I went to the back of the house as rain drops fell on me like small needles. The wind blew as I closed my eyes to protect them.
I slowly tapped my feet on the slippery ground as I went and saw Arashi was drenched with the heavy fall and I felt my dress soaking as well.
The wind was so harsh that the crop dangled dangerously. I knew he had been taking care of them for months so they would grow but if the wind kept slapping them, they would come out or break.
I went there immediately.
The clothes he was wrapping on the crops was hard and he could only cover only half of them as he needed another one to hold the other side.
Without wasting time, I went around and took the cover in my hands as Arashi's eyes met mine. "What are you doing here?"
He displayed a shocked face as his eyes fell on my clothes. I was drenched by now and the clothes stuck with my skin. A thunder rumbled as a yelp came out of my mouth.
"Just go back to the house." He must have sensed that I got scared as he shouted over the place he stood.
"It is alright. If we do it together, it will be finished in a blink of an eye." I said as I caught the cloth.
He didn't say anything but I could feel he was a bit angry but somewhere he was glad because he needed someone.
I pulled it but it was just heavy. I encouraged myself to do it because Arashi needed it. If the crops died, the people would suffer more. I pulled again but it didn't even budge.
And I tried again but my hands slipped as I was about to fall on the mud but I felt someone caught me from behind.
I looked behind and saw, it was Hina. Her long, shrine clothes were drenched and mud had created an artistic paint beneath the edges on her white cloth.
My eyes moved to the other edge and saw the priest had come as well.
Arashi looked more shocked as his lips parted. He shouted, "Please go back to the house or you all will fall sick."
"Don't worry, Mr Yuan. We have you for that." Said the priest as I smiled.
"Don't just stand here, hold the cloth!" Hina shouted as I caught it once again but this time, she held it with me.
We both pulled it and it finally moved.
It took us a few more minutes but it was done and we let out a smile of victory.
"Let's go!" Arashi shouted as he came over and the wind howled dangerously. "The storm will grow. We need to go back."
I caught Hina as her legs were slipping in the mud. We wrapped ourselves in our arms as we shivered in the cold wind and the rain whipped us with its angry touch. Our clothes felt heavy and slowly, we reached the front of the house.
I saw Arashi was helping the priest as they entered and he glanced at us.
I nodded because the priest was too old for this and he might have caught a cold. He needed warm clothes and warm soup or maybe tea.
Arashi entered as Hina and I reached as well. Water poured out from our clothes and I closed the sliding door, locking it thus, the rumbling of the cloud got numben a little.
"You shouldn't have to go there." Arashi said looking a bit displeased but a faint worry clouded on his face.
"If we didn't, it would have taken you a lot more time." I said.
He sighed as if he gave in and he gave both me and Hina towels so we could dry ourselves until the priest came from the bathhouse.
Hina beside me still clutched against me as she shook and I knew she was cold. But I had to say I was very amused when she went there despite her fear of the lightning.
The priest came and I saw Arashi had given him one of his old clothes and the priest now seemed good but Arashi said, "I will give a small medicinal soup to all of you, so we don't catch a cold."
We all nodded as Arashi said, "Let me change the water and pour hot water then you both can go take a bath."
I nodded as he went and I took Hina to the bath house. Arashi had already set the fire from outside as I said Hina, "Hina, go take a hot bath, you won't be feeling cold anymore."
Hina said with a hard voice, "I am not cold!" Yet her voice said it otherwise.
The lightning rumbled as she yelped and again caught me. I could see that she was scared and I asked, "Do you want to take a bath together?"
She looked at me with wide eyes and nodded hesitantly. I smiled and said, "Okay. Can you wait a little? I am going to take some clothes for us."
She looked behind at the small window as the sky roared and I said, "Don't worry, it won't take time."
"O—okay. But don't be late!" She said and I dashed toward my room.
I took two of my clothes from my luggage and came back immediately and saw she had undressed already.
I slowly took off my clothes as we both entered the bathing tub. It wasn't small but it wasn't large either, but it was enough for two people to soak into the warm water.
As we both sat in the tub, we released sighs. It was so refreshing that both of our shoulders relaxed.
Hina looked at me and said with her eyes moving away from me, "You are truly a good wife for him."
I looked at her with wide eyes and for a little while I was doubting my auditory. Did I hear it right?
She looked at me with an irritated face and said, "It isn't anything to give me a look!"
"I—I am sorry." I looked down and added, "I was just a little surprised."
I felt a little happy as well.
Hina and I kept quiet for a moment as she said, "I liked him. I liked him for these years and I was just jealous that you got to get him."
I looked at her but I wasn't surprised. Arashi had everything to be liked for. And I didn't mean it by his looks. He was gentle, kind, caring and would always protect everyone around him. There was nothing there to dislike about him.
He was a bit rude sometimes but he was rude for his own good. He would say harsh things on your face. But that is he was.
"I am sorry for shouting at you at that time and saying you don't fit him," Hina said as her face touched the water. From the small twists on the sides of her face, I could feel she was crying.
"It is okay." I said.
"It is not okay!" She looked up and looked at me angrily but her eyes were puffy.
"I literally confessed to you about my love for your husband! You need to be angry and tell me that he was off limits!" She yelled at me.
"Err... I am sorry...?"
She sighed and leaned back in annoyance. "You are hopeless. If you don't grip him by his collar, someone will take him away from you."
I looked at her with wide eyes. Why would anyone—
No! She was right because my father had three wives and if Arashi were to have more wives...
The thought itself made me scared.
Hina must have sensed my worry as she said, "If you don't start to wrap your arms around him, who knows, I might take him away as well..."
My eyes went wider than before. "Wh—why? You should know that he is married right?"
"So what? I don't mind sharing my husband..." She grinned wickedly as I gasped and splashed the water on her.
She looked at me with shock and anger as she grinded her teeth. "Now you have done it!"
She stood up and splashed more water on me as I returned the gesture too and in a moment, we both fell into a pit of laughter.