Part III - Amaya’s Loss While she picked up her first stone, tears came to her eyes. She knew enough to put the stone where the lines meet, and not inside a square. But that was about it. Amaya was seated with her back towards her grandfather and that woman, so she couldn’t see him. The man who knelt opposite of her put his first stone down. The way he held his stone looked strange to Amaya’s eyes. She picked another stone out of the pouch and put it on the board.
The game only lasted a few minutes, but to Amaya it felt as though hours has passed. She used her sleeve to wipe the sweat from her forehead and the tears from her eyes. Only then did she realize she was still in her pyjamas. The man gave her a stern look. ‘It’s over,’ he declared. Amaya cried.
‘She wasn’t lying, Asahiko,’ the woman said. The man looked down on the board. Many black stones had been removed from the board. At first, Amaya hadn’t understood why they were being removed, but near the end of the game, she thought she had it figured out. Little good it did to her then. ‘No,’ he said: ‘She wasn’t.’ Amaya looked down. Her hands started shaking. She felt a hand on her shoulder. That woman again. ‘It’s okay, Amaya. We aren’t going to hurt you. We just wanted to make sure. It’s all right.’ Before Amaya could say anything, the woman pressed a finger against her lips. ‘Listen, Amaya. You may have a very special talent. But first, you must tell us everything.’ ‘What do you mean?’ The man, Asahiko, cut in. ‘The stones, girl. The stones!’ ‘I find them in the ocean,’ Amaya started to explain. Asahiko cut her off. ‘No, the stones on this board. Your grandfather says you put them down every evening. Nine white stones, always in that exact configuration.’ While he said it, he put down nine white stones in the pattern she always made. Ugly stones, though, not of a very high quality, Amaya could tell. Asahiko took a sharp intake of breath. Just as he was about to speak up, the woman said, with a soft voice: ‘How do you know to set up the stones like this, Amaya?’ Amaya shrugged. ‘I don’t know. I like them like that. I like to think they keep grandfather safe.’ She blushed as she said it. ‘But… White stones?’ Asahiko said, to no one in particular. ‘Dear,’ the woman said: ‘Could you leave us alone with your grandfather for a while, please?’ ‘But…’ Amaya started to protest. Grandfather looked at her and whispered: ‘I could use a cup of tea, my sweet Amaya.’
Amaya was going crazy. After she had made the tea as quickly as she could and went back to give grandfather a cup, they had immediately stopped talking when she had come in, only to start talking again after she left. What were they talking about? What was happening? What was so special about her stones?
About half an hour later, Asahiko and his friend came into the kitchen, where Amaya was sitting. ‘Your grandfather wants to talk to you, dear,’ the woman said. Amaya hated it when she called her that. Nevertheless, she quickly went to see grandfather.
‘Grandfather, who are these people?’ ‘Amaya. My sweet Amaya,’ he whispered. He fell silent and gazed at her. Finally, he spoke again. ‘I love you.’ ‘Grandfather.’ slightly annoyed. ‘It is time for you to leave, Amaya, and start your life. You… You have a gift.’ ‘A gift?’ ‘Asahiko and Hisako will take you with them, to a place where they will teach you. Amaya, you will be treated well, you will be treasured by many.’ ‘But, grandfather… I don’t want to leave.’ ‘But you must.’ ‘What about you?’ ‘Oh child. You have your mother’s kindness. I am old, my place is here. But yours isn’t. You belong to the world, now.’ ‘Grandfather.’ Tears again. ‘I love you,’ he repeated. ‘I love you, grandfather.’
Two hours later, she was packed. Of course, she had brought the first set of stones her grandfather had helped her make. She had left the new, well crafted stones on the workbench. Grandfather would need those to sell when he was better. Asahiko and Hisako stood outside. Asahiko glanced over her. ‘Okay,’ he said: ‘looks like we’re ready to go.’ ‘Don’t worry, dear, your grandfather will be fine,’ Hisako added. ‘Can we come back to visit him soon?’ Amaya asked. ‘Of course.’ She smiled.
A few dozen feet later, she turned back one final time. ‘Goodbye, house. Bye, grandfather.’ As the three of them walked away. Hisako put her arm around Amaya again. Amaya didn’t protest. Maybe it wasn’t so bad, after all. ‘He’ll be fine, Amaya, don’t worry so much.’ Another few steps. ‘So what’s your grandfather’s name, dear?’ ‘Hiroshi.’ Asahiko stopped dead in his tracks. He looked at Amaya, his eyes wide open. ‘Wait a minute,’ he was mumbling, Amaya could barely understand: ‘those stones…’ ‘Hiroshi, the Stonemaker?’ he asked. ‘Yes.’ ‘That man was Hiroshi, the Stonemaker?’ Amaya nodded. Asahiko looked at Hisako, dumbstruck. Then he looked back at Amaya. ‘So you are Hiroshi’s granddaughter?’ ‘Yes.’ Asahiko stood still for a few more seconds. ‘What do you know… The Stonemaker’s Granddaughter.’ Asahiko chuckled and started walking again. Amaya looked at Hisako, but the woman only smiled and put her arm back around Amaya. Yes, Amaya thought, it definitely wasn’t so bad after all...
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