In his absence, she continued her work, writing and taking care of her father and Enishi. News arrived swiftly.
She glanced at the Sakura flowers in her hands. It was his last gift to her. Then she realised maybe he knew it all along that he was not going to come back. He should have stayed with her. Then does he have a choice? He was waiting for her approval. But he did not know it was not his fault when she slapped his hands away.
"Be patient, I want to prove my worth to you."
She did not need him to do anything for her. She loved him for who he was. He did not need to accomplish anything. She was contented with what he could give him. Yet, he never knew that for she kept her affections for him to herself.
"Tomoe, this is a gift from his parents." When the news of his death arrived, a relative of his handed her the tanto.
She accepted the tanto silently and bowed to show her respect.
"He died an honourable man," his relative continued.
Duty unto death. she thought. He was not coming back anymore.
Staring at the tanto, she wondered what Kiyosato's parents are trying to tell her? Are they telling her to join him? Are they telling her to do something? She had never felt so lost for such a long time since her mother died. And she could not remember grieving for anyone since her mother's death.
…...
"Tomoe, be good and take care of Enishi. Listen to your father." That was the last words she heard from mother before she passed away. She was nine years old then.
After the funeral, her aunt came and began to clear away her mother's things.
"What are you doing to mother's things?" she asked her aunt.
Her aunt ignored her and continued to instruct the movers to take away things that used to belongs to her mother. Tomoe noticed a familiar package, it held her mother's only silk-made kimono, which she knew was her mother's most precious gift from her family. How could they take it away from her mother?
"That is mother's, you can't take it away," she cried as reached out for the package, grabbing her aunt's hands.
"Let go!" her aunt scolded her and pushed her away but Tomoe refused and increased her grip on the package. "Toshiro look at how you teach your child!" she heard her aunt shrieking and ranting. "How are you and your children going to survive? There is not enough food and the Bakufu are not willing to increase your pay. You good-for-nothing. You are as good as a beggar! Now that there is another boy to feed. Do something, Toshiro. Or do you want your children to die in poverty. Do something!"
Feeling a pair of strong arms pulling her away from her aunt, Tomoe screamed at her aunt, "Stop! You can't take them away. You can't take mama's things away!" However, her pleads and protests was ignored as her father pulled her into a strong embrace. "Tomoe, hush, be a good girl," his father tried to chastise her.
"They are taking her away." she wailed and struggled to break free to chase after her aunt who was going to sell away her mother's kimono and other belongings. "They are taking mama away from me!" she cried, feeling frustrated and having so much anger. Angry at her aunt for taking away everything that she could have kept to remember her mother by. Angry at her father for not doing anything and restraining her. Angry at the kamis who took her mother away from her. Angry at the unfairness of the world.
"Hush, be a good girl," her father repeated, smoothing her head with his hand. But Tomoe only continue to wail, not noticing the silent tears that flowed down her father's cheeks.
…...
Staring at the tanto as she sat on the futon after Kenshin left, she wondered why these memories came back to her.
Was it a sign? She wondered.
Maybe, soon, she would be joining them in the other world.
….