The Sunflower

[Katherine Benjamin]

Katherine sighed out as she had finally allowed her head to stop spinning. The large group of people were all too demanding and were all too kind. So they seemed. They were kissing her twice on each cheek, holding her hand, kissing her hand, introducing themselves, expressing gratitude for her being there, expressed their congratulations for the marriage...it was all so confusing by the time all the introductiosn were made her head was spinning. There had been so many Elizabeth's, Thomas', Jonathan's, and more than enough Samantha's. She was ready to fall to the ground and whine, which she heard most rich folks do from time to time when something is far too grand a scale to handle. Fainting, that is what she heard they loved to do most.

That was them, this was her. She was ready to change into something far more comfortable and do something constructive, but she was to learn that is not how the wife of Thaddeus Benjamin acted. Ugh, she apparently had no identity without her husband being attached. She bit her lower lip as she looked around the sitting room where there were buffet tables filled with fresh fruits, drinks being served hotter than fire, so many different servants being bustled into the room without ever being noticed. A new face everytime she turned. She heard a few women laughing and suddenly she realized she was a part of this small foursome. These heavily dressed women with their overpowering perfume and make-up were discussing something that was apparently humorous, when she finally realized they were discussing a new female servant and how funny she looked Katherine tuned out. Up until the point when the men all made the announcemnet they were going to the study.

"My dear," The hostess, Elizabeth Washington, took a hold of Katherine's hand and expressed how she was to fetch her personal servant to take her to her room and help her change for the dinner party they were to be having later on that evening. Katherine was more than happy to accept.

"Thank you." The woman walked her to the stairs and told her to wait a moment. Katherine finally realized, when Mrs. Washington spoke to a female servant, that even the smallest tasks were to be handled by more servants.

[Yumi Chiguse]

Yumi had seen Kiyoshi already, and they had waved and she had been entertained several times by him making silly faces at her over the stove while they were working. But they had not gotten a chance to talk. She had been swept off to the upstairs where she was going to help serve food.

She had had to change into her yukata--she could barely breathe for the tightness--so that she would be presentable to the guests. And as she was about to move back into the servant's serving room, the lady of the house, Elizabeth, caught her arm and told her that she needed to accompany Mrs. Benjamin to her room to help her clean up and change for the dinner party that evening.

"Of course, Lady Washington," Yumi said, bowing respectfully and moving towards the Lady Benajamin who was standing at the stairs. The end of her dress was still wet and a little muddy, and the poor thing look like she had never done this sort of thing before.

Yumi appraoched her respectfully, and bowed when she stood in front of her, placing her hands in front of her, and trying to bow over her blue and pink yukata, and her blue obi.

"Good evening, Lady Benjamin," she said quietly. "My name is Yumi, and I will accompany you to your room so you may change, if it pleases you."

[Katherine Benjamin]

Katherine looked at the girl. The pprecious girl in a beautiful outfit she had never seen before in her life. The woman was absolutely breathtaking. For some reason, her face, outfit, voice, name, it all made Katherine smile. It had been probably the kindest person she had met so far and they hadn't even exchanged two words. Perhaps it was just in her prescense and her eyes. Either way, something inside overwhelmed Katherine to feel so relieved that this woman was going to be helping her, nobody else.

"Please!" She said with a light laugh, keeping her voice low since she didn't want anyone else to hear her. "Help me in any way." She laughed and looked around seeing the men moving off towards the study.

[Yumi Chiguse]

Yumi smiled warmly, and bowed. She motioned for the woman to beging up the stairs with her. Once they were mostly out of earshot, Yumi turned slightly to the woman to look at her. She was gorgeous, western, with big beautiful eyes. She could help but admire the woman's beauty.

"If you don't mind my speaking out of turn, Mistress, could I ask what brought you and your charming husband here?" she asked. If she was going to be this woman's personal servant for the rest of however long, she wanted to get to know the woman. And she seemed like a kind person, so Yumi hoped she wouldn't get her head bitten off.

[Katherine Benjamin]

Katherine didn't think she moved half as fast as she did up those steps. She felt this swell of energy inside of her, wiping out all the tire and sickness she had felt. If this were to be her servant...she wanted to be able to at least treat her like she herself would have wanted to be. They reached the top of the carpeted stairs and she was immediately relieved, the pressure to be something in front of someone she wasn't out of her system. Those judging eyes gone for the time. She smiled and heard the young woman speak. It brought her attention back to her new best friend, her only friend at the moment.

"Oh please!" For some reason desperation was in her voice at that very moment. "Call me Kate. Nobody has called me that since I have gotten here!" She grabbed the young girls hand and squeezed. "I want us to be friends! No servants, no slave, friends! Who...happens to help me!" She smiled and closed the space between the two. She was needing to latch onto someone normal and she figured this girl was as good as you could get.

"My husband, Thaddeus, moved me here after we got married a week ago. He is here to tear down villages and industrialize your country. I do not know why! He has more money than God himself!" Katherine bit her lower lip. She was talking too much! She was saying too much! But this woman was going to see her in her pantaloons, she knew there was nothing she couldn't tell her.

"I am sorry, I haven't been able to say more than a few sentences sine I have gotten married. Thaddeus believes I should be a good, quiet, respectable wife. Ugh." She was apparently showing her disliking as much as one could. If there were a photo of him she'd burn it just to prove that her love did not go any farther than respect for the living.

"Charming, he is not." She continued as Yumi guided her down the large and, gratefully, desolate hallways. "I am sure he is charming, but I am not quite sure yet." She looked at Yumi. "How about you? Tell me all about yourself! Tell me anything you want! Brothers? Sisters? Family? How old are you? Do you have a lover? How long have you worked here? Have you lived here all your life?" Katherine's desperation was busting at the seams and she could tell that she was not showing her proper side, if she even had one at all.

"I am sorry! I cannot stop talking." She laughed. "In time, I suppose, we will be best friends."

[Yumi Chiguse]

Yumi couldn't keep a smile and laugh from coming out. She covered her mouth. Oh, how sweet this woman was. She didn't seem to have many friends, this Kate. But Yumi loved making friends, and she was quite an outspoken, spunky person. She just needed the right provocation. And this woman seemed to be that.

"Oh that is dreadful!" she responded to Kate telling her that her husband was going to tear cities down. She shook her head. "Not to disrespect of course," she added. She didn't want to offend, but she did think it was dreadful. Then she grinned. "I hope we can be friends. About me? Well..." she paused a minute trying to find the words.

"Well, I used to work in a home not too far from here. I worked with a boy named Kiyoshi--he was the one who met you at the docks, and saw you here. We have grown up together, he is really my only family. I don't remember my parents, and I don't know if I have any brothers or sisters," she said, nodding. "I am eighteen years old, Madam." She paused.

"So, in the western part of the world, the wives all must be quiet and respectful? Here its the same, the woman will stay at home and the man works...unless you are a servant of course..." she smiled. "I am so glad you want to be my friend. Many westerners who come here want nothing to do with us!"

[Katherine Benjamin]

Katherine scoffed.

"That is so ignorant! These people are nothing like myself. I have been having to suck in my stomach, hide any imperfections I have for they have quite harsh views." The two stopped and the girl opened up a door, apparently the door to her new room until further notice. It was very vast and very bright. Just the way she liked it. There were velvet drapes hanging fromthe large french windows. A huge bed that took up half the size of the room. Many pillows covering it. She could only imagine if this was a guest room what the others looked like.

Then it hit her. Her husbad had very expensive tastes, she could only fathom that their room would be filled to the brim with golden statues, large beds, millions of pillows....things that screamed class. Katherine hated it already.

Katherine walked in, following Yumi who made a turn to shut the door and lock it. Katherine's mind wandered back to the boy, Kiyoshi, the man who had helped her at the docks and who had helped her out of the carriage. Beautiful man, however that was as far as she could say since she did not get to interact much with him. He seemed kind, and if Yumi was friends with him it only meant she was more than ready to be friends with him as well!

"I am not like any other westerner. I come from a small home, my mother and father. We were poor. It was on an accident that I happened to meet my husband. We have only known each other for a few weeks, if even that long." She sighed out and kept her eyes moving from one thing to another.

"You are eighteen? Back home I was considered old for my age," She looked over at Yumi and smiled. "I'm eighteen as well." She bit her lower lip and glanced at the large rug on the floor. "Married to a man who is nearing fourty-six."

[Yumi Chiguse]

Yumi locked the door and nodded as the woman talked. She moved to the wardrobe. She pulled a key out of the folds of her yukata and unlocked the wardrobe. She opened the doors, and looked in at the marvelous dresses--not of an Asian influence--that hung there. She turned back to the woman and smiled.

"Well, if we aren't married by now, we are tending towards old maids. But men have all the time in world!" Yumi laughed. "For instance, Kiyoshi is nineteen. He could be thirty and he would still have time...but for the woman we must be married, or we are useless," she said, shaking her head. "I have never understand that."

She turned back to the wardrobe and picked out an appropriate dress. It was deep blue, beautiful, shimmering. And there was jewelry to go with it, and a hairpeice also. It was the most beautiful dress hanging there. She pulled it carefully out and laid it on the mattress of the bed, smoothing it out a little to make sure no creases stayed in it.

"But once we are servants--even for Kiyoshi and the other men--it is not likely we will get married. Unless we marry another servant, and live in poverty all of our lives. And I have determined I won't do that to any children I have," Yumi explained, smiling at Kate as she straightened. "Come. Your dress can be cleaned, so don't worry about the mud on the ends."

[Katherine Benjamin]

Katherine sat down, listening to the woman. No need to keep that artificial pompous thing going on! She was nothing like those downstairs and she was wanting to make sure she did not act like it when she had to. Especially behind closed doors. Living a lie had never been something Katherine wanted to do, but yet she was having to out of fear for what people would think and say about her. Luckily she was putting her trust with Yumi and would divulge anything she ever could with her. If her family was halfway across the world and her only choice was to be friends with the women downstairs, she was more than happy to be friends with the ones she was told not to.

Katherine stood up, still very nervous about this whole thing. Her marriage in partcular, listening intently to Yumi. She watched her put a dress on the bed and smooth it out. How beautiful. She had never seen it before, but she knew it was from her husband. He had bought her many dresses and shipped them here prior to their departure from America. She looked at Yumi and watched her smile as she directed her to have the dress cleaned.

"Thank you." She said to Yumi with a well needed sigh of relief. "My mother and father spent almost two months wages on this dress so I could look beautiful when I left. They said they wanted to remember me leaving America as a woman wearing something they bought, not what someone else had." She felt the urge to cry when remembering her family waving and crying for her when they left. Despite them being one of the biggest reasons she married Thaddeus, she still couldn't help but feel her heartbreak to be so far away.

"You do not make good wages being a servant?" She questioned as she followed her. "I figured you, of all, would make a lot of money! These people you work for...they could buy anything!"

[Yumi Chiguse]

Yumi couldn't help but laugh a little as she moved to the bed and sat nest to the woman, reaching up and gently taking her hair down. Her beautiful hair slid down her shoulders--a little damp from the weather outside. She ran her fingers through the softness, picking up the combs she had and beginning to comb it. She wanted it free of tangles before she got the woman out of her dress, so it would be easier to fix once she had changed.

"Oh, no," Yumi said. "We rarely make anything. The whole idea of being a servant is that we get food and somewhere to stay and that is our pay for working for them..." she said, gently smoothing the woman's hair down. "Some of use have no choice. Like Kiyoshi, he was sold when he was young, and had no say in it. And I was born into it. But others choose this lifestyle because they prefer to not have to worry about making money, or paying for a place to stay..."

Yumi put the combs down and stood.

"How about we get you out of that dress?"

[Katherine Benjamin]

Katherine took in her words. That was no life at all. Just because someone housed them did not mean anything at all! They were doing difficult tasks for rich overpaid men and women and all the while these people were slaves and were having to feed their own family in the background. It was a horrible life, but she figured one did not have any choice.

"That is so horriblle." She stated mindlessly. "I could never imagine such a horrendous thing." She bit her lower lip and stood at Yumi's words. "I mean, I thought my family worked very hard, but apparently not. You all deserve to be treated fairly, paid correctly..." Katherine shook her head and furrowed her brow.

"I promise you this, Yumi, if you are my servant I will never treat you badly. I will always help you. I will pay you more than you get now."

[Yumi Chiguse]

Yumi smiled wide and bowed to her before taking her hand and holding it to her chest.

"Your words mean so much to me! You will never have to pay me if you will only stay my friend as you are now!" she said smiling at the other woman. Then she chuckled and moved around behind Kate. She slowly unbuttoned the dress and slid it down over her many petticoats, laying it on the bed. She carefully helped the woman peel off two of the petticoats to replace them with fresh ones. Yumi helped her change all her undergarments before tightening the woman's corset. She didn't tighten it too much, it was already tight enough and Yumi didn't want to hurt the woman.

After that she helped her slide into the beautiful blue dress. It was low on her shoulders, and showed enough cleavage to be enticing but not too revealing. Yumi gently laced it with its sky blue ribbon up the bag and tied it in a special Japanese knot to give it a little Asian flavor that the other women would lack.

"Here," she said cheerfully, sliding the bands at the ends of the sleeves onto Kate's fingers. Yumi moved around in front of the woman to adjust it on her shoulders nicely. Yumi smiled. "You look so beautiful! Do you know, you have the best skin of any western woman I have seen!" Yumi laughed a little before motioning that Kate sit down at a dresser near the corner that was adorned with a mirror and beautiful Asian influenced carvings.

Yumi pulled out the box of jewelry that went with the dress and also the blue silk headpeice.

"How would you like your hair done?"

[Katherine Benjamin]

Katherine took everything slowly, enjoying her time with the only other person that knew her better than anyone, literally. She hadn't divulged that many secret thoughts in lord knew how long and seh knew she wouldn't be stating anything she said to Yumi to anyone else outside of that door.

Katherine felt great, better than ever, suprisingly. She had gotten off that boat, out of that horrible carriage, was dry, clean, and had a new best friend! What more could she ask for. Then she glanced in the mirror and realized that Yumi could take anything and make it beautiful, for in all reality this dress was so blue, fluffy, over-priced, and not her style. But somehow a little bow in the back, the touch of Yumi, made it all perfect. She smiled widely.

"How do you think it should be done?" She asked with a smile, turning to look at her. "Do it differently. If I cannot insult these people at least make them realize that I appreciate everything about you." She smiled. She had not been the excited in such a long time, not even for her wedding day!

[Yumi Chiguse]

Yumi grinned and sat the woman down. She drew the combs through the woman's hair and began to work, holding pins in her mouth and using them where she needed to.

She pulled her hair up and piled it onto her head in the style that Yumi had learned a long time ago. It was very simple and very Japanese. She left two peices down in front of the womans ears. Carefully, instead of using the hair peice, Yumi took down the blue chop sticks in her own hair and slid them into Kate's hair, giving her an elegant Japanese look.

Yumi carefully finished it and then curled the two peices in front of Kate's ears with some wax that would keep it there.

"There," Yumi said after the short time it took her. "How is that, Madam?"

[Katherine Benjamin]

Kate bit her lower lip as Yumi worked, her hands moving much faster than her own whenever putting her hair up. The combs raked against her scapl and it sent shivers down her spine, how she loved it when people played with her hair. She had friends that did it back in the states and it slightly made her feel more like she were home. She gnawed on her lips with anticipation, wondering what it would look like, knowing she would probably love it once she was done.

Yumi had been doing this for a long time, she hadn't exactly stated how long, but if Kiyoshi had spent his entire life being a servant it only meant growing up together was working together for the longest time. It was sad to think of doing nothing but work for others, people who were cruel and mean, who probably slapped you if you spoke out of turn. Kate could't imagine a life like that, but in a way she and Yumi were sharing the same experience. Kate was now living a life as a prisoner, at least she thought so, she was forced to marry, move, and now be something she wasn't. If that wasn't taking someone's freedom the she did not know what was.

Yumi broke her thoughts that had wandered, yet again, back to Kiyoshi. What a deprived life he must have had, not knowing anything but this kind of work. The things he had missed out on, the things they both had missed out on! Kate suddenly felt this urge to be maternal towards them, give them things they had never had. It wasn't like she wanted these things! She loathed the money that was being thrust upon her and she was certain they would have much better uses for it than she.

Kate looked up as if this were somehow going to show her exactly what it looked like, but it felt funny and she did it on reaction, seeing two tundrels in front of her face was something she had not been accustomed to. She smiled at Yumi and turned away from her and over to the mirror where she had first seen the dress. Immediately her eyes found the difference of style, the way it looked, the way it felt, it was something that nobody would have ever worn back in America. Then again, she wasn't in America anymore, she was there in Japan.

"Oh, Yumi!" She said slightly exasperated. "Yumi! I love it!" She whipped around and smiled, her eyes slightly watering with excitement. "I do!" She wanted to touch it, but refrained. "It is unlike anything I have ever seen! It is perfect!" She smiled and slightly jogged to her and gave her a big hug. Oh how nice it was to hug someone! She hadn't done it in what felt like ages! Not even her own husband wanted to hug her! He just wanted sexual pleasure, not intimacy.

She moved back and laughed lightly. "Everyone shall be so envious!"

[Thaddeus Benjamin]

"These Jap's have no idea what we are doing, do they?" Thaddeus grinned at the thought. Destroying lives was something he had come to love over the years. Their class difference aslways bringing mor crime and less suitable people into the mix. Having them swiped clean of this made more room for more prominent men and women, more money, more class, better things! This place, as far as he could tell, was absolutely horrendous both in weather, buildings, and even worse, those who inhabited it.

"We did it to the Indian's and by hell we'll do it to these foolish chinks!" The men raised their glasses at his sudden speech. They quickly talked amongst themselves, discussing how it was such a good thing to be forcing them out of their own homes to allow the wealthy to move in, a grand idea! Perfect! Wonderful! The words of encouragement from these men only allowed his chest to bustle up and swell with pride! He loved his job and even more the men who went along with it.

"Is it me or do they smell?" The men laughed as they all drank their sherry and smoked their cigars or cigarettes. "They look funny, too." They again laughed. A few men commenting on how they all sold fish and how they all wore certain shoes. Very stereotypical, but oh so correct.

Thaddeus sighed out as he sat down on the corner of his friends desk, holding his beautiful hand crafted black cane,the can in which a man had complimented him on earlier that evening. The handle was made of sterling silver in the shape of a snake head with real red ruby's placed in the eyes, the fangs made out of gold and taking the golden specs throughout the black cane. It was a magnificent creation he had bought in India. Something he prized, much like anything else expensive he had purchased on his many trips. Nothing, however, as much as his beautifully crafted machete he was to place above the fireplace at his new home.

Thaddeus sighed out, seeing the last drop of sherry in his glass. He took a drink and realized his craving for it was far more greater than he had expected. He stood up and looked at his friend, and host, Abraham.

"More sherry, my friend." The man looked over at the crystal container and scoffed.

"Those damned peasants don't know how to work! That should have been filled!" Thaddeus laughed.

"My good man, they are Jap's, they don't know what to do. Their eyes are stretched so tight they can barely see right!" The two had a very good laugh. "Do not worry. I will take care of it. You relax. I'll find someone to fill it. I do think I need a good walk after that long trip anyway." He smiled and clapped his friend on the shoulder and walked to the tray and grabbed the real crystal container and headed out of the large study, closing the tall heavy door behind him.

[Yumi Chiguse]

Yumi smiled wide at the hug and jumped up and down slightly, in her own excitement, even though she didn't know exactly what she was excited about. She was just excited that Kate was excited. She knew they would be good friends just from the few moments they had spent together.

"You look so beautiful, Kate!" she exclaimed, holding her hands and spinning her a little. "Oh, how I wish I owned a dress like this!" she giggled girlishly before taking in a breath of surprise. "Oh! I forgot the shoes downstairs! I must get them. They only complete this outfit, madam!" she said.

"Please forgive me! I will return soon, I promise! Just wait here, and enjoy yourself! I think there are drinks on the table in the corner there!" Yumi said, grinning. She turned back to the door, and hurried out into the hallway, shutting the door behind her and smiling wide.

Her split socks made a small padding noise on the floor as she began down the hallway in a short stepping fashion to accomodate her yukata that was tight around her ankles. She kept her hands clasped in front of her as she reached the stairwell and started down.

[Thaddeus Benjamin]

Thaddeus sighed out, annoyed that there wasn't any good servants around. Where was the help when they most needed? He raised an eyebrow and made his way out into the large lobby, hearing someone approaching from the stairs. He turned and was almost beside himself with what he saw. A magnificent creature coming down the stairs and right into his way. He smiled.

"Hello." He said lowly, putting the crystal container on a small marble top table. "You are my wife's servant?" he raised an eyebrow, eating her up with his eyes. She had too many clothes on! What was it with the Japanese and all those clothes? He seriously would not mind taking them off one by one. He had to laugh at this thought. Not even his wife could match her beauty, and he had sworn that he had the most beautiful woman in the world!

"Looking lovely. Might I ask how things are coming along?"

[Yumi Chiguse]

Yumi's eyes widened when she saw the tall, forbidding man. She bowed lowly to him when she recognized him as Kate's husband. She straightened and nodded gracefully, keeping her chin lowered so as not to seem as if she thought herself on the same class as he.

"Yes, Master Benjamin," she answered quietly. "I have only come down to retreive something for Mistress Benjamin," she said to him, not wanting to say too many words. She took note of the glass he had set down and she motioned softly towards it.

"Might I get you more drink, sir?"

[Thaddeus Benjamin]

He smiled. She was apparently keeping things simple and sweet, he loved it. He walked close to her, so close he could smell the perfume his wife had been wearing earlier. A nice thought crossed his mind, the two together, not bad at all. He smiled evilly and almost backed her up against a wall, enjoying how he towered over her and caused her to hunker in fear.

"Drink?" He raised an eyebrown and glanced over his shoulder and then back down at her. "No, dear." He touched her chin and tilted her head up. "Look at me, lovely." He said demandingly soft.

"Tell me," He said raising an eyebrow. "What is your name?"