Kagome Satou decided by midmorning one sunny April day, that her life as she knew it was over. If the neat print on the document now clucked in her slender hands was not proof enough of her doom, what was written on it would be.
"Miss Satou?" Kagome jumped at the unexpected voice quickly moving her attention to the man seated next to her. Mr. Tanaka smiled back at her, holding out his hand for the document. She relinquished it almost robotically, before sitting back in her chair to stare at the wall across the room.
How had this happened? She asked herself again for, what seemed like the hundredth time. One minuets she'd been sitting at home after a long hard days work, flipping thru an old magazine when the phone had rang. Next thing she knew Mr. Tanaka was telling her she had inherited a small fortune and was asking her to meet him at his office to fill out the paperwork to claim it. Now here she sat in her dirt covered blue jeans and riding boots, in this fancy meeting room with white walls finely polished wood floors feeling as out of place as a snowball in hell.
Mr. Tanaka cleared his throat, sifting thru the his paperwork yet again. God how he hated his job. 20 years ago when he had been a doe eyed youth fresh out of law school he would have told anybody this was the life to live. But no, not now. One long sigh escaped his lips as Akira Tanaka ran a hand thru his thinning hair, while the other searched for the papers that needed to be signed.
"So as I said before miss Satou, your distant relative, Lady Hana Higurashi has left you her entire estate. Which includes her shrine, her mansion, her cars, her lands, and just about everything else. Ah-ha! Here it is." Finding a yellow sheet suddenly thrust into her field of vision, Kagome turned her attention to the man holding it. "Now if you'd just sign this we can get this over with."
"Mr. Tanaka I don't understand what's going on here. Who is this woman again?"
"Her name is Hana Higurashi miss Satou and she is…" taking a quick look down at the papers again to make sure he had it right he continued, "…your great grandmother's second cousin, twice removed." He smile at her then offering the paper again, this time she took it. " Alright now if you'll just sigh that we'll start in on the conditions of the will."
"Conditions?" Kagome repeated finishing her signature on the dotted line and handing the paper back.
"Yes. Well you see-" Akira cleared his throat again and pulling at his tie like it was chocking him. " Lady Hana never married and had no children of her own. She also was not well liked by her neighbors who also happen to be her closest living relatives. The Takahashi's I think… Anyway I don't have all the details about their relationship but she was hell bent on leaving nothing for them to claim and in order for that to happen certain things need to happen. So that brings us to you."
"And the conditions Mr. Tanaka?" Kagome spoke softly, closing her eyes and leaning back again in her chair to rubbing her temples, hoping in vain that it would in some way relive the headache building there. The setting sun cast its dieing light thru the windows at their backs, darkening Kagome's face and bringing out the hard lines of her stressed but youthful face. Akira Tanaka sighed under his breath and pulled yet another paper from his growing stack. He's have to go thru it later he decided eyeing it wearily.
"Ok I'll just read for the paper if that's alright with you?" Kagome nodded giving him the go ahead. "In order for miss Kagome Satou to inherit all items and lands left to her by Lady Hana Higurashi she must -first- Change her maiden name from Satou to Higurashi," Akira Tanaka paused for a moment to look at the silent woman beside him before continuing on. "- Second -miss Kagome Satou must sell all properties ( cars, houses, lands, apartments) that reside on U.S. soil."
"WHAT?!" Kagome all but screamed coming out of her chair so fast that it toppled over behind her. "They want me to sell my car and my apartment?! Where will I live? What about money? I can't just live on the streets!"
"Please miss Satou let me finish. -Third- Miss Kagome Satou must move to Lady Hana Higurahi's estate located 54 miles southwest of Tokyo and remain there for one full year from the time of her arrival. -Fourth and final condition- During the year miss Kagome is to stay at Blae'ben' that the name of your relatives house by the way' she may not buy or sell anything that may in someway lessen the value of the estate." With relive Akira placed the paper back on the table and looked at the still standing woman. " Well miss Satou? Will you agree to these conditions?"
A long moment pass as Kagome thought over her options. Well one she could just say no, go home and leave everything to… oh what where they called? The Takihsa's or something? Or she could say yes, sell everything she owned, save the cloths on her back and move to Japan to live on some crazy old ladys estate. Well what the hell?
"Alright Mr. Tanaka I accept these conditions." Another paper, this one green appeared in her line of sight.
"Wonderful now if you'd just sign this here, and here." He said, pointing to the numerous places Kagome had to sign. "Now if you have any questions for me feel free to call me" Akira smiled as he too stood from his chair and lead the young woman to the door. "Good day miss Satou…I mean Lady Kagome Higurashi."