[108]

AS SHE handed the check to Tsuda, making sure that O-Hide could see it, O-Nobu had in mind a request to make of him. Based on the turn of the conversation thus far and on her own personality, her request was more important to her than anything else. If only, she prayed silently, her husband, aligning himself with her, would accept the check! He might nod with a faint smile of relief and let it fall carelessly to the tatami alongside his pillow, or again, he might hand it back to her with a word of thanks that was simple enough yet conveyed his profound satisfaction with his wife — if only, with regard to the disposition of the check, he would allow O-Hide to perceive a previous understanding existing between them, the kind of understanding that befitted a couple, that would suffice.

Regretfully, O-Nobu’s action and the check itself were too abrupt for Tsuda. Beyond that, his sensibility regarding a theatrical gesture in a case like this was somewhat different from his wife’s. He stared at the check with an odd look on his face. Then he asked, taking his time, “What the devil is this?”

Instantly the coldness in his voice and the equivalent coldness of the inquiry itself was a hateful blow to O-Nobu’s eagerness. Her expectation had been betrayed.

“It’s nothing special — you needed something so I arranged to get it for you.”

The words were spoken casually, but O-Nobu was trembling inside. She was terrified that Tsuda would pursue the matter. That would serve only to reveal to O-Hide that there was no understanding whatsoever between them.

“You don’t have to look for an explanation while you’re sill recovering. I’ll tell you all about it later.”

Still uneasy, O-Nobu hastened to continue before Tsuda had a chance to speak.

“What does it matter, anyway? It’s such a small amount, it could have come from any number of places.”

Tsuda finally dropped the check beside his mattress. He was a man who desired money but did not prize it. Though he understood more keenly than others the importance of money when it was necessary, his inherent contempt disposed him to affirm O-Nobu’s words wholeheartedly. And so he said nothing. But neither did he feel it necessary to offer O-Nobu one word of thanks.

O-Nobu was disheartened. Even if he had nothing to say to her, she thought to herself, he might at least have conveyed his relief to O-Hide.

Just then O-Hide, who had been observing them, abruptly withdrew from the bosom of her kimono a pretty woman’s wallet.

“Brother! I’ll leave what I brought you here.”

Removing from the wallet a packet wrapped in white paper, she placed it alongside the check.

“I suppose I can leave it here?”

Having addressed Tsuda, she appeared to be waiting for O-Nobu’s reply. O-Nobu obliged at once.

“This is so kind of you, Hideko-san, but please don’t trouble yourself on our account. It would be different if we couldn’t manage on our own, but we’ll be fine.”

“But that will leave me feeling so uncomfortable. It gave me such pleasure to bring this along, I even wrapped it up for you; please accept it without objecting.”

The women took turns acceding to each other, repeating lines in the same dialogue. Tsuda listened forbearingly for what seemed like forever. Eventually they had to turn to him.

“Brother, please accept this.”

“May we take it, Yoshio?”

Tsuda grinned broadly.

“It’s odd, O-Hide, you were so stubborn a minute ago. Now you’re practically forcing this on us. Which do you really mean?”

“I mean both,” O-Hide said gravely.

Her reply caught Tsuda off guard. And her vehemence foiled his inveterate tendency to handle everything with condescension. The more so for O-Nobu. She looked at O-Hide in surprise. Her face was flushed just as before. But the glow in her cool eyes was not only anger. It was impossible not to apprehend something smoldering there that was neither regret nor chagrin nor animosity. What exactly it was they would have to hear directly from her lips. They were both intrigued. Some adjustment in the angle of the sentiments they had sustained until now seemed necessary. Without interrupting her, they hoped to hear in her words an explanation for that slow burn. Just then, as if prompted by their anticipation, she gave them what they wanted.

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