Mornings for the Bei Fong family were quiet ones. Lao sat at the head of the table while his wife sat to his right and his son and heir to his left. To his wife's right sat their daughter, Toph. Several well-paid live-in servants hovered over the table waiting for Lao's instructions. One brought the food to the table from the kitchen, one served it to the family of four, and one stood behind Toph ready to blow on her food at Lao's insistence. The servants knew the food blowing did not need to be done but Lao treated his blind daughter like an invalid in every sense of the word. The girl, however, just played along with her father.
Breakfast consisted of a bowl of strong soybean soup (which Lao thought was too hot for his daughter), a bibimbap rice dish, and a side of kimchi. The spread was small with only three dishes and some ginger tea to drink but it allowed the family time together before their busy schedules forced them apart each day. Lao Bei Fong cleared his throat getting his family's attention who then turned their heads to his direction. Not caring if Toph actually paid attention or not Lao addressed his wife and son.
“Today is quite the busy day for all of us. I have several meetings through the day. I have the evaluation with the head of the household staff, then there is the inspection of the household security with the head of the guards, and lastly, there is my meeting with the head of governor's council,” Lao took a breath, folded his hands near his chin, and looked towards Ranma.
I believe you have your lessons in higher mathematics today along with lessons in writing and history. Your mother has a meeting with the head groundskeeper about the household plant arrangements for the coming week. Finally, Toph has another lesson in how to get around the house on her own. It will be a great miracle if your sister can come to the breakfast table without the aid of her house nurse.”
Ranma looked over at Toph who made a small soft “Psh” noise in disgust over their father's assumptions of her navigational skills. Ranma knew what his sister was capable of doing but he had agreed not to tell their parents about any of it. Toph wanted to wait for the right time to break the news to their parents. She wanted to be certain that she would be accepted for who she was before revealing her secrets and her love of Earthbending to them. The lessons with the house nurse were a mere formality, as much of the staff knew Toph had figured out a way to move around without the aid of a person or Seeing Eye pygmy puma.
“Don't worry dad, I'll make sure Toph gets to her lesson on time,” Ranma could tell Toph was close to telling off their father about the lessons with the house nurse, who stood to the back of the dining room, and decided to step in before an argument broke out between father and daughter.
A simple smile from Lao was all the response Ranma received from the head of the Bei Fong family. Lao was proud of how responsible his son was in helping to care for and protect his helpless invalid of a daughter. Lao had been so ashamed of Toph's condition that he paid the house staff three pieces of gold a month just to prevent them from telling the people of Gaoling about her. Lao's shame and attempts at trying to keep a proper face in Gaoling society went so far that he forced his own son to make an oath never to speak of his sister to anyone outside of the home. Ranma had to pretend as though he were an only child when out in public, a farce he openly argued against with his father and lost on several occasions.
With breakfast now over with Ranma stood up from the table and walked over to where Toph sat. A light hand upon her shoulder signaled that it was time to leave the table. Toph rose from the table putting on a grand show for their parents holding out her hand waiting for Ranma to take it. Once Ranma had Toph's hand in his, the siblings left their parents to finish their own meal in the dining room.
(Posted Fri, 16 Mar 2007 20:53)
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