After they put on their sandals, Mandy realized something.
"Seiko, we have no money to buy these," she said.
"It is a gift," said Seiko.
She said good-bye to her aunt and picked up her basket of flowers.
They went back onto the street.
"Did you come to Sendai with Shogun Ieyasu?" asked Seiko.
"Who's he?" asked Vinnie, forgetting about the general.
Seiko looked at him strangely and said,
"You do not know Shogun Ieyasu?"
"Well, oh sure," said Vinnie nervously.
"The shogun has come a long way to see Daimyo Masamune," said Seiko.
"Why?" asked Mandy.
"The shogun likes to visit all the daimyos in every district," she said, "to make sure they are obeying his orders."
"What's going on over there?"
Vinnie pointed to a crowd buying colorful strips of paper.
"People are getting ready for the Star Festival," Seiko said.
"Sendai celebrates the festival better than any other town!"
"Why are they decorating those trees?"
Mandy noticed bamboo trees along the street with shiny pieces of paper hanging from their branches.
"People write their wishes on paper and then tie them to the trees," explained Seiko.
"The wind carries their wishes away and makes them come true."
Seiko turned into a small street off the main road.
The children followed.
They finally came to a narrow road with two-story buildings on each side.
"This is where I live," said Seiko.
Bright and colorful fabrics hung from poles along the rooftops.
They swayed with each gentle breeze.
"What is this place?" asked Vinnie.
"It's my home and a dye factory.
My family and another family all work together.
We make the most beautiful kimono in all of Sendai," Seiko said proudly.
She took them inside her home.
Seiko's parents and her brother were stirring the dyed cloth in large wooden vats.
"The flowers I picked will be used to dye the fabric," said Seiko.
She handed the flowers to her father.
"What kind of flowers are they?" asked Mandy.
"They are called safflowers," said Seiko.
Mandy touched the dyed fabric.
It felt soft and smooth.
Seiko's mother spoke to her daughter.
"My mother will bring you some food and drink," said Seiko.
"Thank you," said Vinnie.
He remembered the rice at Master Masamune's house.
It had looked very good.
A few minutes later Seiko's mother appeared with two bowls on a tray.
"Is that rice?" Vinnie asked eagerly.
Seiko's mother bowed to them.
"I apologize. Only samurai are allowed to have rice.
I can only offer porridge."
Vinnie felt embarrassed for wanting rice.
He took the bowls and bowed to Seiko's mother.
"This looks delicious!" he said.
"Thank you very much."