The family had two projects that occupied their time: trying to find a trade and rebuilding the compound. Lefeng and Tsouchm continued with day work, alternating it with time spent helping build. Some of Kyawtchais’ family also came to offer help once in a while and even a few representatives from other families.
All the adults except for Kolchais had some experience helping repair or renovate buildings. They used solid wood posts to frame the building and slowly built up the wattle walls between them. Without discussing it, they decided to build as large as they could, though several of them felt a larger building would be better. Everyone understood that as the family grew, they would need to expand or renovate in the future.
Slowly, they started talking about what the interior of the home should look like.
Kolchais was used to a wide open hall, with a cooking area in a corner and everyone out in the open. The small-one expected multiple rooms–a work space, a sleeping area for the grandparents and elders, a main room, etc,. For Lefeng and the silent-one, it was obvious that an area would need to be set aside for bathing–an idea that was ludicrous to the others. That’s what the community bathhouse (run by another family) was for. Kyawtchais was used to a divided interior: one central area surrounded by many smaller rooms. SilentSpinners often needed space to retreat to for quiet.
Tsouchm had no experience with a family home but pointed out that many of their differences in expectation are based on differences in trades. Kolchais’ family were messengers, of course, they wouldn’t think of putting a workspace in their home. And with everyone working out of the home, it made sense for Chotaikytsai and Kyawtchais’ families to have separate rooms.
After some discussion, they agree that it is easier to add interior rooms than remove them. At Lefeng’s suggestion, (the once-walker never stopped complaining about the dirtiness of the city) they included a small entryway to take off shoes and outerwear. They would leave the rest open until they figured out a trade.
Kyawtchais, somewhat hesitantly, suggested setting aside a corner for a quiet area, for people who need to rest away from the bustle of family. Lefeng supported the suggestion and Kolchais, somewhat wistfully, said it would be nice to have a place to lay down during the day sometimes. So it is agreed–there will be an actually walled-off area in the south corner as a resting space for those who need it.
After a week, Kyawtchais began going to the markets again. Ey still doesn’t feel twined with the silent-one, once-fisher, who still hasn’t gifted eir name. But the rest of the family, especially gruff-Tsouchm and tall-Lefeng, had become comfortable presences with clear places in eir life. If asked, Kyawtchais would have expected emself to be most comfortable with Chotaikytsai, but the gruff-one carried a comfortable silence, only speaking when needed. And of all of them, Lefeng, with eir need to move and stretch eir legs, best understood and shared Kyawtchais’ joy in the spin and rhythm of the spindle.
In the evenings, after the market, Kyawtchais returned for the daily meal. Ey shared what ey learned at the market, listened to the others’ tales of their former lives and history, and generally tried to fit emself into this new family.
Over and over again, the discussion turned to possible trades, but like the evening when small-Chotaikytsai gifted eir name, those currents always peter out.
One evening, fed up with the seeming futility of trade talk, the discussion had turned to crafting. Lefeng asked to try spinning again and laughed as ey fumbled the spindle. Ey then watched as Kyawtchais twined two thin threads together to make a yarn. “It looks so like the grass rope we would make,” ey said, “the same twists, the same tension holding it together. But you make it so differently.”
“You made your own rope?” Kolchais asked, sounding surprised.
“Of course. We made most of our own tools. Oh, if we needed metal work, we’d buy from a bronze smith, and it made more sense to buy most fabric–weaving and making bark cloth take time. But there are no markets in the mountains. If you can’t make it, you have to carry it. If you can’t make it or carry it, you do without.”
The once-fisher laughed. “Trust this one to see everything in terms of the mountains. But my family made our own rope for nets, too. A village doesn’t have enough families to specialize the way you do here. We all did a bit of everything. Unless, as ey says, it was too time-consuming to be worth it. It made more sense to buy fabric from the city and, but mostly used leather or bark cloth.
“Woven fabric always makes me think of a square-net without holes.” Ey continued to Chotaikytsai, “But you talk about ‘looms’ that were as wide as your arm. That’s nothing like netmaking.”
They spent the rest of the night talking about rope-making and village life. The next night, Chotaikytsai pulled out a little child’s loom that was the only loom saved from the fire. Kyawtchais gave eir yarn, and the short-one showed them how to thread the warp and send the shuttle through to build the weft. The silent-one watched in fascination, and Kyawtchais thought it a pity the city had no room for another weaving family.
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