Chapter 1
As an actress, I'm literally swamped with work from head to toe. You'd think that I would get it easy, you know, being a multi-millionaire and all. Miss Kamiya Kaoru, legendary actress, mother of two beautiful children, grandmother of four and a devoted wife to none other than my agent: Yukishiro Enishi. We've lived a blissful 42 years together, Enishi and I. We married shortly after my big break. I was 26 at the time. We've been in love all this time, even when through the toughest days when reporters finally dug up the dirt on me. I love him with all my heart for supporting me and remaining loyal.
The older I get, the more everyone seems to be sucking up to me. Vultures; all they want is to be written into the will. Distant relations, friends from elementary school and even the mailman. God, please take me away. I'm getting old. I've lived for 68 years; that's longer than I ever expected.
My grandchildren are staying with me at the mansion for the next two weeks, all four of them. I've sent my two children, Yahiko and Tomoe, along with their spouses to an all expenses paid trip to Hawaii and Italy respectively. They needed a break. They are raising teenagers, and we all know how stressful that is.
Sanosuke is the first one to greet me in the mornings, always. He's still a kid at heart, no matter how much he denies it. He's the youngest of them; 12. Then is Megumi who is 14, and then the twins, both 16, Kenji and Kenshin. Kenshin.
I still can't believe that my daughter decided to name one of the twins Kenshin. She said it was a tribute to the Kenshin of my past. I nearly wept, both in joy and in pain. She told me that the story that I had I told her years ago really struck her. She said that this man was very likely to be a god damned saint. He was more than that, honey. Much more.
Sano runs into my room and gently shakes me awake. "Kaoru granny, tell me a story," he says. So I tell him about one of my movies, "Damsels". He seems to like it a lot. I'm glad. One of my maids enters my bedroom. She bows and tells me that Mrs. Rama is here for my interview. The last interview of my life, I call it. Sano leads me downstairs along with the maid. The other children hear the noise and run down to meet Mrs. Rama and me.
"They're lovely children."
"Thank you."
"Grandchildren?"
"Yes. They are staying with me for the next two weeks."
"You must be a saint to your children."
"Ha ha ha, well, I do try."
"What are their names?"
"This one is Sanosuke and that one is Megumi. They are Yahiko's. And there re Tomoe's, the twins Kenji and Kenshin."
"Kenshin?"
"Yes."
"Mrs. Kamiya-"
"Please, just Kaoru."
"Okay then. Kaoru, will you please tell us, TeleNews, your story about him again?"
"Oh no, I just couldn't. It's just too long and I don't wish to bore you."
"No, no, please!"
"Please, Kaoru granny? Come on, we're old enough to hear it!"
"Yeah!"
I laugh. "Seems like I'm out-voted. Okay, gather around kids. Sano, stop chewing on that fishbone. Where'd you get that from anyway? Megumi, stop tormenting Kenshin and Sano. Kenji, Kenji... Come sit on my lap. Do you have the camera rolling? Okay. This was more than 48 years ago..."