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Chapter 8
As it turned out, Mother didn't restrict me for more than a few weeks. It was a good thing, too; any longer and I would have begun to fall behind in my lessons. While it was nice to be able to do something besides sit around the okiya and practice, I was too busy brooding to be excited. I hadn't been summoned to entertain since Mother caught me sneaking back in weeks before. Not only was it maddeningly dull sitting around that place, but I also wanted to see the fruits of my labor. I eventually grew so desperate that I began to spend my nights sitting by the open window in my room, trying in vain to hear the conversations of the people below.
While leaving was a small consolation, the real prize was regaining the ability to go back to school, the headquarters of the Gion rumor mill. Imagine my surprise when I walked into class to find that Hatsuoki was nowhere to be seen. Could it be? Had my scheme worked better than even I had imagined? I just had to find out, so who better to ask then her owner, Mameha.
"Why, Mameha-san, how good to see you! But it appears that your little friend isn't here. It's such a shame, too; when you're together, she looks so much more attractive by comparison."
"How nice to see you back, Hatsumomo-san. I was beginning to worry that you were ill – I'm sure Nitta-san must be so relieved to finally be rid of you."
"I only hope you can entertain better than you can insult, Mameha, or else you'd be better off having Nadoka as your older sister."
Nadoka was the latest geisha-turned-prostitute in Gion, moving to Miyagawa-cho when her okiya burned down months earlier. Electricity had not yet become popular in Gion, so her story was still a rather common one. While Miss Prissy was busy glowering at me, I decided to broach the subject.
"Speaking of which, where is little Hatsuoki? I was getting used to seeing her tagging along her masters' heels."
"How should I know; she's your sister, not mine." she huffed. "She hasn't been to school since you have. I simply assumed that Tomihatsu-san took you out of town. Perhaps they left and didn't take you along – I certainly wouldn't be surprised."
I was about to answer to this little remark when the teacher walked in and forced me to return to my seat. First I cease to be summoned to entertain in the evenings, now I find that Hatsuoki had not been coming to classes either. Could it be true; did they go off and leave me behind?
I made a trip to the Gion Registry Office on the way back to the okiya for lunch and, after a short lecture on nosiness by the Vulture, managed to receive the records for both Hatsuoki and Tomihatsu. Apparently, neither one had had an engagement in weeks – what was going on?
There was no other way; I had to contact Tomihatsu directly. The moment I got back to the okiya, I went upstairs and penned a letter asking her permission to meet, and ordered a maid to take it straight to her apartment. A few days later, Auntie handed me an envelope, telling me it had been delivered only a few hours earlier. The envelope was blank and she didn't sign it, but I recognized her handwriting. It said that she wanted to meet me in her apartment as soon as possible and not to tell anyone.
Tomihatsu's apartment was as spacious and elegant as Mameha's, but she preferred the quiet of Maruyama Park to the noise and activity of the Shirakawa. Her apartment had a main room, a bedroom, and storage room where she kept her robes from her apprenticeship and working days. Since she was technically retired (although she still earned money), she wore darker, age-appropriate robes over the bright, magnificent ones we did. She no longer even had her hair styled, but kept it in a tightly coiled bun.
When her maid finally opened the door, I was a little afraid of what I would find – I had no idea what I would do if something were to happen to her. There is no protocol for the death of a mentor, so it's generally assumed that the girl will just have to find another. As hard as it was the first time, I didn't relish the thought of having to find a replacement.
Thankfully, I walked into the entryway to find a perfectly healthy Tomihastu waiting for me at the table by the window. She was dressed for the evening, but her demeanor suggested that she wouldn't be going anywhere for a while. She waved me up from my bow calmly enough, but on closer inspection, I noticed dark circles forming under her eyes.
"Come in, child; have a seat. You know, I was about to ignore your request. Then I thought about it and decided that it was fair for you to know, too."
"Forgive me, Tomihatsu-san, but I have not heard about anything. I seem to have fallen out of your graces, since you haven't called on me to entertain in several weeks."
"Yes, that was my choice. And I want you to know that I'm very disappointed in you for being restricted. I can't believe you would do such a thing." So she knew. For a moment, I was afraid; if she could trace the rumor back to me, I would be the one banished from Gion. "Really, I don't know what came over you; fighting has to be the least attractive trait for a girl! You're only lucky you didn't injure yourself or the other girl."
As it turned out, Mother wanted no one to know what I did until she figured out exactly what damage had been done first. She had to tell my older sister why I had been restricted so she concocted another lie; I had had a spat with another apprentice and it came to blows.
While I revile the idea that I would do anything so undignified in public, it was still better than potentially being found out. Besides, there were more pressing things to worry about.
"I'm very sorry for disappointing you, miss."
"You very well should be – to yourself more than anyone else. If that girl tells anyone else what happened, you may very well have seriously crippled yourself. As if I don't have enough problems…"
"What are you referring to, miss?" She looked at me a long while and finally sighed in recognition.
"While I'm highly reluctant to let this spread farther than the minimum amount of people, I suppose I have no choice but to tell you – after all, the could affect your career as well. The truth is that there is a salacious rumor around town that could be highly destructive for all of us." I could hardly believe it; could this be true? I could barely contain my delight at hearing this.
Keeping my voice as steady as I could, I asked "What kind of rumor? About who?"
"Well… as I've already mentioned, I decided that it would be best for you to remain at your okiya for your transgression, even though Nitta-san made more than perfectly clear that you were allowed to entertain. I only meant for you to stay home no more than a week, but something came to my attention. A few days after your little spat, I was leaving an engagement – without Hatsuoki, thank Heavens – when I heard someone mention her name. One can never be too careful about the impression her charges are making, so I stopped to listen in. Unfortunately, it was the very worst thing a geisha could ever hear." She didn't seem inclined to keep going by herself, so I egged her on.
"Why, what could it be? I can't imagine anyone saying anything bad about either of us. What is it about?"
"You might want to curb your enthusiasm; this the very worst thing that could happen to the most seasoned geisha, let alone a simple apprentice." She paused and looked at me before continuing. "There is a rumor spreading like wildfire that Hatsuoki was caught in a compromising position in an alleyway with a young policeman."
Oh, this was too much fun! I would have been thrilled if any of my stories found their way into circulation, but somehow they all melted together into a tale sure to wreck the career of the most established geisha. I really should have saved it for Mameha.
"Could it be true…?" I whispered. I didn't mean to say it aloud, but mercifully Tomihatsu misinterpreted it.
"Pray that it's not! I've been doing some checking around and I haven't found anything so far. But one can never know, can they?" So that explained her bags; it's hard and time-consuming work trying to track a geisha's every move. "A false rumor can be massively harmful and hard to dispel, but if it turns out to be true, Hatsuoki's career is over!" Pausing, she sighed and rubbed her eyes. "That's why I decided that it would be best for the both of you to lie low for a while; the better to control any further damage. As bad as this is, one can only hope that at least it will prove to be a learning experience for you. No matter what, never let your reputation come under question; rumors have destroyed the best geisha."
She didn't need to tell me; look who my mother was. Not that she knew any better – even though she left town, Mother kept her promise to her cousin and never mentioned my family history to anyone. Calmer now, I was free to focus on the rest of my questions.
"Oh, my… How has she taken it? She isn't suffering is she? Oh, can't anything be done?"
"She doesn't know, thank Heavens. The poor creature would have a fit if she knew, as would any girl. I'm working trying to restore order and dispel this nasty story once and for all, but it's not that simple. Once a girls' reputation comes under fire, the damage is permanent. Her future is seriously under question; this is the worst possible thing that could happen to her!" Giving one last sigh, she glanced at the clock on her mantle. "It's getting late; hurry back to your okiya before you miss dinner."
"Miss, if I may… How long before we can entertain again?"
"I don't know; to tell the truth, both of your futures are affected by this. Even though you might not have done anything, your association with her puts your history under a lens as well. You could end up just as bad off as her if you have anything to hide. Even I might be forced into permanent retirement."
At this, I decided that it might be prudent to excuse myself and leave.
When I started out, I knew I might damage myself in the process, but it was a risk I was willing to take. Even so, it was far too late to turn back, anyway. I had already damaged Hatsuoki's reputation, possibly beyond repair, so I had no choice but to continue as planned.
I know I should have headed straight back, but instead I took a detour and found myself standing in front of Hatsuoki's okiya. I went on a total whim, but while I was there I figured it might be a good idea to gauge just how much she really knew. I introduced myself to the maid as Hatsuoki's sister and asked to see her. On my way in, she excused herself to go attend to an emergency in the kitchen and asked me remain in the entryway for a moment.
Rather than stand and wait, I kicked my shoes off myself stepped into the house. Fuming, I was about to march right up the stairs and show myself to her room, when the mention of a certain name stopped me.
"…what to do about Hatsuoki; she was doing fine up until that rumor came about."
It was the okiya mistress, probably on the phone with a friend. Knowing that this could be riddled with valuable information, I looked around and crept closer to the door.
"…I don't know where it came from – it just flew up out of the blue. I do hope Tomihatsu-san will be able to do something about it. I just don't know what I would do if she were forced to stop being a geisha. …Times are getting hard for all of us. If things get worse, I don't think I'll be able to stay in business. …I was thinking about having a talk with my sister – she runs an okiya in Tokyo, you know. Maybe I can convince her to take her in. …Well, she does have a young maid that looks ripe for training; she looks like she would be a classic beauty in a few years. I was considering buying her, but maybe a trade would work out better. …Oh, but I would just hate to have to get rid of poor Hatsuoki! I've been like a mother to her all these years. She's such a sweet girl, and I know she would make a fine geisha! …I don't know, maybe a fresh start somewhere else would be better for her. I'll wait a few more months; if I have any more trouble from her, I guess I'll give Maki a call."
I would have liked to listen in some more, but the maid finally came back and I was forced to step away from the door. I heard everything I wanted to hear, so I didn't need to see Hatsuoki; I could barely contain my grin, anyway. I told the maid that I had changed my mind and headed out the door. Rushing back to the okiya, I was absolutely delighted. If her troubles increase in any way, rather than watch her be ruined, her mistress will have no choice but to give her precious "daughter" away to an okiya across the country! I don't know how much "trouble" it would take to put her on the train to Tokyo, but I knew how much I was willing to throw her way.
