A Geisha and The Mob: Kyoto Heartache
"Kenshin? Are you awake?" asked a woman's gentle voice.
"Ugh," grunted Kenshin turning over on his futon covering his head with the sheet. He felt terrible, sick to his stomach, dazed and confused.
"What happened last night Kaoru?" he grunted.
Kaoru winced even though Kenshin couldn't see her; "You did it again. You told me you'd stop right after our first anniversary."
Kenshin moaned knowing Kaoru would be angry with him. Why did he even do it anyway? Oh yeah, because his consort is always at her teahouse that he's paying for and is never home with him. Because after suffering all he did for her she couldn't find a few hours in her busy schedule for him, no show of thanks for leaving a position that gave him power and money. It was all for her, and now it hardly seemed worth it. That was why he turned to cocaine, it was the only thing that numbed his pains away.
He felt Kaoru nudge him again and this time slowly sat up massaging his forehead. He opened his eyes slightly and gazed around the room then at Kaoru. He saw her tormented face, showing every sign grief and in her cerulean eyes he saw tears starting to swell.
He sighed, "Kaoru please…" he said.
Kaoru got up and the tears started to roll down her face she turned her back to Kenshin and wiped them away. She solemnly walked over to the screen door and slid it open quickly exposing the contents inside. She stood there her arm still outstretched on the door silently and put her other hand to her mouth to choke back a sob.
Kenshin got up from his bed to Kaoru's side, but when he placed his hand on her shoulder she shrugged it off and quickly walked to the door leading outside on the porch and slammed it shut behind her.
Kenshin observed the room as best he could in his impaired condition. There were traces of white powder on the low table, bottles of sake scattered across the floor, and the state of the room itself was in horrendous disarray. He walked in and picked up a few broken pieces of ceramic that used to be a beautiful vase that he bought Kaoru for her birthday. Kenshin tried to remember what happened that night, but he could only recall vague details. There was Sano, who was flirting, a geisha or two, and a few of his mob friends giving him the latest news.
Not sure what else to do Kenshin walked over to the door that had Kaoru on the other side. He knelt his head and one hand against it thinking of something to say to make her forgive him as she'd done on countless occasions. When he finally thought of some satisfactory little speech he walked out to her on the grass, the frost on the ground crunching beneath his sandals.
"Kaoru?" he said sounding convincingly sincere. "I know you put your trust in me…and I've failed you." Kenshin looked deep into her eyes taking her hands in his. "I am sincerely sorry. I just can't do this on my own. Please Kaoru…" his own fake tears started brimming in his eyes.
"Help me."
Kaoru had the expression on her face Kenshin was hoping for, concern, compassion, and just a hint of guilt. He slowly dropped to his knees to the ground and started making sniffling noises but smiled from under the hair masking his face.
She bent down level to him, "Kenshin…it's my fault too. I should be here with you more often to take care of you. I'm sorry," she wrapped her arms around him and rocked back and forth gently.
"We'll do better next time, sssshhhhh Kenshin. We'll do better next time."
That night the cook served some simple rice, sesame oil chicken, and an elaborate presentation of fish. Kenshin and Kaoru sat alone at the table eating pleasantly when they heard some commotion coming from the front porch area. The both set down their bowls and chopsticks and headed toward the clamor. Kenshin walked behind Kaoru noting how beautiful she looked that night with a soft pink kimono sprinkled with designs of white flowers in blossom and an apple green obi tied with a white sash. To him it seemed much more extravagant compared to his simple male kimono with white pants and a navy blue robe. It all reminded him when he first met her as a geisha back in Tokyo, so long ago.
"Hey! Kenshin! Watch it buddy, Kenshin call off your pets."
"Its OK. Let him in," said Kenshin.
"But sir, he's drunk," said the maid at the door as she backed away from a tottering man.
"I don't care if he's drunk! He's practically family. If he's drunk and asks for a hundred bottles of sake to be laid out in front of him you better give it to him woman. Now you're dismissed for the night."
"Thanks Kenshin. Oh hey there Missy! Why the long face?" said the man who leaned on Kenshin's shoulder.
"Kaoru, please, its only Sano. He's not gonna do any harm," Kenshin pleaded Sano's case.
Kaoru only looked from Kenshin to a drunk Sanosuke and sighed in distress and marched to the closet, slid it open took her coat and walked into the night.
"Kaoru! Kaoru come back!" yelled Sano in his drunken bumbling.
Kenshin looked quiet and heavy until he looked up to Sano, still on his shoulder, with a smile knowing he'd be having some fun tonight.
"Don't worry about her Sano, she'll be back," he said as he lead his drunk companion to the entertaining room. "Maid! Call for a few geisha! And we want sake all around!"