“Revd Shiraishi? Are you there?â€ A voice called from the entrance, relieving Akiko of the need to say anything more. The priest’s face set hard in a moment, and she got to her feet, looking almost angry.

“Please excuse me, Akiko. Could you go and work outside again?â€

“Yes,â€ Akiko said, surprised. “Yes, of course. Thank you for the tea.â€

“You’re quite welcome.â€ Akiko stood, and the priest escorted her to the door, where a businessman was standing. Akiko thought he looked familiar, and he looked startled when she appeared, looking at her quite hard for a moment. Where did she know him from? He did not greet her, or even really acknowledge her, before turning back to the priest.

“May I come in?â€

“I suppose so.â€ Both of them glanced at Akiko, and she took the hint, bowing and leaving the house.

As she was pulling weeds up, she racked her brains. She had definitely seen the man before somewhere, and she had a sense that it was important. She hadn’t just seen him on the street. There was a chill breeze, and she looked up. The sky was darkening, the clouds thickening and turning an ominous black. She could see the underside swirling as the wind drove it, wind that was getting stronger by the moment. Keeping a firm grip on her carrier bag, Akiko continued pulling up the weeds, but the wind was whipping the dirt up, and some of it was getting in her eyes. As she sat back on her heels, blinking rapidly to clear her vision, the man came back out of the shrine house, followed by Shiraishi.

“The answer is still no,â€ she said, almost shouting.

“Call me when you change your mind,â€ he replied, his tone patronising, and Akiko suddenly remembered where she had seen him: Mr Wakabayashi, the construction company boss, who had come to her company a few days before she was sacked.

“I won’t.â€ Shiraishi sounded very determined, but Wakabayashi just bowed to her, and turned to leave.

As he did so, the heavens opened and torrential rain began, as if someone had turned on a tap. The torii almost vanished beyond a grey curtain of water, and the spray bouncing back from the path was higher than Akiko’s thighs as she knelt there. She was soaked before she had properly registered that the rain had started, and moments later she felt water flowing down the path from behind her, flowing into her trousers and between her legs, running away in front of her to cascade down the steps. Wakabayashi had put up a useless umbrella, hurried away, doubtless to a waiting car. Akiko stood up, and hurried over to the shrine house, taking care not to slip, intending to wait in the porch.

Shiraishi was there, her face set, her expression somehow strange.

“You’re already soaked to the skin, aren’t you?â€ Akiko nodded. “Let me get you a yukata. You can use the bath again.â€ The priest forced a smile. “You must be a rain woman.â€