Spring Writes Stuff

32. Shamisen

His hand slowly turned the peg as gently as he could, while the other strung the shamisen's strings. He could feel the string stretch as the wood rolled in his hand. Finally, he got the correct tone for his string.

When he let go of the peg, however, the string loosened once again. Kubo lets out a grunt, slightly tilting his head to the side with the flick of his tongue. He knelt to the ground and breathed heavily, wanting to try again.

“Have your strings loosen before?” A soft voice calls from beside him.

Kubo looks up to them and smiles. “Not exactly,” he tells her as he attempts to tune the shamisen's string once again.

Mari sits down beside him and watches as he turns the peg once more, flinching as the string stretched loose once again.

“That doesn't look good,” the little girl says with a frown, looking at the older boy with concern.

“The peg is old now,” Kubo sighed. “Must've been from all the years I've played it.”

“How long did you have your shamisen?” She asks him innocently. “You said its old.”

Kubo stares at the instrument for a moment, resting like a small child in his hands. “I've had it since I was a small boy,” he says as he turns his head to the little girl.

Mari's eyes grew with excitement, knowing very well that Kubo would tell her a long story.

•

“Their eyes entered a battle of their own as the two sisters stared each other down.”

“Mother! Mother!” Kubo cheers while clapping his little hands in delight.

“We must stay quiet when mother is telling her story, Kubo.” Kameyo chuckles in a low voice, bringing a finger in front of his lips to hush his giggles.

The old woman moves the small boy up on his feet, holding his hips as she help him stand on her lap.

“Washi grips her sword, nothing but hatred clouding over her mind.”

Kubo's eye glimmered with wonder as he watched his mother's words turn into floating origami, controlled through her magic and guided by every musical strum she strikes on the shamisen.

”And with the swift flick of a second, Karasu advances towards Washi! Her feet pushed against the dirt with every step, adrenaline rushing through both of their veins.”

The flying origami swooshed swiftly through the air, making the crowd gasp and cheer in excitement.

Kubo couldn't help but laugh in adoration for his mother's talent.

As the paper origami swirled and folded through the air, Sariatu takes the chance to look over her son, who's watching the show with Kameyo from the side.

Sariatu gives him a bright smile, and Kubo lets out a small giggle. Her heart filled with warmth as she sees the innocent, child-like love her son has for her.

•

“Your mother's a storyteller? Just like you?” Mari asks in a giddy voice. Kubo nods his head. “Yes! Yes she was!” he says with an eager nod.

“She owns this shamisen way before the day I was born,” Kubo's gaze lands on the instrument on his hands.

“I remember listening to her stories about how I loved its music since I was little,” he says with a warm smile. “My mother taught me how to play it when I was a young boy.”