Lay Me Down

Wish You Were Here

It's been several days since my encounter with the General and the Prince. Though I tried my hardest to just put them out of my mind, I found myself wondering why they were dressed as commoners in Ba-Sing-Se posing as tea shop workers. The Prince's quest assigned by the Firelord to find the avatar was well-known, but I wasn't sure how going under-cover would help in any way.

I shook my head for the thousandth time that day, forcing the thought down. Just scrub these floors like you're supposed to. It's not like you're ever ever EVER going see either of them again- at least not on purpose. Water pooled around my bare feet and knees as I sponged the dirt and grime off of the marble floor of the otherwise-pristine house of the 3rd ring. It's only for jobs like these that I was allowed to visit the upper rings, but I'm not complaining as long as I get paid.

"Iwa! I didn't expect to see you today." I glanced up from the gorgeous gold-and-white tiles across the ostentatiously furnished room to the door, where Chouko stood in a long white robe, her black hair pulled back into a professional bun. She was careful to stay by the door and not step on the gleaming marble. "Taru's session is almost done, so I'll be leaving soon. Will you wait for me by the gate?"

I sent a smile and nodded, wiping my brow and making sure my pants stayed pulled up above the knees. "This is the last room," I called back to her. "I have to see Mika before I leave, but I'll meet you there."

She grinned and exited through the gold-encrusted door. She works as a chiropractor and a tutor on the side. Most of her work involves massaging and/or a lot of cracking noises- which I have had the pleasure of experiencing once for free. At first I thought she was making it up. Then she cracked and popped between so many of my bones that I started to really hope she knew what she was doing. The only reason she stayed down in the outer ring is because her parents stayed there with her little brother, refusing to leave their wicker shop to go live with her. She recommends me for jobs in the higher rings because, no matter what the jobs are, they pay more.

I wrung the cloth out over the bucket and stood, tiptoeing against the wall to the doorway carefully. Before I could slip out, a woman blocked the door and peered inside. "Well, I see Chouko has not let me down. What a wonderful job you've done! Would you consider a position working here?"

And so began my weekly floor-cleaning of the Wei-Shin household. Apparently she was the manager of the servants of the house, which belonged to some noble I've never heard of. When she (Ms. Safu) told me how much I would be receiving as payment, I nearly died. Ten silver pieces! And she gave me twelve that day for accepting her offer! This made it a whole lot easier to pay rent, that's for sure. I shakily pulled my shoes on, amazed at my sudden good fortune. I could buy Ms. Hachiko some more groceries and Rin that satchel he wanted and maybe even a new place to stay.

Then I thought about how my ten silver pieces could have done all that and supported my family, were they still alive. The proceeding thought was of the fact that they were no longer alive.

I stepped out into the sunlight and the dark thoughts that frequented my head dissipated. The garden in this place was just spectacular, with an incredible view of the city. I've never appreciated organized plants so much before. Somehow the gardeners had achieved a tamed jungle sort of look, with bamboo stalks twice as tall as me and panda lilies at full-bloom. I walked through it to the gate, admiring the unique flowers and bushes on the way. Chouko was already waiting for me, her brown eyes following me through the courtyard. "I was beginning to think you'd left without me!" she exclaimed, pouting playfully and bumping my arm.