Chapter 4

The sight of a Saint

Where to begin? She sighed to herself as finished tending to his wound, Jinenji was waiting patiently.

"You've noticed by now….that my eyes sometimes glow, right? And I've already told you that I can see auras…"she paused and sighed with exasperation, "let me start from the beginning…my real name is Hana and I was born blind" she watched for Jinenji's reaction, but he just sat their calmly, listening, his mind opened wide and it gave her some hope. "…My mother was the mistress to the Lord of this region, he paid her well for her services…till she discovered she was pregnant with me" she paused momentarily, "my mother was told to abandon me, I was a child born of sin "a walking sin" as he called me…seeing the colour of my visionless eyes he knew instantly that he was not the real father and that my mother had fallen in love with one his servants. He killed the man before my mother's eyes and told her that if I was not gone by sundown the same blade would pierce my heart. So she took me to a nearby temple…she begged the monks to watch me as no one else would raise her sin. Mother was a beautiful woman…she allured even the holiest of men, so in exchange for a single kiss from her, the monk promised to hide me away in the temple and allow her to visit whenever she so chose…in exchange for another kiss each time. Twelve years this lasted, twelve year I remained hidden. The monk was a kind man, he taught me the importance of spirituality…by this time it was already long discovered that I was blind, he told me it was good thing, I would not be vexed with vanity. He called my blindness a gift for I able to converse with many soldiers whose appearances became warped from war. But I longed to know what colour the sky was…I was told it was blue…but how was I to know what blue looked like? Or pink, red, green…I wanted to count the stars with mother, I wanted to know her face as well as she knew mine. So I prayed to the statue of Buddha every morning, every afternoon and every night, four more years passed…on the day I turned sixteen the monk had prepared a cleansing ritual, to rid me of the sin that was birth and make my soul clean…mother was there too. He dropped two drops of holy water in each eye…when I woke up the next morning…I could see! The monks were amazed, soon they realised that I could see even more than them…Buddha had blessed me with the sight of a saint!"

Jinenji shifted to make himself more comfortable and winced at the pain in his leg "careful…we don't want to reopen the wound" Emi…Hana…said, she handed his tea that she had been brewing for him while she told her story.

"Please continue" Jinenji said politely, the girl before him nodded.

"I had never been so happy, I watched the sunset every night, sometimes I'd wake up early enough to the sun rise! I learned all the colours, all the different shades and hues…I was so fascinated by the world around me. The monks all told me that I was fortunate to have gained sight so late in life as I had no real perception of beauty…I remember I told them "I know beauty…true beauty that normal eyes cannot see…it is in the soul where true beauty and true distortion lies". My spiritual powers grew, I was asked to determine the innocent and the guilty at many a trial…in the process I saved many innocent lives from imprisonment. However this exposure meant that the Lord had discovered I was alive…this meant trouble for my mother. One night a spirit came to me and offered me the title of a saint, to become a true celestial being…to gain immortality….I was now the sin that was to become a saint. However before I could accept I was taken by the lords guards came and found me….they stole me away back to the castle where I was born…they killed my mother right in front of me!" Hana paused for a moment and allowed a single tear to fall "the horrible man refused to release me…he had me dressed in fine clothing and put with the rest of his concubines. The holy spirit from the temple returned and again offered me the sainthood and eternal life, before it was too late…before the Lord stole my virginity out of wedlock and I would no longer be eligible for the gift….I turned the offer down and told him never to return to me again".

This was a great surprise to Jinenji, he never thought a human would ever turn down the the gift of eternal life and youth "why did you turn him down?" Jinenji asked.

"I didn't want to live forever, my mother was dead…I didn't have anything to live for,not even for five minutes more, let alone an eternity. I contemplated taking my life…but after all my mother did to keep me alive I realised it would be selfish of me, an insult to her memory".

The explanation made a lot of sense to Jinenji…after all he always knew he was doomed to live on with without his mother, he too had thought of following her to the grave, but he did not for the exact same reasons as Emi. "Continue" he said.

"well, another three years passed since then, the Lord always say that he was "saving " me, letting me get better with age…his aura was as black as night! And it terrified me. He learnt also that is killed me, the gift of my sight would be his…his plan was to take what was left of my innocence… then kill me so he could have the eyes of a saint and all other spiritual powers that came with it. A week ago I escaped, on the very night he had planned to put his plan in motion. Although…as you know I did not leave unscathed, he shot me with a poison arrow….the rest of the story tells itself. Something drew me in this direction…I don't know what I just knew that I'd be safer heading that found me and cared for me…but I have put you in such danger… if they find me here…they'll kill you to get to me… that is why I intend to leave soon, I've already over stayed my welcome. I'm sorry for everything…I'm so glad to have me you…you are the most good and beautiful soul I have ever know!" she then burst into tears.

Jinenji was speechless…did she just call him beautiful? Was that truly how she saw him? His heart thudded in his chest…this feeling so new and exciting, yet completely terrifying. He found a new courage as he brought her carefully into his arms making sure not to crush her with his strength. To his most utter delight, she did not pull away…she clung to him like she never wanted to let go. This was Emi, this was beautiful blessing!

"Stay as long as you need" he told her "I'll protect you with my life, I would like to enjoy your company just a little longer".

Emi smiled tearfully, "thank you my friend…thank you".

But he knew the time would come when she would have to leave him, it made no difference if he died defending her, it was a preferable way to die; for the moment she strayed too far from him, he was doomed to die anyway…he would not tell her this, he never intended to, from the moment he met her he was willing to die for her. Emi would never know what he actually sacrificed that day he saved her…because if she did, she would feel obligated to stay and that would have taken away her freedom, something he was entirely unwilling to do.

"Jinenji" she cooed gently, he hummed in response, they still were clinging to each other "can we stay like this for a while? Then when the stars come out…can we go outside and count them? Last night I named one after you…I want to show you which one"

He nodded his head, whatever brings you happiness, he said internally, was this how an ordinary human man would have spent most of his evenings? In the warmth of his hut hold to a sweet and beautiful woman? He never thought he 'd see the day it would happen to him.

The monks who raised her were right about one thing, she truly was able to see thing that other could, it was something they had in common…maybe, his mother had kept her promise.