The children stood outside the door and looked around.
"Which house did Haruki put us in?" asked Vinnie.
"The doors all look the same," said Mandy.
The children walked around trying to find their way back.
But they were lost.
Soon the smell of cooking led the children to a kitchen.
Servants were busily preparing a meal.
One woman saw them.
She was standing over a large pot of steaming rice on a stone stove.
"Is the tea ceremony over already?" she asked.
Mandy shook her head and asked,
"How long does it usually last?"
"Two to four hours," the woman replied.
"Two hours? I'm glad we got out of there," said Vinnie.
Mandy was looking out a small window.
"A path leads around the kitchen.
It might take us to the front entrance.
We can find the house from there."
The children stepped outside and walked down the path.
But it led them away from the kitchen and into a forest.
"We're really lost now,"
said Vinnie, realizing how far they had walked.
"My feet hurt," said Mandy.
They had taken their shoes off at the house.
Mandy sat down on a rock and rubbed her bare feet.
"What should we do?" asked Vinnie.
He sat beside her.
A tree branch cracked nearby.
"Who's there?" Vinnie said.
A young girl stepped out of the trees.
She was not wearing a kimono but a gray colored top, pants, and straw sandals.
She was holding a basket full of flowers.
"That outfit looks much more comfortable," Mandy said to herself.
She looked at her tight kimono.
"I am Seiko," the girl said shyly.
"Where did you come from?"
"From Daimyo Masamune's house," answered Vinnie.
"Excuse me," Mandy interrupted.
"Where can we get some shoes?"
"Come with me," she said.
She giggled and covered her mouth.
The children followed Seiko and soon they came to a busy street.
Farmers pushed their carts down the road.
Women in colorful kimonos tiptoed by, whispering and giggling.
"Is this your first time in Sendai?" asked Seiko.
"Yes," replied the children.
They stared at everything around them.
One side of the street had only bookstores.
Shops on the other side sold only things made of straw.
"This is like China!
It's easy to find what you want," said Vinnie.
Seiko took them to a shop selling straw hats, mats, and shoes.
"This is my aunt's shop,"
said Seiko, handing the children two pairs of straw sandals.
"Do they fit your feet?"
The sandals fit perfectly, but they looked funny with the children's silk kimono.