Days of Peace

"Good. This should do. Don't remove this splint and rest quietly for a while. What I've applied is a compress made from steamed and kneaded mugwort. I'll give you extra, so change it regularly until the heat is completely gone. Come see me again in three days."

Raquel tells this to a carpenter's apprentice boy who had fractured his arm. He apparently fell from scaffolding by mistake while repairing the Aurora.

"Yes, Doctor Raquel. Thank you very much. I'll be in your care again. Doctor, your Japanese has become very skillful."

The boy thanks Raquel in mumbled words while looking down.

"Why are you looking so dejected? At your age, every failure increases a person's worth. Hurry up and become a full craftsman to support the master carpenter. Hold your head high. Our Rodrigo, who became an apprentice to that master carpenter, is steadily improving his skills too. You work hard as well."

Raquel pats the shoulder of the boy who has stood up. At that moment, the boy raises his face that had been looking down. His eyes meet with Raquel's looking down at him. Instantly, the boy's face turns red like autumn leaves. Raquel's appearance, which Diego had mockingly called piratical, had changed so dramatically since moving her life from ship to land that she was like a different person. Her hair was tied back constantly, and her clothes were the same humble garments as the common townspeople, even men's clothing. However, the long legs extending from the hem that was still too short for her seemed otherworldly to the Japanese boy. And it was no wonder that the innocent boy was disturbed by the slightly brown-tinged skin visible at the chest opening of her kimono. Then Diego, who had been listening to their exchange while grinding medicinal herbs, interjects from the side.

"Yasuke! A carpenter falling from scaffolding is no good at all! The master carpenter must be disappointed too. Heal up quickly and do your work properly!"

Raquel listens to his jest with a smile while her body is already moving toward attending to the next patient.

The year was Tensho 4 (1576). Nearly three years had passed since Raquel's party opened their medical practice under the protection of the Matsuura family. For a while, people were afraid it might be foreign sorcery and few approached. However, once Takanobu confirmed that Raquel had successfully completed treating criminals, he began actively having Raquel treat warriors wounded in battle. Eventually, farmers and fishermen injured in agricultural work or fishing also began relying on Raquel. Raquel treated every patient with careful attention.

Among the patients were apostate Christians like Tagawa, as well as those who continued to maintain their faith. Some spoke broken Portuguese. While Raquel continued treating them while posing as a Christian physician, she learned Japanese. There were no common Christian folk with extraordinary observational skills like Tagawa. Raquel and her companions paid careful attention not to take actions that would arouse such suspicions. And even when Takanobu learned that Raquel and her companions were not Christians, he did not reproach them.

When requested, Raquel would have audience at Takanobu's residence and speak of foreign affairs and trade matters. She closed the clinic on the Sabbath and took long breaks during periods like the Feast of Tabernacles. However, when she said she was closing the clinic for preparing and procuring medicines, no one suspected.

This period of life in Hirado could be said to be the most peaceful days blessed with tranquility throughout the woman's lifelong journey of diaspora. Having obtained a moment of peace that could not be found in Viseu, Goa, or Malacca, Raquel also devoted herself energetically to medical research. She exchanged knowledge with Japanese physicians in Hirado and learned about types of Japanese medicinal herbs and prescription methods. When they requested it, she generously shared her own medical knowledge. Behind these activities was, needless to say, Takanobu's generous protection.

This is not to say there were no heart-wrenching sorrows or disturbing events. She learned of Pereira's death some time after opening the clinic. When the clinic was on track and additional medicinal herbs and spices were needed, Raquel placed an order with Pereira through Chinese merchants. However, what Diego, who was entrusted with the voyage, brought back was news of his suicide.

In the teachings of Yahweh, suicide is a grave sin. What had driven him to death, even breaking that law? Was her own escape related to it? For some time after receiving the news, Raquel tormented herself with such questions. She even considered returning to Macau to ascertain the truth.

However, it was clear that Pereira would not wish for the life he had saved to be endangered by such actions. Moreover, if she left Hirado now, there was no guarantee she could return.

Diego said that if she wanted to use the life saved by Pereira correctly, she should help a thousand people in this land. Raquel was saved by Diego's words.

Fortunately for Raquel, even Pereira's death did not greatly affect Takanobu's treatment of her. Due to Pereira's death, the trade in gunpowder and saltpeter that Takanobu had hoped for became almost impossible. While trade with his successor continued modestly, centered on medicinal herbs, spices, and silk thread, the volume did not reach the level of organizing fleets. Moreover, Pereira's successor lacked the power to procure bullets and saltpeter, where procurement competition had intensified. Nevertheless, Takanobu did not send Raquel back to Macau, nor did he change her treatment.

And Raquel also turned her attention to another matter that had interested Pereira. The form of this country called Japan. That is, the nature of faith and governance. Even if she could understand it and put it in writing, there was no longer anyone to send it to. But even knowing this, Raquel thought she should try to know what Pereira had wanted to know. She believed that too was a correct way to use the life he had saved.

Suko Dance

"Yasuke. What are this festival and dance praying for?"

On an afternoon when summer sea breezes blew, Raquel, urged by Yasuke and Rodrigo, finished her practice early and went out to see the summer festival. Yasuke, whose injury had completely healed, had grown tall over the summer. Yasuke's head, which had been at Raquel's chest level just a while ago, was now at her shoulder. Rodrigo stood behind Yasuke, watching the parade of dancers slowly walking by with apparent disinterest. This parade seemed to be the festival's main event. The procession moved at a slow pace, showing their dance to the spectators. They passed through the large square that townspeople called "Miya no Mae" (In Front of the Shrine). They would apparently dedicate their dance at the shrine grounds beyond.

"This is called Suko Dance. But this dance started recently. Together with the ancestors' spirits who return during Obon, we're praying for good harvests, good fishing catches, freedom from illness and disaster, things like that. That's what my father said."

Yasuke answers Raquel thus, but his mind seems elsewhere. A market had opened in Miya no Mae square, with teahouses spreading simple stalls. The teahouse owners were enticing customers with delicious-looking dumplings and candy. Yasuke's attention was completely captivated by these.

"Sister, can we go look over there for a bit?"

Yasuke wasn't the only one distracted by the dumplings and candy. Rodrigo was the same. Yasuke and Rodrigo were still only twelve and fourteen years old by Japanese count. It was natural they'd be drawn to delicious-looking dumplings rather than solemn prayer processions.

"Rodrigo. Buy some for Yasuke's portion too with this. I'd like to give some to Diego as well, so buy his portion with this and bring it home."

Saying this, Raquel hands small coins to Rodrigo. Bright smiles spread across both boys' faces. Clutching the received coins, the two run off toward the teahouses. The afternoon sunlight, still strong with summer's power, illuminates Raquel's face as she watches them go. The surrounding people sigh wordlessly at the sight. They realize anew that this female doctor, who had completely adapted to the local area and even skillfully used the local dialect, was indeed from a foreign land.

Paying no attention to such gazes around her, Raquel follows the trail of the dancing procession heading up to the shrine grounds. What did this dance mean? Yasuke had said ancestral spirits return. Was this during this summer period? Or did these spirits remain for a while? This place with the grounds was called a shrine. However, before coming here, this procession had apparently offered the same dance dedication in front of a Buddhist temple.

A temple was a Buddhist church from the continent. There, Japanese people worshipped Buddha statues. This was as Pereira had told her. But what was this shrine? Did it relate to this country's ancient great king? Had the ancient great king also believed in Buddhism? If they dedicated dances to both temples and shrines, would they also dance the same way in front of Christian churches that still remained sparsely in this land? Unfortunately, Raquel did not yet have Japanese acquaintances who could answer such questions.

However, she must not direct such thoughts at those around her out of mere curiosity. Raquel had learned in her life of being pursued that uncontrollable curiosity could sometimes bring disaster. There was no need to rush. If her peace in this land continued, the time to understand would surely come. Standing in the shrine grounds, Raquel vaguely thought such things.

Born in Viseu, fled to India, flew to Malacca. Then through Macau, drifted all the way here to Hirado. None of it was anything she had wished for herself. Still, in this country at the far end of the Orient, she was now living peacefully. Perhaps she might be able to complete her life in this land just like this. If so, she wanted to die in this land having saved as many lives as possible.

When she noticed, the dedication ceremony had already ended and the shrine grounds were deserted. The hot late summer sun would sink behind the mountains spreading beyond the shrine in just a few more hours. Cricket songs could be heard from within the woods. The people of this country listened intently to insect voices, she had been told. A blind old woman she had treated had said so. The cricket sounds that until recently had seemed like nothing but irritating noise now touched Raquel's heart as well.

The late summer twilight breeze already carried hints of autumn. Spring, summer, autumn, winter. Through several repetitions of Hirado's seasons, Raquel couldn't help but be captivated by the beauty of those changes. How many more seasons would she be able to repeat in this land? She hoped it could continue if possible. In the evening breeze, Raquel made such a wish.