I'm giving the Steemit community my first published-for-sale work, Ryoko's Trip To Snow, for FREE here! If you like it, please feel free to upvote and leave feedback, and if you don't like it then leave feedback to let me know what you didn't like. If you'd like to hear the Audiobook version (I loved the voice Actress that I hired to read the story), you can find it on Audible.
Anyway, here's the story:
Ryoko’s Trip To Snow
“Ryoko?”
“Yes Misume?”
“What if the stories are not real?”
“Then we will have an adventure to find out.”
Ryoko, who was only 10, had never been on a train before. Her belly fluttered with excitement and worry. She had a tight grip on Misume’s hand. If they were separated, they would probably never find each other again.
“Imagine it, Ryoko, frozen water falling from the sky. Snow sounds so strange to me.”
“I know. First we have to get on the train though. Do you have the ticket?”
“I have it right…”
“Misume, where is it?”
“I don’t know. I had it in my smock pocket. Where is it? Ryoko, do you see it on the ground on your side?”
“No, there’s nothing here but my feet and the ground.”
Ryoko dropped to the cement floor and began crawling between legs and around bags. Some of the parade of people made noise, but she ignored them as she dug around to find her tickets. She was suddenly pulled up to her feet by a rather fat man wearing a pinched top hat and waving his chained monocle at her.
“You, young lady, should not be crawling on the ground. You are scaring these people.”
“I’m sorry, sir.”
“Did you lose this?”
“My ticket! Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
“It certainly looks like a ticket a young lady might have dropped way over there. Perhaps a young lady that was running and in a hurry?”
“Can I have my ticket back? Please?”
“Ryoko, he’s not going to give us the ticket back.”
“Sir…”
“Young lady, take care and do not get lost in this crowd.”
“Thank you, we will. Misume, don’t do that. This nice man gave us the ticket. I’m sorry, sir, Misume does not know her manners sometimes.”
“Misume? Oh, you’re small friend. Tell her that I like her hair.”
“I can hear you just fine.”
“Misume, he was trying to be polite. I think he saw that you were hiding behind me.”
“Oh, indeed. Well, it is time you two were on that train.”
“Thank you again.”
The man just turned Ryoko by the shoulder and pushed her and Misume towards the platform. The all-aboard man was already calling out that it was time to get on the train. When Ryoko looked back over her shoulder, the man was blending quietly into the buzzing crowd. She smiled.
“He was a nice man.”
“I think he’s going to go tell someone to come and get us.”
“Misume, if he was going to do that he would have just taken us to the guards. He is a nice man that found our ticket.”
“If you say so.”
“I do say so. You don’t believe anyone can be nice, do you?”
“Yes. I think you are nice.”
“Anyone else?”
“Miss Okanu was always nice. She would probably tell on us if she knew, though.”
“Misume, you are crazy.”
“Hey Ryoko, do you think that old hag knows we are gone yet?”
“Head Mistress Ono?”
“Yeah… do you think anyone has told her that we are gone yet?”
“I hope not Misume. If she knew, she would already have someone looking for us. I don’t see anyone from the home out here.”
“Neither do I. Some of them must already know by now, though. Right Ryoko?”
“I don’t know. Just be quiet, people are looking at us. Besides, it’s our turn to give the all-aboard man our ticket.”
“Ok, here it is.”
“Thank you Misume. Here you go, sir.”
“What good manners you have, young lady. You and your small friend can go right in and find THIS car.”
The all-aboard man, dressed in a tight, striped shirt and baggy slacks as black as the coal car, touched the spot on the ticket that showed what train car the ticket was for. Ryoko, who had been hiding so much that she did not get to see the outside of the train before, let out a gasp as she looked at the vibrant reds and oranges of the train. The metal looked like a sunset, one of the prettiest sunsets she could ever see, complete with polished gold and chrome. At the lowest part she saw the black color just above the many wheels… those long connecting rods went from wheel-set to wheel-set.
Ryoko grinned up at the man and hurried inside. They would be sitting in the car just behind the Dining Car. The crowd of train-riders began to push forward. Ryoko almost lost her grip on Misume’s hand, but she squeezed it hard as the crowd bunched up. She and Misume ran ahead of the impatient people until they went through three cars towards the caboose. Breathlessly, they finally made it to their seats.
“Hey, I want to sit by the window! That way I can watch the people outside and laugh at their funny clothes.”
“Quiet, Misume. I get the window.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m older than you are.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Well, it’s not fair that I have to carry you everywhere we go either, but I do it anyway.”
“Hey, it’s not my fault that you’re so much bigger than I am. I would carry you if I could, but I can’t.”
“Misume, I know you better than that. You wouldn’t carry me… you would have left me on the bed back at the home. Then you would have come back and told me how much fun you had and laughed at me.”
“Maybe… but you made me this way.”
“No I didn’t. Obi did.”
“Yeah, Obi did. She was the best Grandmother anyone could have ever had. I’m glad she made us be friends.”
“Mom, where are we going?”
Ryoko and Misume peeked over the seats at the small boy sitting down next to a slender, tight-mouthed woman. She could have been a librarian or a school teacher, but she was the little boy’s mother. Ryoko had to swallow hard. The lump in her throat slowly choked down. Her eyes burned and she clenched them until they hurt. She didn’t remember much about her mother or father, but hearing people talk about their families only made her think about the loss of Obi. The old woman had died not too long ago… then she and Misume had been sent to the orphanage. It wasn’t really a bad place, but she still didn’t like it. It was not where she wanted to be.
The hiss of steam and grinding of the locomotive’s motor made her jump. Misume was leaning against the window, over the top of her, in order to see the people outside. She sighed and left her there. She tugged at a knot in the yellowed hair and apologized as Misume grunted. The ribbons were faded red. The dress looked as though it belonged in the garbage already. She could not get a new dress for her yet. Dresses cost money, and she had none left. Misume never complained at having to wear worn-out clothes though. Ryoko couldn’t even get a dress of her own.
The train jerked into motion. The all-aboard man walked up the aisle, pausing often to say a kind word to the passengers. The small boy gasped and grabbed his mom’s arm. The lady laughed softly and hugged the boy, her hand riffling his hair.
“Koto.”
“What? Mom, what’s Koto?”
“Koto is the town we’re going to visit. Your Aunt and Uncle will be very happy to see us.”
“How long will it take to get there?”
“Katsuo, we have to go past Jin-Pai, Kotoron, Va’Saad, Bishu, and then Barochi before reaching Koto. Two of those, Jin-Pai and Bishu, each have a locomotive station. Each of those will take time.”
“Ok, Mom, I’m not one of your students. Will it be night-time before we get there?”
“Misume, that’s the town that Obi used to live in when she was my age. She used to tell me about making Angels and forts and men out of snow. Frozen water. Can you imagine it?”
“You’re not going to cry are you, Ryoko?”
“No. “
“Good.”
“Are YOU crying?”
“No, Ryoko, I’m not.”
“If you say so Misume.”
Ryoko breathed in and calmed herself. She had, indeed, been close to tears, but she held back so that Misume wouldn’t start crying too. The light-blue sky scene seemed to spear past the window. The sun was still high in the sky, bright beams cutting through the streaky clouds. Dappled shadows moved and wavered on the train’s bench seats.
She pressed her nose to the window and looked down the side of the train, following the shining lines of gold as they curved and jutted at angles against the red-metal back-drop. Rounded bolts were riveted along the outer gold lines. She pulled back away from the window and fell back against the seat. She looked with a mixture of boredom and delight at the polished, wrought-iron, gas-light fixtures. Trailing from light-to-light were thin grey pipes affixed to the ceiling with iron straps.
“I wonder who turns on the lamps.”
“Really Ryoko? You can see all those neat gadgets and wheels and whatever-they-call-those-things and you ask who turns on the lamps?”
“I guess.”
“That is a bit strange, right?”
“I know. Think of it though, Misume… who is tall enough to turn them on?”
“Hmmm… good point. I still would have been asking about the other things.”
Ryoko pushed Misume, who fell over onto the edge of the seat. Ryoko had to grab her waist tie before she fell into the aisle. She giggled. She ignored Misume as the little girl whined and started to become annoying. She sat back and listened to the shrill whistle of the locomotive as it chugged faster and faster along the tracks.
The wheels’ whistling scream began to subside as the beast of a machine stabilized its speed. The clouds were wisps in the air and the sun was a ball above the horizon. Misume struggled heartily to stay awake, but slowly fell away from her mutterings until she snored consistently. Ryoko smiled. The little girl could be a huge brat and a pain-in-the-neck; but they were best friends and as close to family as could have been.
She leaned hard against the window panes and drifted lazily as the ground sped past. She followed the front level of land. Her stomach started to flop around in time with the grass and trees just outside the window. She winced and looked at the next level of land. It moved slower. Moving to the farthest distance, her eyes followed the curving contours of the hazy mountains so far out. They seemed to stay in the exact same place while everything in front of it moved faster and faster. Her stomach fell again. She slumped to her seat and swallowed hard.
“Miss, are you alright?”
“I think so.”
“I can get you a glass of water or juice.”
“Thank you, Mr. All-Aboard-Man. Can I get something to eat also?”
“You can have soup, crackers, or a sandwich.”
“Soup? What kind?”
“Well, Little Miss…”
“My name’s Ryoko. You can call me that.”
“Nice to meet you, Miss Ryoko. You can call me Mr. Osika.”
“Oh, that’s a nice name Mr. Osika. What kind of soup can I get?”
“You can get Sweet and Sour Soup or Miso Soup. If you have a tummy ache, the Miso might be best; and I can give you some crackers to settle.”
“Ok.”
“I will be right back with the water and I will tell our cook to fix you some of that soup. Sound good?”
“Yes, sir. That sounds good. What about Misume here? She might get hungry when she wakes up. Can she get something later?”
“Yes, of course. She is sleeping then?”
“Can’t you tell?”
“I… just wasn’t sure if she was sleeping or resting.”
“Ha ha ha. She is snoring so loud, though.”
“Maybe she is fake sleeping?”
“No, Mr. Osika. She never fakes sleeping. Even if she pretends with other things.”
“Ok. Just let me know if she gets hungry and I can get something for her also.”
“Thank you.”
Mr. Osika, the All-Aboard-Man, winked and reached into his striped pocket. He pulled out a small hard-candy wrapped in white plastic. She smiled at the nice man. He smiled back and left her side, walking forward between the aisles like a duck. He had to twist his belly away from some of the seats so he didn’t push against other riders on the train. Ryoko’s eyes followed his path as he made it to the outer door, saying just a few apologies that he would be back to speak with them promptly.
Ryoko collapsed back into her seat and fumbled with the candy in her hand. She didn’t open it yet. Obi had always told her not to eat sweets before meals. She didn’t always wait, but she wasn’t feeling good anyway right now, so candy didn’t sound so good. Soup sounded very good though, so she would wait until nice Mr. Osika got back. It was just a short time later when Mr. Osika came back with a plastic cup in hand. It was good water. It almost tasted sweet and something else.
She listened as he explained how mint was really good for calming a sick belly. She nodded and drank the water. It really was tasty water. She asked for another glass and he smiled and told her he would bring more water with the food. Then, taking the cup, he moved back up the aisles again, stopping to talk to the other people in their seats. She listened intently as the other people talked about family and visits and fun… a tear built up at the corner of her eye and she stopped listening. When soup, crackers and water were brought back, she thanked Mr. Osika once again and slowly finished up her meal. She then leaned back, made herself comfortable, and fell into a soft sleep.
“Ryo, you are the best granddaughter I’ve ever had.”
“Obi, I am the only granddaughter you ever had.”
“True, but you are the best one.”
“Ha ha ha!”
“Ryo…”
“Obi, what’s wrong? Obi? Obi, wake up… wake up!”
“Miss Ryoko, are you alright?”
“Mr. Osika? Where is Obi?”
“Obi?”
“Obi! My Grandmother! Where… ?”
“Is she supposed to be here?”
“She said she’d never leave me!!”
“Of course she’s not here, Ryoko. Obi died.”
”I KNOW THAT MISUME! You DON’T need to remind me!”
“Remind you Miss Ryoko?”
“I was having a dream of her. She was the best person ever. She was the one that introduced me and Misume.”
“She sounds like she must have been pretty great, Miss Ryoko.”
“I’m sorry Mr. Osika, I should not have done that. I just miss her sometimes.”
“Do you want to know something? I miss my own Grandmother sometimes too. She’s been gone for a very long time, but I still miss her.”
“Really?”
Mr. Osika nodded solemnly. Ryoko could see some sadness in his expression and she wanted to cry for him also; however, she bit back the tears because she didn’t want him to see her crying more. Mr. Osika patted her shoulder and told her it would be alright before walking away to do his job. Misume wiggled in and yawned again, falling asleep almost instantly… she murmured dreamily about snow being fake and just being cold rain. It almost made Ryoko want to laugh.
Ryoko yawned and fell back asleep. Wavering dreams of Obi mingled with some of a younger version of Obi dancing and running and twirling while tiny ice shards fell all around her. She watched with interest, her cheeks cold from the ice. A frosty white powder covered the grass and she could see indents where the little Obi’s feet smashed in the white frost.
The little Obi laughed and danced around, flopping into the crunchy whiteness. Suddenly the little girl stopped, turned to the place where Ryoko’s dream-apparition seemed to float. In a frantic whisper, the little girl urged her to wake up. Obi jumped to her feet, clutching her throat, eyes wide. Suddenly she ran headlong at Ryoko’s safe place, not bothering to slow down. With a strangled yelp she jumped out of the dream. She shivered as she looked around with wild eyes. Misume was awake and whispering urgently in her ear.
“Ryoko, wake up!”
“NO, MA’AM! I HAVE NOT SEEN A LITTLE GIRL ON THIS TRAIN. THE NAME RYOKO DOES NOT MEAN ANYTHING TO ME.”
“Sir, why do you raise your voice at me? I only asked a simple question and you start hollering.”
“I apologize, Miss … ?”
“HEAD MISTRESS. Head Mistress ONO.”
“Sometimes I get worked up when people have lost their… children?”
“Yes, my little girl, Ryoko. She is about this tall and has dark hair. She would have been traveling with her friend Misume, that ragged doll she always carries with her.”
“Neither name rings any bells.”
“Then I will just check for myself, Ticket-Taker.”
“It is getting late, Mistress ONO.”
“If you have not waken the riders speaking so loudly, then my looking will not wake them either… and if I find out that you have been hiding her … “
“Alright, Ma’am. Please look quietly. I will just go about my work.”
“Fine.”
“Did you hear that Ryoko?”
“Shh!”
Ryoko peeked above the seat. Her chest constricted and her heart pounded. She could barely breathe. She saw the all-too-familiar silhouette of the Head Mistress. She wanted to cry, but held back the tears and slid down in the seat as she watched the lady begin to move between the seats. Misume breathed hard beside her… she held on tightly to her little friend’s hand. She listened to the hollow footsteps of the Head Mistress’s hard-soled shoes as they drew closer and closer. She whimpered softly as she saw the scary woman’s shadow stretch across the floor.
Suddenly, Mr. Osika’s shadow was next to the woman… then it slid by quickly and she saw the nice man’s large frame squeeze around the skinnier woman and reach her seat. He darted a glance downward, as if looking at his feet, and winked. Ryoko wrinkled her forehead and watched the man move. He found the next empty seat and crawled across it, reaching to a small gear-dial at the top-corner of the window. The dial moved until it clicked and, all-of-the-sudden, the entire lighting system in the car went dark. The dim twilight shown outside, but there was very little light to be seen. Ryoko grabbed Misume’s hand even tighter and pulled her into motion… the pair slid underneath the seats until they reached the back wall. Several people muttered about them, but none gave away that they were there. Head Mistress Ono continued to stride back towards them.
“Why did you have to make it so dark, Mr. Osika?”
“These riders are trying to sleep, and I always turn the lights down in the evening.”
“I can barely see.”
“Good.”
“What was that?!”
“If you must know, I don’t like that you are looking for this girl you mentioned. Maybe she is better off without your meddling.”
“You just do your job and I will do mine. My children are well-cared-for, while there are many that I could only wish were taken care of.”
“NOW RYOKO!!”
“Misume!”
“THERE you are. You will come … “
“NO!!”
“Run Ryoko! She can’t see you.”
“Thank you Mr. Osika.”
Ryoko barreled through the door, having hardly the time to pull the handle down before she was out on the outer structure. She slammed the door shut and peeked back in, watching darkness move and not knowing who was who. Misume pulled at her. The weather was turning cold outside… there was a strong wind threatening to push her off as she scooted to the next door. It took an effort to yank open the door. The next car was empty and dark.
She gulped in air and stood still for a second, her eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness. Before she could gather herself, though, she heard the outcry of the Head Mistress as she wailed of the cold wind. With a short yelp she and Misume dashed through the next car. Her little feet thudded softly against the carpeted floor and she hit the padded corners of several seats as she ran on. Misume cried as she was pulled along, but she was able to keep up.
She barely heard the rattling of the handle from the front of the car as she hurtled her body against the back door, wiggling and pushing with all her might. The door gave way and the pair of girls found themselves flailing to stay on the tiny platform between the 2 locomotive cars. The next car looked to be even darker than the one she had just left. She crawled out onto the linkage and kicked the door shut behind her. She breathed heavily.
“Ryoko … can we … stop … soon?”
“No Misume.”
“Why … not?”
“Keep … running.”
“My feet hurt … I can’t … “
“Quiet … get … ungh … get in … the next … car.”
“But Ryoko.”
“Just go!”
“Ryoko … how about … there?”
“Okay… just … keep quiet … Misume.”
The darkness was overwhelming. She pushed the door closed and fumbled at the locking mechanism until it clicked. Outside was full of stars, glowing, and she could just make out the waving shapes of large trees bending over to the cold wind. Blackened silhouettes made mounds against the walls. There were no padded seats, no tables, just roped-off areas on either side of the car. She yanked Misume behind the stack of shadowy objects as her tiny friend had suggested. Misume whimpered and shook against Ryoko’s own shaking body.
The door slowly swung open and the Head Mistress lurched into the room. Her frame was stooped like it was so often when she was chasing the children at the home. She had forgotten how Head Mistress Ono always seemed to be able to get into locked rooms. The head swiveled back and forth, taking in the entire room. The old hag didn’t see them, didn’t seem to hear Misume’s wheezing, and didn’t find them behind the luggage. The woman strode through the luggage car, breathing hard in outrage as she made her way back and through to the next car.
When the old woman opened the door, Ryoko made her move. She leapt up and streaked across the room to the opposite door, opening it and slamming it. Then she dove back to her hiding place with Misume. Head Mistress Ono stumped back in, rushing towards the front door of the Luggage Car… Ryoko could tell from her outstretched neck that she was craning to go as fast as she could. She slumped to the ground and breathed for the first time in quite a long time. Misume was wheezing and began to cough around her hand… Ryoko cradled her and patted her back. She whispered comforting words to her friend.
“Ryoko, what are we going to do now?”
“Shhh, we’re just going to sit here.”
“For how long?”
“I think for a long time Misume. Maybe we should try to get some sleep.”
“Oh.”
“Think good things and try to get some rest.”
“Thank you, Ryoko. You’re my best friend.”
“You are mine, too. Here, we can cover up with this.”
“You stole it?”
“No, Misume, I’ll put it back when we are done. I just got it from this case here.”
“You better. Obi would not be happy with you taking things that are not yours.”
“I think she would rather me take this than freeze.”
Ryoko could just see the outline of Misume as she snuggled in close to get warm. Whatever she had taken was small… too small to cover both of them completely, but at least it was warmer than the pure cold air. She breathed in the chill and was surprised to feel a yawn escape. She didn’t think she’d be able to fall asleep, but here she was growing tired. The corners of her eyelids were wet with sleepy moisture and she rubbed it away, bent on staying awake as long as it took to keep them safe.
She watched the already-dark shadows twitch into life as dim lights washed in from outside. She squeezed the blanket and tensed her mouth. Shadowy forms seemed to swing and dance. She lifted herself up slightly and sighed in relief. The light was from farmhouses. Obi used to tell her stories about waking up very early to do chores when she was on the farm. Ryoko especially loved the gardening stories and how Obi used to grow vegetables for the family. She relaxed and watched in fascination as the dancing shadows melded together… a small town with many lights still on. She could see hanging gas-lamps tiny in the distance even from her spot on the floor, but that was about all. She yawned again.
As her eyes fluttered shut, the door creaked open and a kindly voice announced the presence of another person. There was nothing to say who it was from the vague silhouette, but the voice told Ryoko exactly who it was. She didn’t know if she trusted the woman or not, even if she seemed nice and was a teacher and had a son. Ryoko waited for her to pass through, but the woman stopped before opening the rearward door.
“Are you in here little girl? If you are, Mr. Osika sent me back to find you. He wanted to make sure you were safe.”
“Mr. Osika sent you? Who are you?”
“My name is Misume.”
“What is your name?”
“My name is Ryoko. This is Misume also.”
“I’ll be quiet then so she stays asleep. Do you need anything.”
“I am a little hungry and thirsty… and I’m still cold.”
“Here, this blanket is much better. Mr. Osika gave it to me for when I found you.”
“Oh, wow. This is REALLY warm. You are a very nice person Miss Misume.”
“I try to be nice. I need to get back so that lady doesn’t find you. I’ll tell them I couldn’t find you.”
“Thank you. How long until we get to Koto from here?”
“Several hours. You should be able to go to sleep and when you wake up we will be close.”
Ryoko thanked the woman again and longed for her to stay. She didn’t say anything, though, and watched the stooped woman step away with blurred, sleep-filled eyes. There were no dreams this time, only darkness that enveloped her. She drifted in sleep until the train squealed to a slow halt. She shook herself awake and watched Misume do the same. They heard the commotion long before they saw it, even though dawn had broken long before and streamers of sunlight dappled the luggage car.
Ryoko could finally make out the blanket that the woman had given the night before, it was very nice. It looked blue for the most part with white star-shapes sewn into it. It was thick and comforting. She threw it off and dragged Misume to her feet as the next car filled up with loud voices hollering at each other. She heard the teacher Misume as well as Mr. Osika and Head Mistress Ono. They argued and shouted about nobody being back in the back cars. Ryoko heard friend Misume sob as her tiny fingers dug into her side.
Before the voices drew too close, she dragged Misume to her feet. She swayed slightly, hungry, tired, and still feeling a little sick to her tummy. She gritted her teeth and with quick sliding motions made her way to the rear door, just in time to sneak through before the front door pulled open. She clicked the latch in place as quietly as possible and held her breath. The loud argument continued, but the voices seemed to stay where they were. Misume gasped and Ryoko glanced around for the first time.
Sunlight made sprawling patterns on the small chunks of sparkling rocks laid around the steel train tracks. Her eyes trailed across the ground… the stones gave way to a strip of dying grass, shocks of faded white at their tips. She didn’t know where she was, but she knew they couldn’t stay on the train any longer. Pulling Misume behind her, she carefully climbed off the platform and dropped to the ground from the linkage. Her feet stung as they hit the ground. She looked up as Misume took her chin and turned it… Ryoko’s eyes went as wide as saucers.
“Wow! Look at that building Misume!”
“I know. I already saw it.”
“It’s a bit chilly, isn’t it?”
“I agree. Pull your arms in your sweater and that will help. Look at how big this place is? Look at all the people. We could get lost in here.”
“Misume, that’s exactly what I was … “
“Ryoko!”
“Run Misume! It’s Ono! That way, into the building!”
“Ryoko, wait! I am just here to bring you home.”
“NO!! We’re NOT going back there, not ever!”
Ryoko’s shoes made padded thuds on the polished wooden floor. She glanced back and saw the old hag climbing down out of the caboose, waving and motioning. Ryoko stopped in mid-step when she felt a hand brush the side of her arm and almost take hold of Misume’s hand. Another Mistress from the orphanage and a large, angry-looking man with a moustache were grabbing for them. She twisted about. She and Misume sprinted to the opening and hopped down to the ground. They heard the commotion as the pair raced after her, following the hollered commands of Head Mistress Ono.
Ryoko and Misume rushed away from the station as fast as they could. They angled away from the road that curved out from the train station’s carriage way. A line of shining auto-carriages lined the road and on the other side were a handful of the more traditional horse-drawn carriage. She wanted to stop and gawk, but she couldn’t stop running as the grown-ups gave chase. There was a forest in the direction of the rising sun and the shadows looked like a great place to hide.
The girls dove into the forest, literally throwing themselves to the fround at the bole of a needle-filled pine tree. Silvery-white frost rested patchily on it limbs and bark. Ryoko breathed hard… Misume mirrored her hard breathing. White clouds puffed outward from their mouths, something they had only seen on a few truly cold days. The chill in the air burned inside their throats as they hid from their pursuers. They quietly moved from tree-to-tree like they were playing hide-and-seek. The adults moved around and called out to her, but she ignored them. After what seemed a very long time the grown-ups turned around and marched back towards the train station… Ryoko waited until they vanished in the distance before speaking.
“Misume, I saw the town. It was big. I think it may be Koto.”
“We can’t go back that way Ryoko, they’ll see us.”
“I know. That’s why we need to go up that way and then to the other side.”
“Are you sure we’ll find the town from that way?”
“Sure… it looked really big, it must be that way too.”
“Ok, then let’s get going. It’s getting cold.”
Ryoko led Misume through the forest, her feet crunching on the icy grass. Her eyes misted as the wind picked up. Her skin itched and burned, colder than she had ever been. She studied the forest and thought she saw the trees themselves shiver in the cold. Her fingers slowly grew numb and she rubbed them to warm them up. She cupped Misume’s hands in her own so they could both stay warm. Her strides grew smaller the closer they got to the edge of the forest. Suddenly the tree-line broke free at the slope of a stream. Knowing she couldn’t cross the water, she turned her feet in one direction and carefully pulled Misume along behind her.
Misume was having a hard time keeping up. The air was so cold that every bit of breeze burned against them. Ryoko’s lips were cracking and she licked them. Ahead, in the distance, was a building with smoke curling away from the chimney. She nudged Misume and motioned at the building. Attached to the side of the brick building was a large paddled wheel that was stuck, unable to turn. She had seen a waterwheel before and knew that the flow of the stream is what would turn the wheel… she didn’t know what it did, but she knew that this one wasn’t working right. When she looked down at the stream, there was a clear coating over the water, glinting as the mid-day sunlight reflected from its surface.
“What do you think Misume?”
“Maybe somebody is there?”
“We can… ask for help then.”
“Ryoko, if there’s somebody living there, they will probably help us alright. They will probably help us back to the orphanage and right back with Head Mistress Ono. Then all of our work would be for nothing.”
“A-choo! We… we still need to get something. I’m h-hungry and getting c-c-cold.”
“M-me t-too. Let’s g-go see”
“Yeah… h-here we are M-Misume. G-go on and-d knock.”
“I… I don’t w-want to R-ryok-ko.”
“F-f… f-fine.”
Ryoko stepped through the crunching frost and struck a good seven or eight taps against the age-worn planks that stood together as a door. Her breath was frosted mist and the cold slowly seeped in through her skin. There was no answer. She pressed her face to the door, squishing her ear hard against the icy wood. She leapt back as the top of her ear touched part of the door’s metal banding… it was so cold it almost felt hot. She carefully touched the metal and jerked her hand away. She knocked too many more times to count and listened for an answer of any kind. There was no answer.
Taking the doorknob in her hand, she winced at its cold surface and turned it clockwise. It squealed noisily but slowly gave way. She had to let it go and try it again three more times before it finally clicked and the door opened a sliver. The hinges must have been rusted for a long time and she could not make the door come open more than a sliver. Fortunately, both she and Misume were still small and skinny… that’s what happened when you lived in an orphanage that fed you what dogs eat. That’s what the children all said, at least.
It was dark inside, with only a few slanting beams of light crisscrossing the floor. There were a few smallish holes in the floor, walls, and ceiling. It was nearly as cold here as it was outside, but at least the wind was not so strong here. Misume, who had finally stopped shaking from the cold, began looking at the gas-lamps hanging from the walls and the gear-striker on the fireplace’s mantle. Ryoko went over to help her try it out. They took turns flicking the metal switch and seeing the sparks… long minutes later they finally saw the waxed string start to smoke as a tiny flame dance at its tip. From there it did some other things that neither of them knew about before the wooden pieces in the fireplace smoked and drew the fire. All of the sudden, the gas-lamps went ablaze as well.
“They must be hooked to the fireplace too, right Ryoko?”
“I think so. Let’s look around now that we can see.”
“Do you think we’ll find anything?”
“Probably not, it’s been a very long time since this place has been lived in.”
“I’ll check over here, Ryoko. It looks like there’s a bed and some shelves here.”
“Okay, Misume, let me know if you find anything. I’ll look in these closets on the other side of the house.”
“Ryoko, there are some old covers over here. They look bad, but I’m still cold. The house is getting warmer, but it’s already been about an hour and it’s still not very warm.”
“Good, bring them over by the fireplace and we’ll cover up. Help me slide this trunk over that I found. It has a lot of old clothes in it. Maybe we can find some good stuff.”
They pushed and rocked the trunk to the front of the fireplace, sliding it next to the pile of covers that Misume had dragged over in a tumbled pile. They stank of mildew and dust and mold, but it was very cold indeed. They sat cuddled together beneath the covers and pulled out clothes one-by-one, almost all of them made for a tall, fat man with ugly red checker-patterns on them. There were also a couple pairs of dirty pants, some mended socks that had holes in the mended toes, and even some worn-out underpants that they wrinkled their noses at and threw over their shoulders and out of sight.
The covers did the job to keep their heat in and warm up from the outside. Soon enough they had to pull the front down because it was getting too warm… they gained some of their strength back with the heat and were able to dig through the clothes faster. A nice pile of clothes rested in front of them already, but they had not found anything good for their size. Then they found a tiny ball of clothing inside a net bag… all of the clothes were girls’ clothes and looked about their size. They tried some of the things on, but they were too loose. They ended up taking some of the yarn that was still in the trunk for the mending of the socks and threaded it around and through the holes in the clothes. They tied the ends and made themselves each a make-shift shirt and trousers.
As they got to the bottom of the trunk, they gasped in unison and beamed at each other. There, in one corner, were four small coats as well as something even better. They drooled openly as they dug out a handful of small stew cans and a can opener. They jabbed the pointed part of the can opener in the can and started prying at the metal until it peeled up some… the stew inside smelled really good. Ryoko knew it had only been a day since she had eaten, but it felt like a week with all of the running and hiding and walking. She tipped the can up to her lips and tasted the meat and juice. It tasted like metal, but it was not too bad. Knowing she had eaten and Misume had not, she traded the can to her small friend first and began to open another can, this one with some apple chunks in water or juice. Misume drank some of the juice, licked her lips, and poured some of the meat and vegetables in her mouth. She grinned at Ryoko with juice running down her chin.
“Thank you Ryoko. It tastes pretty good.”
“I’m glad. I know you didn’t get to eat last night, so I thought you might be hungry.”
“I am hungry.”
“Don’t eat it too fast, Misume, or you’ll give yourself a belly ache.”
“You sound like Obi.”
“I know. I want to be just like her when I get bigger.”
“Here Ryoko, you can have some of this now. I want some of those apples… please?
“Here you go Misume. Thank you for the stew… oh, it IS good. We can eat and sleep here and then leave in the morning, ok?”
“That sounds good.”
They slept all curled-up in the blankets, tossing them off and pulling them back on as they slept. Their dreams seemed to be pretty much the same as they imagined big banquets of food. They both dreamt of being princesses and having someone get their food for them. They both dreamt of being in a warm bath, which they hadn’t had in quite some time… the orphanage always had cold baths by the time they got their turn. That’s how it was with 25-30 kids at any given time. Their dreams weren’t good or bad, just plain-old there. Neither slept through the night, and several times they woke up to use the bathroom that didn’t really work before climbing back under the covers, feeling dirty all over again.
They tumbled awake as the cold began to feel even colder. The fires had went out during the night and the outside winds were whistling in softly through the holes and cracks. They got up and bundled themselves like they thought kids were supposed to do in the cold… since neither had been in the cold before, neither of them knew what they needed to wear. They both had at least two layers of normal clothes, tied on so they would stay in place. They both also had one of the coats on, a blanket tied around them like a cape, and other pieces of clothes on just to get warm. They looked at each other and laughed at how they looked, balls of clothing with their faces and hands peeking out.
“You look funny, Misume!”
“So do you, Ryoko!”
“Let’s get going then… we have to be close to the town, so maybe we can get there really fast.”
“I hope so. I don’t want to be out here too long.”
“Here, help me with the door, it is stuck more than before.”
“Ryoko, there’s something on the other side that’s stopping it… can we just squeeze out?”
“I don’t know, Misume, let’s try and see.”
“Yeah, there we… Ryoko! Ryoko! LOOK! Is THIS snow??!!”
“I… I think it is. It’s soooo pretty and white. I can’t see it very much, though. You’re in the way. Let me get outside and we can see.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s ok, just move your butt out of my face. That’s better.”
“Ryoko! That is not a nice word.”
“Oh be quiet, it’s part of the body. WOW!! Woah! It is really cold, this snow. It’s fluffy, but if I squeeze it like this… it… stays together.”
“That’s neat. It’s still falling, too. It look like white rain, except fluffy, like the powdered sugar that Ono’s cook uses. Do you remember that cake she made with it Ryoko?”
“Yeah, it was yummy… I think it was the only time we got cake there. Misume, taste the snow and see what it tastes like.”
“No, you. I don’t want to know what it tastes like, you do it first.”
“Fine, but you’re a chicken! Hmmmm. It tastes nice, like cold water… it melts when it’s warm and is just water. See?? Obi wasn’t lying at all. It’s frozen water!”
“Yum, it IS like cold water. REALLY cold water.”
Ryoko watched Misume run around in the thin layers of fallen snow and listened to the crunch of the snow under Misume’s feet. The wind was warmer right now and the layers of clothing made her feel toasty. She started to jump around in the snow, falling and rolling around. It felt almost like a blanket as she laid in it. It was wonderful. She stopped twisting in the snow and smiled, tears glistening in her eyes. Images of Obi’s lined face came to mind and she told the mental apparition that she missed her. She could almost hear Obi’s soft voice responding in kind, her wrinkled arms enfolding her… she always felt safe and happy in obi’s arms.
She wiped the wetness from her cheeks and scrubbed at her eyes before Misume saw her. Misume always acted tough, but she’d break down in an instant if she knew that Ryoko was sad. She forced away the lump in her throat, swallowing hard. She breathed in and jumped back up to her feet. When she looked around, a fine mist seemed to be floating in the air, but it was white like the snow on the ground. She stuck out her tongue and caught some of the falling white flakes… it tasted like water just like the snow. She leaned her head back and began to catch the misty snow, then the flakes started to grow larger.
Ryoko giggled. Misume looked over and copied her pose, laughing as snowflakes missed her mouth and landed on her cheeks and forehead. Ryoko giggled again. The pair spun around in circles, catching snowflakes on their tongues. They danced and kicked up snow, through wads of snow at each other. The longer they played, the wetter and heavier the snow grew. It took a long time, but after a while Ryoko started to feel her fingers tingling. She called over to Misume.
“Misume! I think we need to go find the town… it’s getting later and I’m getting cold.”
“I’m not cold.”
“Then why is your face so red?”
“Because… it just is! If you’re so cold, Ryoko, go back in the house.”
“Fine. Maybe I will… oh no, I don’t think we can get back in. See?”
“Oh. That’s A LOT of snow. What will we do now? We can’t stay outside all night.”
“Well Misume, we’ll just have to find somewhere else to stay dry then.”
“Where?”
“We need to find Obi’s old house. I bet it’s over there somewhere.”
“Let’s get going then… the snow is getting harder.”
Ryoko led Misume away, holding her cold hand in her own as she shuffled around the thin trunk of one of the many trees surrounding them. The sky was growing darker as they slowly made their way through the forest. The ground, sparkling and white, was becoming more entrenched with fluffy white snow. The winds picked up and swirled the snow into piled snow banks. They laughed as they kicked at the snow and jumped through the snow hills. Ryoko noticed that her fingers were starting to tingle and she flexed them in and out to bring back the feeling.
Misume whined about the cold now. Ryoko knew her friend was cold, but just too stubborn to say so earlier. Ryoko rubbed their hands together as they stopped for a momentary rest. Her breath came in long gasps that felt like ice in her lungs. She coughed and listened as Misume mirrored her actions, both good and bad. They coughed harder and her eyes burned as they trudged through the forest. Her vision blurred and tears flowed unabated… her teeth chattered. She yawned as her mind drifted, thinking of her childhood and Obi and… suddenly her eyes flipped open as her feet tangled together.
Ryoko flailed and twisted, striking the ground over and over. The world spun all around her. She sprawled on the ground and pulled herself up. When she got her balance, she saw that the trees were off to the right and Misume had slid all the way out onto the shining surface of the frozen water. Misume wailed in pain. Ryoko knew she was sobbing as well and pain shot from her shoulder all the way to her ankle. She stumbled to her feet and laughed… she couldn’t help laughing as she watched Misume trying to get to her feet unsuccessfully. Her friend spun and slid as she could do little to move herself across the ice.
“Help me Ryoko… stop laughing!”
“I-I’m sorry Misume. I hurt, but you look so funny out there. I’ll be… I’ll be right out to get you.”
“Please hurry. I don’t think this is so fun anymore.”
“It looks fun to me. It looks like you could just slide around.”
“Come on, I’m really cold and we need to… WHAT WAS THAT NOISE!!?”
“I-I don’t… I don’t KNOW.”
Ryoko swallowed hard. Her throat constricted as she heard the cracking sound once again. She looked out and the sheen of ice was splitting underneath Misume’s feet. Misume gasped and goggled at the cracks forming. She tried to run, but she couldn’t get anywhere and the cracking sounds echoed louder. Ryoko screamed for her to stay still and that she’d be there to help. Her eyes darted back-and-forth. There was snow and more snow. There was the river and the sloping white banks, but there was nothing… wait! there on the slope was the tip of a branch that was hanging from the tree, almost ready to fall off. It was long, very long, and she knew she could help Misume if only she could pull the branch down.
Ryoko climbed the part of the slope to where the end of the branch rested. She grasped the end and tugged. It snapped, along with a foot more of the branch. She sobbed and had to calm herself. Her eyes twisted back to Misume, who lay there motionless and only her friends’ eyes moved. The eyes were tortured, following Ryoko’s movements. Breathing in deeply, she jumped and clamped her hand down on the end of the branch. She swung back and forth as hard as she was able, but it held firm… she kicked her legs and suddenly the length snapped off.
“AAHH!! Ow!”
“Ryoko, are you alright? Can you help me?”
“I am. That hurt though. Here, grab hold of the end and I’ll pull you… have to get closer. Come on, reach.”
“I can’t reach it. If I move, the ice will break.”
“Just a little bit further Misume! Reach!”
“I-I can’t.”
“I’ll slide out just a little bit then.”
“NO!!! Ryoko!!! WATCH OUT!!”
Ryoko’s knees hurt as she wiggled out onto the ice. She hated this stuff… if it wasn’t for this ice and snow, Misume would be okay and they’d already be at Obi’s house. She heard the creak and crack of the ice beneath her. She watched the split that stood out beneath Misume race across the intervening space and meet up with the crack that formed beneath her. She screamed as the ice broke. She felt water on her feet. She cried out as Misume plunged beneath the water. She couldn’t do anything to help. She clawed at the ice until her fingernails dug into it’s surface. She started to pull her body up, but then the pain shot through her fingers as her nails bent. She thought it odd how slowly the sky twisted over her head. Grey clouds padded the sky. Water drenched her, but she could barely feel anything anyway she was so very cold.
She splashed. She spluttered. Her survival instincts kicked in and she raged, cutting her feet through the water and flipping her arms up and down. In the back of her mind she remembered some of what Mistress Ono and the others from the adoption home had taught her of swimming. The water was so very cold, though. Her chin ducked below the icy water’s surface and she gulped in water. She began to choke on it and flailed even harder. The water slid over her head completely and she tried to hold her breath. Her mind drifted again. She let herself go. Her eyes slowly closed and her mouth began to relax of its own accord.
She coughed and opened her eyes. She was completely disoriented and stared around, shivering. She was in a large bed with thick coverlets. There were four red walls and a peaked ceiling. She felt herself all over… her skin was cold beneath a pink pajama outfit with white-frilled edges. She even had a pair of thick, cotton socks on her feet. She coughed and sneezed, then realized that there was a person in the room.
“Where… where am I?”
“Ryoko, you are in a house.”
“I know that much, but where?”
“You are in the country, outside of Koto.”
“Head Mistress Ono? Is that you?”
“Yes, my child, it is.”
“Oh, you are here to bring me and Misume… where’s Misume?”
“Misume is beside you, all fixed up.”
“You?”
“No Ryoko, I was not around. I found out about your accident yesterday from another.”
Ryoko glanced around again and finally saw the woman. She had a kindly face and concern in her eyes; but also she had a look filled with relief. Head Mistress Ono softly pressed her little body back to the bed, which wasn’t a difficult task for the wiry old woman. Ryoko wasn’t even strong enough at the moment to perform her obligatory fending-off of help. Ryoko reached a hand towards Misume… the little doll girl rested motionless beneath the covers.
Head Mistress Ono told her how she had been pulled beneath the icy water, almost beyond reach. Then, just before her body pressed beneath the thicker sheets of ice, it was deftly plucked from the stream. The woman that had rescued her and Misume, named Satomi, spoke up for the first time… she had a lovely chiming voice. Her eyes even seemed to twinkle with every word she spoke, filled with joy and innocence and purity.
“I heard you from here, screaming and afraid. I ran with my husband, Tomo, to see what was the matter. It took us longer than we wanted, but the closer we got, the more we ran because we could tell you and another little girl were in danger.”
“How… ? Miss Satomi… ? Don’t… don’t cry. Please.”
“I’m sorry, it was so sad. You were already under the ice and sliding away from us. Tomo started chopping at the edge with his knife and breaking it apart. … We saw your head bobbing above the water for just a moment. I couldn’t help but jump in.”
“Miss Satomi, you did the bravest thing anyone could do in that circumstance. Even as Head Mistress of an orphanage, I would have trouble doing the same.
“Thank you, Miss Ono. You are too kind. I just did what anyone in that situation should do.”
“Perhaps true, but should and would are two very different words. Fear can be quite debilitating.”
“Well, the water was like ice and I had to reach around for you. I was so frantic, and I didn’t even know you… I do now, though, at least as much as Miss Ono has told me.”
“Head Mistress Ono told you about me?”
“Yes, Ryoko, as much as she could say.”
“I hope it was good?”
“Ha ha, yes, so very good. She told me about you, your arrival at the orphanage, and so much more that I bet you don’t even know.”
“Oh. Mistress Ono?”
“I know what the other children think of me Ryoko. I’m not as dumb as all that… it comes with my calling. I just want to keep all of you safe and try to find homes for you all.”
“I’m sorry I said those bad things about you, Head Mistress.”
“That is alright, my dear. Anyway, Miss Satomi is not done with this story.”
“Of course not, Miss Ono. I am still a good way from the finish.”
Ryoko listened intently. Head Mistress Ono, who she was just beginning to understand, patted her head and smoothed down the blankets. She knew that Misume would probably not ever like the old woman, but she was starting to feel so much appreciation that she just wept. Miss Satomi continued her story, a small smile on her lips.
“As I was saying, I jumped into the water grabbed your hand… it was frozen as could be. I held on tightly and I could feel the water pulling at me. I hardly had any time left before I knew that it would take us both… I… I threw you shore. That’s why your side probably hurts.”
“Better by far the small pains than the alternative, Miss Satomi. That’s what I always tell the other staff members at the home if things of this nature come up.”
“Yes, better by far. All I could do was cling to the breaking ice, but Tomo is very strong and was able to pull me out before I went all the way under. I reached over and picked up Misume in my hand as he pulled at me.”
“Wow, that is fantastic. Is friend Misume okay?”
“Yes, she is alright. I even cleaned and fixed her up. But that’s still not the end of the tale. When I got up by you, you were not breathing, so I had to breathe into you so you had breath. After a few very long moments, you coughed up a bunch of water and started to breathe. I was so relieved that I just cried and held you. After that, we brought you both home and put you into clean clothes… you have been asleep for more than 2 days. Migume, Katsua, and Tomiko have been really good about it.”
Ryoko must have stared hard with questions as Miss Satomi smiled and told her about her three children. They sounded really nice. When she turned and opened her mouth to ask about when Head Mistress Ono would be taking her back to the orphanage, the old woman already seemed to know what she was thinking. She bawled when she heard Mistress Ono answer.
“You will be staying here, my little Ryoko. Miss Satomi and her husband have decided to adopt you.”
Ryoko just looked back and forth, tears streaming down her face. She scrubbed at the wetness, but it just kept on coming until she was coughing. Miss Satomi leaned over and caressed her cheek with a soft, gentle hand. She smelled faintly of autumn and the cherry blossom trees as their flowers were full. She clamped hard on the woman’s hand and sobbed, Obi coming to mind. In her head, she saw Obi’s face smiling encouragement at her from above.
“We have already come to love you like our other children.”
With that, Ryoko smiled and fell asleep for another several hours. Over the next few days, Mistress Ono visited often. Misume woke up only enough to grumble a bit and would fall back asleep. The other kids treated her with kindness and affection, exactly what she was wanting in a family. She was given a room with the girls, their nice clothes that they could no longer fit into, and a coat and stuff for outside. She went outside as much as she could, which wasn’t much… Misume didn’t really want to talk about what happened and became distant. She found herself playing with her brother and sisters more and with Misume less with each passing day. To think, though, with all this going on, she had never even explored the house now that she was not afraid of the snow falls.
Mistress Ono came to the house on her last day in Koto, knocking and bringing in a bundle of documents. When the woman began to leave, Ryoko felt overcome with emotions and launched herself into a tight embrace with the woman. When she fell away, she saw Mistress Ono beaming with joy and wiping away a tear. The kindly old woman tousled her hair, patted Misume on the cheek, and then cleared her throat. She said her goodbyes as she left the large farmhouse. Before she went out the door, however, she leaned over Ryoko’s ear one final time and whispered one last surprise.
“You will be happy to know who used to live in this house so many years ago.”
“Who?”
“Your grandmother used to live in this very house. She would be so proud and happy for you.”
Mistress Ono then pushed her back gently, eyed her up and down, and then told her to behave. Ryoko laughed softly, but felt sad as well. She watched the old woman walk slowly through the knee-high snow in the direction of the train station and the town. She left with a smile. As she turned around, Miss Satomi, her new mother, beamed with pleasure and held up a single document with an embossed picture on the bottom-left corner. Responding to Ryoko’s unsaid question, she told her it was one of her greatest treasures… it said that she, Ryoko, was now Satomi’s and Tomo’s legal daughter. Tears flooded the woman’s eyes, she took Ryoko in her arms, and held her close for long moments before clearing her throat.
“Now, Ryoko, put your boots on and that pair of gloves I gave you.”
“Yes… mama.”
“Your brother and sisters are waiting for you outside… they have started to build a fort in the snow.”
“Misume, did you hear that? I have a family again. I think Obi would be happy. Misume?”
The little doll did not return her sentiment. The outfit had been cleaned up rather nicely and her hair was beautiful with shining new ribbons. Misume’s face, washed and re-sewn, was turned up in a funny smile in which she would have approved. Her eyes gleamed like they had the first time they had met. She glanced around her new home and found a shelf with other dolls on it… she carefully placed her down next to a girl-figure with red circles on her cheeks and legs that dangled without stuffing inside. Moving back, she wiped away a tear and thought how Misume’s new friend would quickly get tired of listening to her complain.
The End