One cold morning, as on most winter mornings, she came through the circle of kids, warmed her hands, turned around, bent over and flipped up the kimono and fundoshi. Her purpose was to warm her legs and butt. She did this almost every day, as did Fumi's mother. Hey, we're talking rural Japan in the 1930s. On this particular day the fire was hot.
Rice straw burns hot, like tumbleweeds.
She turned around from warming her butt to warm her front. She got too close, the fire flared up, and burned all the hair off her pudendum. She screamed and ran home, still holding up her kimono and fundoshi.