The Samurai's Garden Read online

  He raised a finger, signaling the maid in the corner to refill the sake cups. He could see some of the doubt dispelling on the faces of his guests. If he kept them well-fed and the sake flowing, perhaps by the end of the night he would have some partners in his quest. He would have help financing an army. Of course, some of the army's wages would go into his own pocket. He had to get some better clothing.

  Chapter Three

  Hiro was accustomed to hard work, but nothing in his experience as a solider had prepared him for the labor involved in running a farm. His respect for the people who made their living working the earth rose each time he lay his aching body down on his threadbare ofuton at night.

  Despite the hard work, Hiro found contentment in the routine. He adopted Hanako's habit of arising early, marveling at the freshness of the morning air. While she attended the animals, he went to the stream to fish then helped prepare a morning meal. In the late afternoon, he would return to the stream a second time or hunt for small game in the nearby woods. He kept the woodpile supplied, mended holes in the shabby roof, and fixed the ancient tools used in the field. Each evening, he thanked her politely for a calming, restful vacation, and then slept soundly until the next morning.

  After only a few weeks, he could see her tiny frame begin to fill out, and her face glowed with color and vitality. Hanako was a good teacher, and each day he learned more about the challenges she faced.

  He quickly found other things he could do to make things easier for her. The chickens produced eggs, and he learned how to gather them. Even though her farm was small, the work in the field was endless and grueling under the hot sun. Hiro wondered how she had managed alone. When she needed supplies in the village, he accompanied her, not forgetting her difficulties with Sato-san.

  "Why did you come here?" she asked one day as they returned to the hut after a trip into the village.

  "I felt I needed to pay a debt incurred by my brothers in war."

  "No, I mean why were you in our particular village? I understand many of the samurai are finding other uses for their skills. Did you truly expect to find anything suitable here, so far away from the capital city?"

  Hiro took his time answering. After his best friend had died, he had lost his will to fight. When the Emperor Meiji put an end to the samurai class, his duty there had ended, and he had traveled north, farther away from the capital and the political wars. He'd wandered across the countryside, watching people, sleeping wherever he could find shelter, and working when he needed to. The money he had used to purchase Hanako's animals had come from a wealthy merchant who'd been grateful for Hiro's temporary services as a bodyguard.

  "I was ready for a change from my life in the city. I needed to find another path, one with more peace and harmony. I have grown to appreciate the life you lead, the way you supply most of your needs from the land around you."

  There was much more to his story, but thankfully, Hanako seemed to accept his answer.

  "Don't you have responsibilities to your family?" she asked.

  "I am the second of four sons. My eldest brother is now a member of the Imperial Guard. He has primary care for my mother, now that my father is gone."

  "Will you return to the city after the harvest?"

  "I am not sure about my future. I think I would like to stay here for some time. If you will agree to teach me all you know, I will continue to stay and help you with your farm."

  She regarded him thoughtfully. "The life of a farmer is difficult. It is hard physical labor, and one is always dependent on the weather. Many other things can go wrong, destroying all your work. Fire, drought, disease, and of course—" she swallowed convulsively before continuing "—invasion by ronin."

  Hiro had taken seriously his vows of samurai ethics, and he was repulsed by the antics of the ronin. "The emperor's men are clamping down on them," he began.

  "The emperor's men cannot be everywhere," she argued. "The ronin travel at night and take people by surprise. No one is exempt from the terror they impart."

  He stopped walking and turned to face her, but waited until she met his eyes before he spoke. "They will not harm you again. I swear it."

  ****

  The bartering economy was a fascinating change for Hiro, who had been raised in a monetary society. He found it satisfying to be able to survive on what could be produced or traded. Here, a man earned respect for his own hard work, not for the size of his inheritance or the destruction he could cause. There was no room for vanity or trying to outdo one's peers. He became comfortable wearing the crude cotton clothing of the locals, and his taste for the simple fare he ate at Hanako's table replaced his previous penchant for the elegantly prepared dishes he had enjoyed in the city.

  His esteem for his lovely hostess-teacher also grew. She constantly surprised him with her resourcefulness. Though she lacked the education and training of the women he knew in Tokyo, her eyes shone with intelligence and common sense. He bought books to learn what experts had to say about agriculture, and together they would discuss what he had read. She amazed him with her understanding and practical knowledge.

  Hiro was planting a row of radishes when his thoughts turned to her. A vision of the two of them together, older, surrounded by children, flashed in his mind. He quickly shook the vision away. He was not looking for a wife, certainly not here, at the edge of the known world. Hanako was simply his mentor, as well as his temporary landlord. He needed to remember that.

  While they toiled in the field one day, an unexpected visitor came to call. Hiro noticed him first. The man stood at the end of a row of beans, watching them work, and waited for them to reach the edge of the field. His fine silk robes and aristocratic bearing, as well as the servants waiting with his sedan chair, were markedly out of place. Touching Hanako on the shoulder, Hiro nodded toward the stranger.

  "Do you know him?" he asked.

  Hanako squinted at the lone figure. "I don't think so," she began, "but he reminds me of a character in some stories my father used to tell me when I was young. He was the evil man who could cast curses and create storms." She shuddered as if a chill had overtaken her.

  Hiro chuckled at her colorful description, but sensing her discomfort, he walked with her to greet the man.

  As they reached the edge of the field, the stranger bowed low. "Greetings, Shimizu-san. I am Ishikawa, and I come from the Office of Finance in Hakodate."

  Hanako's face paled, and she seemed to shrink as the man continued speaking. Hiro reached out to put a reassuring hand on her back, but then realized the man was speaking to him.

  "… and the Office of Finance has come to the realization that this farm has not been registered properly in the court records. You are thereby required to pay the fine, plus the taxes due for the past five years."

  He heard Hanako's gasp of dismay, and gave her shoulder a squeeze before bowing to the man. "Ishikawa-san, I am afraid there has been a mistake. My name is Tanaka, and this is the widow of Shimizu-san. I am sure that she was unaware of the registration requirement, as well as the taxes."

  Ishikawa was undeterred by Hiro's pronouncement. "Nonetheless, as the widow, she is responsible for the debts incurred by her husband. She must pay the fines and taxes, or the government will take ownership of the land."

  "How is it that Shimizu-san was not notified of her husband's oversight?" Hiro persisted. "She cannot be held responsible for fines of which she was never made aware."

  "She was notified by courier last fall. The missive specifically told her she would have six months to pay all debts."

  Hiro turned to Hanako, who seemed to have shrunk even smaller. "Do you remember receiving this message?"

  She turned sad eyes up to meet his. "I remember a courier came with a message, but I had no idea that it was a demand for money. It was — just after Kenji was killed in the raid, and all our crops were destroyed."

  Indignation erupted in Hiro, and he breathed deeply to keep his composure. When he spoke, his words whipp
ed at Ishikawa like steel shards, and the courtier stepped back as if to avoid their sting. "How dare you come here, demanding so much from a woman who has nothing? Has she not suffered enough?"

  Ishikawa trembled and backed up to his waiting chair, but delivered one last blow. "She can have four more months, but the debt must be paid." Then he scrambled into his chair and squeaked a command to his lackeys to return him to the city. His head appeared through the window as he issued a parting threat. "I will return after the harvest."

  Hiro waited until the man and his entourage were out of sight before turning to Hanako. The sight of her made him forget every thought, every feeling except compassion for her. Never had he seen such dejection, such defeat. He lifted her chin until his gaze met hers. He wanted to reassure her, to protect her from the pain Ishikawa-san's visit had caused.

  "Do you still have the message he sent?" he asked quietly.

  Hanako nodded mutely, and scurried into the hut. A moment later she returned with a rolled up document tied with a gold silk ribbon. Hiro raised a brow at her. "This looks unopened."

  She bent her head. Hiro was about to ask why she would have ignored a directive from the government when she finally spoke.

  "I can't read, and I didn't want to ask someone else to read it for me. I thought it was about Kenji, and since he was dead, I hoped it wouldn't matter." She gazed back to the fields she had so diligently cultivated all her life. "In the end, I guess it really doesn't make any difference. Even with the extra four months, I can't possibly earn enough money to pay the fines and taxes, whatever the amount. I'll be lucky to grow enough to live on through the winter."

  Slowly she plodded back to her work.

  Hiro tore the ribbon away and opened the document. His eyes opened wide at the amount named. Surely this was a mistake! His estate in Tokyo was not taxed this highly, and his lands were far more expansive than this plot. Something was not right. He would have to investigate the origin of this "official" document. In the meantime, he needed to offer comfort and assurance. Tucking the paper into the folds of his yukata, he rejoined Hanako in the field.

  ****

  Hanako didn't dare look at Hiro for the rest of the afternoon. How he must loathe her for her lack of responsibility! Even though the missive had arrived at a difficult time in her life, she should have realized that it was something she needed to address immediately. Now she would certainly lose her home. She would have to sell the farm in order to raise some of the money she owed, but where would she go? She had no family to take her in. No one in the small village would hire her. Perhaps she could go to Sapporo and find work as a servant. For now, she needed to bury herself in work. She had a four-month reprieve. Perhaps the profits from a good harvest, along with the sale of the farm, would be enough to pay the debts.

  In addition to her ignorance of financial matters, Hiro was probably disgusted by her illiteracy. A part of her realized most people in her station could not read, but in the presence of an intelligent man like Hiro, her lack of knowledge embarrassed her. Any time now, he would leave. After all, what could he possibly learn from a naive, illiterate, downtrodden female farmer?

  She would miss his presence on the farm. Life had been so much easier since he came. Having a willing pair of hands — strong hands — had greatly increased productivity. More of her fields had been cultivated and cared for than any other season in her memory. Not only did her fields look better, her home was more habitable. The roof no longer leaked, and there was plenty of good food to eat. She had her "guest" to thank for all this.

  Now he knew how sadly she lacked intelligence. He would soon be bored of her presence and move on. She would be alone again. It was her lot in life — first her father, then her husband, and now this gentle stranger would leave her. But this separation would be far more painful than either of the others.

  In the evening, too restless to sleep, she went back outside and started digging the earth around the hut. Hiro found her there, meticulously turning the earth with her spade.

  "What will you plant here?"

  "I'm going to plant some flowers. The widow Nakamura gave some seedlings to me in exchange for some radishes."

  "What will they look like?"

  "I'm not sure, but the blossoms around her home always look beautiful. I thought I would try to make the place presentable if — if—" She held in a sob, unable to go on.

  She felt his large hand, warm and reassuring, on her shoulder. "Do not think of that. You will continue to work here, as you always have, and you will have a good harvest this fall. Tomorrow morning, I must make a short trip to the city. I will return as soon as my business is completed."

  Her eyes flew open, and she looked at him for the first time since Ishikawa's visit that afternoon. "You're leaving?"

  "Only for a short while." His eyes twinkled and his lips stretched into a grin. "I still have much to learn from you."

  ****

  Hanako woke early the next morning, intending to prepare a fine breakfast, but Hiro had already left. She supposed it was for the best. It would have been more painful to watch him leave.

  The morning's chores were completed automatically. The animals were fed. The eggs were gathered and brought to the market. She came home and tended her fields. Though her hands kept busy, her mind was elsewhere. And then it was dinnertime. She watched the sun dip in the western sky, wondering where the day had gone.

  Hiro had snared a wild rabbit the day before. He had wrapped the leftover meat in layers of cloth and had stored it in the cool shaded waters of the river. A heavy rock had kept it from floating away. Unable to summon an appetite for more than a few bites, she forced herself to eat. Then what to do? There were a few more hours before sunset. She went outside to tend to the flowers she had planted outside the night before. Standing in her flower garden, she remembered the reassurance she had received from Hiro while out here. Gentle warmth stole over her, as if Hiro was standing next to her. She kneeled down and began to dig.

  For the next two weeks, she kept the same routine. She would wake with the sun and tend to her animals before working in her fields. At the end of the day she would drag herself back to her hut and make an effort to eat. Much of what she cooked was fed to her animals, and she would spend time in the flower garden before collapsing on her ofuton for a night of sleeplessness. So many times she found herself wanting to tell him about small things, like the pesky birds that irritated her by diving into her beans, or the visible growth in the other plants. And when the seedlings in her flower patch began to bud, she nearly wept, wishing Hiro was there to see them.

  Her weight dropped again, and her yukata hung in folds. She found it difficult to summon the energy to go into the fields. Sometimes the effort seemed too great. But she reminded herself to care for the growing plants and the animals she, or rather Hiro, had purchased. Perhaps he would demand payment for the animals. She would need a good crop in order to repay him.

  She crouched in the flower garden, staring at the growing buds with unseeing eyes, when a large shadow loomed over her. She took a deep calming breath, trying to think of a way to defend herself, when the shadow moved to her side, and the figure crouched beside her.

  "I see the flowers are almost ready to sprout. They have grown much since I left."

  Hiro has returned! Hanako placed a hand over her rapidly beating heart. She fought to contain the squeal of joy threatening to escape her lips. She simply nodded, not trusting her voice. Finally she composed herself enough to look up at him. He was as handsome as she remembered. His clothes and sandals were dusty from the walk, and he seemed thinner. But despite the dust, he was the most welcome sight she could imagine. His lips were moving — what was he saying? She forced herself to concentrate on his words.

  "If you are working out here, then you must have had your dinner. Would you have any left for a hungry traveler?"

  "Oh! Forgive me. You must indeed be tired and hungry from your travels. I will prepare something—"
Standing quickly, she felt the earth tilt, and fade away.

  When she opened her eyes, she was lying on her ofuton, and an anxious Hiro was bathing her face with a cool cloth. She heard water boiling on the stove. Embarrassed to see him preparing his own tea, she tried to sit up, but he pushed her gently back down.

  "Rest," he commanded her. "It seems my absence has caused you to work too hard. And you have not eaten well. I could not even find a cup of rice to boil."

  His comment brought her further embarrassment. "I'll go to Nakamura-san and ask if she has something I can trade."

  "No. It is not necessary. I made some purchases in the market, so I will prepare something for us to eat."

  He got up and sprinkled some tea leaves into her ancient, cracked tea kettle. Then he poured the boiling water over them and put the lid on top. While waiting for the leaves to steep, he took his purchases from his pack. Fresh beef, large mushrooms, and onions tumbled out. She watched in amazement as he skillfully trimmed the fat from the beef and put the chunks in a skillet to melt before pouring the green tea into two cups. And she was even more amazed when he brought one of the cups to her. Never would she have dreamed of being served by a man, especially one as powerful and masculine as Hiro.

  As she drank the light green liquid, she watched as he made himself at home in her kitchen. How had he learned to cook with such mastery and flair? He again reached into his bag and pulled out an enormous knife, with which he carefully sliced the vegetables. They were placed in the hot grease to cook. When the food began to sizzle, he told her about his mission in Hakodate, the island's capital.

  "I visited the Office of Finance in Hakodate. They were very interested to hear about your visit from Ishikawa-san." He paused as he concentrated on cutting a slab of beef into paper-thin slices. "It seems he did work for their office, but he was dismissed from his position more than a year ago."

  "A year ago? But the message only came last fall."