Chapter Eight: The Tarp on the Roof

"Father, were they just talking about Tomishiro?" Kaya asked. "Yes they were. I guess Saiya didn't tell you yet. Your brother is in love with Jackie and has been for a long time. She just doesn't know who he is as of yet and he wants to keep it that way for now. To the three of them, he is Tomishiro Ichibana. Don't let that girl Kirrin know either, there's something that I don't trust about her. Tell the others to keep a close eye on that one" he explained. 'Yes, the two of them are perfect for each other. The both of them are strong, tall, lonely and very loving' he thought. Uncle shin could tell that Jackie was a very loving and compassionate woman by the way she spoke with her family and by how she treated those around her with respect. She had stayed by her brother's side for seven long months, which shows him that she will be there for a person she cares for no matter why or for how long. She has a strong sense of commitment.

He stepped outside the dojo and looked up at the roof. There it was, a broken tile on the roof. It probably happened during the spring monsoon season when the big tree branch broke off of the old cherry tree.. he was going to have to pull out a tarp to cover the roof for now. Just until his son's got there to replace the tile. He looked towards the mountains and saw thick, dark clouds hovering there. More rain was coming tonight.

Jackie caught up to her cousins and tickled them into submission. They were walking back to the house when Mina placed her hand on Jackie's arm to stop her by a big tree. "Jackie, seriously, how do you feel about Tomishiro?" she asked. "It won't go any further than the three of us, I promise" she added. Jackie sat under the tree and thought about the man who had invaded her life and now her dreams. "I don't really know, confused, scared and interests to be honest. I just don't want to be hurt again. What if he was only playing around because he was bored?" she replied. "And if he wasn't?" Komiko asked. Jackie looked up into the tree, watching the play of light through the clouds and the falling leaves, hoping for an answer. Komiko squatted down in front of her. "Then tell him what happened, maybe he's different. Maybe it went the way it did way with the jerk because it's your destiny to be here with Tomishiro. Think about that" Komiko stated. Now she sounded like their grandmother. Jackie nodded. She would think about it later. Did she dare tell them that she had dreamed about him? No, not yet. "Well then, let's get back. We still have more testing and lunch ahead of us" Jackie said getting to her feet. They walked the rest of the way back to the house.

When they got back they found Uncle Shin standing in the yard, looking up at the roof. "What's up Uncle?" Komiko asked him. "I found the source of the leak. There's a broken tile on the roof. We could put a tarp up on the roof until my son's get here and fix it. Jackie you did great today and Jet was right, I'm still sore. We will put off your testing for a day or two. I want to get that tarp up there immediately. The rain will be coming again soon. Follow me" he said.

They followed him into the garage. He pulled out a large rolled up tarp. They all carried it to the area where the roof was damaged. "Jackie and I will go up on the roof and tie off a rope and toss down the other end. You two will loop it around the center and toss the end back up to us.. As we pull it up, you will both push it up to us from underneath. Use the trellises as ladders" he instructed. Jackie and Uncle used the trellises to get up on the roof. They tied the rope off on a ring set into the opposite side of the roof and tossed the end down to the other two They nodded in understanding. Komiko and Mina caught the rope and wrapped it around the center of the tarp and threw the rope end back up. And just like they had been instructed to do, they had the tarp up on the roof in no time. It was perched on the peak of the roof. "Now we just unroll it and secure it with the ropes at the edges to the rings set into the edges of the roof"he instructed. They unrolled it along the peak and unfolded it to cover the roof and hang slightly over the edges. Jackie secured the ties to the rings. Jackie checked the tarp out for any rips or rotted out holes. The others used the trellises to climb back down. Jackie decided to jump. Jackie tucked and rolled as she hit the ground. Uncle smiled and thought, 'So, she has has training in gymnastics, ninjitsu or both.' In the short time she was here, he had learned more about her abilities than Tomishiro had told him about. He decided to watch and go over the videos that had been sent to him pertaining to their training and how much of it they have had. By the time they had finished with the tarp it was lunch time. Kiki smiled as she saw them enter the house all covered in dust and debris from the tarp.. "Go get washed and changed, lunch is almost ready" she said.

The others were already eating when they sat down to eat. Kirrin looked like she was about to say something but thought better of it. "We missed you at practice today, father" Kaya said. Uncle explained, We had to get the tarp put up on the roof, there is more rain heading this way and should hit by tonight. Besides, I'm still hurting from Jackie's manouver earlier. Please give your cousins a hand with the room after lunch. Then open the doors and windows. Hopefully it will dry out enough so they can move back into the room in a couple of days, before your brothers arrive" he explained All the girls nodded, except Kirrin. After lunch the nine women went to work on the room. Shin's daughters and nieces were surprised by how hard the other three worked without a single complaint. "God, if Kirrin had be told to do it, she would have made some lame excuse not to or would have disappeared until it was done by someone else" Kaya marveled.

They watched as Jackie carried the heavy buckets easily out to the garden and poured the water around the plants and trees. She then placed a hand on the plants and trees as if in prayer. "What is she doing?" Saiya asked. Mina and Komiko answered in unison, "It's her Native American heritage. She is thanking the spirits for their blessings. They believe that all things have a spirit within them and by nourishing and thanking them, she is honouring them." The other girls smiled. That is the Shinto way as well" Kiki said. "Yes, we are the same all one family but we are still individuals too" Mina said. Kaya added, "Most look down on those that are not pure blood Japanese." "Yeah, we know that first hand. Jackie has eight siblings her parents adopted because their biological families didn't want them because they weren't pure bloods. Jackie's family raised them to know their heritage's and we celebrate them all. It's fun to have so many international parties on their birthdays" Komiko explained. "Wow, like what?"Lin asked. "Japanese, Chinese, Korean and we are part Cherokee ourselves. We have all been raised with this knowledge of where we come from and that we could be anything we want to be in the future" Mina said, looking at her cousin with admiration as they all came back into the room. "Well, her family is our family too. Oh wow, I just realized that our family has more than doubled. Not including your families yet, how many does that make so far, added in?" Kiki asked. Jackie answered, "Twenty six." Uncle walked in at that moment. "Twenty six what?" he asked. "People added to our family, Pop. Jackie has nineteen siblings, one nephew, two parents, two grand parents and a great grandfather on her side alone" Saiya replied. "And that doesn't even start to count our families in either. Our moms are Jackie's father's sisters and he has one younger brother" Komiko added. Shin's daughters and nieces just about fainted. Uncle smiled and announced that they were all eating in the living room tonight. The girls all nodded and threw open the windows and the doors then went to put the cleaning supplies away. They took quick showers to remove any residual grime.

They entered the living room to find everyone sitting around the tables waiting for them. The three women sat down and they all enjoyed home-made pizza. Uncle Shin turned on the TV and put a dvd into the player. Jackie recognized it and groaned. It was a home video compilation of her, Jet and the others at different Martial Arts classes and events. "I'm going to kill someone when I get home" Jackie said under her breath. Uncle Shin heard this and chuckled. "Your great grandfather sent most of the ones when you all were younger. They are for our family archives. Over the years he had sent a lot of pictures of all the family members. I really enjoyed the ones with the family gatherings" he said. "But why are we watching these particular ones?" Jackie asked. "They showcase all of your styles and skills in combat, silly" Mitsako answered. Kirrin was off to one side, sulking. Komiko nudged Kaya in the side and looked over at Kirrin. Kaya leaned over and whispered in her ear," She's missing her favorite soap opera, the poor baby." Mina had overheard and had to fight back a laugh.

"Ah, now I see why you're so good. You and your brother have had over fifteen years of studying several different styles of Martial Art's. Including Kung-fu, Ju-jitsu, Aikido, Kendo just to name a few. I also have videos of Mina and Komiko as well. Very interesting. You have studied Muy-Thai also have had gymnastics and dance training" he said turning his head and staring at Jackie. She was staring up at the ceiling and muttering under her breath. Mina and Komiko were shaking their heads and looking at the floor. Uncle was smiling, "Your father and mother has continued to send them here as well as Bruce, Lea, Jet and even your grandfather. I especially love the ones of the family gatherings. They show how close your family truly is." Jackie rolled her eyes again and continued her litany, "I'm going to kill them all....no, I'll get videos of them at their most embarrassing moments." Uncle laughed. Suddenly Kirrin leaned forward and stared at the TV with interest. It was a video of Jackie at a Kendo match and she had lost in a very big way. She had been totally off balance. Uncle Shin had seen it as well and was now frowning. Kaya and Mina had caught Kirrin's keen interest in the TV and Jackie's failure. They turned and nodded to each other. Jackie had seen Kirrin's reaction too. Kirrin suddenly got up and pulled out her phone. "I told my boyfriend that I would call him as soon as he got out of work" she said and left the room. She walked outside talking to someone as if she was talking to a lover. Kaya had slipped out another door and staying hidden, listened to the conversation. Kirrin's tone changed once she was sure no one could hear her. "Poppa, I saw what I needed to. Her weakness is Kendo. Yes, I understand. I have to go now. I love you Poppa, bye" she said and hung up. Kaya slipped back into the house. Kirrin was smiling as she looked around to make sure she was still alone. Kaya was back in the living room and pulled Mina aside. "I don't know what is going on but she just called her so-called boyfriend, Poppa. Her father is supposed to be dead" Kaya explained. "We need to check into her background. Something is definitely not right. When we have the proof, we will bring it to your father and confront her with the evidence" Jackie said as she came over to join them. "She's probably a spy from one of the other clans" Mina stated and the others nodded. They went back to the couch and Jackie sat next to Uncle Shin when he motioned her over. "Your performance was awful in that Kendo match. You were so off balance. Are you left-handed by any chance?" Uncle asked her, pausing the video. Jackie nodded and replied, "Yes I am. My instructor wanted me to fight right-handed and trained me that way. I kept complaining that I was uncomfortable and off balance but he wouldn't listen to me. He entered me in that match that I knew I wasn't ready for and lost. He came at me screaming at me for making him look so bad. Jet knocked him out and we never went back to him." Uncle nodded in understanding. "That man was no true instructor. You need a proper teacher. When my son's get here, they will help you" Uncle said. Jackie's smile lit up her face, "Thank you for being so understanding. I don't have a problem with other weapons thanks to my oldest brother Bruce. He's left handed like Jet and I but he's not trained in the Kendo forms" she said.

Kirrin hadn't returned to the living room. They continued to watch the videos. Uncle put in a disk labeled 'Night Wolf - MMA Preliminary Matches'. They watched as Jackie, age eighteen years old, walked into the arena to the song 'Bodies', followed by Jet. She was more than a head taller than her opponent, who was one of the best. One kick and the match was over by knockout, with Jackie the winner. There were several more matches and the outcome had been pretty much the same, one hit or one kick and the matches were over with Jackie the winner. Then the video cut to a different match, a championship match. It lasted all of five minutes. This time Jackie won by a submission. The match showcased her ability and speed as well as her power. Her opponent had landed a spinning back kick to the jaw that should have dropped Jackie to the mat. Jackie's head snapped to the side and when she looked back at her opponent, she smiled savagely. Her opponent had been shocked and off guard. Jackie made her move and put her into a submission hold that the announcer had dubbed 'The Wolftrap'. Now Uncle could understand what drew his son to her. At the moment when she had looked at her opponent with that smile on her face, she was beautiful, savage, untamed and radiated power. She is a woman only a warrior could handle and his son was a warrior through and through. This was going to be interesting when the two of them meet up again.

They continued to watch the videos of the other two training and then the ones of all of them at family gatherings. There were shots of different activities and sports that they were all involved in such as motorcycles, Jackie's truck and her car. There was even videos of them riding horses through some beautiful, rugged terrain.