I've been bogged down by schoolwork for a long time and haven't had the chance to write anything. So, I decided to do this over Thanksgiving break so I wouldn't be too unproductive. Just a warning; I wanted to try writing in a different style, and I don't know how that's worked out. Anyway, please go ahead!
She was Taiwan, and once upon a time, she had been his. Fifty short years that had taken place more than a century ago. He still remembered China's agonized expression as the katana sank into his back. It had been so easy to defeat him, exactly as England had said. And so Japan took his pick of Chinese territory. The young girl had caught his eye. She was a pretty, dainty little thing, hale in a delicate sort of way (she still was).
He recalled her attempt at rebellion shortly after, how she had gone so far as to declare herself independent. The Republic of Formosa left a bitter taste on his tongue. She was quickly brought to her knees with five lashes of a whip by his subordinates. Later, he was told that she had not uttered a sound, just taken the blows and glared at the ground with silent defiance. His knowledge of women was not plentiful, but he knew that she was different. The swooning frightened females that he had encountered before were entirely disparate entities.
Then there was her education, in which he introduced his culture to her. He could picture vividly the time when she had first tried speaking his language. Nihon, she had attempted, and though her accent was flawless, she admitted that his name was foreign and clumsy on her tongue. He was inspired to transform her into a model colony so that she would appreciate his culture (him) more. So that Japan would not be a burden to bear but something to be proud of. He taught her himself, dressed her in kimonos, inculcated in her the ways of a lady, and gave her some of his technology. Day by day, he had watched her become less listless and more animated, more cheerful. Your culture is very interesting, she had told him one day. Then, she had run off, laughing gaily. But that doesn't mean that it's better than mine! It had been totally unbefitting of a proper lady, but he had let her go without a reprimand.
The first time that they had touched had been awkward, to say the least. For both, they were each other's first. Tentative fingers on silken cloth, light touches on pale skin, breathy words bestowed on hungry ears; these constituted those fragile moments in his semi-darkened room. When they were finished and lying under the covers in each other's embrace, she had asked him, Do you love me? His heart had stopped. He continued stroking her hair until she fell asleep. Throughout the night, he had mulled over it, but no certain answer appeared. Even to the present day, he was not sure. The fact of the matter was, there had been no reply to her inquiry, and she never asked him again.
When time had come to go their separate ways, she had been glad, almost overjoyed. Perhaps she had been excited to return to her people, those who spoke her language and had similar traditions. Perhaps she had been happy, like the rest of them, that the war was finally over. He could not read her true feelings (or maybe he didn't want to). The only outward sign of emotion that Japan had shown had been a slight squeeze of her petite hand. It had then dropped away from his, or perhaps he had let go. His recent wounds were still raw and aching, but the gash that China had inflicted on him with his sword throbbed especially hard when the country finally appeared. She had given him one last glance and then glided away gracefully in China's direction. That had been in the year 1952 (more than five decades ago), but the memory still burned with a fiery intensity.
Currently, they were on friendly terms. She had grown and matured. He observed her with interest hidden by nonchalance; how her brow was furrowed at times because of pressing problems, how she was endeavoring to improve her relations with China (while trying to remain in the twilight zone between absorption and independence). Japan was mildly pleased to see that she had retained some of his customs. They never mentioned those fifty years or what had happened between them. Maybe it was better off like that. For him, Taiwan was the unattainable entity within his grasp. It seemed as if she was taunting him, drawing close and then pulling away with an involuntary mischievousness. In the day, he went about his work like any other nation, receiving the occasional visit from Italy and Germany. At night, he lost himself in forbidden dreams where she had stayed and he was not restricted by etiquette, those slim fingers had entangled themselves in his hair once again, her full pink lips were brushing over his tantalizingly, her beautiful dark eyes were burning, and his emotions manifested into phantom wings that enveloped him in a cloak of passion and carried him away…
When he awakened in the morning, he imagined that he could feel the feather-light brushes of butterfly wings against his skin.
I hope that was okay. There are some historical events that I tried to include:
The katana in China's back- This was actually canon, and represents the First Sino-Japanese War.
"…so easy to defeat him, as England had said."- A reference to the Opium Wars.
Japan taking Chinese territory- This was allowed by the Treaty of Shimonoseki.
Taiwan declaring independence & the five whip lashes- Some Qing officials had tried to resist the cession of Taiwan to Japan and declared Taiwan the Republic of Formosa. The Japanese crushed it during the Japanese invasion of Taiwan with a five month campaign. Hence the five lashes.
Taiwan as a model colony- Japan had turned Taiwan into a model colony.
"The war" and Japan's wounds- These are references to World War II. I was specifically going for the atomic bombings of Japan when I mentioned his wounds.
Japan's sword wound from China- My interpretation of the Second Sino-Japanese War.
1952- It was when the Treaty of San Francisco came into action and also when the Treaty of Taipei was signed.
Thanks for reading and please review!