The Pillow Book of the Flower Samurai Read Free

have food and charcoal – even in bad-harvest winters. They would never eat soil, as we did two winters ago.
    ‘Father, I will do my duty. Please tell Mother and my sisters I will bring honour.’ I, Fifth Daughter, had granted my family a gift none of the other daughters could: land. Precious land.
    My eyes watered. With clenched hands, I turned and made a low bow to Father and smaller bows to each brother, even to Third Son. Looking up, I saw tears tumbling down Father’s face.
    He placed one hand on top of my head and the other on my back. Then he turned and led me to Proprietor Chiba.
    I had never heard of a child, once sold, returning to their family. Perhaps I could. If I worked hard at Proprietor Chiba’s, he would have to let me go because I had done my duty so well. I hoped to go home soon. With honour. My family’s honour.
    The proprietor grabbed my sore neck and twisted me in the direction of the palanquin, the samurai, the horses, his sh ō en and a new life.
    A large samurai dismounted and strode to Proprietor Chiba and bowed low. ‘Permission to speak? Permission to oversee this one on the walk, my lord?’ He spoke with a quiet growl.
    Proprietor Chiba replied in a voice as dark as a winter thundercloud: ‘If you must, Akio. Yes, yes, as usual.’
    Proprietor Chiba had spoken differently before. He had changed into another person. The samurai Akio boosted the grunting proprietor into his palanquin and mounted his own chestnut horse.
    I surveyed the land to say goodbye and to remember. On my right was a small hill. A large mulberry thicket with little leaf buds grew on its west side. The priest had disappeared and a chill surged up my spine.
    Later, I wrote this poem:
    Suddenly cold as
    The spring’s Solstice Holy Day
    My family gone
    No one to scatter soybeans
    To cast out all my demons

III. New World
    Ahead – an endless wall. The sh ō en . My new home. Without my family.
    A man shouted, and five men pushed open the gate, bigger than my house. Was everything going to be so huge?
    Inside the gate, the sweating men with sly grimaces and muffled grunts set down the palanquin. The priest dismounted and waited for Proprietor Chiba to stand.
    After a small bow, the priest said, ‘If she is satisfactory, I hope you will send word of my accomplishments to the Taira City or, dare I say it, to Governor Taira no Michimori, or his annoying emissaries.’
    ‘Understood. Word of our actual arrangement to the commander would harm both of us. He would not favour either of us rising any higher.’
    ‘Chiba, this one is so much more beautiful than the older sister.’ The priest raised one eyebrow and smiled, showing his blackened teeth. ‘The local temple here is, as I have said, becoming quite boring, except for our . . . business.’
    More beautiful? Older sister? Fourth Daughter and me?
    ‘Yes.’ Proprietor Chiba smiled a toothy smile.
    ‘Proprietor, this is the sixth girl I have directed to you.’
    ‘Goro . . .’ Proprietor Chiba lifted his palm to the priest.
    ‘All the girls have been satisfactory. For both of us.’
    ‘Yes – yes, Tashiko dances well.’ Proprietor Chiba nodded, and his chins jiggled.
    Tashiko? Another girl?
    ‘She is a pretty child, is she not?’ The priest tilted his face down to Proprietor Chiba’s.
    ‘Not as handsome as this one.’ Proprietor Chiba pointed a pudgy finger at me.
    I was handsome? Was I beautiful, too?
    ‘It is an honour to perform at your temple here on your sh ō en , but as one is pulled up the ladder . . . so will another. And I must be invited to the Third Day Third Month Doll Festival.’
    ‘Or what? I have the girl now.’ Proprietor Chiba stuffed his fists on top of his hips.
    Did he mean me? I looked about for other girls, yet saw none.
    ‘Or what? There are so many possibilities, Chiba no Tashiyori. Revoke your tax-exempt status. Remove your samurai or . . .’ The priest counted, one finger, two fingers, three. ‘You may run this sh ō en but