NOTES: Right. Here's the third installment. Took a long time (short
considering my other fics) but here in all its glory. The last chapter was
from Soujiro's point of view; in this one dear little Jessie will be taking
the reins.
WARNINGS: this is from the point of view of an American boy barely eight that lived in the late 1800's. He doesn't know jack. 'Nuff said.
Remember people, even though they words are in English, Soujiro is speaking Japanese and Jessie has no clue what he's saying, and likewise Soujiro doesn't understand what Jessie is saying.
LANGUAGE:
Nani: what?
WHEN THE RAIN FALLS ON THE OCEAN Part III
Jessie stared in horror at what the young Japanese man named Soujiro handed him. It was very simple. They had left the crazy Japanese woman's inn without breakfast, so of course, with his stomach growling angrily at him, Jessie had yanked at the man's sleeve and rubbed his stomach stating his hunger. He had waited till after they had left the village, not on purposely though. He had to build up the courage to bother the man.
He had acted horrendously at the inn; even he knew that. First, the whole thing with Soujiro (what an odd name, he could barely pronounce it) trying to convince him to put on those stupid girlie looking clothes. When Jessie had thrown them onto the floor and spat, he had been just waiting to feel the man's fist on his face. But instead, Soujiro smiled.
A smile that scared him more that the First-Mate ever did.
Then the bath.
Didn't these crazy narrow-eyed freaks know that if you bathed a lot you get sick and die?! They had dumped him into a tub of water, and held him down while the crazy woman scrubbed him till he was red! That had only happened to him once, back in the days of the orphanage when he had the ill fortune to stumble across a very ill tempered skunk.
Now this: this weird thing in rice and.raw fish?!
Yes, it was raw fish. Jessie knew raw fish when he saw it, and that thing snuggly tucked in the rice was raw fish.
Jessie looked up at Soujiro dismally, his stomach dropping to a new level of low and growling the whole way down. The young man was sitting across from him, leaning comfortably against the truck of a thin tree, his food waiting before him, just as colorful, just as raw. He was smiling that smile that Jessie had come to think of as idiotic, as if he did not have a care in the world. But Jessie knew that that was not the case, his smile could be scary and dangerous, and he was a killer.
And the killer was waiting for him with that idiotic smile to start eating.
"Its raw fish." Muttered Jessie, staring at the food, waiting for it to start twitching and coming to life.
"What?"
There it was, that word 'nani' that Soujiro kept on repeating, and he always said it with a confused look of befuddlement on his face. Sighing, Jessie placed his raw fish wrapped in rice onto the big leaf that Soujiro was using as a plate and scrunched his face up in disgust and pointed at the food.
The Japanese young man blinked at him again, then looked down at the food then back up at him.
Jessie looked away, attempting to snub the food but his stomach chose to growl quite loudly at that moment. Soujiro looked at him and laughed gently; shaking his head and reaching into one of the bags he carried and pulled out something else. Jessie leaned over and looked at what the other held and found just a ball of rice. When Soujiro offered it to him, he took it and sniffed at it suspiciously. It didn't smell like it had anything in it. So, with Soujiro watching him intently, Jessie took a small bite and chewed. To his surprise he found that within the rice ball was some sweet jam that mixed deliciously with the rice.
Jessie looked and Soujiro and felt an immense feeling of gratitude, like the night before when Soujiro reached over for his hand and saved him. Jessie wished he could give the young man something in return to show his gratitude, but the only thing of value he had was the luck charm that he still wore around his neck and Soujiro had already refused to take it. On the streets and on the ship, Jessie had learned that nothing was for free. If you were given something you had better expect to somehow pay that person back. Soujiro had saved him, and took nothing; had cleaned him, and took nothing; and now fed him, and expecting nothing. Jessie didn't understand the man at all.
So, knowing that he had no way of giving anything back, Jessie remembered his thoughts of the night before, while walking in the rain: As long as you protect me.Likewise I'll protect you.
He didn't know how or when he'd get the chance to do that, though. After all, he was just a little kid, and Soujiro was a man and had a sword that he knew how to use. But Jessie remembered, years ago, during the terrible days of the orphanage one of the Sisters had read a book to him, about a lion and a mouse. The lion spared the mouse, and the mouse promised that he'd help the lion one day. Then the lion got caught in a hunter's net, and the mouse chewed at the net and freed the lion. Perhaps, one day Jessie would be able to help Soujiro in some way, but until then he had to be on his best behavior.
"Jessie?"
Jessie put on his biggest smile and said, "This is good!" Then he proceeded to shove the rest of the rice ball into his mouth, savoring the sweet taste of the jam and rice. He paused while almost choking to watch in mild horror as Soujiro started eating his raw fish with a content look on his face.
When done eating, Jessie helped put away the left over food, then yanked one of the bags to him and slinging it over his shoulder. When Soujiro reached to take it from him, Jessie snarled angrily, "Look, I wanna carry it alright!"
"What?"
Jessie felt his temper rising and snapped, "Quit saying that! I'm getting tired of that 'nani' word you keep on using!"
Soujiro rubbed his neck and said, "You really need to calm down, Jessie."
Jessie groaned, not understanding anything but his name, "Look, I'm going to carry this bag, alright. Now, lets go already." And with the bag, Jessie started to walk down the path they had been taking. The discussion if one could call it that was over.
While walking Jessie found himself continuing to glance at the sword that Soujiro kept tucked at his belt. He had never seen a real sword before. Nowadays all people used were guns, and an occasional dagger of some sort. But even so, the sword that Soujiro wore was different, and the handle itself was wrapped in a black rope for handling. Jessie wondered how heavy it was, and if Soujiro would let him use it one day. It would be cool to be able to swing a sword like Soujiro, and nobody would dare ever hit him again if he could use a sword like that!
So intent on his thoughts, the boy felt the sole of his food collide with something very hard and with a pained yelp he went down onto a wood and gravel, skinning the palms of his hands when he tried to catch himself, and cutting his knee. Trying to keep the pained tears away he looked down and found that he had tripped right into the middle of a railroad track. He looked up to Soujiro who was looking down at him in surprise.
Here he was, wondering if Soujiro would let him use a sword, yet now he sat pathetically with tears in his eyes after stupidly tripping over a stupid track! It was humiliating, and degrading, and Jessie wished he could just sink into the ground and disappear.
Jessie jumped when Soujiro reached down and pulled him back to his feet and away from the track. Kneeling down the man inspected his bleeding palms, and said, "They don't look to bad."
Jessie yanked his hands away and shouted angrily while attempting to hide the pained tears, "Don't treat me like a baby! It doesn't hurt at all."
Soujiro sighed tiredly, "You're mad again. I don't understand you, Jessie." Then, he pulled out of the bag he held one of the water canteens and a clean cloth and wet it.
But when the young man reached for Jessie again, the boy blew up, "I said don't treat me like a baby! I don't need it, okay! So just leave me alone!" Then the boy nearly bit his tongue when he found himself on the receiving end of the smile. The same one that Soujiro had given him back at the inn.
"Jessie, please just cooperate for once. You'll be even more unhappy if those get infected."
He never raised his voice, yet still with that smile, it was menacing, and Jessie was frightened. Swallowing his pride, Jessie let Soujiro take his hands and suffered silently (though he winced the whole time and yelped once even though he would never admit it to himself) as the man cleaned his skinned hands and cut knee.
"You're so stubborn," commented Soujiro, "but you're on your way to being a very strong boy."
Jessie could only wonder what his older companion was saying.
Once the cleaning was done, and his hands bandaged (his knee did not need any covering), Jessie stood up and was about to cross the track when Soujiro grabbed him by the back of his hakama (?) and dragged the boy with him to the shady comfort of a nearby tree. Seating himself, Soujiro literally had to pull Jessie down next to him as the boy protested loudly at being manhandled.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Yelled the blonde American boy once he was let go, glaring murderously at the young Japanese man who now was reclined comfortably against the tree truck with his hands behind his head and his eyes shut. "Hey! Don't ignore me!"
Soujiro opened his eyes and looked down at the fuming boy who was about to go for his throat. They stared at each other for a moment before the man said softly, "Jessie,"
"What?!" Shouted the boy.
But then Jessie went still when Soujiro placed a sword calloused hand on his head and ruffled his hair slightly. The boy blinked and looked up at him in total confusion lowering his voice to a whisper and saying brokenly, "I don't understand you, and it makes me mad.why won't you just hit me, huh? I'm sure I've made you mad already, but all you do is smile scarily. I.It'd be better if you just hit me, y'know."
"Jessie," repeated Soujiro, just as softly.
"Yeah?" answered the boy, feeling pathetic and wanting to cry for no reason.
"I wonder," commented Soujiro, "I wonder why you are so mad sometimes." He patted Jessie's hair then lifted his hand and looked at his palm while Jessie looked on curiously, "I can tell you're frustrated because you don't understand me.and I guess I would too if I could."
Jessie then saw something while gazing up at the man who had saved him, something that made him wonder. As Soujiro spoke, and looked at his palm, he looked.depressed, and sad. Was it because of him? Instead of making Soujiro mad for yelling, he had saddened him?
But Soujiro continued in his monologue, "Only one man ever frustrated me, and he was one of the only two men who could beat me. You'll meet him, Jessie, for he is a great man and will be able to help me understand what to do with you. In a way.in a way he's like my teacher because I am following his footsteps and wandering till I find my truth." His hand dropped he brought his sword before him and lifted it slightly from it's sheath so that only one of his eyes reflected from its blade. "I've been wondering what Master Shishio would tell me now?"
Jessie blinked, and said haltingly, "Shi.Shishio?" He wondered what was it was about the way Soujiro said that word with such reverence and honor.
Soujiro looked down at him with a haunted look in his eyes, and said, "So you do try to understand me." He sighed, "Master Shishio.he's dead now. Once we get to Kyoto I'll take you up to Mount Hiei where I put up a grave for him." He paused then to reach into his bag and pull out a rice ball for Jessie. Jessie accepted it without hesitation and started to ingest it while silently listening to Soujiro's babble, "Master Shishio was a real hard teacher, yet he always had a rice ball with sweet jam in it for me at the end of the day. He'd say 'Soujiro, you need to eat up to grow and become stronger.' But.even though that was what he told me, rice balls with jam were my favorite and he knew it."
Shishio-sama
"Is.is that a name?" Asked Jessie. "Is this Shishio-sama someone you know?"
Soujiro nodded his head and to Jessie's horror, when Soujiro spoke, the man's voice was shaky with grief, "Yes, Master Shishio.he was a great man, Jessie, and don't you forget it. Even though he was a murderer, and.and he was wrong about some things.to me.he was the greatest man to ever live. I miss him.but." He placed the sword to the side and put his hand back onto Jessie's head, "but.I don't want to be like him.and I don't want to make the same mistakes he made."
Jessie swallowed the rest of his rice ball and wondered what he should do. "I.I don't understand you, Soujiro. I wish I did, though, 'cause you're now sad and I don't know if its 'cause of me or 'cause of this Shishio- sama." Jessie fingered the furry luck charm that dangled over his chest, "I'm a bad boy, y'know. All the Sisters at the orphanage said so. They said bad boys like me go to the 'burning fires of hell'. I have the 'devil's temper' and I yell at adults and 'don't know my place.' But you know, sometimes I think the Sister's didn't know what they were talking about. I mean the Sister's wanted to be closer to God, but then they go around hitting us kids and letting the bigger kids hit the smaller kids. Y'know.you're the only grown-up who hasn't hit me yet.
"But then.the Sisters had to right, because they said that bad things happen to bad boys like me. 'God's punishment', they said. Then I ran away and I forgot about all that junk they tried to teach me. But.but then I ended up in the ship.and I started thinking about it again. Was I really a bad boy and God was punishing me by letting those stupid smelly sailor beat me up all the time.and.and let the first-mate beat me so bad I can't remember some things."
"Jessie.why are you trembling?"
Talking about the ship made him think about the night before, the terror at being caught by the first-mate while trying to run away, at the certainty of death when he saw the pistol pointed right at him. Then there was all that blood, splattered all over the ground as the rain mixed in with it as it fell from the dark sky above. Talking about the first-mate made the fear come back. And Jessie started to cry, and even though he tried to wipe them away there was no stopping them.
"Hey.Jessie, why are you crying?" If possible, Soujiro looked frightened at the sight of his sudden tears.
Shamefully, Jessie covered his eyes with his arm and sobbed brokenly, "I'm a bad boy, you see.and I deserve to be punished by God. But then you came and saved me and because I'm a bad boy you'll probably leave me somewhere 'cause I'm gonna make you angry soon! I always make grown-ups angry! So I deserve to be hit! I deserve to be left alone, because the Sisters said God punishes the bad boy and I'm a bad boy!"
Somehow, Jessie managed to calm down, and letting his arm drop he looked up imploringly at Soujiro who only looked down at him in distress. "But...I don't want to be a bad boy.and I've been trying to be a good boy, 'cause I don't want you to leave me and disappear. I promise I'll be a good boy and not yell at you and get made.so you promise not to leave me, okay? I promise to be a good boy and you promise not to leave me, Soujiro."
Suddenly, there was sound of the whistle of a train approaching, and Soujiro suddenly stood up, re-strapping his sword to his side and securely tying all the bags around his back. Jessie sat still, looking up and still sobbing slightly. Then, Jessie could only yelp when Soujiro picked him up and held him tightly with one arm, whispering, "Jessie, you must hold tight."
Jessie did not understand, but wrapped his thinner and shorter arms tightly around Soujiro as the young man carried bags and him and all right beside the railroad tracks and stood there waiting. The boy twisted his neck to see the approaching locomotive moving in swiftly, and a sudden realization dawned on him.
Seta Soujiro was going to stowaway into the train.
So Jessie swung his legs so that he was totally wrapped around Soujiro as tight as possible, and burning his head into the folds of Soujiro's hakama, trembling.
"Don't worry," said the young man soothingly, "I won't let you go. Just be strong and hold on tight."
Then the train went thundering by them, and Soujiro was off in a frighteningly speed that made Jessie's teeth rattle so hard that he feared that he'd crack his molars. Suddenly, he felt Soujiro leap, and it was as if he had left his stomach back down the tracks somewhere, then there was a jarring halt, and Jessie managed to open his eyes long enough to see that somehow they were now clinging to the side of a cargo car near the end of the train.
"Jessie!" Shouted Soujiro above the screaming of the train wheels and the loud shrieking of the wind as it whipped mercilessly at them, "hold onto the railing!"
Jessie whimpered as Soujiro nudged him towards some rusty railing. But then he saw that they were beside the door of the cargo car and Soujiro could not open it while holding onto Jessie. Clenching his teeth, Soujiro somehow gathered up enough courage to latch onto the railing while Soujiro drew his sword and slashed at the lock to the door, sending sparks flying and cracking the lock in half. Then the young Japanese man was back beside Jessie swinging him away from the railing and into the darkness of the cargo car.
Jessie clutched at Soujiro, breathing harshly and staring with large frightened eyes as landscape outside flew by them. He refused to let go when Soujiro settled himself in the dark corner of the cargo car, but Soujiro said nothing, merely placing his hand on Jessie's golden head.
Once Jessie was confidant that he was indeed alive and breathing, he pulled away from Soujiro then yelled, "You crazy maniac! You could have killed us both!"
Soujiro chuckled nervously and raised his hands, "Please, Jessie, don't be mad. Catching this train is the swiftest and easiest way to Kyoto."
And like that Jessie's anger was gone, deflated and empty. Then, hesitantly, Jessie curled miserably at Soujiro's side and sniffled, "I was scared, but you were so cool, Soujiro. Really, really cool."
Soujiro looked down at him, then slowly wrapped his arm around the boy and let Jessie sob softly into his side. He let his head rest against the rough surface of the cargo walls and closed his eyes, listening to the sobs of the boy he had saved and the rumbling of the train as it made its way to Kyoto.
"Kyoto, Jessie. Things won't be as scary and confusing in Kyoto. Just be strong as you have been so far, and everything will be fine soon." He looked down and found that Jessie had fallen asleep. He reached into one of the bags and pulled out a thin blanket that he used to drape over both him and the slumbering boy.
Then he sighed and whispered to the darkness, "In Kyoto."
TO BE CONTINUED.
Dudes.hakama.which one is hakama and which one is gi???????
So.what did you peeps think?
Drop me a note!
Sarlinia
WARNINGS: this is from the point of view of an American boy barely eight that lived in the late 1800's. He doesn't know jack. 'Nuff said.
Remember people, even though they words are in English, Soujiro is speaking Japanese and Jessie has no clue what he's saying, and likewise Soujiro doesn't understand what Jessie is saying.
LANGUAGE:
Nani: what?
WHEN THE RAIN FALLS ON THE OCEAN Part III
Jessie stared in horror at what the young Japanese man named Soujiro handed him. It was very simple. They had left the crazy Japanese woman's inn without breakfast, so of course, with his stomach growling angrily at him, Jessie had yanked at the man's sleeve and rubbed his stomach stating his hunger. He had waited till after they had left the village, not on purposely though. He had to build up the courage to bother the man.
He had acted horrendously at the inn; even he knew that. First, the whole thing with Soujiro (what an odd name, he could barely pronounce it) trying to convince him to put on those stupid girlie looking clothes. When Jessie had thrown them onto the floor and spat, he had been just waiting to feel the man's fist on his face. But instead, Soujiro smiled.
A smile that scared him more that the First-Mate ever did.
Then the bath.
Didn't these crazy narrow-eyed freaks know that if you bathed a lot you get sick and die?! They had dumped him into a tub of water, and held him down while the crazy woman scrubbed him till he was red! That had only happened to him once, back in the days of the orphanage when he had the ill fortune to stumble across a very ill tempered skunk.
Now this: this weird thing in rice and.raw fish?!
Yes, it was raw fish. Jessie knew raw fish when he saw it, and that thing snuggly tucked in the rice was raw fish.
Jessie looked up at Soujiro dismally, his stomach dropping to a new level of low and growling the whole way down. The young man was sitting across from him, leaning comfortably against the truck of a thin tree, his food waiting before him, just as colorful, just as raw. He was smiling that smile that Jessie had come to think of as idiotic, as if he did not have a care in the world. But Jessie knew that that was not the case, his smile could be scary and dangerous, and he was a killer.
And the killer was waiting for him with that idiotic smile to start eating.
"Its raw fish." Muttered Jessie, staring at the food, waiting for it to start twitching and coming to life.
"What?"
There it was, that word 'nani' that Soujiro kept on repeating, and he always said it with a confused look of befuddlement on his face. Sighing, Jessie placed his raw fish wrapped in rice onto the big leaf that Soujiro was using as a plate and scrunched his face up in disgust and pointed at the food.
The Japanese young man blinked at him again, then looked down at the food then back up at him.
Jessie looked away, attempting to snub the food but his stomach chose to growl quite loudly at that moment. Soujiro looked at him and laughed gently; shaking his head and reaching into one of the bags he carried and pulled out something else. Jessie leaned over and looked at what the other held and found just a ball of rice. When Soujiro offered it to him, he took it and sniffed at it suspiciously. It didn't smell like it had anything in it. So, with Soujiro watching him intently, Jessie took a small bite and chewed. To his surprise he found that within the rice ball was some sweet jam that mixed deliciously with the rice.
Jessie looked and Soujiro and felt an immense feeling of gratitude, like the night before when Soujiro reached over for his hand and saved him. Jessie wished he could give the young man something in return to show his gratitude, but the only thing of value he had was the luck charm that he still wore around his neck and Soujiro had already refused to take it. On the streets and on the ship, Jessie had learned that nothing was for free. If you were given something you had better expect to somehow pay that person back. Soujiro had saved him, and took nothing; had cleaned him, and took nothing; and now fed him, and expecting nothing. Jessie didn't understand the man at all.
So, knowing that he had no way of giving anything back, Jessie remembered his thoughts of the night before, while walking in the rain: As long as you protect me.Likewise I'll protect you.
He didn't know how or when he'd get the chance to do that, though. After all, he was just a little kid, and Soujiro was a man and had a sword that he knew how to use. But Jessie remembered, years ago, during the terrible days of the orphanage one of the Sisters had read a book to him, about a lion and a mouse. The lion spared the mouse, and the mouse promised that he'd help the lion one day. Then the lion got caught in a hunter's net, and the mouse chewed at the net and freed the lion. Perhaps, one day Jessie would be able to help Soujiro in some way, but until then he had to be on his best behavior.
"Jessie?"
Jessie put on his biggest smile and said, "This is good!" Then he proceeded to shove the rest of the rice ball into his mouth, savoring the sweet taste of the jam and rice. He paused while almost choking to watch in mild horror as Soujiro started eating his raw fish with a content look on his face.
When done eating, Jessie helped put away the left over food, then yanked one of the bags to him and slinging it over his shoulder. When Soujiro reached to take it from him, Jessie snarled angrily, "Look, I wanna carry it alright!"
"What?"
Jessie felt his temper rising and snapped, "Quit saying that! I'm getting tired of that 'nani' word you keep on using!"
Soujiro rubbed his neck and said, "You really need to calm down, Jessie."
Jessie groaned, not understanding anything but his name, "Look, I'm going to carry this bag, alright. Now, lets go already." And with the bag, Jessie started to walk down the path they had been taking. The discussion if one could call it that was over.
While walking Jessie found himself continuing to glance at the sword that Soujiro kept tucked at his belt. He had never seen a real sword before. Nowadays all people used were guns, and an occasional dagger of some sort. But even so, the sword that Soujiro wore was different, and the handle itself was wrapped in a black rope for handling. Jessie wondered how heavy it was, and if Soujiro would let him use it one day. It would be cool to be able to swing a sword like Soujiro, and nobody would dare ever hit him again if he could use a sword like that!
So intent on his thoughts, the boy felt the sole of his food collide with something very hard and with a pained yelp he went down onto a wood and gravel, skinning the palms of his hands when he tried to catch himself, and cutting his knee. Trying to keep the pained tears away he looked down and found that he had tripped right into the middle of a railroad track. He looked up to Soujiro who was looking down at him in surprise.
Here he was, wondering if Soujiro would let him use a sword, yet now he sat pathetically with tears in his eyes after stupidly tripping over a stupid track! It was humiliating, and degrading, and Jessie wished he could just sink into the ground and disappear.
Jessie jumped when Soujiro reached down and pulled him back to his feet and away from the track. Kneeling down the man inspected his bleeding palms, and said, "They don't look to bad."
Jessie yanked his hands away and shouted angrily while attempting to hide the pained tears, "Don't treat me like a baby! It doesn't hurt at all."
Soujiro sighed tiredly, "You're mad again. I don't understand you, Jessie." Then, he pulled out of the bag he held one of the water canteens and a clean cloth and wet it.
But when the young man reached for Jessie again, the boy blew up, "I said don't treat me like a baby! I don't need it, okay! So just leave me alone!" Then the boy nearly bit his tongue when he found himself on the receiving end of the smile. The same one that Soujiro had given him back at the inn.
"Jessie, please just cooperate for once. You'll be even more unhappy if those get infected."
He never raised his voice, yet still with that smile, it was menacing, and Jessie was frightened. Swallowing his pride, Jessie let Soujiro take his hands and suffered silently (though he winced the whole time and yelped once even though he would never admit it to himself) as the man cleaned his skinned hands and cut knee.
"You're so stubborn," commented Soujiro, "but you're on your way to being a very strong boy."
Jessie could only wonder what his older companion was saying.
Once the cleaning was done, and his hands bandaged (his knee did not need any covering), Jessie stood up and was about to cross the track when Soujiro grabbed him by the back of his hakama (?) and dragged the boy with him to the shady comfort of a nearby tree. Seating himself, Soujiro literally had to pull Jessie down next to him as the boy protested loudly at being manhandled.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Yelled the blonde American boy once he was let go, glaring murderously at the young Japanese man who now was reclined comfortably against the tree truck with his hands behind his head and his eyes shut. "Hey! Don't ignore me!"
Soujiro opened his eyes and looked down at the fuming boy who was about to go for his throat. They stared at each other for a moment before the man said softly, "Jessie,"
"What?!" Shouted the boy.
But then Jessie went still when Soujiro placed a sword calloused hand on his head and ruffled his hair slightly. The boy blinked and looked up at him in total confusion lowering his voice to a whisper and saying brokenly, "I don't understand you, and it makes me mad.why won't you just hit me, huh? I'm sure I've made you mad already, but all you do is smile scarily. I.It'd be better if you just hit me, y'know."
"Jessie," repeated Soujiro, just as softly.
"Yeah?" answered the boy, feeling pathetic and wanting to cry for no reason.
"I wonder," commented Soujiro, "I wonder why you are so mad sometimes." He patted Jessie's hair then lifted his hand and looked at his palm while Jessie looked on curiously, "I can tell you're frustrated because you don't understand me.and I guess I would too if I could."
Jessie then saw something while gazing up at the man who had saved him, something that made him wonder. As Soujiro spoke, and looked at his palm, he looked.depressed, and sad. Was it because of him? Instead of making Soujiro mad for yelling, he had saddened him?
But Soujiro continued in his monologue, "Only one man ever frustrated me, and he was one of the only two men who could beat me. You'll meet him, Jessie, for he is a great man and will be able to help me understand what to do with you. In a way.in a way he's like my teacher because I am following his footsteps and wandering till I find my truth." His hand dropped he brought his sword before him and lifted it slightly from it's sheath so that only one of his eyes reflected from its blade. "I've been wondering what Master Shishio would tell me now?"
Jessie blinked, and said haltingly, "Shi.Shishio?" He wondered what was it was about the way Soujiro said that word with such reverence and honor.
Soujiro looked down at him with a haunted look in his eyes, and said, "So you do try to understand me." He sighed, "Master Shishio.he's dead now. Once we get to Kyoto I'll take you up to Mount Hiei where I put up a grave for him." He paused then to reach into his bag and pull out a rice ball for Jessie. Jessie accepted it without hesitation and started to ingest it while silently listening to Soujiro's babble, "Master Shishio was a real hard teacher, yet he always had a rice ball with sweet jam in it for me at the end of the day. He'd say 'Soujiro, you need to eat up to grow and become stronger.' But.even though that was what he told me, rice balls with jam were my favorite and he knew it."
Shishio-sama
"Is.is that a name?" Asked Jessie. "Is this Shishio-sama someone you know?"
Soujiro nodded his head and to Jessie's horror, when Soujiro spoke, the man's voice was shaky with grief, "Yes, Master Shishio.he was a great man, Jessie, and don't you forget it. Even though he was a murderer, and.and he was wrong about some things.to me.he was the greatest man to ever live. I miss him.but." He placed the sword to the side and put his hand back onto Jessie's head, "but.I don't want to be like him.and I don't want to make the same mistakes he made."
Jessie swallowed the rest of his rice ball and wondered what he should do. "I.I don't understand you, Soujiro. I wish I did, though, 'cause you're now sad and I don't know if its 'cause of me or 'cause of this Shishio- sama." Jessie fingered the furry luck charm that dangled over his chest, "I'm a bad boy, y'know. All the Sisters at the orphanage said so. They said bad boys like me go to the 'burning fires of hell'. I have the 'devil's temper' and I yell at adults and 'don't know my place.' But you know, sometimes I think the Sister's didn't know what they were talking about. I mean the Sister's wanted to be closer to God, but then they go around hitting us kids and letting the bigger kids hit the smaller kids. Y'know.you're the only grown-up who hasn't hit me yet.
"But then.the Sisters had to right, because they said that bad things happen to bad boys like me. 'God's punishment', they said. Then I ran away and I forgot about all that junk they tried to teach me. But.but then I ended up in the ship.and I started thinking about it again. Was I really a bad boy and God was punishing me by letting those stupid smelly sailor beat me up all the time.and.and let the first-mate beat me so bad I can't remember some things."
"Jessie.why are you trembling?"
Talking about the ship made him think about the night before, the terror at being caught by the first-mate while trying to run away, at the certainty of death when he saw the pistol pointed right at him. Then there was all that blood, splattered all over the ground as the rain mixed in with it as it fell from the dark sky above. Talking about the first-mate made the fear come back. And Jessie started to cry, and even though he tried to wipe them away there was no stopping them.
"Hey.Jessie, why are you crying?" If possible, Soujiro looked frightened at the sight of his sudden tears.
Shamefully, Jessie covered his eyes with his arm and sobbed brokenly, "I'm a bad boy, you see.and I deserve to be punished by God. But then you came and saved me and because I'm a bad boy you'll probably leave me somewhere 'cause I'm gonna make you angry soon! I always make grown-ups angry! So I deserve to be hit! I deserve to be left alone, because the Sisters said God punishes the bad boy and I'm a bad boy!"
Somehow, Jessie managed to calm down, and letting his arm drop he looked up imploringly at Soujiro who only looked down at him in distress. "But...I don't want to be a bad boy.and I've been trying to be a good boy, 'cause I don't want you to leave me and disappear. I promise I'll be a good boy and not yell at you and get made.so you promise not to leave me, okay? I promise to be a good boy and you promise not to leave me, Soujiro."
Suddenly, there was sound of the whistle of a train approaching, and Soujiro suddenly stood up, re-strapping his sword to his side and securely tying all the bags around his back. Jessie sat still, looking up and still sobbing slightly. Then, Jessie could only yelp when Soujiro picked him up and held him tightly with one arm, whispering, "Jessie, you must hold tight."
Jessie did not understand, but wrapped his thinner and shorter arms tightly around Soujiro as the young man carried bags and him and all right beside the railroad tracks and stood there waiting. The boy twisted his neck to see the approaching locomotive moving in swiftly, and a sudden realization dawned on him.
Seta Soujiro was going to stowaway into the train.
So Jessie swung his legs so that he was totally wrapped around Soujiro as tight as possible, and burning his head into the folds of Soujiro's hakama, trembling.
"Don't worry," said the young man soothingly, "I won't let you go. Just be strong and hold on tight."
Then the train went thundering by them, and Soujiro was off in a frighteningly speed that made Jessie's teeth rattle so hard that he feared that he'd crack his molars. Suddenly, he felt Soujiro leap, and it was as if he had left his stomach back down the tracks somewhere, then there was a jarring halt, and Jessie managed to open his eyes long enough to see that somehow they were now clinging to the side of a cargo car near the end of the train.
"Jessie!" Shouted Soujiro above the screaming of the train wheels and the loud shrieking of the wind as it whipped mercilessly at them, "hold onto the railing!"
Jessie whimpered as Soujiro nudged him towards some rusty railing. But then he saw that they were beside the door of the cargo car and Soujiro could not open it while holding onto Jessie. Clenching his teeth, Soujiro somehow gathered up enough courage to latch onto the railing while Soujiro drew his sword and slashed at the lock to the door, sending sparks flying and cracking the lock in half. Then the young Japanese man was back beside Jessie swinging him away from the railing and into the darkness of the cargo car.
Jessie clutched at Soujiro, breathing harshly and staring with large frightened eyes as landscape outside flew by them. He refused to let go when Soujiro settled himself in the dark corner of the cargo car, but Soujiro said nothing, merely placing his hand on Jessie's golden head.
Once Jessie was confidant that he was indeed alive and breathing, he pulled away from Soujiro then yelled, "You crazy maniac! You could have killed us both!"
Soujiro chuckled nervously and raised his hands, "Please, Jessie, don't be mad. Catching this train is the swiftest and easiest way to Kyoto."
And like that Jessie's anger was gone, deflated and empty. Then, hesitantly, Jessie curled miserably at Soujiro's side and sniffled, "I was scared, but you were so cool, Soujiro. Really, really cool."
Soujiro looked down at him, then slowly wrapped his arm around the boy and let Jessie sob softly into his side. He let his head rest against the rough surface of the cargo walls and closed his eyes, listening to the sobs of the boy he had saved and the rumbling of the train as it made its way to Kyoto.
"Kyoto, Jessie. Things won't be as scary and confusing in Kyoto. Just be strong as you have been so far, and everything will be fine soon." He looked down and found that Jessie had fallen asleep. He reached into one of the bags and pulled out a thin blanket that he used to drape over both him and the slumbering boy.
Then he sighed and whispered to the darkness, "In Kyoto."
TO BE CONTINUED.
Dudes.hakama.which one is hakama and which one is gi???????
So.what did you peeps think?
Drop me a note!
Sarlinia