136 5.25 Izumi and Riko Makes Their Acquaintance (1/2)
I walked back home and nearly trudging along with my feet. Frankly, I am getting used to working in such an environment since my previous life I had never worked in such manual labour before except during the time when I was doing parttime work doing upholstery and carpet cleaning work to pay for my daily needs and such back on Liverpool while I was just a student at the local university there and that was in 2002.
Right now, in this era, there were no machines to ease my work and even I'm in an 11-year-old body, but in actual fact I'm nearing my 50's soon! Omagai... Hope my back don't fail me this time.
I reached home and saw Hiko-sama fanning himself at the terrace of the house even when it's still winter time. We both were sweating, even I was the one who perspire more than Hiko-sama.
The moment Hiko-sama saw me, he stood up and called me over excitedly which means he brings good tidings during lunch time.
”Hey, kid. Here's the receipt for today's purchases. And good news, Kuro-san, who is the Blacksmith, agrees to pay the 300 gold coins tomorrow and he committed for 2 consecutive weeks for the [Refined Iron] plates that you had made for him. You really is becoming a tycoon over the wealth that you collect in a month!”
”Thank you, Sensei. You had done very well indeed in completing the tasks.” I took the receipts and calculated whatever he had spent. Hiko-sama also handed me the small chest that contains all the 70 silvers and 100 coppers that was left untouched. I calculated and paid him back accordingly including the whole cost of purchase since he would be handling the deliveries and payment at the same time.
Nobody would believe that I could accumulate such wealth at a young age and in a short period of time!
”Here's your saving account book, and as mentioned by the teller, the profit interest rates goes lower once you had accumulated more than certain amount capped.”
Hiko-sama went to explain about the prevailing profit interest rates and seemed the higher the savings the lesser is the profit. By the way, using the bank as to store the coins was better than leaving gold coins lying around the house.
The receipt for the furniture shows that it would be delivered in 2 days time. It was also the day when I had nothing to do for the past 2 days after I had cleaned Kami-sama's house.
The flowers, oil and lye would arrive soon during midday. The same goes to the flowers and the sack of green tea too. I excused myself and went into my room to clear the tatami mat, takamura, and my weapon's stand.
I place them outside in the living room to give space for the delivery of the goods that would soon arrive. The small wooden chest that I had received from Hiko-sama was placed inside the takamura along with the coins that I had received earlier from Hiko-sama's Comrades
I joined Hiko-sama at the terrace and sat down with a kettle of cool green tea that I had boiled earlier for lunch. Hiko-sama, as usual, had a jar of yumeshu in his embrace as he drank from it.
”Later, we have some guests coming in for supper and dinner. Her name is Izumi and she's bringing her niece named Riko. The niece is the same age as you while Izumi looked like late teens to me. However, she was the one selling the flowers and I told them you have some projects with it.”
”Ah....its nice to have female companions once in a while. I hadn't talk to the opposite gender for more than a week I think. So, are we going out for dinner or we going to eat just like this in the terrace. The furniture would come in 2 days time so let's be more casual and relaxed and eat here in the open, shall we?”
”Yes... Yes... I agree with you. No point we hide our true self and character by hiding behind a fake scenario... Acting so demure and so gentleman-like.”
”Sensei, once the items arrived, let me go to the Realm of Mind and place the items there instead. Once everyone had gone, I'd go and store the items there first since the space there was unlimited. Later after supper, I'd go and prepare the items what were perishable especially the flowers.”
”No problem, kid. Come, let's have lunch first and we can talk at the same time.” and soon, Hiko-sama led me from the living room to the terrace where we sit and had our lunch. From my looks alone, he knew that I was totally drained from my work and didn't have the time to energise myself. It seems that hearing 300 gold coins didn't seem to excite me much.
As we were eating our lunch, the goods that Hiko-sama ordered had arrived and he supervised where to place them and have the delivery boy to arrange them. The coconut oil and olive oil came first. Then next followed by a 5 kilograms sack of lye.
A short while later, a young woman and a girl came by pushing a hand cart with 4 huge basket of flowers. Hiko-sama quickly greeted the young woman by the name of Izumi and then Hiko-sama quickly introduced me to the both of them.
The young lady who delivered the flowers looked sheepishly at Hiko-sama and somehow he looked a bit flustered after being stared at by a young woman for some time. Hiko-sama carried two baskets of flowers and I did the same too.
Realising that we were in the midst of lunch outside the house, we could only invite them for tea as they had travelled quite a distance from the marketplace to the house, pushing the handcart. Beads of perspiration also shown on both of the young lady and the girl's forehead.
It was out of courtesy to serve them some refreshments as there was only 2 bento boxes and we were midway having them. The two girls took their drink and thanked us.
”Hmm... Izumi-Chan, remember later to join us for dinner here, at this terrace as we enjoy the evening breeze as well. Riko-Chan, why don't you talk to Himura-kun here? Don't be shy, he is the same age as you too.”
The girls nodded as they accepted the invitation and looking forward to the dinner and supper.
”Senpai, what do you do? It seems you are covered with some dirt and all.” Riko asked me as she looked at me from head to toe and I realised that I had been doing laundry and settling the ashes from the furnace and kitchen. It was literally had soot on my hair and face.
”Hiko-sama, please don't mind my niece as she sometimes shoots off her mouth despite offending the other party.”
”Nah... Its OK Izumi-Chan, this idiot nephew of mine doesn't mind a bit! Haa... Haa... Haa...” replied Hiko-sama as he glanced at me and winked.
”Haa... Haa... Yes, onee-san. Don't worry about me. As for Riko-Chan, it's OK. I may look dirty from the outside but my heart is pure. I'm doing some household chores for the Comrades of Sensei. So I have to the laundry and clean the kitchenette and the furnace so sometimes I don't have time to see myself in the reflection on how I look. The most important part is Trust and Friendship.”
Izumi and Riko looked at me with admiration and a mixed feelings of amazement as I spoke like an adult even though I am the same age as the former's niece.
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”It's your full time job then? Do you plan to go to school or anything like that?” Riko asked as she sat near Izumi while gripping her arm.
”It's my full time job for this month only, the next month I do have some projects that's why we gotten so much flowers from you.”
”By the way, are you both working full time there at the flower shop? I didn't seem to noticed you when I was walking at the marketplace yesterday all by myself.”
”Oh, we had been working at the flower shop for some time now. Actually we both had faced some difficulties before, and decided to move to this village. Hmm... Its difficult for us to say this, but we had moved recently here and staying at the flower shop after it closes.”
From the way Izumi was telling that part of conversation, I knew that she had faced more difficulties than I am. Their situation way back was harder than anyone could imagined and only God knows how was their state before. I knew from Riko's eyes that both had not taken their lunch yet and was wondering to myself if they had their lunches or even proper meals daily.
”Hmm... Wait here for a while. I let you have something to eat. Its not proper for our guests to come when we are having our lunch and we do not have anything to offer.”
I started to stand up but was stopped by Izumi.
”No... No.. T... There's no need to prepare anything for us, we are good.” stammered Izumi in a protest because maybe this was her first time being treated as equals.
”Don't worry, Himura-kun means well. He is going back to the kitchenette to fetch something he had prepared for breakfast and I only managed to have the sweet corn since I was busy running around the trading district running tasks earlier.” Hiko-sama reasoned to the both girls as they seemed a bit shaken since they thought that this 11-year-old kid had more sense than the people they had met since they arrived in Kitakata village.
I opened the steamer and found there were still the 2 pieces of sweet potatoes and 2 pieces of steamed bananas on it. I took 2 stoneware plates and placed one sweet potato and one banana each and carried it to the guests. I placed them on the terrace and invited them to eat.
They looked at it and swallowed their saliva. To us, this dish was very simple but to others to have them would define a different meaning.
I saw Riko was tugging at Izumi's sleeve and had a sort of pleading eyes on her and Izumi patted her head and told her, ”It's alright Riko, go ahead and take the plate. Don't forget to say grace before eating.” and as soon as Riko heard Izumi words, she took a plate and gave one to her aunt and she took another plate for herself.
”Itadakimasu” they both graced and peel off the steamed banana that had gone cold. Actually the colder it is, the sweeter it tastes and same goes to the steamed sweet potatoes too.
The sweetness of the steamed banana soon hit their taste buds and both of them suffered from jawlock. They both squinted their eyes and exclaimed ”Oishi!” at almost the same time and smiled and chewed their food slowly as they both savoured the simple presentation of food.