Disclaimer: Please see Part I for the usual remarks
Authors Note: This chapter is rather short. Enjoy, and please favor me with some feedback!!
Memory Ronin
Part III
By Callisto
Otsu compound—Spring 1973
Mie-ken Prefecture, Japan
Two months had passed since she had been accepted as Sensei Otsu's apprentice. During that interval she had been subjected to a round of chores and exercises that were both boring and exhausting. The loneliness, which visited her while she was at the Saito Academy had been tempered by continuous dread and physical pain, had returned with a fierce vengeance. So far she had seen very little of Sensei Otsu, he had an older student named Eiji to oversee her training exercises. Parker, long trained in keeping her mouth shut from her years in the Centre, suspected she was Eiji's humility project. Training the young gaijin girl seemed to try the young man's patience and though Sensei would never allow him to express his prejudice, every time Eiji looked at her she could tell he viewed her as less than sentient.
Everyday for a couple hours she was granted the freedom to do whatever she pleased. There were numerous hiking trails that harbored breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and rivers. Parker frequented these trails and sought solace in the their beauty. It was while she was enjoying one of these walks when she discovered that she was bleeding. Becoming afraid, Parker returned to the house and tried to locate the source of the wound. Finally finding the source, her fear doubled; she enlisted the aid of Sensei's quiet housekeeper, Mrs. Oishi and asked for help. After explaining the problem, Mrs. Oishi looked solemnly at the young girl and directed her to sit in a tub of warm water.
Confused but desperate, Parker did as she was told. She was left alone for only a few minutes before the older woman, knocking discreetly at the door entered with a bundle of fresh clothing in her arms. At the sight of the calmly serene woman, Parker burst into tears. The months of loneliness, pain and malice had taken their toll.
Mrs. Oishi stared at the young girl, slightly taken aback by this sudden display of emotion from the usually sullen and taciturn girl but she tended to the child patiently waiting for this torrent of hormonally driven tears to abate. Once the tears slowly dried up and Parker was cleaned and bundled up in the warm, soft clothing, Mrs. Oishi began to explain the reasons for the bleeding. The explanation was given kindly and at the first sign of a furrowed brow the instructions and information were expanded until Mrs. Oishi was rewarded with the expression of wonderment and awe that crossed Parker's features.
Using the edge of the robe Mrs. Oishi had wrapped her in, Parker pressed the soft material against her eyes and said, "Thank you for helping me. No one told me about this. I'm sure if my mother were still alive she would have told me."
"When did you're mother pass away?" the woman asked. She was curious about this child and wondered why Sensei Otsu chose her to become his newest apprentice.
"Momma died three years ago. I still miss her a lot, if she were still alive I would be with her now."
"And not in some foreign country, living among strangers, yes?" the woman commented with a smile.
Staring at the older woman with grief-filled eyes, Parker shakily returned the smile. "Yes. You've been very nice to me, thanks again. I'm sorry I started crying in front of you."
"You've been through a lot. I was surprised at first but now it makes perfect sense. If you ever need to talk, I will be here to listen. I know how lonely it can get being the only woman in this big house," Mrs. Oishi replied as she pulled Parker gently by her arm and guided her to her bedroom. She tucked the tired teenager into bed and smoothed back the dark hair that flopped into the young girl's already unconscious face. Mrs. Oishi stayed at the girl's bedside for a few minutes longer until deepened slumber erased the almost permanent look of grief from the girl's face.
Two days later, Parker was waiting for Eiji to show up for her exercises when Sensei Otsu arrived instead.
"I have been informed by Mrs. Oishi that you are now an adult, a woman, my sincere congratulations. Your training will change slightly in light of this change. You will be under my sole tutelage from now on. Eiji will no longer instruct you in any way, is that clear?"
"Hai, Sensei"
Nodding to himself, Sensei noted the improvement in Parker's accent but said nothing. For the next few hours he tested, pushed and yelled at Parker, insisting on his version of perfection. She seemed incapable of measuring up or pleasing the Sensei. The harder she tried the more criticism she seemed to draw from him. By the end of day, Parker was drenched in sweat and every muscle in her body was aching.
"Today was the first day of your formal training. I am pleased with the result, but we have a depressingly long road to travel before your skills are anywhere near the level of proficiency I require of all my students. Rest now and eat, tomorrow morning we will begin again." With that the Sensei turned and left her standing in utter confusion in the middle of the yard.
Sitting at the low dining room table, it was all Parker could do not to grab at the food and shovel it into her mouth. When finally Mrs. Oishi was finished placing the food on the table and took her seat, Parker grabbed her bowl and immediately began filling it with rice. Gently laughing at this display of extreme hunger, Mrs. Oishi commented playfully, "A little hungry today, are you Flower?"
Glancing up, with a deer in headlights look on her face, all Parker could do was bob her head up and down in agreement. Both cheeks were full of food rendering any discussion on her part impossible. Mrs. Oishi laughed heartily and joined in the repast. The two talked animatedly throughout the meal with Parker perfecting her imitation of Mrs. Oishi's accent. The incident with her first menstrual cycle caused Parker to be extremely grateful to Mrs. Oishi and since coming to this country, no one had so much as offered to talk with her, viewing her as only an intruding gaijin. Mrs. Oishi quickly became the female role model that Parker desperately needed. The older woman was strong, resourceful and discerning, the perfect companion and patient teacher for an abandoned young girl. For her part Mrs. Oishi discovered that Parker had been abundantly endowed with a fine mind and talking to her despite her youth was extremely easy and enjoyable. The two quickly formed a relationship that would last a lifetime.
After dinner, Parker was just about to get ready to take a hot bath and sink into bed when she happened to look out and see Mrs. Oishi exercising in the garden. Her movements were slow and fluid and the grace she exhibited made Parker want to emulate her. After watching for a few minutes, Parker attempted to imitate the movements and realizing how clumsy her efforts were now, she vowed to continue to practice until she reached Mrs. Oishi's proficiency.
Franconia, NH
2 days ago-Present day
When the two men returned home, they announced to the newly reunited family that they had brought a guest with them. While Jarod was busy retrieving Miss Parker from the truck his family immediately started a heated discussion after the Major announced the identity of their guest. He had agreed to be the one to break the news to their family since he had been the one who insisted on bringing her along.
"I completely understand how you feel. The Parkers have been responsible for most of the misery in this family; this particular Parker included. Margaret, she saved my life, not once but three times. I can't turn my back on that and I want to know why she did it and why it seemed so damned important to her to return when she knew they would probably kill her," the Major argued forcefully.
Before anyone could say anything, Ethan spoke up, "We can put her in my room. She should be comfortable there. I'll stay with her and look out for her, after all she is my sister."
Ethan's tone was softly defensive and vaguely remonstrative of his father and Margaret's argument. His sister had also been a victim of her own family's manipulation.
"Ethan, I'm sorry if I sounded callous. You're sister has been chasing Jarod for the past 5 years. Her pursuit has made his life as well as the rest of our lives miserable. I can't just sweep that aside because your father is feeling obligated," Margaret said gently.
"She's been manipulated, lied to and used just like the rest of us. Why not put the blame on the two men who are really responsible for this? Her father used all of us, including her. Her father and Uncle are the real culprits, she's just another victim." Ethan had become animated and angry during his short speech. When he realized the vehemence of emotions swirling within him, he shyly averted his eyes.
At that moment, Jarod finally reappeared holding a limp and unconscious Parker in his arms. Her usually pale complexion was ghostly now and the large bandage Jarod used to cover the wound on her head made her look even worse. Margaret having only briefly seen her on the island off Scotland was taken aback again by her resemblance to Catherine Parker. Miss Parker was a perfect replica of her mother and this along with her condition stirred Margaret's emotions and softened her previous attitude.
"Oh, my Lord! Jarod are you sure she's going to be alright?" Concern enveloped his mother's features.
"Don't worry, she's just got a nasty bash on the head. She'll probably be awake and feisty in the morning," Jarod said almost cheerfully.
"Here, put her on the couch, where I can keep an eye on her. We can move her to one of the bedrooms when she wakes up and we're sure everything is alright."
Nodding his acquiescence, Jarod dutifully deposited Miss Parker on the couch. He was very gentle with her and arranged her body in a more comfortable position.
"Why are her hands taped?" Emily asked with a furrowed brow.
"We weren't sure if she was going to wake up on the way here. It was just a precaution, Jarod didn't believe she would be too happy or cooperative after getting hit on the head," the Major said a bit sheepishly.
"Yeah, well if I were her, I wouldn't be too happy about it either. My only other question is, where are the rest of her clothes? I doubt she walked out of the house dressed like that," Emily said taking careful note of the lacy camisole and Trent's fascination with it.
"You're right. Dad came up with the idea to fake her death. Since she was already bleeding profusely, he used her shirt and blazer to stop the bleeding. I wrapped some of her clothes around an incendiary bomb. The blast was deafening and I'm fairly sure they will be convinced of her death. It's the kind of poetic justice they deserve."
"You faked her death, Dad? I guess that's one way of paying her back for saving your life," Trent, formally known as Gemini—Jarod's clone, said with a small smile.
"I want to see how she reacts to the opportunity of never having to return to the Centre. I'm hoping to get a more accurate read as to why she saved me," the Major said pensively.
Margaret returned to the room, cut the tape from Parker's wrists, gently pulled her unconscious body upright and started to struggle to put a large Pendleton on her. With Emily's help the two women had Parker more decently clad and once more comfortably resting on the couch. Emily quietly secured Parker's wrists again, this time much more loosely. The object being to prevent the woman from trying to escape before they could get the answers they wanted.
The following afternoon, Parker slowly regained consciousness. She first became aware of a brilliant light shining in her eyes and the sounds of birds singing nearby. Disorientated, she thought she was back in Sensei Otsu's compound and late for her next lesson. Springing to an upright position, she was greeted with a wave of pain followed eagerly by a miasma of nausea. Groaning loudly she attempted to reach up to hold her head and curiously found her wrists bound together with duct tape. Thinking Eiji was playing a nasty trick on her she struggled to recall how she got in this predicament.
"Hey, you're awake. How are you feeling?" Ethan asked gently. "Jarod, she's awake!!"
Still in the grips of memory and not understanding what was going on Parker looked up in confusion and asked in Japanese, "what's going on? Why am I tied up?"
Four people immediately poured into the room at Ethan's pronouncement. Jarod was standing just behind his parents as Parker repeated her questions in Japanese. Realizing that this might be the result of a mild concussion, Jarod answered her in the same language. "You were injured when you hit your head in Pennsylvania yesterday. How are you feeling?"
"In Pennsylvania? What am I doing there? Why am I tied up, is this some sort of prank?"
Still speaking fluent Japanese, Jarod said, "You were waiting for me to show up at the Centre's biotech facility in northern Pennsylvania. Raines had set a trap and sent you to retrieve me. Is it coming back to you? Take it easy, there's no rush."
"What's going on, what are they saying?" Emily asked as she joined the others and hearing them speaking in Japanese.
"Miss Parker woke up speaking nothing but Japanese. She's just a bit disorientated," Trent informed in a whisper.
"You're tied up because we were afraid that you would be eager to leave and we wanted to talk to you before we let you go," Jarod continued.
"Oh, I was just dreaming then," Parker said, unaware that she was still speaking in Japanese. Putting her head down to her tied hands she groaned softly, valiantly trying to control the returning bout of nausea.
Placing a hand gently on her shoulder, Jarod said, "Try leaning back and relaxing. It'll help with the nausea. I think you might have a slight concussion."
Turning to his father, Jarod switched back to English and asked, "Would you mind getting 2 aspirin for her?"
"No problem," the major said as he left to get the medicine and some water.
"Is the nausea getting any worse? Should I get a bucket for you?" Jarod asked as her complexion began to take on a greenish tint.
Breathing deeply several times she replied, "No, I think I have it under control now. Besides, I doubt there is anything in my stomach."
After a short pause, Parker said, "I think I remember now. I was walking away and you're father attacked me. Why did he do that?"
"I didn't attack you, I was trying to stop you from returning to the waiting arms of the Centre. Which is one of the two questions I have for you," the Major replied. He had returned from getting the glass of cold water and aspirin. He understood what she was saying even if he could only respond in broken Japanese.
"Maybe we should wait until she's feeling a bit better before giving her a battery of questions to answer. With the size headache I suspect she's sporting right now, I think a little rest is in order," Jarod commented protectively.
Margaret furrowed her brow at Jarod's concern. Not at the fact that he was being kind but at the depth of his concern. A proprietary note had crept into his voice and it was obvious from his attitude and the way he was looking at her that Miss Parker meant a great deal to him. Margaret wasn't the only one to notice this but no one said a word to Jarod.
Rising from his seat on the low living room table, Jarod touched Miss Parker's elbow, then gently taking hold of both her arms he lifted her to a standing position and slowly walked her to her prearranged temporary quarters: Ethan's room.
Later the same day, Miss Parker woke with a much clearer head but the pain from the injury remained with her and the nausea, while for the most part had abated was still there. Rising into a seated position on the bed, Parker looked down and noted with wry amusement that her hands were still duct taped together. Walking out of the room, Parker followed the delicious scent of well- prepared food cooking.
Jarod looked up from the large ham he was basting to see Parker walk into the living room from Ethan's bedroom. Her appearance was disheveled at best; her hair was messy, her makeup was mussed and the Pendleton didn't match her expensive wool slacks. Smiling at her look, Jarod asked, "So how are you feeling now Miss Parker?"
"Better thank you. I would like to freshen up but it seems that I'm all tied up," she replied holding up her bound hands.
Growing still Jarod instantly became serious. "If I free your hands, will you give me your word not run?"
Sighing in frustrated exasperation she replied, "Yes, but only if you can give me some fresh clothes to wear."
Taking one of the knives from the drawer, Jarod walked up to her and staring in her eyes, he swiftly cut the tape releasing her hands.
Returning his glare she asked, "Good, so where do I freshen up and I'll be needing those clothes now."
Frowning slightly, Jarod walked over to the couch and retrieved a small bundle of clothing Emily had brought for Parker and handed them to her. He nodded to the hallway behind her. When Parker stepped aside, Jarod led her to the bathroom and gave her a stern look meant to remind her of her promise.
"Don't worry, Genius, I'm not going anywhere. I have too many questions to just leave without getting any answers. By the way, why are we speaking in Japanese?"
Her puzzled expression caused Jarod to laugh in genuine amusement.