The Samurai's Garden (14 page)

****

Hanako felt ready to bolt.
What have I done? Is it too late to change my mind?
Nakamura-san had spent hours coaching her on the rituals for the ceremony. But the priest's chants held no meaning for her, and she couldn't remember what she was supposed to do next.

She was about to marry the most highly regarded man in the village. People would expect her to act with decorum. What an impossible task for a simple farm girl! She looked up, ready to beg Hiro to end the ceremony. Their eyes met and all thought vanished from her mind. His gaze conveyed a message, as clearly as if he had spoken the words.
Don't worry. Everything will be all right.
There was something more. A promise of wonderful things to come. She immediately felt calming warmth coursing through her veins, and she took a deep breath. She could do this.

It was time for the ritual known as
San-San-Kudo
. Three cups were stacked on a pedestal. The top cup, the smallest, represented heaven, the middle one, slightly larger, represented earth, and the bottom, the largest one, represented humankind. The shrine maiden poured
sake
into the top cup and presented it to Hiro so he could sip from it three times. He bowed and returned it. The shrine maiden then passed the cup to Hanako so she too could sip from it three times. The same procedure was done with the second cup, and then the third. Three sips from each of three cups. Since three was a lucky number, three times three represented extra good luck for them.

****

Hanako felt a moment of panic as they descended the wide staircase of the temple. She was now legally bound to the tall, handsome man who had mysteriously swept into her life only a few months ago. There had been no go-between, no long engagement. Nakamura-san's investigators had assured her Hiro was indeed from a well-respected samurai family in Tokyo. Though her mother was from an equally high-born family, she and Hiro were raised in different worlds, and he was much more highly educated than she.

Aside from financial security, she now had a partner with whom she could share her burdens and dreams for the farm. He had been a willing and hard worker in the fields, and an eager student in what he called agriculture and animal science. She had been amazed at the speed with which he had assimilated his knowledge.

He'd told her he wanted sons to continue his family dynasty. Her cheeks burned with the anticipation of creating those sons. Kenji had been a disinterested husband and lover, concerned only with his writing. He had come to her home only because it was a place to live, away from the demands of landlords and his many debtors.

A gentle touch at her elbow reminded her that life with this husband would be altogether different. If nothing else, Hiro was much more pleasing to the eye. He was strong and used to hard work, to which Kenji had had a distinct aversion. Hiro was also willing to listen. He would ask questions and pay attention to her answers; this alone was extraordinary. She would be the envy of all the women in the village. Whenever they came into town to sell their crops or make purchases, his tall, graceful form drew stares of interest. A few women even tossed aside convention enough to initiate conversations with him. He always answered them politely, but stayed with her as they completed their errands.

She turned toward her wagon to begin their trip back to the farm, but Hiro put his hand on her back and turned her in the opposite direction. A new wagon, freshly painted and piled high with supplies, blocked their path. Attached to it was a magnificent horse, finer than she had ever seen. She waited for her husband to lead her around it, but instead he led her to the side of it.

"Since we are combining our fortunes, we will undoubtedly increase our profit. I felt it was necessary to purchase a cart large enough to transport our wares to the market. And of course, with a healthy horse to pull it, we will get our goods to the market more quickly." He paused briefly before adding, "And I thought you might enjoy a ride home."

Hanako blinked her eyes rapidly to stem the tears of joy that threatened to spill out. Never had she imagined such compassion! She bowed low to hide her face. "I thank you, my husband, for anticipating my needs. I trust that your prophecy concerning our profit will come true." She began to part the skirt of her kimono so that she could step up into the cart, but found herself airborne as her new husband lifted her up into the seat. She turned before sitting, wanting to avoid catching her silk gown on a stray sliver, and gasped at seeing the thick cushion, upholstered with a rich brocade fabric. Life would certainly be different from now on.

She sat demurely on the edge of the seat, leaving plenty of room for Hiro. He scrambled up to the bench, picked up the reins and slapped them to begin the ride. Knowing that the locals were watching, she sat up straight. For once, she could be proud of the sight she made. So many times, she had retrieved her father and husband from the tavern nearby. The proprietor had helped her to load them into her old cart. What a spectacle she had made then. The rickety cart had not been large enough to completely contain her father's limp body, and the aging mule, barely able to move its burden, plodded so slowly through the streets it would have been faster to walk rather than ride.

Now, she rode proudly next to a fine gentleman, seated with dignity in a new carriage. She wore a gown finer than any she had ever hoped to own. For this privilege, she would have followed Hiro anywhere, but the knowledge that she was entering her new marriage filled her with anticipation.

The ride back to the farm was smooth and uneventful, but Hanako barely remembered any of it. She spent the entire journey thinking about how different her life would be.

The horse would make the field work much more efficient. The cow she had purchased earlier could now graze peacefully, producing milk.

As they came closer to the home she would share with Hiro, she gasped and cried out in excitement. In the pasture, where before a lone cow grazed, a bull and two goats now shared the space. Her ecstatic reaction melted into confusion.
Where had these animals come from?

"The new animals are a wedding gift from some of the merchants in the village," he told her.

"A wedding gift? Why would anyone give us such extravagant gifts?"

"I have assured them they would receive our business once our resources are combined," he explained.

He drove the cart up to the house, climbed down, and walked around to assist her out. She went inside as he took care of the horse and cart.

Up until now, she had only allowed herself to enter the kitchen and dining area. But now this was her home. With tentative steps, she explored the rest of the house. New
tatami
floors covered every surface. No more hard, wooden floors. She slid open the screens to the living area and gasped.

She had never dreamed she would live in a home like this. Beautiful lacquered tables, plush silk floor pillows, and lovely painted screens graced one room. She went through, marveling at Hiro's good taste. There were several more rooms, each with large closets storing thick futons and bedding. This must be where the new samurai had stayed. She wondered where they were tonight. Should she begin preparing a meal for them?

"Do you find everything to your liking?" Hiro's voice startled her.

"Oh! Everything is so wonderful! The rooms are so large! And there are so many!"

"We will need rooms for our children to grow."

****

Hanako's quick intake of breath and heightened color told Hiro she had not forgotten one of the reasons for their marriage. While he looked forward to being a father, he was even more eager to begin his life as a husband. Slowly, he approached her. She lifted her lashes until their eyes met and held. Now that the time for consummating their marriage was at hand, he was thankful for her reluctance to don the full traditional wedding costume. The many layers of clothing would take so much longer to remove, and right now he was burning with anticipation.

Rather than a large, ornate wig and head covering, her hair had been arranged in a simple knot at the nape of her neck and held in place with the pair of inlaid combs. He reached over to pull them out, wondering if they been a gift from her first husband. But then he chided himself for resorting to jealous thoughts on his wedding day. No matter what had happened between this woman and Kenji, she was his now. The combs came away, and he watched her thick raven tresses tumble down, covering her like a waist-length cape.

The silk kimono was held in place by a brocade
obi
, tied in a knot at her back. Again, he was grateful for his wife's simple style. She had foregone many of the traditional ornaments and ties that usually adorned the
obi
. Never taking his eyes from hers, he reached behind her and pulled down on the ends of the sash, releasing the ends and letting the front panels of her kimono gape open. In a moment, the white and lavender silk lay in a pool at her feet. A layer of cotton remained, and Hiro felt like a child, opening a specially wrapped gift. The undergarment was tied with a plain cotton rope, and this presented a greater challenge. Hiro was ready to tear the garment apart when the knot finally unraveled, and the fabric floated to the floor.

He had often imagined her like this, late at night, as he tried to sleep knowing she was only a short walk away. His mind's eye had constructed the creaminess of her skin, the smooth curve of her body, the warmth of her smile. But the vision before him surpassed all of his dreams. This woman had been created especially for him, and he alone would have the right to cherish her from now to eternity. He would not ever take this right for granted.

Moments passed as he simply drank in the sight of her. She stared back, her lips curved upward in a secret smile. Finally, raw need overcame the awe, and he reached for her.