The Scent of Sake (8 page)

a business.”

O-Toki glanced at Jihei and opened her mouth but said nothing. She rose, went to the storage cupboard, and brought out the futon. She cleared the table rapidly, moved it to the side of the room, set the tray out in the hall, and closed the wooden shutters for the night. Jihei fell back on the tatami, his head resting on the futon. When O-Toki tried to arrange the futon, Jihei grabbed her. “Oh! How can I manage the futon?” she cried in mock distress.

“I think we’ll manage together very well. We always seem to.” O-Toki fell into Jihei’s embrace. He moved her onto the futon and fumbled with her kimono. She undid her obi and kimono

and Jihei moved over her, grunting.

“Is this the surprise?” Jihei whispered in her ear. “Who is surprised?” she laughed.

Jihei thrust her thighs apart and moved abruptly, then moments later rolled off, turned over, his back toward O-Toki. Soon he was snoring.

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Toward morning Jihei stirred, sat up and looked at O-Toki, who awoke slowly and yawned.

“Actually, the surprise is something I must tell you,” she said, rubbing her eyes and sitting up.

“
Ah,
at last.”

She looked at Jihei and hesitated. “I’m pregnant with your child.”

Fear mingled with excitement at the prospect as Jihei leaned toward O-Toki, looking at her intently. “Really?” he cried. “My first child! A son for the Omura House!” He caressed her abdomen. “When is it due? My wife shows no sign, after she lost our child. I was beginning to wonder if I would ever have one.”

“In six months’ time. And what makes you think it’s a son?” she asked. “What if it’s a daughter?”

“Then there will be rejoicing in the Omura House, an adopted husband for another generation. Merchant houses always welcome a daughter, you know.”

“But if you acknowledge the baby, I’ll lose him. I can’t give up my own baby!”

“You won’t, I promise,” Jihei said, putting a hand on her arm. “You’ll be able to see his wedding. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know about him. And you know, as first son he will succeed me and have a great future in our house.” He did not need to add, far better than he would have here in the water world of geisha houses.

When Jihei returned home in the early morning hours he was relieved to find that Rie had already left their room. He lay down on the futon and closed his eyes. He knew he would have to tell her soon. It was a conversation he dreaded.

Several seasons had passed, and Rie had yet to become pregnant. Instead, she poured herself into her work. Early one evening, Hana sat in her room sewing while Rie hunched over an account book on the other side of the hibachi.

“You know that’s not really your responsibility, Rie. Father and Kin may be annoyed if they discover the ledger missing from the office.”

“Mother, I always keep track of accounts now. Kin realizes that I need to know where we stand. And he says our finances have improved since I have been following them and making suggestions. Father doesn’t need to know.” She smiled proudly.

“Well, it isn’t expected of a woman, you know, even here in Nada. Women don’t handle the cash. It’s always been that way. And Father and Jihei could do it, with Kin.” She paused and held up her work to examine the fine embroidery with a crane pattern, symbol of longevity.

Rie rested her hands on the ledger and looked at her mother.

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“You didn’t have an adopted husband, Mother. And I’m not actually handling cash. Kin does that. And Father. So no need to object if I’m helping the house.”

Hana said nothing further, no doubt glad that Rie had begun to take an interest in the house, after her tragic miscarriage.

They were interrupted by a high-pitched voice beyond the shoji.

“Excuse me!”

The shoji opened and O-Natsu entered, bowing. For a moment she said nothing as she glanced at Rie and her mother. Then she acknowledged Hana’s gesture and sat on her haunches, smooth-ing her kimono under her.

“Yes, O-Natsu, what is it?” Hana asked.

“I have some news, Oku-san,” she said, using the title befitting the female head of the household.

“So you’ve been gossiping again?”

O-Natsu’s apple cheeks grew redder. “Well, I thought you should know. . . .” She glanced at Rie, then back at Hana and looked down.

“I was talking with a maid in the market today, who knows one of the Sawaraya maids.”

“Tell us!” Hana said, speaking sharply.

O-Natsu looked at the floor and took a deep breath. “They say Rie’s husband is friendly with a geisha, O-Toki, and that she is going to have a child.” On the verge of tears, O-Natsu put her hands to her face.

Rie and Hana both looked at O-Natsu. Rie’s mouth opened and she frowned.

Hana gasped. “Are you certain, O-Natsu?”

“I’m told there is no doubt. She is due in a few weeks.” O-Natsu looked down again and bowed apologetically.

“Thank you, O-Natsu,” Hana said, more gently. “You may be excused now.”

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O-Natsu bowed and left the room, glancing at Rie as she left. With a sharp intake of breath, Rie looked down at her clenched fists and avoided her mother’s gaze for several minutes. Shame burned her cheeks as she thought of her husband with the geisha and a child together, so soon after her own miscarriage! Anger

quickly suffused shame.

“Well, Rie, I’m afraid this may be the result of your constant involvement in the affairs of the house. Maybe you are intimidating Jihei. As I’ve said, a mukoyoshi often feels a stranger in his new home. You know, his position is not so different from a bride’s.”

The rebuke sent a flush of warmth through Rie, but she was silent, stealing a glance at her mother to try to detect any sign of emotion. She pressed her clenched fists against the edge of the table and rocked back and forth.

“Yes, Mother . . . but he is from a brewing house too. What we do is no mystery to him.” Her voice rose slightly. “And I know our family traditions better than he does, so I’ve tried to help him ever since we were married. This is what you and Father trained me to do, isn’t it?”

Her mother’s tone softened. “Maybe you should leave any advice to Father and Kin. It may be difficult for Jihei to accept suggestions from a woman.”

Rie was silent. Her mother was often right when it came to understanding human beings and why they behave as they do. But Rie had a sense of foreboding, and the gloom that had blanketed her since first hearing about Jihei’s indiscretion returned. If she couldn’t bear a child, it meant the geisha’s son or daughter might be the successor to the house. The thought sent a chill racing through her.

“Try to be more gentle, Rie.”

Rie leaned back from the table and frowned. “I’ll try, Mother . . .”

Then, as if to reaffirm her own thoughts, her mother said, “If

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you don’t become pregnant soon we may have to bring the child into the house, especially if it’s a boy.”

Rie bent over her hands, her mouth open, feeling the pressure of her mother’s words. She would have to lie with that disgusting fool every night. “But Father hasn’t retired, and when he does my husband will succeed. Why do we need to think of another generation now?” She rested her forehead on one hand, elbow on the table.

“Please, Rie.” Her mother looked admonishingly at Rie’s un-feminine gesture.

Rie took her elbow off the table.

“It’s always well to be prepared in advance in case something should happen to Father. We need to think ahead, for continuity of the house. It’s just as important as looking after the family altar and ancestral graves. I know you realize that, Rie. And Father will want to retire before long. He would like to see things more settled. It would set his mind at rest if there were an heir.”

Rie sat forward and poured tea for her mother and herself, her hand trembling. Then she excused herself and went out to the garden, her oasis for silence and thought. Still shaken by the news, she leaned against her favorite rock and gazed at the koi swimming lazily in the pond. She knew she would have to try to become pregnant again, as soon as possible. Her honor as daughter of the house depended upon it. She sighed, her lips pursed together tightly. For several minutes she sat in silence, willing away the words she’d heard, wishing she could undo the last twenty minutes. Then coming to a decision, she lifted her chin and returned to her mother’s room. She announced her presence, and entered properly on her knees.

“Mother, wouldn’t a geisha object to giving up her child?” “Those women don’t. She knows the child will have a better

chance in life here in a house of substance than out there in the water world, especially if it’s a boy.”

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Rie sighed and slumped. “Jihei spends so much time out at night, Mother. I don’t know what to do.” Unbelievable. Now she actually
wanted
Jihei home at night to force himself on her so she could get pregnant. But how could she keep him from going out?

“I’ve never told you this before, Ri-chan.” Hana put down her sewing and looked at Rie. “But your father had a child by a geisha too.”

What?
Rie put a hand to her mouth to stifle a cry.

“But since you were already in the
koseki
register, we didn’t have to bring the geisha’s son in. I was fortunate. It’s more difficult for you, having this geisha’s child the firstborn. But I know you want to have a child, Rie, as soon as possible. It’s so sad that you lost your first.” She picked up her sewing again as if to end the conversation.

Rie frowned. “Yes, but what should I do?”

“Try to make yourself more attractive, Rie. Pay attention to your grooming. Cook one of his favorite dishes some evening.” She glanced at Rie.

“Oh. . .” Rie put her hands on the table and looked at them critically. The thought of enticing Jihei made her sick to her stomach.

“Put on your best kasuri kimono some night . . . and here.” Hana turned to the dressing table behind her, a piece made of polished paulownia wood with carving around the mirror, her favorite antique.

“Here, dear.” Her mother held out a small red round lacquer box with a plum blossom design on the cover. “This is a special perfume cream my mother gave me. It’s from Kyoto. We can’t find it here in Kobe. They say it gives a woman special powers with a man, makes her irresistible.” Hana smiled but with an un-derlying steel that belied the gesture. She opened the lid and held the box under Rie’s nose. Not accustomed to using scents, Rie

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inhaled the aroma, heavier and spicier than anything she had ever smelled.

“Try a bit tonight, dear. It may help.”

Lure that vile man to her body. Repulsive! But it was what she had to do.

“Thank you, Mother. I’ll try . . .” Her mother gave her a stern look and she quickly amended her words to “I’ll do as you say.” She cautiously reached for the box and slipped it into her sleeve. She wrinkled her nose at the inevitable prospect.