I apologize for the long wait – last month, I lost my flash drive and only just recently got it back. Thankfully a Good Samaritan at the library found it and – instead of stealing it – turned it in. (Thank God…)
Chapter 7
Unfortunately, that night in the park wasn't the only time I would be graced with the sight of my two biggest rivals in friendship. It was if they were glued together by their kimono. How I hated them both; that over-pampered princess Mameha and her royal lapdog Hatsuoki!
Meanwhile, Tomihatsu took care to monitor me and my habits more closely. I bristled at the fact that I wasn't the teenaged lush that she thought I was, but perhaps it worked to my eventual benefit. I hated the thought of having a Hatsuoki leeching off of Tomihatsu and myself, and spent every free moment trying to devise ways to get rid of her. I couldn't resort to the lowly tactics I did when I was I maid – I was an apprentice now and had a reputation to keep in mind. Plus, Tomihatsu wasn't like Mother; she would not turn a blind eye to any mischief, no matter how much either of us might benefit. So how do I get rid of her?
Sometime in the October of the following year, I was finishing my make-up when the maid came in and told me that I had a visitor.
"Show her in." I said carelessly, not even pausing from my work. Imagine my surprise – and disdain – when Hatsuoki walked in.
"Forgive me for intruding, sister" she bowed, "but I need your help." I had thought something looked extra pathetic on her that day; she was worried.
"Why what is the matter? Mameha is well isn't she?"
"She's fine, why do you ask?" Fool.
"Never mind. Anyway, what could you possibly need my counsel for?"
"Well… Tomihatsu seems to be so interested in you, always calling you and checking up on you. I know I should be going to her for this, but every time I ask her what I can do to improve myself, she just smiles and says that I'm doing fine. But I know she really favors you! Please help me." she begged.
I barely suppressed the urge to turn right around and throw the nearest jar at her empty head! Doesn't she know a rival when she sees one?! I was just about to tell her off and throw her out, when I had it. I slowly turned in my seat and smiled as sweetly as I could.
"Why, of course I'll help you! We are sisters after all. I'll talk to Tomihatsu tonight and see what I can do. I'll make sure everything works out perfectly; don't you worry."
I knew exactly what I was going to do. After some squabbling with Auntie, I finally got the foolish old woman to change my kimono. I slipped on a pair of red zori and was off to our engagement and the Mizuki. I tried to keep focused on my task, but I also decided to take the time to enjoy the admiring stares from both men and passing geisha. When I got there, it didn't matter that I was almost a half-hour late – the more to witness my entrance, the better.
And I was glad to see that I chose the right robe; I walked into the party wearing an autumn weight robe of shimmering silk the color of the setting sun with brilliant red maple leaves outlined in solid gold. An evergreen obi depicted waterfall in brilliant blue thread and water ripples crafted of pearl thread. Not a soul in the room could take their eyes off of it, but Hatsuoki had to scrape her jaw off the floor before she could be concerned with her eyes. Tomihatsu, of course, had seen many an exquisite robe in her day and was more concerned with the ungainly way her other apprentice was behaving.
I must admit, I took a gamble when I chose that kimono. It was obviously a very sumptuous and elegant item – much too ostentatious for a simple days' work. I passed no more than a moment on the thought, however, and spent the rest of the party as the absolute center of attention. Geisha would steal glances at my robe, while men flat out stared at me; it was the most excellent feeling in the world. Too bad one gets used to it so quickly.
I, on the other hand, spent the rest of the night watching poor Hatsuoki trying to get someone to respond to her futile efforts. By the end of the night, she had given up and was brooded alone at the edge of the table.
I carried this pattern on throughout the whole night; I, appearing beautiful and spectacular while Hatsuoki appeared ugly and plain. The best part of the evening was when I was asked to perform a dance, which I did wonderfully, as always. But my work was still not done. I had to put a few more tricks to work before the night was through.
After our last party was through, Hatsuoki was near tears from jealousy and despair. We stood in front of her okiya as she bid us a sullen good-night, when I suddenly walked up and bent towards her.
"Don't worry, I promise I'll talk to her!" I whispered. This was completely out of protocol and momentarily shocked them both senseless, which was just what I was hoping for. In my purse, I had a very ornate fan that had been given to me from our dance teacher as a gift celebrating my apprenticeship. It was a lovely thing made in red silk and had my new name engraved on the side in real gold. I hated to part with it, but it had a bigger purpose to fulfill.
I knew Hatsuoki was completely careless with her things, and never checked her handbags, no matter what the occasion. She was constantly forgetting things and would never notice if she walked away with someone else's things.
In one motion, I took it out of my bag and dropped it into hers. No one noticed my little trick, not even Hatsuoki. As we walked up the street to my okiya, I got a stern talking to about my impulsiveness, but I didn't care. I was thinking about my last performance of the night.
In front of the okiya, I bid good-night to my teacher, staying in the bowing position until she was out of sight as custom dictated. When she finally rounded the corner, I straightened up and walked inside.
An hour later, I was out of my kimono and make-up and into my sleeping robe, waiting in the dark. The maids were fast asleep, but I still had to wait until I was sure Auntie was finally done putting the robe away to be cleaned. Finally, I heard her blow out her lantern, and close the door to her room. I hopped up, stripped off my robe, and threw on a spare maids' outfit I managed to steal from the closet that afternoon while Auntie's back was turned. I used an old piece of cloth as a hood to hide my hairstyle, a dead giveaway. Making sure that it properly obscured my features, I gave myself a once over in the full length mirror – I looked quite a bit suspicious, but no one could possibly recognize me a geisha.
Slipping out of my room, I stole down the hallway, and, quietly as a cat, opened the door to the room where the kept my other kimono. Taking the robe I had worn that evening, I flew down the steps, slipped on a pair of sandals and was out the front door.
Walking down Nihonbashi avenue, you might ask what I was doing dressed as a hooded maid carrying an exquisite kimono down a crowded in the street in the middle of the night, but the plan was quite simple really. I hoped to use the kimono to attract the attention of some drunken fool and tell them anything I could think of about a certain geisha named Hatsuoki. I knew that they certainly wouldn't remember a simple maid, but if the story itself was scandalous enough, it was sure to stick.
After walking along Shirakawa stream for a good 10 minutes, I finally found just the one; a geisha who I knew to be quite popular, though a little stupid. She was good-hearted, but had a head like sieve; gossip came into her ear and left her mouth just as freely. She was staggering down the street, weaving her way home when I passed by her, making sure that the gold on the obi was catching enough light. The result was spectacular.
"Why what a beautiful kimono! Say little girl would you care to give a free robe to a pretty lady?"
"Why miss, if only it were mine to give. It belongs to my mistress a geisha also – an apprentice named Hatsuoki. But if you want it, you're more than welcome to talk to her."
"Well, well; Hatsuoki you say? Maybe I will if it will get me that exquisite robe. But why does that name sound familiar?"
"If you are wondering, miss, she is the younger sister to Tomihatsu; her other sister is Hatsumomo. Perhaps you've heard of her?"
"Why yes, the little rising star of Gion! But how did she get such a thing and not that sister of hers?"
"Well, there's actually an interesting story about that. But I'm not sure if I should tell; I would hate to get my mistress in trouble. It's such a lovely robe and all; surely he couldn't buy another…" Always hungry for more gossip, she leaned in closer.
"Why who? If it would get me a dress like that let me know who I have to impress! Your secret would be safe with me."
"Well, there is a young man she meets in the alleyways at night. I can't say for sure what they do, I do remember that she came home once with her obi all mussed up. A week later, this beautiful robe was delivered to our okiya. Oh, but please don't tell anyone! I would hate for my Hatsuoki to get in trouble."
The poor thing had eyes the size of saucers by the time I finished weaving my tale. Struck speechless, I bid her a goodnight and couldn't help but notice that she was considerably more sober as she walked away. Smiling, I turned away and began the search for my next target.
I came across several people that night, and told them each a different story. An old man came away with the idea that Hatsuoki had a horrible disease that left her splotched and scabbed like a calico; another geisha left with the story that she was secretly working as a prostitute, sleeping with random men for extra money; I left an entire group with the tale that she was in truth a horrible drunkard, sometimes relieving herself in the street. In all I was thoroughly enjoying myself, telling tale after tale until I reached Pontocho bridge.
I kept at this until I heard the clock strike 2 o'clock. I knew that the later I stayed out, the more likely someone was going to recognize me, so I decided to make my way home. Rather than risk being caught going through the front door, I took a few discarded ice boxes and stacked them up against the wall of the okiya at the end of the block. Walking along the top, robe and all, I got to the back of my okiya and dropped down next to the privy.
I walked back into the okiya through the back door and shut it behind me. I didn't hear a single soul, so I figured that my mischief had gone on undetected. Unfortunately, when I got to my room after putting the kimono back into the closet, I found out that I was wrong. Still in costume, I had just slid the door to my room closed when I heard the last person I hoped to meet; Mother.
"What were you doing outside of the okiya?" I don't know how she discovered my mischief, but she looked the picture of controlled anger at that moment. Still in her night gown, she was standing in the center of the room with her arms crossed. I don't know how I could have missed her. And here I was dressed like a maid at 2:30 in the morning.
"I…was just out for a walk."
"Hmph! In the middle of the night? I suppose you decided to do some tidying up first!" she sneered, gesturing at my disguise. "Any other lies you wish to tell me before I go?"
There was nothing I could say; I was already in trouble. If I so much as uttered a breath I would just dig myself deeper, and there was no possible way I would risk my plans falling apart.
Brushing past me, she made her way to the door to finally retire for the night. "I'm going to bed, as you should have hours ago. I don't want to hear a sound out of this room for the rest of the night. You, meanwhile, had better get as much sleep as you can before school."
And with that, she closed the door.
I didn't bother going to sleep. Instead, I spent the next two hours praying in front of the small wooden altar in the back of my room. 'Please', I prayed, 'I don't care what happens; I don't even care if I get beaten. Just please don't let her restrict me to the okiya. For my plan succeed, I must be able to entertain.'
I was glad to find that the god of fortune agreed with me. The moment I walked in that afternoon, one of the maids told me that Mother wanted me immediately. Upon entering the room, I was at once dismayed and relieved to see Granny was in the room.
"There the little she-devil is!" she crowed. "Where's my cane?! I'll make sure she won't walk anywhere for a month!"
'At least I won't be restricted', I thought mournfully.
Thankfully, Mother spoke up instead. "Now, now Granny; I won't have your hip flaring up. Sit down and have some tea." As the old witch settled down, Mother lit her pipe, a sure sign that this was going to be a long talk.
"Now then, you might be expecting me to ask you to explain yourself, but I will not. I do not want to know what you were doing out of the okiya, I merely want you to know this; if I find evidence that you were doing anything improper that would reflect badly upon the okiya, you will find yourself in more trouble than your sharp little mind could possibly imagine. And trust me, I will be checking. How old are you Hatsumomo?"
"I am fifteen now, miss."
"You will turn your collar in three years – I suggest you try to stay out of trouble until then. Now, as for your punishment, I've decided that it would be impractical to totally restrict you. Instead, you are to be banned from your classes until further notice. You may not go anywhere, you may not receive visitors, and you may not talk to anyone save Granny, Auntie, or myself. The only way you may leave the property is to entertain in the evenings."
I didn't hear anything else after this. All that mattered was that I would be able to entertain. My plan had not been thwarted! I didn't care about my punishment – in fact I was grateful. The extra time allowed me to practice my dancing, and to figure out what steps to take next in my plot to expel that parasite Hatsuoki.
It also gave me another gem; the knowledge that I was virtually untouchable. For now, I was only an apprentice and no real asset to the okiya, but I was still the only geisha they had – if it weren't for me, the Nitta okiya would be doomed. When I turned my collar, I would be the sole earner, making everyone in that building completely dependant on me. After that, I could smother Granny in her sleep if the mood struck me; I was completely invincible.
The greatest discovery of my life was when I finally realized that I could not be touched. But I was still not satisfied; I may have been the empress of the okiya, but my true goal was to rule Gion itself.
