The Scent of Sake (33 page)

later, but she felt an unease recalling his adamant opposition to the thought of marrying Tama, whom he found so unattractive. Rie disliked the idea of imposing an unhappy marriage, perhaps similar to her own. Yet she felt Tama would add strength to the house. That had to take precedence.

Kazu and Teru looked fashionably elegant in their apricot and sea green kimonos. Even Fumi managed to look beautiful in a light blue kimono with a crane pattern at the hem and a beige under kimono and obi. The girls needed to appear at their best to any prospective groom’s family. Seisaburo also looked formal as he stepped into the third ricksha.

“Kinno-san and O-Natsu, please take the fourth ricksha,” Rie said, and smiled as the runners pulled out into the street.

During the Shinto ceremony Rie scrutinized Tama and found she looked the perfect bride: white silk kimono and brocade obi, face and neck completely whitened, her hair and “devils’ horns” covered with the traditional white silk band. No fault could Rie find with Tama’s mincing steps, her downcast eyes, her measured bows to each guest present. Even though Tama was not the most beautiful woman, Rie found her more than acceptable. She watched every move as Yoshitaro and Tama exchanged sips from the shallow red lacquer cup. Despite his mixed feelings, Yoshitaro played his role well.

Rie was pleased that every brewer invited appeared for the reception, an assemblage as large as for Jihei’s funeral. Yoshitaro’s wedding was also a celebration of his status as Kinzaemon XI of the House of Omura. The glittering occasion was proof of the prosperity and reputation of White Tiger and one of the largest affairs of the year 1852. It was now up to Yoshi to adjust to this bride about whom he was less than enthusiastic.

Rie had no firsthand familiarity with the experience of a bride going into a groom’s house, no acquaintance with the traditional terrorizing of a bride by a mother-in-law or critical scrutiny by

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a groom’s sisters. Marriage, the abrupt beginning of the most intimate possible relationship, was a harsh test of the mettle of any bride. Rie had been spared what Tama faced: the severity of having to marry into a whole house full of strangers. She did share with Tama what all brides faced: marriage to a total stranger.

What Rie knew above all was that she was responsible for initiating this young bride into the traditions of the Omura House and her role in the White Tiger enterprise. The fact that the house and the business were inextricably linked was why Rie had insisted that Yoshitaro’s bride be from a brewing house. Rie did not intend any deviation from the custom that the bride should be the first to rise in the morning and the last to retire at night, the last in the family to enter the bath and the last to eat at the table. For a bride, eating cold rice was an adage that reflected harsh reality.

The morning following the wedding Rie opened the shutters facing the garden and glanced up toward the room she had given Yoshitaro and his bride. The sun had not yet reached the second floor shutters. Just then Rie saw a feminine hand open the wooden shutters and withdraw. Then Rie heard slippers slap quickly down the stairs and head toward the kitchen.

When Rie entered the kitchen, Tama, in a work kimono with sleeves tied back, bowed to the floor three times.

“Oh,” said Rie, surprised at Tama’s alacrity.

“Please accept my humble efforts to learn and conform to the traditions of the Omura House,” Tama said breathlessly.

“Yes, good morning, Tama,” Rie replied, nodding.

“I am eager to learn. I shall do my best,” Tama repeated. “Yes, Tama.” Rie nodded. “You may help O-Natsu and O-Yuki

with breakfast. Please begin by preparing the rice this morning.” Tama bowed again and rose. She took a deep breath and straightened the cotton scarf covering her hair. She turned toward

the big rice cauldron.

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O-Natsu and O-Yuki exchanged glances without speaking.

It was no small task Rie had given Tama. To be able to cook rice to the exact fluffy palatable consistency was the first test of any woman, a requirement that, if unfulfilled, could send a bride away in disgrace. The proportion of water to rice had to be pre-cise. The word
rice
was synonymous with the word for “meal” or “dinner.” All rice served was to be consumed to the last grain. To waste rice was unconscionable. Moreover, rice was sacred, of the gods. In addition, in the Omura household rice was the critical source of the family’s livelihood, the raw material of White Tiger.

Rie joined Yoshitaro and his siblings, who were gathered at the dining table for breakfast. She looked expectantly toward the kitchen. Tama entered bearing a tray with a large wooden Kama-kura serving bowl. She knelt at the table and bowed toward Rie, who handed Tama the wooden serving paddle symbolic of the status of wife of the house head. Tama held the paddle with both hands above her head and bowed again. Then, lifting the lid of the serving bowl she took the wooden ladle, filled the first bowl, set it on a tray and, hands trembling, held it out toward Rie. The five brothers and sisters all fixed their eyes on their mother’s face. Tension enveloped the room.

With her chopsticks Rie brought a few grains to her mouth, then paused.

“Well, Tama, perhaps just a bit less water.”

Rie was instantly sorry at the slight, but it was a necessary one, of course.

Kazu and Teru looked down quickly.

Tama bowed again, biting her lip. “Oh, I have no adequate words of apology,” she said.

“You may serve the others now, Tama,” Rie replied.

O-Natsu and O-Yuki brought in the pickled plums, miso soup, and tea.

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“When you are finished serving breakfast, Tama, you may come to the parlor.”

Tama bowed. “Certainly.”

Tama filled each rice bowl, placed it on a tray and handed it to a family member, first Yoshitaro, then his brother, then his sisters in order of age. This task finished, she hurried to the kitchen for a hastily eaten bowl of rice with pickles.

Rie finished her breakfast and went to sit before the Butsudan to wait for Tama.

Rie had heard enough stories from O-Natsu about cruel mothers-in-law intimidating frightened, helpless brides, making of them abject slaves. Intelligence was a quality Rie valued, and when she found it in Tama she decided it could be used for the welfare of the house, to foster a daughter-in-law who would work hard and willingly. This same quality Rie had discovered in the small boy who was now her chief clerk, Kinnosuke. Tama would be an ally in her plans for the future of the house, as dedicated to the reputation of White Tiger as she herself. Yoshitaro was O-Toki’s son, as Rie had never forgotten and Yoshi had made clearer over the last few years, and while Tama was now his wife, Rie hoped to forge with her a close bond. Tama, on the other hand, had no connection with the Sawaraya. Therefore she was a potential ally. Rie would let Tama know now that while Yoshitaro was formally house head, the representative of White Tiger to the world, in reality it was she, Rie, who had the final word in all important decisions. This was how it was with everything, wasn’t it, the
tatemae
appearance and the
honne
reality? A perceptive woman like Tama was certain to recognize the difference.

Rie heard footsteps along the corridor, a pause, then Tama’s voice excusing herself as she opened the shoji, bowed properly, and entered the room kneeling.

“Come here, Tama, to the Butsudan.” Tama did as bidden.

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Rie turned to face her. “You know that your position as wife of the house head is a most important one,” she began, with a nod to acknowledge Tama’s bow. “You were selected with utmost care for this role. You are aware, I am sure, that you will be first in the family to rise in the morning and last to retire?”

Tama bowed again, but did not speak, eyes downcast.

“As a person entering the house from outside, you will need to learn the customs of our house as rapidly as possible. I will teach you what you need to know.”

“I am unworthy of such an honor, but I will make every effort to justify your faith in me.”

“First, please direct your attention to the Butsudan.” Tama bowed toward the altar.

“Here you see the tablets of my mother and father. I offer rice and sake to them each morning, also the plum wine which my mother enjoyed. If I am too busy you will assume this duty, and eventually it will be yours alone. And you will also learn about observing their death anniversaries as the time arises.” Rie paused and glanced from the Butsudan to Tama.

“Now, to start with, you need not spend too much time with your husband.” Rie knew this might only alienate Yoshi, but duty came first. It was a fact that Yoshi would have to learn.

Tama did not respond, but Rie thought she noticed a slight tightening of Tama’s mouth.

“You know the work of the wife of the house head is never finished,” Rie continued, “so you must be ever vigilant and alert to any possible problem in the house.”

“Most certainly,” Tama replied, always ending each statement with a corresponding bow.

“You must take charge, for example, of the scouring of the barrels,” Rie said, tapping her folded fan on her lap. “The girls all know how to do this—Fumi, Kazu, Teru. But the responsibility is now yours to see that this critical task is always done thoroughly.

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The girls will be going out as brides before long, and it is only proper that you see to this matter.”

Rie rose. “The workers are your primary responsibility, both the kitchen workers and the kurabito. You need to see that they are well fed and clothed and cared for when they are ill. Without them we could not maintain the reputation of White Tiger. When the kurabito are content, as they are now, they will continue to come back to us year after year.”

Tama bowed. “That is what my mother always said also.” Rie looked at Tama and nodded.

“We can go to the kitchen now. You have already met O-Natsu. She is in a special category, like a family member because she has been here so long. You will meet the kitchen helpers.”

Rie led the way along the earthen corridor to the kitchen where two maids were scrubbing vegetables. Here are Michi and Shizu.”

Tama bowed slightly to acknowledge the two bowing girls. “They are the main workers in the kitchen. They prepare the

food for the family as well as for the kurabito. You will see that the rice is always properly prepared.”

Rie saw a flush rising from Tama’s neck to her face. In the corridor they met O-Yuki vigorously flourishing a feather duster.

“And O-Yuki keeps our rooms clean.” Rie smiled and turned along the corridor toward the storeroom. “Come, Tama, while the men are gone, I want to show you the kurabito quarters, though of course in the future you cannot go in there, since they are men.”

Rie climbed the long steep ladder leading from the storeroom to the large tatami room above, a room lined on two sides by built-in cupboards.

“You will get to know our Toji. He has been here several decades, his father and grandfather before him. He is getting on in years now and is training his son to succeed him. He takes great pride in maintaining the quality of White Tiger.”

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