I was at my home, but I had made a few unauthorized stops along the way.
Returning inside our own wall, I landed in front of the koi pond. I went directly to the bushes, satchel in hand.
As I had left it, the little dog was still stuck in the branches. I untangled it once more.
Taking it up in my arms, I unhooked the leather bag and removed a small chunk of meat. I held it up to the puppy's face. Before long, it had chomped it down and demanded more.
I think that was when I first saw true warmth in a pair of eyes.
The tender meat was easy to eat, but I used my knife to cut out small pieces anyhow. I would be horrified to see the little thing choke to death.
It yipped. At least it tried to. His strength hadn't returned, but he was more lively. I let a small smile escape me. It felt rather strange.
The hair around its mouth, covered in a red color that mixed in its white fur to create a cherry-blossom-pink color, was what I planned to clear as I used a cloth and the water of the pond to clean off his muzzle. I was smart enough not to dip the cloth back in after I began; I couldn't allow the water to become muddied, even slightly.
As he had finished, I pushed the little creature out through the crack in the wall. It turned to face me with a questioning look on its face. Can an animal really feel that way, or is that just part of the legends that are so common?
It crossed my mind that this thing could really be a tanuki, a creature which could shape-shift that is thought to do so to make humans appear foolish.
Or perhaps it could be a kitsune, a fox, which are known to change their form in order to deceive people. Could it have used me to get a free meal?
My head fell forward for my forehead to rest on my hand. I was being too superstitious.
"Come back tomorrow, then. I'd like to help you some more."
I didn't know if I would keep my promise, but I was somehow assured by his small barks that he would come back regardless.
As the sunshine cascaded a hue different from that of the moon, I walked along the path into the small village.
As I was to be married soon, my mother thought it best that I learn how to be a housewife. As such, errands, including cooking meals, were important, so I was out to buy ingredients: fish, leeks, rice. . . .
The bustling town was rather quaint. I masqueraded behind a smile as I slowly looked around for a place I might be able to buy some meat. I suppose I would keep my vow.
You might expect it, but the merchants around kept yelling out as I passed, "Buy here!", "We have the best carp in town," "Our dango are the sweetest you'll ever have!" With their simple clothes and their faces slightly dirty, it might make anyone else offer a small chuckle. I kept my composure, though.
Although it would appear that the people around were rather busy with buying themselves, none of the sellers seemed to have sold much. At the time, the way that these types of things worked was completely unknown to me; they apparently keep most of their product inside the little carts each one had.
As I was checking out one particular offering of a sweet tasting bread, I bumped into someone else.
This person were selling some fruit, but it scattered all over. I'd knocked over the cart with a distinctive whump. They rolled in every direction, forming a shape like a compass rose.
I humbled myself for a moment. I kneeled down and picked up the fruit I could carry.
"Gomen ne, I'm sorry. I'll pick them up right away," I apologized. As my eyes rose, our faces were only a few inches apart.
