One Life Well and Truly Promised

by Richard D. Parker

  “Itadakimasu,” Chisuzu repeated a little late and Kaiya giggled.

  Once tradition was satisfied the meal went rather quickly, filled with playful banter and laughter. Kaiya, as always, was the center of attention and her bubbly personality helped Chisuzu feel at ease. She was just becoming comfortable with the flow of the meal when suddenly it was over. She helped Sakura and Kaiya clean up while Kiyomi and her husband said a quick prayer over the family shrine. Katashi clumsily helped the girls, though it was not expected of him. Like Chisuzu, he was uncomfortable in his new role. He’d never had a suitor striving to win him as husband, real or fabricated, and it left him feeling awkward.

  Things did not get easier for the two of them as the morning progressed. When they reached the beach, there were already dozens of villagers waiting to haul in the nets that were anchored in the shallows. Of course being a stranger from Numazu, Chisuzu immediately attracted everyone’s attention. Most were excited when they learned that she was promised to Katashi, pending Kiyomi’s approval. Some of the women however, were confused by the selection. There were many eligible young girls in Atami who would make excellent wives. That Kiyomi felt the need to send for a match from Namasu, which was located on the far side of the peninsula, was a bit insulting. Katashi was considered a fine catch, not only for his straight back and good looks, but also for his prowess with the bow as a hunter. More than a handful of village girls would cry themselves to sleep that night.

  The men on the other hand, all clapped Katashi on his back and congratulated his good fortune, for Chisuzu was a natural beauty. They were sure she would give him many pleasurable nights, and a few of the older men admired Chisuzu with just a touch of envy.

  Once the introductions were made however, they all accepted Yoshiko as one of their own and treated her as such.

  “Stay close to me and watch what I do,” Sakura whispered as the villagers began to fan out, forming groups as they moved up and down the beachhead.

  The sun was just rising when Chisuzu’s group, perhaps twenty villagers in all, moved slowly out into the ocean. Much of the volcanic area around the peninsula was not ideal for shallow fishing, but Atami was blessed because the seabed sloped gradually enough that net fishing from shore was possible. Plus the area was guarded by a thin reef that forced most of the waves to break far from the beach. Farther to the south, the volcanic activity created a much steeper pitch to the seabed and made net fishing near the shore impossible for anyone not on a boat.

  Sakura waded slowly out into the sea with Chisuzu following closely behind. Katashi and the other men split apart and moved off a good distance down the beach, before they too began wading out into the sea. Kaiya, who was too small to hoist the nets, waited on shore with the other small children.

  Chisuzu smiled when the first waves struck her knees causing her to wobble slightly.

  “Stop there,” Sakura instructed after a few more steps, though she kept going until they were approximately ten shaku apart. The women in the group now formed a large half circle, some very near the shore, while Sakura and Chisuzu were located in the middle of one loop, the water just up to their waists. “Now we wait,” Sakura added and nodded toward the men.

  Katashi and the others were down the beach and already much farther out to sea than Chisuzu. As she watched Katashi, his group moved slowly back in their direction. The water was around chest high on most of them, and though they were able to walk, most had to jump and ride the waves as they broke toward shore. It was slow going but eventually the men moved into place and helped form a large circle nearly 50 shaku in circumference.

  “Pick up the net anchor,” Sakura instructed and she bent until her chin was touching the water. Chisuzu imitated her, not truly knowing what a “net anchor” was, but she was confident that she would know when she felt it. Her hand touched the sandy seabed well before her head was in danger of getting wet, even so the lower half of her braided ponytail floated in the water behind her. She ran her fingers along the bottom until she felt the netting. She deftly moved her hands along the course weave of rope, following it out until she came across a large round rock.

  “The rock?” She whispered and some of the closer women frowned, wondering if Numazu was truly on the sea.

  Sakura nodded and hoisted her anchor. Chisuzu felt the netting on either side of her anchor rise as the women worked together. She quickly burrowed her fingers into the soft sand beneath the rock and began to pull it up and out of the water. The rock and the netting together were much heavier than Chisuzu was anticipating and she nearly pitched over headfirst into the water. Thankfully she instinctively shifted her feet closer to the rock and managed to regain her balance without embarrassing herself. She bent her knees and cradled the rock with her palms and forearms and lifted with all her might. To her great satisfaction the rock and netting came up and out of the water, though it was so heavy she had to hold the wet load close to her body to keep from dropping it. She smiled over at Sakura, but her happiness quickly faltered when she saw that everyone else now had their rocks hoisted up either above their heads or at least to shoulder height.

  “Higher!” Sakura hissed and Chisuzu strained to lift the heavy load up to her shoulders. Luckily the netting itself helped to keep the rock from slipping from her grasp and after several long seconds she finally managed to heave the rock so it was almost even with her chin. She didn’t have time to savor her victory however, because once the rest of the group had their rocks in place, and a good portion of the netting was out of the water, they began to walk slowly forward shrinking the circle, trapping whatever fish happen to be unlucky enough to be caught in the net.

  Chisuzu staggered forward, arms shaking from the effort. At first everything was calm within the circle but as it drew tighter fish began to break the surface of the water, in a panic to escape the trap. Chisuzu smiled, a feeling of useful pride flowing through her, though as the group closed, the weight was getting heavier and heavier.

  “Fish!” Chisuzu said with a grin for Sakura and then nodded to the churning mass trapped in the circle, but then her foot hit an underwater ledge and she stumbled. She had no time to right herself before the weight of the rock and the netting pulled her forward and underwater. She floundered for what seemed like a lifetime, trying to get her legs back underneath her. Whenever she seemed close however, the ocean waves seemed to knock her off balance once more. Finally she released the rock and the net and pulled her knees up close and was able to stand, her head breaking the surface to a swell of indignant cries.

  “Raise it! Lift the net! Hurry!” The men and women in the circle yelled at her and like the fish in the trap, Chisuzu panicked. She froze for a split second but then caught sight of Katashi who was smiling encouragingly at her, apparently not a care in the world.

  Chisuzu suddenly laughed at her predicament and quickly ducked completely back under the sea. The shouts of protest grew muffled as she hunted for her anchor once more. She quickly opened her eyes to search and caught sight of several fish swimming past her to safety. Eventually she found the rock and heaved it up to her chest and then lifted the entire weight with her legs. She quickly popped back to the surface and those around her cheered and smiled at her. The net was still teaming with sea life.

  This time Chisuzu moved forward with tiny baby steps. Her arms shook alarmingly from the weight, and water dripped and stung her eyes, but Katashi was smiling widely at her, drawing ever closer, while Sakura whispered encouraging words. Finally the group came together and stood shoulder to shoulder in the gentle surf. The sea within the circle was now a maelstrom of splashing and jumping fish. Their efforts were futile however, because the net held them in tight.

  “What now?” Chisuzu asked Sakura, but before she could answer several larger children and an old man joined them and began pulling on a single thick rope that neatly cinched the top of the net together. The rock anchors clicked against one another as the opening in the top quickly closed to nothing.


  “Drop the anchor on three!” Sakura said and joined in as the entire group counted. “Ichi…ni…san!” They yelled and all dropped their anchors together, making a mighty splash and agitating the fish even more. Sakura then grabbed her hand and led her back toward shore.

  Before they made it completely to the beach however, Sakura grabbed a section of the thick rope and motioned for Chisuzu to join her. Chisuzu moved in close behind her and lifted the wet rope. It was rough and thick but at least it wasn’t heavy. Chisuzu’s forearms were still shaking from the weight of the anchor. It was obvious to her that they were all going to pull the net full of fish ashore, but both girls waited patiently for everyone to find a spot. Katashi struggled quickly through the water, wanting to be next to Chisuzu but Nobu, an older married man, got there first and his wife took up her position directly behind him. Disappointed, Katashi had to grab the rope farther back.

  Once everyone was in place the old man and the children counted enthusiastically, and on three they all pulled together. The rope burned in Chisuzu’s hands as she pulled with all her might. The net barely moved at first but as they continued to heave it finally began to slide across the seafloor. Despite the abrasive feel of the rope and the trembling of her muscles, Chisuzu smiled widely, enjoying the shared effort immensely. She happily dug her feet deep into the sand in order to gain leverage and pulled all the harder. The net continued to move grudgingly for several long moments, but as more and more water poured from the trap it gradually became easier until finally it glided neatly up onto the beach. Chisuzu cried out with delight as it cleared the water and looked on as fish slapped wildly in a vain attempt to escape.

  Everyone took a moment to check out the haul and to congratulate one another.

  “Excellent catch!” Nobu told Chisuzu before giving her a slight bow and a nearly toothless grin. Directly behind him his wife gave a half bow but did not smile at the pretty young newcomer. Sakura was laughing happily next to Chisuzu, hugging her shoulders gently and then suddenly Katashi was there. His smile took her breath away and she felt very proud and happy. She bowed very low, as a respectful suitor must, and beamed back at him.

  Katashi, not to be out done bowed almost as low. “Nice recovery,” he told her, “it’s not so easy to stand in the surf once you’ve lost your balance. You’re a natural ryoushi,” he added and then the order was given to hoist the catch farther up the beach. This time Katashi grabbed the rope directly behind Chisuzu and stood so close that she could feel the heat coming off of his body, despite the fact that they were not quite touching.

  Once the catch was safely up the beach Katashi reached out and touched Chisuzu very discreetly on the back. “I will return this afternoon,” he said and then moved off down the seaside with the other men. Chisuzu watched him go for a moment before Sakura tapped her on the shoulder with an amused look. Chisuzu ignored her and watched as several women moved a pair of long benches down very close to the catch.

  “Wear your hat,” Sakura said handing Chisuzu a wide, floppy straw hat. Chisuzu put it on her head self-consciously and glanced around quickly to see if Katashi could see her, but he was not in sight.

  “I’ll fetch the fish for you Ch…Yoshi!” Kaiya said, gasping at her near transgression. Chisuzu’s smile for the girl faltered as Sakura handed her a large thick knife.

  “Remove the heads and tails,” she whispered and motioned for Chisuzu to sit next to her in the sand before the low bench. All the women quickly followed suit and a young married woman named Chika took up the place on the other side of Chisuzu. The woman was very pregnant and went to her knees easily enough, however she struggled for a moment to get her legs under the bench until Chisuzu held out a hand for support.

  “Arigato,” the woman said with a grateful smile. At this point the young children were all movement, some placed baskets behind their elders, but the majority picked through the catch for the biggest fish they could find. The air was filled with their excited squeals as the fish flipped and flopped for freedom. Kaiya was very diligent in her work and soon had one of the biggest wiggling on the bench directly in front of Chisuzu.

  Chisuzu frowned and gingerly placed a hand on the fish, which immediately flipped its tail. Chisuzu immediately jerked her hand off and stifled a scream.

  “Hold it down!” Sakura insisted.

  “Farm girl?” Chika asked and Chisuzu squeamishly nodded.

  “Hold them tight and hack quickly,” Chika explained and skillfully took the flopping fish from in front of Chisuzu and held it firmly down with one hand. The instant the fish was secure she brought down her knife and neatly removed the head. The body of the fish still struggled but Chika ignored the movement and quickly turned the fish around and removed the tail. “See?” She asked, as if the grisly process was very easy.

  Chisuzu nodded as Chika quickly flipped the fish head and tail in one basket while dropping the body in another.

  “You try,” Chika added when a young boy brought her a fish. It was smaller than the first, but struggled mightily as Chika moved it in front of Chisuzu. The noble girl gulped, but bravely placed a firm hand on her squirming victim. Holding the fish was the worst, but once in place Chisuzu deftly brought down her knife and chopped off its head.

  Despite her lack of experience with fish, she was a samurai and trained weekly with all manner of weapons. Her father insisted that she and Masako, her older sister, learn to fight, though of course she’d never used her skills on anything living up until now.

  “So good!” Chika praised as Chisuzu spun the fish and quickly removed the tail.

  Sakura nodded in encouragement. “Heads and tails in one basket for soup, bodies in the other,” she explained and Chisuzu did as she was told, feeling satisfied and happy to be included.

  “We have the easy job,” Sakura said with a wide smile. “We just remove the heads and tails, they deal with the innards and bones,” she added and pointed with her knife at the group of older women who sat waiting at the other bench, her mother Kiyomi among them. Kaiya quickly brought two more, one for Sakura and one for Chisuzu.

  “Here Yoshi,” Kaiya said loudly, proud of her deception. Chisuzu chopped the next fish…and the next…and the next. On and on they came, the work quickly becoming monotonous enough that Chisuzu’s mind began to wander, flitting around Katashi the way gnats circle around a candle flame. Despite the women’s chatter and the children’s constant high-pitched laughter, Chisuzu’s mind remained focused on one thing…Katashi. A simple peasant boy.

  She’d only known him a couple of days but he seemed oh so familiar to her. There was something about him, maybe the way he walked, or the set of his shoulders that reminded her of someone, but who she could not say. She only knew that the more she was around him the more she realized that she knew him…and well. Her mind was still working on the puzzle when the last fish was tossed in the basket. It was a big catch; a lucky catch and when Chisuzu finally looked up it was near midday.

  “Some farm girl,” Chika commented with amazement. “You work fish like you’ve been doing it all your life…I struggled to keep up with you,” she added. Chisuzu frowned, confused, but then turned to Sakura, who was staring at her with a mixture of awe and concern.

  “You’re very fast with the knife,” she confirmed with a nod. “Maybe a bit too fast,” she whispered softly just for Chisuzu’s ears.

  Chisuzu shrugged, knowing it was too late now and pulled off her straw hat. Her hair was soaked with sweat and she fanned herself gratefully as the women slowly stood around her.

  “You were amazing Yoshi!” Kaiya exclaimed as Chisuzu and Sakura climbed to their feet. “I’ve never seen anyone remove heads so quickly!” She added until Sakura hushed her.

  “You were fast Yoshi,” Chika said as she shifted sluggishly over onto her hands and knees. Chisuzu immediately went to her and helped the large woman to her feet.

  Chisuzu shrugged. “I cut vegetables for my mother,” she explained lamely, not knowing wh
at else to say.

  The women stopped briefly for a bite of fresh fish and a bit of soup. They spent the afternoon inspecting and mending the netting before finally moving back into the ocean and anchoring it once more in place.

  It was late in the afternoon when the men finally returned with their catch from the sea. Chisuzu watched from the beach with the other women as one boat after another rushed to shore, pushed by the waves. Women up and down the beach greeted their husbands and sons with happy shouts and waves. It was not until most of the boats were ashore that Chisuzu finally spotted Katashi waving to her and standing alongside his father as their tub made its way toward the beach.

  “Chichi! Chichi!” Kaiya yelled, waving both hands over her head frantically. Hayato grinned and waved back with one hand, gripping the side of the boat tightly with the other as the craft bobbed and jerked in the surf. Chisuzu however, only had eyes for Katashi, who stared directly at her despite the rough going. Her heart jumped unbidden in her chest, apparently very happy that he’d returned.

  She waited impatientlyas Katashi and a group of men jumped from the boat and guided the craft through the shallow water and up onto the beach. Chisuzu watched fascinated as the muscles in Katashi’s back knotted from the effort and then relaxed when the boat was securely ashore.

  Kaiya rushed to greet her father and Chisuzu found that she had to fight the impulse not to rush ahead with the young girl; instead she walked slowly forward with Sakura and Kiyomi.

  When she finally reached Katashi, Chisuzu bowed very low. Katashi returned it with a slight one of his own, which was the proper thing to do. It was obvious to all that they were exceedingly happy to be together again. The majority of the villagers tried to hide knowing smiles, while giving the polite illusion of ignoring the interaction between the two young people. It was always exciting when a new courtship bloomed.

  The only person who seemed concerned by the encounter was Kiyomi, whose brows furrowed as she watched her son. Subterfuge and veiled performances were likely a daily occurrence in Chisuzu’s world, so she could understand a certain innate talent for deception, but her son was either a natural actor or he was going to have trouble letting go of the beautiful young samurai when the time finally arrived.