Chapter 37
Disclaimer - I do not own anything from the orginal Memoirs of a Geisha book or movie. Nothing.
For the rest of that month, I didn't hear another peep about either Nobu or Iwamura and I assumed that they didn't either. Things went along with Pumpkin as they'd had since her debut – struggling along behind everyone else, getting anywhere only because of my glory – with the exception that Sayuri was getting called out more and more often. It didn't matter to me anymore; since the creation of my new plan, I'd given up tailing them everywhere. Mameha was free to make Sayuri as popular as she dared, unknowing that she was falling into a trap of her own apprentices' creation more than anyone else.
I may not have been able to take credit for it, but I was most certainly going to help her along the way. That's why, on a chill afternoon on the first of December, when I heard that Iwamura Electric had requested Sayuri's company for the evening, I automatically dropped what I was doing and escorted her upstairs to assist her in choosing a kimono for the evening. On her way out the door, I hinted that I might be by to witness their "romantic progress" for myself, but I had no true intention of doing so just yet – it was simply to keep her on her toes and let the both of them know that I was watching.
A full two weeks passed when, due to a party that was canceled at the last minute, I found myself with a few hours to spare during the night. When I found that by good fortune, Iwamura Electric had called on Sayuri once again that same night, I took it as a sign that now was as good a time as any to test the strength of their little game and informed her that I would most definitely be at that party. I wasn't worried that by warning her ahead of time, she might develop a way to trick me – Mameha was obviously the brains of that operation and she was out of town at the behest of her danna. It would be just me and Sayuri, and I doubt the girl would win.
That evening, I stayed a little late at the first party I attended since I was free and didn't plan on spending too much time teasing Sayuri. I wanted to wait until I thought the party was under full swing before I made my grand appearance. Finally, with only another hour to spare, I told Pumpkin to go to the next party ahead of me and made my way down to the Ichiriki. Although Pumpkin was still the farthest thing from a great conversationalist, I had no choice but to let her entertain on her own at least some of the time – people would begin to talk if they saw that she was nearly a year into her apprenticeship and I still wouldn't let her out of my sight. It was flirting with disaster, but letting people on to the truth would be even worse.
A maid escorted me into the Ichiriki and upstairs to the door not long after I heard a nearby clock chime eleven at night. As soon as I slid open the door, I found Sayuri in the middle of a tiny, obviously private party with no Nobu in sight. A panicked look ran across her face for a brief flicker of a second when she saw it was me, before suddenly turning into an imitation of what I suppose was supposed to be nonchalance. But like her older sister, Sayuri was turning out to be a poor actress and her mask couldn't have been more transparent that if it were glass.
Watching her attempting to fool me was entertaining enough as it was, but the real fun began less than five minutes after I arrived, when Nobu walked through the door next.
"Why, Toshikazu-san," I exclaimed, "we were beginning to worry that you wouldn't show up."
"Nonsense; I'm not particularly fond of parties, but I promised the Chairman that I'd come," he snorted in his usual way, like everyone was a bother to him. "If I promised, that means I'm going to do it. Simple as that."
This sparked its own little conversation among the men, so I took the opportunity to quietly lean over and suggest to Sayuri, who'd been sitting almost dumbstruck, that she go and pour him something to drink. She gave me a nervous bow before going to do as I said, and then the show began. If she was merely acting when Nobu wasn't there, she was really showing some theatrics now that he was. Pretending to blush, giggling with girlish excitement, flicking her eyes up at him as if he were the most handsome man she'd ever seen – if it hadn't been inappropriate at the time, I'd have burst out laughing.
The other geisha at the table noticed it as well and gave each other incredulous looks – apparently, the act was good enough to fool them into thinking that she was really enchanted with Mr. Lizard, but she couldn't fool me. For a moment, I thought she'd accidentally cooked her own goose when she somehow managed to knock an ornament straight out of her hair clear into Nobu's lap. It was an incredibly awkward moment for the whole table – it was well known that he routinely sent grown women home in tears for less – but I couldn't have been more excited. Here was a perfect opportunity to see how well of a job Mameha had done in endearing the little apprentice to the man with the monstrous temper; either way, it was a victory for me.
For a moment, I thought that he would rebuke her or maybe even say something nasty, but instead he simply asked her to retrieve a package he'd left with the maid at the door. When she came back and opened it, it turned out to be an antique hair ornament, a red ornamental comb. At that exact moment, I knew that Mameha's plan was working out beautifully, and I couldn't have been happier for her.
I considered leaving right then, having seen what set out to see, but then the Chairman said, "Why I had no idea you could be so sentimental, Nobu-san." It was a simple comment, but I noticed a trace of melancholy in his voice. Upon closer inspection, his whole demeanor had subtley changed as well, as if he were saddened that his friend showed such obvious favor to the girl. I'd wondered off and on whether Sayuri's attraction to Iwamura Ken was simply a one-sided crush that would come and go in a matter of time, or if there was actually something clandestine about it. It appeared that I had my answer.
Things were just coming up roses for me – Sayuri's youthful feelings for the Chairman might fade in a few years, but adults fell in and out of love much less easily. When their passions were driven to the heights of frustration, it wasn't too uncommon for them to act rashly and ruin things for everyone involved. Now, everyone knew the Chairman to be too level-headed to do anything too outrageous, but perhaps a little goading could get him to consider a little sabotage. At the very least, I thought maybe shaking the tree a little could get him to drop some hints big enough for even Little Miss Stupid to pick up on and encourage her to ruin her own chances.
At any rate, I quietly rose from the table and walked over to where they were sitting. Gently placing both the comb and the displaced pushpin back into her hair, I looked straight at Nobu before sighing, "Doesn't she just look like the lovliest thing?"
I gave another exaggerated sigh before I rose once more and glided out of the room. As soon as I got a safe distance away from the door, I began to laugh. I eventually had to
take a moment in an empty room before I found myself in hysterics in front of everyone, but I still couldn't stop giggling like a manic as I slipped back into my shoes and swept off into the night.
Months went by in peace and harmony for everyone, even Mameha and Sayuri. I didn't give either of them a bit of trouble; in fact, I was being downright helpful so long as it involved her spending time with either Nobu or the Chairman. It didn't even bother me in the least when I noticed that Sayuri was beginning to get a bit popular in Gion, even as Pumpkin remained frustratingly obscure. She was far from the ranks of the real stars at the time and I knew that popularity was going to come at a price.
Not that any of this mattered to the one who was going to decide the winner in this game; Mother. Sayuri might have been becoming a rising star, but mine was already bright and shining. With Pumpkin following me to the vast majority of my engagements, her earnings still far outpaced Sayuri's and that was all that really mattered.
But even with that knowledge, it still came as a great shock when, one morning in mid-March, Auntie informed me that Mother wanted to see me in her room. I was trying to eat lunch during the short break before making the journey back to school, so I wasn't exactly happy as I shut the door behind me and sat down as the table. Mother was doing the accounts and smoking her pipe as she did everyday, but as soon as she finished her column, she closed them and laid the book aside.
"According to her records, this summer will be the year our Pumpkin turns fifteen. She's been an apprentice for about a year now, and I think that's about enough time for me to make an accurate guess as to how she'll fare for the rest of her career."
"I take it you've liked what you've seen so far," I preened outwardly, but an uneasy hope was gathering within me.
"She's not as popular as I would've liked, especially considering her older sister's status, but the numbers don't lie; she's one of the highest earning apprentices in all of Gion right now. And to top it all off, you've somehow managed to secure her a spot on this year's 'Dances of the Old Capital'."
This was a lie at that point. I started the rumor about a week prior during parties in order to give Pumpkin's reputation a boost, but I also fully intended to make it the truth. This was around the time that the dance teachers in the school started making their recommendations to the geisha association – the ones who got the final say in deciding who would participate in the dances – and I was determined to get Pumpkin's name on that list. In preparation, I demanded that her every waking minute that wasn't spent either eating or entertaining was to be passed in our room dancing.
"I won't say that she's the best geisha I ever saw," Mother went on, "but she's certainly making bigger strides than I thought her capable of. I applaud your efforts, the both of you. Not that Sayuri wasn't rough when she first started, but I think it's clear to everyone who turned out to be the better geisha. That's why I called you down here to give you the good news – I've decided to formally adopt Pumpkin as my daughter."
A feeling of almost overwhelming relief overtook my body at that moment but, as much as I would've liked to have myself declared the winner at that moment, I knew better than to think that it was as cut and dried as that. When it came to Mother and money, things were never simple.
"I thank you for the vote of confidence, Mother, but I have to ask – what's your real reason for adopting Pumpkin? If you really cared all that much about being fair, you'd give Sayuri the same about of time to prove herself, but it's only been a few months."
"Would you rather have me change my mind instead?" she warned. "Perhaps I should give Sayuri another six months to catch up with you; it appears that you have faith that Pumpkin's good luck will hold up that long."
"No, no, I'm more than happy to hear that you've decided to adopt Pumpkin. I just thought I'd ask for the whole story before I spend the energy getting too happy for myself. It has to do more with that little bet you made with Mameha, doesn't it?"
"The whole story is exactly as I told you; Pumpkin has proven herself to be the superior geisha and a worthy heir to the Nitta okiya. That bet is a minor consideration in the decision, as well as none of your business." That's what she said, anyway. But a quick glance at her account books told me otherwise. One of the things that I liked about Mother was that she wasn't a very good liar – some part of her was always ready to rat her out, if you knew where to look. And that glance to her books told me that the choice was more money-driven than anything.
As I found out some time later, she truly chose to adopt Pumpkin because she literally could not afford to lose her bet with Mameha. At that time, we were still right in the middle of the Great Depression and brewing issues overseas was beginning to drive the prices of certain commodities up. Mother always liked to keep a certain amount in guaranteed savings, and Mameha's rates weren't cheap – to pay back double of what she owed her would put a serious dent in those savings, if not consume it completely. Rather than risk bankrupting herself, she made the decision to adopt Pumpkin while the girl was still doing well enough to be called something of a success.
But at the moment, I didn't quite care; the fight was over and, against all odds, I'd come out the winner. I'd defeated the master swordsman with my humble stick, and now I'd have a life of ease to show for it. I didn't even have to concern myself with assisting Nobu in his pursuit of Sayuri anymore – Mother's word was final, and nothing that happened after that could change it. She went on to talk to me about telling Pumpkin the good news, that she'd already spoken to Fujiko-san over the phone and decided to conduct the ceremony sometime in summer, so on and so forth, but I was too busy celebrating in my head to truly listen.
When she dismissed me, it was almost in a state of bliss that I left to go finish my lunch before returning to school. I was just about ready to leave when I went to go use the bathroom and came across the loser herself, practicing on the walkway. She'd attended a morning engagement with Mameha and would get scolded if she returned to school at this late hour, so Auntie had set her to work practicing instead (only adult geisha could come and go as they pleased in that school; the girls were expected to be punctual at all times, whether or not they'd debuted).
I'd heard her walk by the door while I was in Mother's room – since the walls were traditionally thin and her room was adjacent to Mother's, I knew she had to have heard at least part of our conversation. Me being me, I couldn't resist the urge to grind her face in what she had to know was her newest defeat.
While waiting for her to get out of my way, I said sweetly, "The German Ambassador is going to be in town this summer, but Pumpkin won't be available to entertain him that day. Why don't you arrange for Mameha to take you instead? It's not like you have anything else going on!"
I cackled right in the girls' face at this, expecting her to look morose in her defeat or maybe even glare right back at me in anger. But when my mirth subsided, she looked as if I'd just told her about the weather. The girl couldn't have been more nonchalant. I knew that she didn't have the talent to have developed a poker face, so why the air of not caring that Mother had just adopted Pumpkin? Mother's word was absolute – unless, of course, Sayuri did manage to financially overtake Pumpkin before the adoption took place.
Suddenly, a cloud of foreboding appeared on my once-happy horizon, and I hurried on my way. About an hour later, I stood in the entryway of the little school waiting for one of the new arrivals to bring me my apprentice. As soon as she got within arm's reach, I told the girl to get lost and dragged Pumpkin just outside the front door.
"Look," I told her after I made sure that there wasn't a soul within earshot, "I figured that I might as well tell you right now, I had a talk with Mother just awhile ago about you."
"I-is it bad…?" she whimpered. Ever since her debut, it was Pumpkin's biggest fear that she'd be cast out like her cousin was all those years ago, and that her poor record would be to blame. Quite frankly, so was I.
"No; against all logic, she's decided to adopt you as her daughter. After you conduct the ceremony a few months from now, you'll be the daughter of the okiya and your future will be set. But don't get too excited!" I had to cut in as I noticed a euphoric happiness spread across her face.
"Why wouldn't I be happy? That means that all of this is over, right? I don't have to be a geisha anymore, right?"
"What are you babbling about, you little fool?" I snapped. "Of course you still have to be a geisha! Just because you're the daughter doesn't mean that you don't have to still work; you don't inherit the okiya until Mother either formally retires or dies, and she doesn't look too keen to do either right now. And besides, nothing is over yet. I think Mameha and your little friend Sayuri have something cooking up, and we're going to go find out what it is."
"We can't leave them alone?" she started up timidly. "Mother's already made her decision, so what else can they do? If we just told them that it's over, I'm sure they'd give up…" I'm sure she'd have continued on with her simple-minded little plea, but the look on my face told her quite clearly to shut up.
"Listen to me, you empty-headed little fool," I whispered, trying desperately to refrain from hitting my own apprentice in public. "I still don't think you understand your position here; your future isn't assured until the day Mother officially adopts you. Until then, your little friend who you are so fond of and her older sister are going to try everything they can think of to get Mother to change her mind and adopt Sayuri instead of you. They don't care that you'd be ruined if that were to happen, Mameha only cares about winning her bet and Sayuri only cares about being the new number one geisha in the okiya. They'll destroy you in an instant unless you do it to them first. Now are you getting it, you idiot?"
Helpless in the face of my fury, she simply nodded and bowed. I doubt I really got through to her; gourds are such thick vegetables, after all.
"Good. Now go back to class while I try to save your future. And if you breathe a word of this to anyone, even your teachers, I swear I'll throw you down the well."
She could only bow and apologize for being troublesome before skittering back into the building like a kicked cat. In the meantime, I made my way upstairs to the registry office where I'd be spending the afternoon in the not-so-pleasant company of Awajiumi.
I hope you enjoyed your double-feature, and please don't forget to leave me some more of your much appreciated reviews! But now some bad news - I'm afraid that this is going to be the last of the new chapters for awhile. I'm going to be in the middle of moving these next few weeks, so I won't have the time to type. I'll try to squeeze in one or two more before I get too busy, but they'll be far & few until I get settled. Sorry!