I'm really sorry about not updating. I actually found a more fulfilling past time (stalking Kim Jaejoong on the Internet. He is literally the most perfect man in the entire universe) but anyway, that took up a lot of my time. I was also working on scholarships for college, so I sort of ended up ignoring fanfiction completely. Sorry this isn't an "actual" chapter. Just a little fill in/ teaser. I'll try to get the next chapter, where we find out what happens with Takumi, up as soon as I can.
Hikiri: haha you know me so well. I'm glad I was able to make you laugh before the end!
ChikagePlease: I hope this story is better than Blue Moon. I'd feel really bad if my stories got progressively worse. And thank you!
Ainhoa11: haha, yeah, this story is slowly wrapping up! (actually not so slowly)
gozita444: ahhhhhhh! I'm sorry for the long delay! I'm sorry though, it looks like you'll have to wait just a little bit longer.
guys, please review! Reviews help me write! Enjoy!
Chapter 12
Flashback: Ten years ago
The little girl wandered the streets aimlessly. Her dark hair was matted with dried blood, and she clutched the collar of her dirty, dark-brown kimono as if shielding herself from some unseen danger. Several people had passed her, but none stopped to question her. A few paused gave her wary looks, but then hurried along their ways.
"You're dirty."
She turned around and saw a young boy about her age playing with a ball. His striking amber eyes gave her a once-over.
"You stink." He commented, wrinkling his nose.
The girl glanced down at the ground. Her bare feet dug into the dirt in shame.
"What's your name?" The boy asked.
She paused for a moment, thinking. "Watanabe Yukiko."
"Yukiko?" He laughed. "I'm Koyama Takumi. You can just call me Takumi. How did you get this dirty?"
"I-I don't know..." She whispered.
He stared at her for a moment before holding out a hand. "Come on."
She took his hand hesitantly. "Where are you taking me?"
"My house. My mom can help you clean up." Tucking his ball securely under his arm, he dragged Yukiko back to his house.
Takumi's mother was a beautiful person. She had long, shimmering, raven-black hair, and naturally pale skin. Her eyes were the same amber color Takumi had inherited. While Yukiko was soaking in the small, wooden tub, she worked on untangling the girl's limp hair.
"You have such amazing hair!" She cooed. "It looks almost blue when the light hits it." She helped Yukiko scrub the mud and soot off her skin before wiping her hands on the apron she was wearing over her pink kimono. "Stay here." She ordered. "I'll go and bring you some of Takumi's old clothes." She flew out of the room only to return moments later clutching a bundle of cloth. She set them next to the tub. "Try these on. They should fit you."
Yukiko stood up, careful not to slosh water onto the clothes. She wiped the water droplets off her body before slipping on the clothes Takumi's mother had retrieved for her. "Thank you for your hospitality. I should get going now, I don't wan to intrude on you guys anymore."
"Go where?" His mother asked.
"I'll figure something out."
"I can't let you do that. If you don't have anywhere to go, stay with us. We'll take care if you. I promise."
"But..." She began to protest.
"Just think of yourself as part of our family."
"If my mom says it's okay, then it's fine." Takumi pushed open the door and stomped into the room.
"Takumi, mind your manners!" His mother chided.
"Who cares? Let's go play." He grabbed Yukiko's hand and dragged her out of the room.
"I just cleaned her so don't get her dirty again!" His mom yelled after them.
Five years passed with Yukiko living happily with Takumi's family. One day, Takumi's father called his son, his daughter, and Yukiko into his room. He let out a long sigh and closed his eyes, mentally reviewing his words in his head. "Pack your things. In two days, we're moving to Kyoto."
"Why?" Takumi's sister frowned.
"Our business isn't doing too well." He explained. "I was hoping to have a fresh start in Kyoto, and hopefully our relatives there will be able to help us out."
"But dad!" She pressed on, "we've lived in Edo for our entire life, you can't do this to us!"
"Kairi!" He glared at her, his eyes warning her to keep quiet, but she ignored it.
"What about my friends?! I can't just leave them like this!"
"That's enough!" He shot to his feet. "You'll do as I say. You have two days to say goodbye to them. We are going to Kyoto and that's that!" With an angry wave of his hand, he dismissed them.
A few days later, the family had settled into their new home in Kyoto, at the edge of the city. It was small but comfortable. One night, after Yukiko had slipped out of bed and was quietly tiptoeing to the well behind the house for a drink of water, she heard whispering voices coming from behind closed doors. She shuffled closer and pressed her ear against the crack between the doorframe and the shoji door.
"Our relatives refuse to help us! What should we do? At this rate..."
There was a sigh. "Our business isn't holding up too well either. We'll need more money, but everyone's scared of being caught."
"We're backed into a corner now! If only we had just a little more money...isn't there another way?"
"If there was, don't you think I would have done it? It's not as simple as you think."
"Just a little more money and our business would be flowing!"
"Money..." Yukiko thought to herself. Gritting her teeth, she flung the door open without a greeting. Takumi's parents looked up in shock. "Sell me." She said.
"W-what?" His mother held a hand up to cover her mouth.
"Sell me to the red-light district. They will give you money for me." Yukiko
"Don't speak nonsense. We can't do that! You're our daughter!" Takumi's father cried indignantly.
"I was a homeless child that you took in."
"It doesn't matter. We won't sell you." He insisted.
"It's okay. You don't have to feel guilty. This is something I decided myself, so I won't regret it. You have already given me enough happiness to last a lifetime, and this is the only way I can repay you."
"By selling yourself?" Takumi's mother sounded as if she were on the verge of tears.
Yukiko dropped to her knees and bent forward at the waist until her forehead was centimeters away from the ground, and her fingertips were in front of her, barely touching. "Please."
There was a long silence, and then a sigh. "Alright." Takumi's father relented. "If this is something you truly want, I won't stop you."
"Thank you." Yukiko whispered.
"Tomorrow night, I'll take you to Shimabara."
"Yes, and please," Yukiko looked up. "Don't tell Takumi and Kairi until after I'm gone."
He nodded. "I understand."
"Hayato!" Takumi's mother gasped.
"Tsubaki," her husband glanced at her. "Let her do what she wants."
Yukiko stood up. "Thank you."
Tsubaki walked over to her and cupped her face in her aging hands. "No, thank you for doing this for us."
The next night, as Kairi and Takumi were sleeping, Hayato took Yukiko to an okiya. He stood outside the houses clutching the twelve-year-old's small hand in his large, warm one. "Excuse me!" He shouted.
The door slid open and a young girl peered out at them. "Yes?"
"Is the Madam in?" Hayato asked her.
"Yes, I'll fetch her right away." She disappeared back into the darkness, returning a few minutes later with an old lady behind her.
"What can I do for you?" The old lady croaked.
Yukiko looked up at her. She had sallow, yellowing skin and limp hair pulled back into a bun, garnished with several hairpins. Her beady eyes looked Yukiko up and down and her thin lips tightened into a straight line. Yukiko noticed as she reached up to push back a loose strand of hair that her hands held a slight tremor.
"I'd like to sell this girl." Hayato pulled Yukiko in front of him.
"And your price?" The Madam's eyes narrowed.
"Twenty-two shus.*"
"She's a little skinny. Eighteen shus.**" She countered.
Hayato hesitated. "Alright."
The Madam nodded once and retreated back to her room to count out the coins. As she was doing so, Hayato reached down and hugged Yukiko. "Be good okay? I'm sorry."
"Yeah." She murmured against his shoulder.
"Don't let anything or anyone get you down okay?"
"Yeah."
"Yukiko, I'm sorry." He choked.
"It's okay. I'll be fine."
They heard footsteps returning and Hayato released the girl.
"The payment." The old lady held out the coins wrapped in a scrap of cloth. Hayato opened it and double-checked the amount before slipping it into the sleeve of his kimono. "Then, I'll be taking her."
"Dad!" Yukiko cried, stretching out a hand as the lady dragged her into the okiya.
"Yukiko!" His fingertips brushed with hers for a moment before her arm dropped and the door slammed shut between them. Hayato blinked back his tears. Throwing one last look at the door of the okiya, he turned and walked away.
Yukiko followed the Madam down the dark hallway. "From now on, you'll be working here to repay your debt. You'll start out as a servant like Nagisa, who you'll be sharing a room with. From now on, you will address me as Okaa-san. During this time, you'll be assisting the geikos in whatever they need. You'll also be going to school to learn dancing and our dialect. Tomorrow, follow Nagisa around. She'll train you. And remember," the old lady turned around and glared at Yukiko. "If you're caught trying to run away, your life is forfeit."
Yukiko nodded to show that she understood.
"Good." Okaa-san whirled around and continued down the hall. She stopped when she reached a door. "This is your room that you will be sharing with Nagisa. Don't forget what I just told you."
Yukiko nodded again, and Okaa-san swept away with an exasperated huff. The young girl opened the door and entered the tiny room. Padding over to the closet, she pulled out a folded futon and spread it out on the floor. She looked around for her roommate, but she was nowhere to be found. Too tired to wait for Nagisa, Yukiko slipped into her futon and fell into a fitful sleep.
Three, long years passed at the okiya with Yukiko following Okaa-san's every beck and call. One dreary, winter morning started off badly - a sure sign that it was only going to get worse. Yukiko had tripped over a loose floorboard and a ceramic cup flew out of her hands and landed on the ground, thankfully not breaking. A geiko who happened to be passing by snickered and glided past her. "I don't know how a klutz like you can even become a maiko." She whispered in a low voice. Ignoring her, Yukiko picked up the fallen cup and headed towards the kitchen.
The rest of the day was normal. She had lessons until the afternoon when she would rush home to assist the geikos with their outfits. Yukiko knelt by a skinny girl with oily, black hair and brushed the white powder onto her skin.
"Smoother!" The girl cried. "I don't want it to lump! Geez, can't you do anything right?!"
Yukiko bit back her retort and settled with glaring at the back of her neck. "I must endure!" She thought to herself. "Just a few more hours and I'll be free!"
Standing up, the geiko slipped on an elaborate, red and green, silk kimono that had been prepared for her. Yukiko stood, the dark-green obi folded in her hands. The geiko sniffed at Yukiko. "Wrap it." The young girl circled the long piece of cloth around the skinny girl's waist several times. "Tighter you idiot!" Yukiko suppressed a sigh and obliged, tying the obi securely in the back.
"I'm done." Yukiko backed away, her head down.
Without a word of thanks, the geiko stalked out the door. The geikos at the okiya rarely returned before midnight, so using this time, Yukiko retreated back to her room to prepare everything for later that night.
Yukiko could hear the whispers of the wind against the small window, and beside her, Nagisa was softly snoring away. It was well past the time for any sane person to be awake. As quietly as she could, Yukiko slipped out of bed and changed into the hakama she had worn the first time she had been taken to the okiya. The ends of the clothing were several centimeters too short, but they would have to do. She tucked a small pouch of coins she had saved up from running errands into the collar of her kimono, then she tiptoed outside barefoot.
The girl scaled an old, withered tree near the tall fence enclosing the okiya. She clumsily climbed to the edge of a thin, precarious branch before transferring herself over to the top of the fence. Her toe snagged at a loose tile, and it fell to the ground with a clack. She held her breath, waiting for someone to come, but when no one did, she continued sliding down the edge of the fence. Sitting on the ledge, her legs dangled down. She pushed herself off and landed on her feet on the ground below. A jolt of pain bolted up her legs and her spine. Her vision went white and hazy and there was a throbbing sensation in her ears. She sucked in a breath, waiting for it to pass, and when it finally did several moments later, she hobbled down the road, away from the okiya, grinning happily to herself.
"I'm free!"
A lot of this chapter was based off Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. I'm not well-versed in how geishas (geikos) differed in Shimabara in comparison to Gion, but we'll go with this for now I guess. I'm not exactly sure how much kids were sold for (to become geishas/ geikos), so just bear with me a bit. If anyone has any info, please tell me!
*$200
**$167