9.(12-14) The Long Left Grand Daughter Returns

Slim Novel 9 - http://adventuresofkimi.blogspot.com - See Homepage


12. Grandma

Kimi sleeps at station on cement floor waiting for morning train. It has wall-to-wall people with much jostling to find sitting space and shoving & pushing to get foothold on steps, and last minute arrivals on station platform handing-up bundles and small children in the open windows.

Train follows the coast. View is white foamy surf rolling onto black volcanic rock-strewn beach almost to railroad track.

Late afternoon, train pulls into Port City. It’s harbor view is sealed off by high wood fence with sign “NORTH SEAWAY IMPERIAL NAVY HQ – NO ADMITTANCE.”

   No buses because no fuel so she decides to walk to her Village. Passing her, walking the opposite way, are city folk with fresh fish and dried seaweed on backs obtained by exchanging household valuable for food with villagers.

Twilight and she stands atop hilly path leading down to Village and sees familiar cluster of old shacks each with drying seaweed hanging from fence and roof, and farm plot filled with late spring crop. Houses are crowded onto coastal strip that also shows broken-down dock and small fishing boats.

   Grandma’s house looks the same except beans, radish and lettuce replace usual spring flowers in garden. Front gate is open and the normally white but now grimy gray paper between the wood frames of shoji sliding-door entrance is torn and frayed. Murmuring a traditional “Here I come,” Kimi slides door open and closes it behind her as she peers through hanging bead entrance way.  Nobody!
   Charcoal embers lie glowing beneath pot of simmering thick, brown bean soup with small cubes of cream colored tofu. On table, bowl of fresh cooked white rice is steaming.

   She slips off sandals, steps from vestibule, loosens backpack and wearily drops to sit at floor table. Sound of footsteps follow and door is slid back. Grandma! The old woman in shabby work kimono stands on threshold. She puts down bucket of freshly caught, still living beach crabs.  “You!”  She peers at Kimi trying to see the little girl that went away. Kimi tries to speak but no sound comes; makes to get up but cannot. Grandma’s face is lined, her hair is white; the image blurs and, putting hand to eyes Kimi wipes away tears.

   Grandma wordlessly sits beside her. She fingers Kimi’s tattered stained kimono, reaches out to touch her right check and gently turns Kimi’s head in order to look closely at her.

13. The People Blame Tojo

In between eating 3 bowls of rice, bean soup and many mouthfuls sea-bass sashimi spiced with soy sauce and sharp mustard, plus generous serving of fermented plums that only Grandma knows how to make so deliciously, Kimi relates experiences Grandma never knew despite letters written regularly ever since leaving home; such letters also included 30 percent of Kimi’s cash earnings.

   Grandma is especially interested in the Great Pacific War. No one in Village speaks openly but strong feeling runs against it and in particular against the Prime Minister because, as Grandma says, “The people blame Tojo Hideki for losing them their fishing grounds.”

   They talk into early morning and, as first glint of dawn lightens window paper, Kimi nods off with head on table and Grandma gently lowers her to the floor and throws a soft, thick, nicely seaweed fragrant comforter over her.

14. Headman

Grandma takes Kimi to Village Headman’s house. Old Headman of childhood is dead; now his son has modern idea. He made the Village into a cooperative, pooling each villager’s worth. The capital realized allows the villagers to build small refrigeration plant for storing excess fish and crab catch to take advantage of the market price and they bought an old truck to transport the fish, seaweed and other ocean produce to Southport to take advantage of higher price there compared to the nearer Port City.

   Under the See cooperative, everything produced over current need is sold in common, and profit put into the Village: in boat repair, new fishing equipment, social welfare and leisure activities.

   Headman is interested in making more use of the aged; so, instead of an old woman sitting all day gossiping over tea, or an old man smoking and drinking while living off children and grandchildren who themselves can ill afford it, the oldsters who are healthy enough are put to work making and mending nets, collecting seaweed, carving lures, and doing other useful light jobs. New policy is decided at meetings prepared by Headman after visiting everyone’s home and discussing it and listening to opinion and complaint. In particular, oldsters receive benefit from new clinic staffed by doctor and nurse coming twice a week from Port City and an experienced village woman for first aid.

   Headman’s house is slightly larger than Grandma’s. His wife, a small plain woman of age 40, dressed in inexpensive gray kimono with white over-smock, serves tea and passes conversation until husband enters.

   Tall and wiry with thick graying mustache and wide intelligent eyes, he greets them happily. “How long will you stay among us, dear sister?” he asks in the North Island way that sweetly reminds Kimi of her origin.
   “I do not exactly know. I desire to help in the village work.”

   “You come at right time, tomorrow is Spring Festival after which fishing season starts. We shall need every hand now that war has taken our sons.

Next day the Villagers gather on beach around a bonfire over which strips of tuna sizzle and a big pot of white rice steams. Headman takes Kimi around to individual families then steps up on dais built for the celebration and briefly tells the folk that Grandma’s Kimi will help the coming season. Saké is poured and everyone drinks a cup to a good catch in the new season. The past is put aside; a long lost daughter is returned and all eat heartily in symbolic preparation for the job to be done. 
   To read on, click 9.(15-17) Grandma Has a Lover