Samurai Heart

Chapter 21: M o t h e r

The smell of food woke the two Yorozuya who were in the building from deep sleep. From his room, Gin could hear someone putting the dishes on the table in the living room, while his stomach roared. He was hungry.

Hiding his joy, the samurai lazily got up from the futon, not even worrying about changing his clothes. 

Inside, he was thanking God for sending Patsuan earlier than usual to make breakfast. He was really hungry.

When the silver haired man left the room, he met Kagura, who, still drowsy, looked at the food without believing it. The table was neatly ordered, packed with plates of food where they could be served. It wasn't the usual Shinpachi style, but what the hell, food was food, and they were both hungry.

Quickly, they sat down to eat, undeterred in waiting for the boy with the glasses.However, a chubby woman with curly black hair and glasses entered from the hallway. It was definitely not Shinpachi.

They looked at her with wide eyes, surprised and without finishing swallowing, they opened the conversation.

-Who are you, ma'am?- Asked Gintoki, without having swallowed the rice from his mouth.

-¡Don't speak with your mouth full!- The woman scolded him, hitting him on the head then returned to the kitchen.

-¿Gin-chan, is she your mother?-Kagura asked in a whisper.

-¡It's rude to whisper about other people!- The woman shouted from the kitchen.

The silver-haired samurai shook his head, surprised by the intrusion of a middle-aged woman (perhaps closer to being an old woman) into his home.Just then Shinpachi was sliding the sliding door that led outside.

-¡¡Gin-san!! It's time to get up- The black haired boy yelled at the top of his lungs.  

The curly-haired woman came out of the kitchen with an apron and a wooden spoon in her hand. She crossed the hall, heading towards an intrigued Shinpachi, then hitting him with the spoon on the head. 

-¡Don't scream so much inside a house!- The woman reprimanded, and then turned around, annoyed. 

She returned to the kitchen, while Shinpachi entered the living room, seeing the two Yorozuya having breakfast. He managed to notice that they were both following the manners one has when sitting at a table, which intrigued him even more. 

-¿Gin-san, is that lady your mother?- Shinpachi asked, looking at the samurai, while sitting, taking a plate of rice, eating. 

Again he shook his head again, as the woman appeared through the door to the hallway again.

-¡Chew the food twenty times before swallowing it! - The black haired woman chided Shinpachi, then went back into the kitchen

The three of them looked doubtful. If it wasn't Gin's mother, then, ¿Who was that woman? She must be someone's mother, since she behaved like one, but...¿Whose mother was she?. 

The woman entered the living room again, taking away the dirty dishes. After leaving everything in order, she returned to the living room, where the three Yorozuya (Gin and Kagura neat and dressed) were. The lady in glasses took a seat in front of the samurai, who was watching her closely. 

-¿Who are you, ma'am?- Asked the red-eyed man, looking at the woman who was rummaging in her kimono.

She took out a photograph of an ordinary young man from her clothes, handing it to the man. 

-I want to ask you to look for my son, Hachiro- said the woman, lowering her eyes- He left the town since five years ago to come to work in the city. He keeps sending me money, but I want to see him, since I haven't seen him for years- The mother finished, looking up to address the three Yorozuya.