Shipwrecks Read Online Free Page A

kimono.
    A north-westerly wind began to blow.
    Isaku worked hard cutting down trees in the forest, dragging them back to the house to chop into firewood. On days when the sea was calm he went out in the boat and dropped a line into the water.
    The reddish colour on the far ridges disappeared, and the leaves of the trees on the slope behind the village faded fast. The temperature dropped day by day. On windy days great clouds of dry leaves swirled into the air from among the rocks and fell on the village path or the roofs of the houses. Many were blown far out to sea.
    The sea became rough, and spray from the whitecaps smashing on the rocks rained onto the houses near the shore. The village was enveloped in the sound of the waves.
    When the sun set, the salt-making began on the thin strip of sand by the shoreline. The women carried thirty shallow boxes from the village chief’s storehouse, lined them up on the beach, filled them with sand, then poured in tubs of seawater. Once the sand had dried in the sun, it was again washed with seawater. The heavily salted water would be drained into tubs and transferred to two large cauldrons placed on the shore.
    Each household would supply equal amounts of firewood, and the men would take turns watching over the fires until daybreak, when the salt was ready. While this would provide an essential commodity for the villagers, the fires under the cauldrons also served to attract O- fune- sama .

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    I saku lifted his bundle of dry branches onto his back and started off down the path. The sea was growing angry under the bright red sky. Whitecaps surged in, and breakers smashed onto the shore and the cape. The onset of winter was usually marked by four days of rough seas followed by two of calm; the past three days’ heavy seas had made fishing impossible. Rocks were exposed everywhere along the path, and Isaku struggled to keep from toppling forward under the weight of his load.
    The roofs of the houses came into view. Isaku’s mother was standing beside the back door, waving at him to hurry. She seemed to have something urgent to tell him. Using a stick to keep his balance, he stepped down behind the house.
    â€˜A messenger came, saying the village chief wants to see you. Get up there right away,’ his mother said hurriedly.
    Isaku had seen the village chief, but he had never spoken to him and so had no idea why he was being summoned.
    â€˜Hurry up!’ said his mother, taking his load off his back, something unheard-of for her, and giving him a good slap on the back to send him on his way. Isaku scampered off along the track. The reddish tinge to the sky was fading, and the sea was beginning to darken. The shore was wet from the waves.
    He ran along the path and on up some stone steps. The old man who worked for the village chief’s family was collecting grain which had been spread out on a straw mat.
    Isaku entered the house and sat down, bowing deeply. The village chief was sitting beside the fireplace. Isaku introduced himself in a trembling voice, his knees shaking from the foreboding that he was about to be scolded for some offence.
    â€˜Starting tonight you’re out on the salt cauldrons. It’ll be your first night, so go out with Kichizo and get him to show you the ropes. After that you’re on your own. Don’t let thefires go out.’ The village chief had a thin, high-pitched voice like a child’s. Isaku bowed deeply, until his forehead touched the ground.
    â€˜Off you go.’
    Still kneeling, Isaku shuffled back toward the entrance, stood up and left.
    His face flushed with excitement as the tension disappeared. The order to work through the night on the salt cauldrons meant that he was recognised as an adult. Ever since he had been allowed to help with the cremation he had felt that this might happen, but knowing that it was actually about to come to pass filled him with irrepressible joy. He ran back along the shoreline path to