Chapter 11
The pendant
The ship moved slowly down the harbour into the darkness of the night. There was no steam coming out from the ship's funnel as it was using its own momentum to glide along the water. Finally, it arrived at the correct pier. Securing ropes were thrown to the people below. The captain in the sail wiped his sweat away using his cap.
"Phew. Another safe journey."
A man with a blond ponytail looked down from the ship. Just then the wind blowed as if welcoming him, or it is trying to blow him away? "Finally," he said to himself. "I'm here. In Japan."' "This is the where you want to get off, buddy.""Thanks."
"Thank you yourself. I'm glad to get rid of you. You've been winning too many games when you play with us."
The man with the blond ponytail grinned at the sailor who said that. The sailor grinned back.
"Hey, I told you I don't gamble."
"Yeah, right. "I don't gamble." What a big liar. Pity the lads think you're an easy target. "Look at the pony tailed man" they said. "Easy target. Let's ask him to play with us. We'll strip him of the shirt off his back," they said. And you told them you don't know a hoot about gambling. Then, Wham! Each lost a month's pay gone in a flash! They never knew what hit them. Good thing I was clever enough to stop while I just lost a week's pay."
"Hmm, I suppose. Serve you right?"
"Yeah, serve us right. And serve us what's left, either."
"Heh, heh, heh."
The pony-tailed man thought momentarily. He brought out some of the money from the pocket.
"Here!"
"What are you doing? Hey! Are you...? No! You won fair and square! I..."
"Relax, Andy. I'm not returning the money. Instead, I'm treating all of you. Use the money to buy some beers and food for the crew. Think of it as a going away party for me. I won the money from some idiots at some card games."
"Hey! We heard that!" A voice echoed from above them.
"Yeah! Jason, who do you think we are? Stupid? Deaf?" Another voice agreed.
"Don't get cocky, dumb ass. You're lucky I wasn't feeling well or else you would've been naked right now."
Jason turned around, whipping his ponytail as he did so.
"Well, if you say so..."
"Hey!"
"Oh, fuck off, Jason!" another not very satisfied voice was audible.
Jason grinned. He has been working with the sailors on his way here, befriending them. Although rough, most of them are friendly. And Jason doesn't have any problem with that
"Okay, now that I arrive here in Japan, I guess here is where we part."
"Don't get stuck with the girls here," Andy reminded him.
"Yeah, like Andy said. Don't get "stuck" with the girls here, Jason," another sailor chimed in.
"Hahaha. Terry, you always like to twist the words around."
"That I do best, Jason."
"But I think you can twist your face better, especially when you lost your money last night."
"Grrr!"
The others laughed. Jason just smiled in return. He then proceeded to walk down the plank. As soon as his left foot touched the ground, a smile formed on his lips. A smile that would have scared his friends if they saw it. A feral smile.
Kaoru accepted the tea graciously from Nanako. The dinner had been great. It seems that Nanako's a good cook. Sota and Miyuki have excused themselves after dinner, leaving their mother and the two guests together. Kaoru and Nanako looked at Soujiro who was still eating. Soujiro smiled and continued eating his rice. Kaoru sipped her tea slowly.
"So, Kaoru-san, how long have the both of you been married?"
Koru coughed into her tea causing the tea to splash her face while Soujiro choked on his rice. His face began to turn blue.
"Soujiro!" Kaoru said worriedly while hitting his back so that the chocked food could be dislodged.
"Wa… Water."
"Here," Nanako offered worriedly.
Soujiro drank the water. Then his face colour slowly changed back to normal. Three of them sighed relievedly.
"I'm sorry about my question. I should not pry into other people's business," Nanako said regretfully while offering a cloth to Kaoru for wiping her wet face.
"It's okay, Nanako-san. The truth is that the two of us are not even married."
"So, the two of you sleep together but are not married?" Nanako pressed on, forgetting her promise a second ago.
Sweat drops appeared on Soujiro and Kaoru.
"Nanako-san, the truth is that both Kaoru and I don't have any relationship at all. The both of us are just travelling companions. We only met recently."
"I see. But you look like you have known each other for some time."
"It's because we, um, have heard about each other from our friends," Kaoru said, twisting some facts.
"Oh."
The conversation between the three of them continued. Kaoru learned that the woman's husband's name was Seimura. Being a merchant, he's always very busy and always away on business trips. It explained why he was not home at that time.
"Running a thriving business, my husband is always busy. As a result, he's always away on business trips. But as busy as he is, he always sends us money every month. He also asked his friends to look after my children and I from time to time. And whenever he has some time, he always makes it a point to return home. The last time he returned was just in time for Hikari's eighth birthday."
Kaoru noted that Nanako told the story with a sense of pride of her husband.
"He must have been a wonderful husband and you're lucky to have married him."
Nanako beamed.
"Sorry. I think that I must have been boring the two of you with the long and winding story about my family."
"I disagree. I think your family's story is pretty interesting. And I think Soujiro agrees with me, right Soujiro?"
Kaoru turned toward Soujiro and saw something she had never seen anytime since she and Soujiro travelled together. Soujiro being serious. There were no smile on his face, no facades and no acts. In that precise moment, Kaoru realised what the answer that Soujiro was searching for. She wondered whether Soujiro himself knew what he wanted in life. Then Kaoru's window to Soujiro's true personality vanished as a smile appeared on Soujiro. But this smile was also special in that sense that it came from his heart, not the usual one's which are made up.
"I agree with you, Kaoru-san. I think Nanako-san is happy to have a wonderful family."
"Thank you for your compliment, Soujiro-san. Now as your host, I hope the two of you will spend the night here."
"But…"
"I really hope that you two will not turn my invitation down. Anyway, this is my way of thanking the both of you for saving us back in the forest. Now, if you follow me, I will show you to your rooms."
Nanako got up and left the room. She was followed by Kaoru and Soujiro.
Kaoru woke up later that night, for no apparent reason. She tossed and turned and tried to go back to sleep but couldn't. After trying unsuccessfully for half an hour, she got up and lighted a candle to illuminate the room. A few seconds later a shadow appeared on the door of her room.
"Who is it?"
"It's me, Hikari. Kaoru-neesan, may I join you?"
"Come in."
The door opened slightly and permitted the girl to pass through. Behind her back Kaoru beckoned for the little girl to come near her. Hikari did as she was told.
"Why are you still awake Hikari? Little girls need their sleep."
"I couldn't sleep. I saw light coming from your room as I was returning from the kitchen."
"What did you do there in the middle of the night?"
"I was thirsty, so I went there to get a drink."
"Back to my first question, why can't you go to sleep?"
"I missed him very much."
"Him?"
"My father."
"Your father?"
Suddenly Hikari burst into tears. Kaoru hugged her. "It's okay. Just let it out," Kaoru said soothingly. Hikari continued crying for some time, wetting Kaoru's gi a bit. Then her tears began to slow until it came to a stop.
"Thank you, Kaoru-neesan", Hikari said. Then suddenly she laughed. Kaoru was happy to see Hikari had cheered up a bit.
"Why did you laugh?"
"Well, I have just met you today, but now I feel as if I have known you for a long time. As if you're my sister."
"You can think me as your big sister if you want."
"No. One big brother is troublesome enough."
The both of them laughed.
"My father is a very busy businessman," Hikari began. "But he's always not around. That is why I miss him a lot. Sometimes I wake up at night thinking of him."
Kaoru listened attentively.
"But he gave me a very special present for my birthday."
"What is it?"
"This pendant," Hikari said while showing the pendant that graces her neck.
"It's beautiful."
"He made it himself. My father said that he hopes that the pendant will take care of me for him when he is not around. He also made an identical pendant that he wears. As a sign of his promise to get back, he said."
Kaoru smiled sadly.
"Kaoru-neesan, it is true that you are going around Japan?"
"Yes, you can say that."
"Why do you do so?"
"To train myself. You see, I'm a shihondai of the Kamiya Katsushin where I was taught to save lives using a sword. I'm training so that I can get better."
"I thought that you're going around Japan to find someone you miss very much. If I'm as big as you are, I will go and find my father. I know, may I go with you so that I can search for my father?"
Kaoru's eyes widened at the question. Then she smiled softly.
"Hikari, if I have someone to love like you do, I also would like to go search for him. But as it is, right now, I don't have such a person. But remember, aside from your father, you also have a mother and a brother who loves you very much. They will be very worried and sad if something happens to you."
"I never thought about that," Hikari said sadly.
"Don't worry. Although your father is not with you, he'll always be in here," Kaoru said while pointing to Hikari's chest. "As long as he is in your heart, he will always be with you. That is what matters."
It was Hikari's turn to hug Kaoru.
"Maybe you can be my big sister after all, that is, if you don't have any small brothers and sisters. I don't want to fight with them for you."
Kaoru gave a small laugh.
"I don't really have a brother. But I do have a student who's quite close to me."
"You have your own students?"
"It's not what you think. The dojo is quite small and there are not many students. Anyway, the student's name is Yahiko."
"Does he call you neesan?"
"No. Instead, he likes to call me busu."
"That's bad of him. Do you get angry at him for calling you that?"
"Yes. I always punished him by telling him to practise his kata or clean the dojo. There's even one day that I got so angry with him that I swept the dojo using him instead of a broom."
Both Kaoru and Hikari giggled.
"His head must have been full of dust at that time."
"Yes, but the dojo's floor is cleaner when I swept using him than when I use a real broom.
Both of them laughed again.
Elsewhere in Japan, a budding sword master was fuming while being watched questioningly by one of his companions.
"What's wrong, kid?"
"Don't call me kid, rooster. Did you laugh at me?"
"No, what gives you that ridiculous idea?"
"I don't know. I suddenly feel angry for no apparent reason. What are you doing, Kenshin?"
Kenshin was oblivious to Yahiko's question. He instead seemed to be in deep meditation. Kenshin's strange behaviour aroused Sanosuke's and Yahiko's curiosity. They approached him to see what he was doing. Finally, after being in that state for quite some time, Kenshin opened his eyes.
"Wah! Monsters!"
Kenshin rubbed his sore head.
"That will remind you not to call me monster again. But you can continue to call Sano names, though."
"No, you will not. Not unless you would like to get Futae no Kiwamied again."
Kenshin sighed.
"So, Kenshin," Sanosuke said while adopting a serious demeanour, "which way are we going tomorrow?"
"Sessha thinks we will follow along the road to the north."
"How do you find out about which way to go, Kenshin?" Yahiko asked.
"Err… Because that is the only road that we can use."
Kaoru and Hikari continued talking about each other for some time. But soon it became apparent that both of them were getting sleepy. They bid each other good night
The next morning, Kaoru and the others stood by Nanako's house gate. It was time for her and Soujiro to leave. She noticed Hikari seemed to be sad.
"Please remember to stop by our house whenever you're in town."
"We will, right Soujiro-san?"
"Yes."
Kaoru turned her attention toward Sota.
"Remember to take care of your sister, Sota."
"I will."
"Remember to behave, Hikari."
"Or you're going to sweep the floor?"
Kaoru and Hikari giggled at their little secret. Then Kaoru's eyes shone when suddenly an idea hit her.
"I know. Tell you what, if I meet your father I will tell him that his children miss him very much and hopes that he will come back soon."
"You will do that? Thank you," Hikari hugged her. "Here."
"Why are you giving me your pendant? I can't accept it. Didn't you tell me you value it very much?"
"Yes. But I want it to protect you on your journey as it has protected me. Please wear it."
Reluctantly, Kaoru took the pendant and wore it. "But this is just a loan, okay? I will return it to you when my journey is complete."
"I agree. Perhaps at that time I can become your student so that I can whack my big brother senseless."
"Hikari, behave," her mother reminded.
"Sorry, mother."
Kaoru and Soujiro said their goodbyes and began walking away from the house. As she disappeared into the horizon, she turned toward the house once more and waved. Shinda's family waved back.
Translation
Neesan - big sister
Authour
Hmm? I seem to not know what to say… Yeah, now I remember. Presenting (suspense music in the background), Chicky Meal.
Editor
Chicky Meal, hehe… I would of thought the music of Rayearth's "Into the Night" would have been more appropriate.