to our bungalow, afraid and distraught. Now she is
smiling and happy. She has also grown quite large, her slight frame is rather bizarre looking now
that her abdomen has swollen so much. I am watching her today. She sits in the sun on the bench
where I sat the night of the wedding. I am currently standing on a bridge directly across from
her. I see Dai Gui and Shendu coming. I look at them and glare as hard as I an. They get the
message and take another route.
"Tso! come here!" Rumiko-hime shouts. I make my way quickly over to her.
"Yes?" I ask.
"Its kicking Tso! Feel it!"
I put one of my lower hands on her swollen belly, very carefully, I have no idea how sensitive it
may be. Sure enough, something is moving inside her. Suddenly, the kicking stops, it is replaced
by a feeling of something running over the place whee my hand is. Someone knows I'm here. I am
speechless, my throat gets tight. In this intant, it all becomes real. My sibling is touching me. It
is a living being, not an idea or a curse. It is a child, who has no idea of the trouble it has caused.
its my brother or sister, just like Bai. The little hand gets bored and moves on to something else.
For a few minutes, I just stand there stunned. Rumiko-hime smiles at me. She is definitely like
tea.
end chapter 4
Well, that's the end of chapter 4.
Disclaimer-I don't own JCA, but I do own a Feng Shui windchime.
Oh, a little author's note: Rei has a sense of precognition, she has visions of fragments of events that have not yet happened. She really said "Hsi", but it sounded like "she". Points to anyone sho made the connection.
seven months since the wedding. I can't imagine life without her. She and mother are great
friends, I am happy for Mother, she deserves a friend. Rumiko-hime comes to our bungalow every
day. We all sit together and talk about many things. We sit around a small table and drink honey
ginseng tea, Tea is unique and perplexing. Tea is exciting, invigorating, yet very soothing.
Mother and Bai are like tea. I wonder if Rumiko-hime is like tea?
Mother, Bai and I are all seated, waiting for Rumiko-hime. The steam rises slowly from the tea
pot. A plate of almond cookies sit, waiting to be devoured. A bowl of water in the center of the
table has a lotus blossom (not mine) floating in it. We wait and wait, Rumiko-hime has never been
late before. She had been acting strangely, Bai often finds her in the bathroom, vomitting. Bai
only told me this, she is worried about her. I look over at Bai now, a look of worry crosses her
features. I look at Mother. mother is looking someplace else, at something Bai and I cannot see.
She moves her lips slightly and whispers something. I cannot hear it.
"She?" asks Bai.
Mother suddenly collapses. I rush to her side and sit her up. She blinks, a look of confusion on
her face.
"Mother? What did you see?" I ask.
"I.......I'm not sure. There was a door to nowhere, You and Bai were there and the Eighth. Thast
is all I remember,"
"The Eighth? The eighth child?"
"I think so," mother looks tired, but she sits herself up and thanks me.
We sit waiting a few minutes more, then Rumiko-hime slides open the door. She looks very
dissheveled, her hair is loose, her face is pale and she smells faintly of bile. She has tried to
cover the scent with strong cinnamon perfume, It would fool most, but nothing escapes my nose.
I also notice that her stomach is bulging. I have been noticing it for a few days now, but it seems
more evident today. Her robe is not fixed as it usually is. She has been hiding something.
Something I know that she cannot hide mush longer.
"I'm sorry I'm late, Rei,"She sighs,"I haven't been feeling well,"
"Do not worry, Rumiko. If you do not feel well, you can lay down here if you wish. We have an
extra room. We can drink tea in there if you like," Mother offers.
Mother is kind and good. I am proud of her. Rumiko-hime looks as if she is in a pit of despair,
her eyes tear up and she answers:
"You are so kind, Rei, but I am afraid that would not help. You see, I'm......I'm not...sick that way,"
Bai cocks her head, confused. Mother cocks her head as well, but it is a question, a nonverbal
prompt.
"Oh Rei!" Rumiko-hime collapses into Mother's arms and sobs. The woman is an emotional wreck.
"Shhh.What is it that worries you so, Rumiko?" Mother's voice is comforting.
"I'm.." Rumiko-hime starts, but she cannot finish.
Bai is getting annoyed, I can tell by the way her tail twitches. She gives an impatient scowl and
reaches for an almond cookie. This solicites a fierce glare from Mother. Bai withdraws her hand.
Mother sits with her arms around Rumiko-hime, rocking her like she used to rock Bai and myself
when we were small.
Finally, Rumiko-hime is ready to speak again.
"I'm pregnant,"
The room becomes totally silent. Bai blinks stupidly, I'm not surprised but it is still rather
shocking, the reality of it. Mother is quick to break the silence.
"How wonderful, Rumiko! You must be so happy! Have you told Marl? I'm sure he will be ecstatic, he
gets into such a fuss over these things,"
"Oh, no, Rei! Don't tell Marl or anyone else! I don't want them to know,"
"Why on earth not?" Mother asks.
"I don't want the others to hurt my baby,"
It all makes sense, if father's other wives found out, they may try to hurt Rumiko-hime's child
or her. They are horribly superstitious. They are also quite malicious, I would not be surprised if
they would attempt an assasination. Mother's expression becomes stern.
"Don't worry, Rumiko. Tso, Bai and I will protect you. I promise that we will not allow anything to
happen to you or your child. Do you understand?"
Rumiko-hime nods weakly.
"There's a good girl. How long have you been hiding this?" Mother asks.
"A little more than four months," Rumiko-hime answers.
"You're a very sneaky one," Mother says, "But you must tell Marl, he does deserve to know,"
Rumiko-hime nodded, smiling.
"And don't worry. Either Bai, Tso or myself will be with you at all times afterwards, the others will
not try anything in our presence. Do not go anywhere alone after you tell him, understand?"
Mother asks.
another nod.
Rumiko-hime did tell father that very day. I now see why she did not at first. Within three
minutes, everyone else knew. He told everyone and I do mean everyone. Naturally, his other
wives began to fret and they rushed to the temple to pray for blessings good fortune and I am
quite sure, a slew of unpleasant things as well. True to her word, Mother made sure that one of
us was with Rumiko-hime wherever she went. We all grew exxtremely close. Rumiko-hime ended
up moving into our spare room as her pregnancy went on.
It has now been four months since she came to our bungalow, afraid and distraught. Now she is
smiling and happy. She has also grown quite large, her slight frame is rather bizarre looking now
that her abdomen has swollen so much. I am watching her today. She sits in the sun on the bench
where I sat the night of the wedding. I am currently standing on a bridge directly across from
her. I see Dai Gui and Shendu coming. I look at them and glare as hard as I an. They get the
message and take another route.
"Tso! come here!" Rumiko-hime shouts. I make my way quickly over to her.
"Yes?" I ask.
"Its kicking Tso! Feel it!"
I put one of my lower hands on her swollen belly, very carefully, I have no idea how sensitive it
may be. Sure enough, something is moving inside her. Suddenly, the kicking stops, it is replaced
by a feeling of something running over the place whee my hand is. Someone knows I'm here. I am
speechless, my throat gets tight. In this intant, it all becomes real. My sibling is touching me. It
is a living being, not an idea or a curse. It is a child, who has no idea of the trouble it has caused.
its my brother or sister, just like Bai. The little hand gets bored and moves on to something else.
For a few minutes, I just stand there stunned. Rumiko-hime smiles at me. She is definitely like
tea.
end chapter 4
Well, that's the end of chapter 4.
Disclaimer-I don't own JCA, but I do own a Feng Shui windchime.
Oh, a little author's note: Rei has a sense of precognition, she has visions of fragments of events that have not yet happened. She really said "Hsi", but it sounded like "she". Points to anyone sho made the connection.