Light and dark

[73]

JUST THEN the footsteps that had rapidly approached down the hall stopped and the door was thrown open. Home from school, Yuriko barged into the room. Removing the bag hanging heavily from her shoulder and depositing it on her own desk, she spoke only a formulaic word of greeting to her elder sister. “I’m back.”

Her desk was installed in the corner just to the right of where O-Nobu once had sat. Yuriko had been allowed to move in to the room the minute O-Nobu had left to join Tsuda, and she had been far from unhappy about her cousin’s departure. Knowing how she felt, O-Nobu was careful to say something.

“Yuriko-san, here I am again — I hope you don’t mind?”

Yuriko didn’t even say “Welcome.” Lowering her right leg to the tatami from the edge of her desk, where she had rested it as she rubbed her big toe encased in black tabi-socks that appeared to be in need of darning, she replied.

“I don’t mind you being here — as long as your husband hasn’t kicked you out.”

“What a thing to say.” O-Nobu laughed as she spoke and, after a pause, resumed.

“Yuriko-san, if I had been kicked out by Tsuda, I assume you’d feel at least a little sorry for me?”

“Umm, I guess so—”

“And if that happened, I could stay in this room again?”

“I suppose—”

Yuriko appeared to be considering.

“You could stay as long as Sister had left to be married.”

“I mean before Tsugiko-san gets married.”

“You’ll be kicked out before that? That would be — I hope you’d put up with whatever you’d have to not to be — I mean, I’m living here, too.”

Yuriko joined the two older girls in laughter. Without removing her hakama, she moved to the brazier and, sitting down between them, began at once to eat the rice cookies on the wooden tray the maid had brought in.

“Snack time so late? This tray brings back memories.”

O-Nobu recalled the days when she was about Yuriko’s age. She remembered vividly coming home from school and reaching for the eagerly awaited tray. Tsugiko, watching with a smile as her little sister gobbled the cookies, seemed to be recalling the same past.

“Do you do have snack time at home even now?”

“Sometimes — it’s a bother to shop for snacks, but even when we happen to have something at home, it doesn’t taste the way it used to; it’s not as yummy anymore.”

“Because you don’t get enough exercise.”

While they were talking, Yuriko had emptied the tray. Finished, she broke into their conversation as incongruously as bamboo grafted to a tree.

“It’s true — Sister will be going to wife any day.”

“She will? Where?”

“I don’t know, but somewhere.”

“Really? What’s the husband’s name?”

“I don’t know his name, but she’ll be going.”

Patiently, O-Nobu framed a third question.

“What will he be like?”

Yuriko replied insouciantly.

“Probably like Yoshio-san. Because Sister adores Yoshio-san. She says he’s a wonderful person who does whatever Nobuko-san wants.”

Tsugiko flushed and lunged at her sister. Shrieking, Yuriko leaped away.

“Uh-oh, the truth is out.”

Pausing briefly at the entrance to comment, she ran from the room, leaving O-Nobu and her sister behind.