My palms are dry. When
I rub them together, they
Sound like autumn leaves
The blacksmith refused to meet my gaze.
He kept his eyes fixed on the ground at his feet so firmly, I began to wonder if he had developed some ailment of his neck that meant he was unable to lift his head properly. He mumbled when he spoke as well, and after a short while my excitement began to get the better of my manners.
“Well? Can you do it or not? Speak up, blacksmith.”
“Mi-san, I am sure that between me and the carpenter, we can do as you ask. But…”
He tailed off helplessly. He was clearly worried, and if he was worried, then so was I. I had made my plans so carefully. How was it possible that I was about to fail? If the blacksmith could not help me, then I had no one else to turn to. He had shoed my ponies for me ever since I had learned to ride, and that had been almost as soon as I could walk. He had always had a kind word for me, and I had come to think of him almost as a friend.
Apart from that, I had welcomed his visits to the estate as a pleasing break from the daily routine. His presence was always announced by the sound of his cart, drawn by a heavy horse. It was a different sound entirely to the other tradesmen. Both cart and horse were big and sturdy, like the blacksmith himself.
Although there was space set aside for him in the stables, he always brought his own tools and anvil. He heaved the hefty lump of iron off the back of the cart as if it was nothing. I had tried to lift it once and found it as impossible as moving the cart and horse together.
I was allowed to watch the blacksmith at work. I loved everything about it. The transformation of iron as it was shaped into everything from new pans for the kitchen to horseshoes. The heat of the fire and the constant danger of stray sparks. Even the stink of the iron when it was dunked in cold water to cool it pleased me. On one visit, the blacksmith did me a very great favor.
I had a large, painful stye on my left eye. Every time I blinked, it rubbed and felt as if I had been stung by a bee. Nobody else noticed it but the blacksmith.
“My goodness, Mi-san. That eye looks very sore. Perhaps you should come a little closer to the anvil so that you can see properly.”
Cautiously, I moved a little closer. The blacksmith smiled at me and pointed to the anvil.
“You will be interested in this,” he assured me. “I am making a new rack for the kitchen to hang herbs on to dry them properly. It is very fancy work, and I must be very careful. Do you think you will be able to tell me when you think each hook is the same size as the other ones?”
“Of course,” I said promptly. Forgetting my fears, I put my head as close to the anvil as I dared. Every time the hammer struck the red-hot iron, I blinked hard.
It took a long time before the blacksmith was satisfied with his work. He thanked me very nicely for helping him, and I was pleased. When I went back to the house, I was even more pleased. My horrible stye had burst with all the blinking I had done in the heat of the forge and was hardly painful at all anymore.
I had no idea at the time that the blacksmith had encouraged me to watch him closely deliberately, knowing that it would help me get rid of the stye. But I knew that now, and I was hurt that he should suddenly show me such a closed face when all my plans for the future depended on him. Because of the hurt, I spoke brusquely.
“If you can do it, then what is the problem? I have enough money to pay you both if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“No, Mi-san,” he said humbly. “It’s not a question of money. Not at all. It’s just that you shouldn’t be here. It’s not right that you should come to me on your own. I take my instructions from the estate manager, who in his turn is told what is needed by your honorable father.”
He tailed off helplessly. I understood. I should have thought of this. Of course, the blacksmith—as did all the tradesmen employed by the estate—took his orders from the estate manager. The blacksmith must have been bewildered by me turning up on my own with such a strange request. Clearly, he was worried about the consequences of going behind the estate manager’s back. Undoubtedly, he depended on the work he did for us, and now he was torn between offending me and fear that he would lose his livelihood if he angered the estate manager. What a complicated place the world was!
I thought carefully, and when my thoughts were in order, I spoke gently.
“I understand. But please don’t worry. It is my birthday very soon, and Father has told me that I can choose whatever I wish for a present. You see, the things I have asked you and the carpenter to make for me will be my birthday present and I want to surprise Father with them. He will be so delighted when he sees how well I can walk again, I assure you he will not be angry with you for taking instructions from me.”
The blacksmith was frowning, but I could see he was thinking over my words carefully.
“In fact, I’m sure Father will be very pleased that you have helped me. Now that I’ve explained all that to you properly, you can talk to the carpenter. When my shoe is ready, you can bring my birthday present with you the next time you visit the house.”
I held my breath. I could almost see the blacksmith’s slow train of thought reflected in his expression. Finally, he smiled and nodded.
“Now that you have explained, Mi-san, of course I will be happy to make my part of your birthday gift, and I will talk to the carpenter about the shoe at once. I could make one for you, but it would be forged out of iron and it would never do to have you clattering about sounding like a pony.” He chuckled at his own wit. I laughed with him and he grinned at me with a smile in which many teeth were missing.
“That would be excellent. Shall I dismount for you so you can take the measurements?”
“Oh, no need for that. I’ve adjusted your stirrups so many times over the years that I can easily see the difference there is now between the length of your legs.” I managed not to wince at his innocent words. “But to make the shoe fit your needs, I must see the foot.”
I thrust my leg out of the skirts of my kimono and the blacksmith took my foot in his hand very gently. How tiny it looked in his massive fingers! He held it for no more than a moment and then tucked my leg back into my skirts almost tenderly.
“I see the problem.” He sounded so business-like, we might have been discussing the need for a new shoe for my pony. I was grateful for his tone. “I am sure that between us, the carpenter and I can sort something out that will help you greatly. But…”
“What? What is it?” I was anxious and sounded abrupt. I softened my response with a smile.
“I am so sorry, Mi-san, but I need to take a cast of your foot.” He laughed nervously. “I am used to shoeing horses, and I am very good at that, but I cannot tell the carpenter exactly what you need. I have to show him the shape of your foot so he can make a shoe that will fit it perfectly.”
I had not thought of that. I nodded and the blacksmith went off at a run, returning a few moments later with a shallow, wooden bucket. He held it up with his head bowed. I wondered why he would not look at me. I found out when I looked curiously in the bucket.
It was filled with a firm, stinking mixture of rotted straw and horse dung. The surface was level, as though it had been patted down. I glanced at the blacksmith’s lowered head and he raised the bucket slightly. I flinched. I was supposed to push my bare foot into a bucket of fresh horse manure?
“There’s nothing else that would do to take a cast? Sand, perhaps?” I said hopefully.
“I am sorry, Mi-san. I have nothing else. This will do. If you could just push your foot into it as far as your ankle?”
I shook off my repugnance. What did a moment’s disgust matter when weighed in the balance of my whole future? Before I could change my mind, I thrust my foot so firmly in the mush the blacksmith nearly dropped the bucket. I wriggled it until the dung rose up grudgingly around the sides of my foot.
“Will that do?” I asked.
The blacksmith risked a look inside the bucket and then pulled it away gently. My foot left the mess with a slight sucking sound. The blacksmith pulled a worn tenugui from his sash and used it to wipe me clean so carefully, it was clear he was worried he might hurt me.
I was humbled that this simple man, a man whose status was even less than a house servant, was so concerned for my welfare. Embarrassed by my emotion, I dug in my obi for my coins. Alas, my searching fingers could find only one ichibugin. I held it out to him anyway.
“Will this be enough for the cost of the work for both you and the carpenter?” I thought I had insulted him with my meanness when he stood back, his arms clamped firmly at his sides and his face stone. I was wrong.
“That is far too much, Mi-san. Ten mon will pay for the materials. For our time as well. An ichibuban will be generous payment for both of us.”
My voice was very small as I said, “I have nothing less than the ichibugin with me today. May I pay you when you bring the things to the house for me?”
“Of course. I will be at your father’s house three days from now, as usual. I’m certain I can do my part of the work before then. I will speak to the carpenter later today and ask him to have the shoe ready for me by then.”
It was my birthday in three days, and this birthday would be different.