Crack
The last piece of wood splits in two.
I toss the firewood onto the large pile beside me, already covering it with an old tarp so it won't get wet if it happens to rain.
I wipe the sweat from my forehead after finally finishing my work of chopping wood, which I had been doing for several long hours since dawn.
Tlim-Tlim
I hear the soft jingling of a bell approaching.
I immediately recognize who it belongs to, making me smile as I look toward the sound.
"Usaaaan!! Hahaha" Chiyo, my little sister, comes running toward me, laughing innocently.
"Chiyo!! Don't bother Usan while he's using the axe! It's dangerous!"
Sumire, my middle sister, appears running after Chiyo, both of them slightly out of breath, showing they've been at this chase for quite a while.
"It's fine, I've already finished."
I set the axe aside and, after wiping the sweat from my hands, pat both of their heads.
Chiyo enjoys it a lot, and Sumire tries, but can't hide her smile as she receives the affection.
Then, the sound of heavy footsteps catches our attention.
We look at each other and smile as we recognize our father approaching in the distance, carrying his empty basket of firewood on his back, having sold everything in the nearby village.
Chiyo dashes toward our father, who picks her up and lifts her into the air before holding her in his arms.
Sumire is next to approach, receiving a warm hug from the man, which she eagerly melts into.
"Dad, I finished chopping the firewood," I say as I walk up beside them.
My father's heavy, calloused hand rests on my head, ruffling my hair.
The man has a radiant smile on his face.
"Good job, Usan! Very well done! Let's go home, I have good news to tell."
He sets Chiyo down, and she immediately runs toward our house, making Sumire sigh and complain that this is why we had to put a bell on her clothes.
The comment makes both my father and me burst out laughing.
We don't walk far before reaching the small wooden cabin.
Chiyo is already dragging our mother outside.
My parents greet each other with kisses and affectionate words, then our father pulls a folded letter from his pocket after placing the basket in front of the house.
"I managed to speak with my old friend. He said we can move to his house and work there!"
All of us become excited, we're going to a big city! How could we not be?
"We'll just need to save a bit more money for the trip. I agreed with him through letters that we'd arrive in about a year, but we'll keep in touch to make sure everything works out."
My father worked in the city when he was younger. There, he met a boy his age and formed a strong friendship.
They recently started exchanging letters again and had already talked about my family going there to work.
"Ah, right…" My father gives a mischievous little smile.
"My friend told me he has a daughter the same age as Usan…"
"Hehe, maybe you'll win the girl over, son." He nudges me with his shoulder.
"Big brother can't get married!" Chiyo crosses her arms in an X, already on the verge of tears.
"I agree, he's way too young to get married!" Sumire waves her arms, losing her usual serious composure for a moment.
"Hahaha, you two know the time to get a sister-in-law is coming," my mother says, hugging me while ruffling my hair, laughing at her two daughters.
"He's almost at the age to get engaged, he's already 13, and it's just an idea. Who knows what might happen."
My father winks at me, making me laugh despite my embarrassment, though I swallow it when I see Sumire and Chiyo on the verge of tears, pouting at me.
"Hahahaha!" My father and mother burst into laughter at the scene, pulling us all into a warm group hug.
─── ◆ ───
All of us have black hair. My sisters and I inherited the purple tips in our hair and the same-colored eyes as our mother.
My sisters are short, just like her.
From our father, we all inherited slightly sharper canines, and only I inherited his height and physique, he is a tall and strong man.
After we eat our simple dinner, my father calls me to talk alone behind the house.
From inside, we can hear the women laughing and chatting.
"Usan, I called you here to give you the birthday gift I owed you… here it is."
He pulls from behind his back the familiar small hatchet he usually uses.
The handle, in particular, is quite refined, it's comfortable to hold and very beautiful.
I take the tool. It feels like it fits perfectly in my hand.
The handle has a beautiful blue ornament wrapped around the yellow grip.
"This hatchet… well, actually, its handle… was passed down to me by your grandfather."
"It's very durable, it has lasted longer than the blades themselves and through several generations of our family"
"Now it's yours. Take good care of it."
"I hope you pass it on to your children when the time comes..."
I give my father a tight hug.
"Thank you, Dad…"
I love the gift, and knowing it was used even by my grandfather, whom I sadly never met, makes it even more special.
"Let's head back before they start getting worried." I nod in agreement, and we return inside.
At bedtime, I place the hatchet with my few belongings and lie down beside the rest of my family, since we don't have enough space in the cabin for separate rooms, but that was about to change.
According to my father, in his friend's house, we'll have separate rooms! Amazing!
The excitement fades after a few minutes as exhaustion takes over.
I finally close my eyes, falling asleep with many expectations for the next day.
─── ◆ ───
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