I didn't realize today was going to be so eventful.
In the morning I hurried to do chicken work so Muto-san and I could leave to pick up new pigs at 9:30. When we picked them up at the farm that is in the flat valley, wind and bits of snow hurled at us. Out of the pigs, there was one brown one.
We got back and Muto-san had to go to a funeral. Yesterday was his birthday, but on that day someone passed away.
I stamped a receipt pad for Hitomi-san for a little bit. Muto-san left soon after that I started making lunch though it was 20 minutes early. I made the same thing as the other day - daikon, carrot, cabbage, shiitake, onion stir fry with seaweed, soy sauce, sugar and dashi. There was a half loaf of garlic bread that Hitomi-san had brought me while Muto-san was away so sliced a few thin slices off, toasted them until crispy, and put on some of the cheese I bought in Aso and tomato on it. I topped of lunch with an apple. I started "I, Robot".
A little before 2 Hiro and Katsu came back from lunch. We finished the rice sorting yesterday so I didn't know exactly what to do. I thought there was a possibilty of spreading gravel, but first it need to be done with the tractor. After cleaning up another chicken coop a little I went with Hiro into the mountains to where the kunugi trees we cut in November are. They had done most of it, but there was still about 1/4 left to do. He asked me to use the axe and cut off stubs and little branches off the logs he cut and collect the branches that they didn't need because they were too thin into piles, Hiro was working the chainsaw. It was still beautiful up in the mountains. The bare kunugi trees with short grasses at their bases, everything turned golden brown by winter, the surrounding sugi trees still deep green, soft winter sunlight, patches of blue sky and thick silvery clouds...when we first got there, a strong wind whipped right over the bald spot where we were working with fat flakes of snow. It was beautiful...took some of the chill away.
As I worked I actually got hot despite the cold, moving the logs and things. Not to mention I suck at using the axe...so where a normal person might take three hacks, I took seven. Hiro asked me after a while if I wanted to try using the chainsaw. I said no. When we were in Alaska we stayed at the Blood family's house. Mrs. Blood mention once that she had to use the chainsaw once to cut some branches and said something about how the chainsaw, because of the spinning chain, tends to move towards your head - or something. So now whenever I think of chainsaw, I just see her holding it being tough, and me with the blade coming towards my head. Really, I'm OK. A little later he asked if I need a break, I said I was fine.
A little later I look up and saw him sitting on the ground holding his foot. He asked me to turn off the chainsaw which was sitting a few feet away on the ground. I didn't know how...but finally found the button. Then I saw the boot. His left boot with a gash in it. Then I saw the blood. He asked me to go get a towel from the truck. I ran and got tissues and water and realizing I didn't bring the towel I ran back and got it. He was tying his jacket around his calf. Next he did the towel. I'd never seen so much blood in my life...dripping onto the grass and soaking his sock. He said he called his parents and asked if I could drive to the bottom of the mountain. We were 10 minutes away from their house or so, so if we could meet halfway it would be the fastest to get him to his parents and to the hospital. I thought at first, no, I'm not going to drive a manual truck because the last thing we need is me killing us both in a automobile accident in the middle of nowhere mountain. But then I realized I can do it, I've done it before. I helped him to the truck about 200 feet away, ran back grabbed the chainsaw and axe and boot threw in the back of the car and helped him tie a rope around his calf. Then I drove to the bottom of the mountain. I kept thinking, if maybe I had tried and used the chainsaw or if we had taken a break , this wouldn't be happening, there wouldn't be blood dripping on the dashboard, there wouldn't be me trying to drive a manual truck on some rocky, narrow mountain road.
Luckily, we got to the bottom safely. I was more panicky than Hiro was, for sure, somehow he was staying so damned calm! The tissues were red. He propped his foot out the window for a few minutes until his parents came in the van. Muto-san drove him to the hospital, 15 km away. Hitomi-san drove me in the truck back to the farm. She didn't seem all too worried. She tried to tell me that this happened probably because Hiro is "blank" and has been "blank" ever since he was a kid. I didn't know what the word meant, but I thought it could be "gung ho" or something like that...She said one time she cut her leg with the axe and had to drive herself to the hospital. I can't imagine.
I was kind of in shock. Blood on my boots. On the dashboard. On my pants. How could he have stayed so calm?
Hitomi-san asked me to do the chickens. She and Katsu had to go to a meeting at the farm over. They just got done. They said Hiro and Muto-san had left the hospital, he has stitches and wont be able to do work (naturally) for a little bit. I told them if there was anything I could do, they could ask me. I also said Muto-san didn't have to come back here, because if he did, that would leave Hitomi-san to care for Muto-san's elderly parents and Hiro on her own. I just hope they are okay...
Well...that was my interesting day... poor Hiro...
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