"Lost your wife, lost your job. Life's made up of lights and shadows. You don't fit into the color scheme for my day's program, Ushi. I must have a rikisha man with a wife and children," and I walked away, leaving Ushi standing there, sadly watching an all day's job go glimmering.
I stepped back into the yard, looked over the semi-circle of rikisha boys, accredited, guaranteed, within the pale rikisha boys, boys of reputation, standing and character. No "rascals" who had to resort to the "nefarious" expedient of issuing cards like Ushi's, and standing "outside the gate" to secure trade at a cut price.
I stepped up to one who looked the best to me and said: "What is your name?"
"Yamamoto. You want rikisha?"
"Yamamoto, you got wife and children?"
"Yes," wonderingly.
"How many children, Yamamoto?"
"Yamamoto, I'll hire you for the day," and Yamamoto fixed the seat and asked: "Where go?"
"Take me out first to where Ushi stands."