The Geisha in the Broken Window
I
disclaimer: I don't own Samurai Champloo. I own my OC, Ayame.
The Mirror of Matsuyama
F. Hadland Davis, Myths and Legends of Japan (London: George G. Harrap, 1917), pp. 196-198
Ayame slowly stooped down to the vanity. She had to apply her makeup before Gorou grabbed her out of her room. She hated being here. Everyday it was the same thing over and over. Get up in the morning, shower, have a few hours of free time, have the madam dress her, apply her makeup, and then be dragged out of her room to be sold to the highest bidder.
It was the same horrible prison that she woke up to every morning for five years. She wanted to run away but she knew that if she tried a second time Gorou would have her executed in public. She wanted to choose how she would die.. not have someone do it for her.
At one point, she had tried to break the glass window that men used to look at who to purchase through but it hadn't payed off. The Madame came shortly after and the other geisha's all blamed one of the men claiming that he had tried to grab one of them without paying. It was like being an object of pleasure.
She had no feelings. No emotions. No Life. One day, one day she would figure something out and escape this hell. There were no windows for her to climb out of, she had made sure of it. One night when Gorou and Madame had passed out drunk from celebrating a high turnover, she had gone through all of the rooms in the Geisha house.
No windows. A sigh escaped her lips as she started to apply her white makeup on her cheeks. It was thick and she had to use quite a bit of pressure to spread it across her skin. She made sure to get around her neck and under her eyes.
She placed the white cream back down onto the vanity and started to paint black lines along her eyes with a thin brush. She lifted the brush quickly when she reached the end of her eye making a cat tail at the end of each eye.
She placed the black dye down and observed herself in the mirror, turning her head from side to side to make sure she had covered all her skin with the white makeup. She jumped when Gorou's voice boomed loudly from the hall.
"Let's go! It's almost five in the evening!", he yelled. Ayame closed her eyes and tried to quell the inevitable nausea that always filled her stomach at this time. She reached for her last item of makeup and picked up a cleaned brush.
She quickly brushed on the red dye on her lips and pushed the vanity back into a small closet that held all her kimonos. She had many colors, red, green, blue, black and the purple one she was currently wearing. It was her favorite.
Purple with white flowers and little accents of gold thread. She had no doubt that it was probably very expensive. One of her regular companions had purchased it for her so that she might wear it every time he visited.
He had been a nice man, gentle and had actually made conversation with her before trying to remove her robes. He was a business man that delved in the oil industry but sadly she hadn't seen him for little over a month now.
Wondering if she would see him again, she wrapped the kimono tighter around her and closed the screen that connected the room to her closet. She placed a tea table out and two bamboo mats for sleeping side by side.
Kneeling down again she placed a jade tea pot and set of cups for when she poured tea for her guest. She was just setting down the cups when Gorou slammed open the door. "Eri, you're the last one out, once again.", he scolded and grabbed her arm, pulling her out of the room.
Eri. She hated that name but it had become her identity when she came her. They always gave a new name to the Geisha's that Madame felt would be more desirable. She was never called Ayame by anyone. Not the other geisha's, not by Gorou, not by Madame and certainly not by the male companions she had every night.
Gorou kept his grip firm on her thin arm leaving a red mark on her skin. She tried to pull free but his grip was still too strong. Gorou was a tall muscular man. She didn't know how old he was but his hairline was starting to recede and his belly stuck out from too much drink.
It seemed that he had no interest in her or any of the other geisha's which surprised her seeing as he was not married. It seemed all he cared about was the money and money was the love of his life. He flung her into the 'waiting room' as the other geisha's called it.
The room was three sided with a huge window covering the wall that led out to the street. She cursed that window everyday she had to stand in front of it and be looked at by men passing by like she was a juicy apple from the farmer's market.
The other geisha's were already kneeling down waiting to be purchased by the time Gorou and Ayame showed up. She slowly took her place in back of Miwa, another beautiful geisha who had the longest legs Ayame had ever seen on a woman.
Luckily her personality wasn't one of a poisonous snake like some of the other geisha's were. She had met the other geisha's when she arrived. Some were nice and caring, they had made her feel right at home. Helping her learn to apply her makeup, even having a cup of tea and talking about their past experiences.
Other geisha's were cruel and just used to scowl at her as if she was a speck of dirt on the ground. Some didn't even acknowledge her presence. Some were jealous and had ripped one of her kimonos or spilled her makeup on the floor making her have to clean it before Madame or Gorou saw it.
She had learned the rules quickly when she was taken here. They were not allowed to go outside even when their paying companion requested it. They were not allowed to speak about their lives before they were a geisha. As far as Madame and Gorou were concerned.. they were dead before they came to the house.
And the most important rule, do not fall in love with your paying companions no matter how often they come to see you. She knew some of the other geisha's had in the house with some of their regular weekly companions but she had never experienced it.
Ayame couldn't imagine how anyone could fall in love with a man who pays for sex. Sure the business man that had become her regular was a very nice man... but she did not love him. Perhaps it was the fact that she didn't respect him because he was married with children and yet coming to see her so often.
Her thoughts were cut off when Madame Nao stepped into the room. Her long expensive kimono dragging on the ground slightly. She held a fan in one hand and a telescoping cigarette holder in the other. The smell of tobacco filled the room as Madame did her daily walk through of each of them.
Taking time to make sure their kimono's and their makeup was perfect. She didn't want anything to taint a sale. She extended her fan out to each geisha, holding the fan under their chin and pushing up to make each of them look at her so she could inspect their makeup more closely.
Ayame felt the fan under her chin and she slowly lifted her head up to look at Madame. Madame Nao was a woman in her middle thirties. Her long black hair hung down to her collar and she had fastened many gold beads in it.
They made a clinking sound each time she took a step. Her thick black hair was shiny from the expensive oils she put into it. She had a pointy nose and thin pursed lips that gave her a very snooty look.
The smoke from her cigarette came out of her nose as she breathed it out and looked at Ayame inspecting her makeup. She moved on seeing that Ayame's makeup was adequate. Ayame let out a silent sigh, just wanting the day to be over. More then ever she just wanted this life to be over.
Madame Nao finished with the last geisha and then walked out, yelling at Gorou that they were ready for business. Ayame pursed her lips as she heard Gorou yelling outside on the street. "Come on over! Have a look at our beauties that are just dieing to meet you! We have tall, young, experienced, inexperienced, whatever suits you.. we have the geisha for you!", he yelled before he opened the curtain of the window.
Ayame put on her usual pouting face that she always did to attract men. Her eyes fell on three men that were peering into the window. None of them looked appealing and Ayame silently wished she didn't get picked by any of them.
They were older men that were either losing their hair or their teeth. The nausea feeling started to creep up again. Gorou called out three of the other geisha's names and Ayame let out a breath of air that she hadn't realized she'd been holding in.
Time passed by and Ayame silently hoped that she wasn't going to be picked at all today but she knew that that was pretty much impossible. "You sir! You look like a man of fine taste! Come and see what we have to offer!", Gorou said, ushering a man toward the window.
The man mumbled something in a deep voice but Ayame couldn't hear. Her eyes traveled up to the man and she was surprised by how handsome he was. He had long black hair tied in a loose ponytail with two strands that framed his face.
He wore glasses and his dark eyes showed no interest behind them. He wore a indigo blue keikogi and hakama. The design had multiple squares that formed a diamond shape. Her eyes traveled down where she saw a sword attached to his hip.
A samurai? Or perhaps an assassin? Whatever his occupation was, she couldn't take her eyes off of him. The sharp angles of his face made him look mature and distinguished. When his eyes met hers her heart fluttered. Even though his eyes were cold, she could see that he was hiding something.
She didn't know why but she wanted him to pick her more then anything in that moment. She wanted to get to know him. She wanted to pour him tea. She wanted him to disrobe her. She wanted him to be her companion for the night... and many nights in the future.
The handsome man mumbled something again and Gorou smiled big. Ayame knew that smile. It was only ever brought on when there was the promise of money. Had the handsome man picked a Geisha to spend the night with him? She could only hope it was her that he had picked.
Gorou came into the building, singing a toon happily on his lips. Apparently the man had payed well. He slammed open the door to where the Geisha's awaited being chosen. Her heart skipped a beat. She just wanted one good thing to happen today. Please pick her. Please... pick her.
"Eri!", you have a paying customer. Ayame had to struggle to hold back a smile as she stood from her kneeling position. For once, something good had happened. She was picked by such a handsome man and perhaps tonight wouldn't be that bad after all. Picking up her skirt in her hands she stepped out into the hallway and walked to her room where she awaited the handsome man.
End of Ch. 1