Fred woke up in the same bed again. This time Jasmine was not with him. He felt around the bed sleepily with his eyes closed. When he could not find her he opened his eyes to see Jasmine sitting in the corner of the room wearing a large silk shawl, looking out the window. It was the most covered up he had seen her since they initially met. She looked equally as beautiful.
"What time is it?" he asked.
"Evening... dinner time. Everyone is getting ready in the square. Everyone is going home." she paused, "I guess you are too." She sounded sad and actual real emotions were something that Fred had zero experience in handling. He sat quiet for a moment unsure what to say. He observed her by the glass panes, the setting could not have looked better he thought but for once, he found himself trying to firgure out what Jasmine meant, what Jasmine actually wanted.
"It is because I am leaving... that you are sad?" he asked.
"I don't want you to leave Master Fred. Mommy said you are rich... I mean, the Head Mistress said you are rich. Well, that you paid a gold coin."
"Jasmine, did you do everything for me just because of money?" he thought the obvious answer was 'of course' but she held her head in her hands and began sobbing.
"You could buy the place Master Fred... or buy me to go with you."
Freds brain felt as if it were just hit by a bus such was his moment of shock.
"Oh no... oh no.... Jasmine..." he asked in a panic. "Is there an old lady out there selling fruit?"
"What?" she asked confused by the strange unrelated request. Fred ran, totally naked, to the window. And there she was. Old Hina was still in the fruit market. All alone, waiting there - but for how long.
"Jasmine come on.. we have to leave."
"I can't leave Fred. I belong here. Or rather, I belong TO here."
"The Horny Toad owns you?"
"Kind of, it is complicated. A man owns all these brothels. One man actually."
"Okay, we will deal with that again Jasmine. Let me ask you a question." he knelt down in front of her to get her full attention. He took her hand and made eye contact with her. "Would you travel with me. If you could leave here... would you?"
Her pink lips parted slightly as she broke into a smile. Her shiny white teeth glistened.
"Yes!" she said determinedly and she squeezed Freds hand. "Yes, yes, yes. And it is not becuase of your money. I never thought about being free from this place until I met you Master Fred and the way you make me feel. I can do anything with you."
"Yes you can. But first, we have to speak to your mother, and that woman waiting in the stall there at the fruit market."
They got ready, put clothes on. Tidied the room a little and headed down stairs. When they were at the front door again, Jasmine went to fetch her mother while Fred went outside to speak to Old Hina.
"Hina!" he called across the courtyard. She looked up as if she were staring down at her ample bosom. It became clear to Fred that she had dosed off. He walked over to her stall. "Hina.. I am so sorry to keep you waiting."
"Oh its fine Master Fred. I have your money right here." With that she reached in under her skirt and undid a knot and brought her hands back with the purse of money. Fred took the bag which was now warm and took out a gold coin. He handed it to Hina who looked at it shocked. "I could not take that... its too much!"
He took her hand and placed the coin in it.
"Hina, please wait here. There is something i have to do for a moment." With that he left her again, her mouth open and her eyes buldged looking at the coin in her hand. He walked over to the Horny Toad again and entered the building. Inside was Jasmine and her mother. Her mother looked hurt and angry and faced Fred with pursed lips.
"You want to take her away from here?" she said gently but sternly. There was saddness in her words but Fred understood that now was a time to be as honest as possible.
"I am looking for a girl. Mia..."
"You seek Mia as well?"
"Momma," Jasmine said surprised... "It is not Mia Yung is it?"
"Yes my sweet" she said to her daughter, reaching out a hand and gently feeling the line of her beautifully crafted jaw beneath her cheek. "Mia has gone missing. The soilders said that the maid could not find her and reported just a short while ago that she is still not in the house. Why... how is it that... why are you looking for Mia? Did you know her?"
In an instant Fred realised that he was not from here. How did he forget? How could he have forgotten? He made Mia. Right? Wait a second... did HE make Mia? In fact how did he even get into this world? Where was he from?
"I... I am from Muda. I just had..." he struggled to come up with a good explaination on the spot. "I am a messanger and i have a message for Mia!"
"Well I am afraid that you will have to wait." replied Jasmines mother grimly. "She might have escaped at last from the clutches of the Beast. Who is, by the way, looking for her I understand."
"So you do not know where she is then?" Fred asked.
"No, unfortunately I do not. If I did I not be standing here. I would collect the reward and leave Yorokobi for once and for all." she replied saddly.
"How much is the reward?" Jasmine asked casually.
"I hear it could be 5,000 bronze pieces!" she said lifting her eyebrows to show her shock.
"Wait... is that like... 5 gold pieces?"
"Yes..." she replied.
Fred reached into his pouch and took out 5 gold coins and held them in his hand.
"I will give you these if you will let Jasmine decide on her own what she wants to do."
Her mother looked shocked.
"Yes... J-J-Jasmine?"
"I want to go with Master Fred mommy! Please give me your blessing."
"Well he seems like he is crazy about you..." she said considering what he daughter was asking, "and it is better to have a life with one man than one man a night."
"I will not do anything to Jasmine that she does not want." He just finished the sentence when he realised that he meant sex and that Jasmines mother knew that he meant sex. He looked at Jasmine who was beaming from ear to ear with excitment, who seemingly did not care what he meant. "She is free to leave or come back here or anything. I guess I mean that I am just giving you money to..." he was going to say 'compensate' for taking Jasmine but he said in stead, "to reassure you that Jasmine can come back here any time she wants, and do whatever she wants."
With this, Jasmine and her mother leaned in and hugged and kissed each other goodbye. Fred was not sure if he meant for Jasmine to go with him for the night or for the rest of her life, he had not thought this out at all.
As they walked out the door Fred noticed that she did not have anything with her. When he questioned her on it, she said she had nothing. Everything in the Toad was shared among the ladies that lived there. Hand in hand, they walked over to Hina, who still looked slightly shocked after seeing the coin in her own hands.