Chapter 8- Visit to the Grave
It was a beautiful summer evening when Aoshi left the Aoiya, off to one of his "secret places" as Genichi learned to call it. But unlike the countless times before when the boy would watch his father depart for the woods, he wasn't content to just stay there.
"Okon-san, where does Papa go?" he ventured to ask Okon as she headed for the kitchen.
She froze, trying to think of something. "Uh.well Genichi.your father went to.go visit someone."
"Why doesn't he take me with him?" he asked.
"How can I explain this to a 5-year-old?" the woman thought. But she answered anyway. "Your father will take you there when he thinks you are ready."
Genichi cocked his head to one side. "Not ready? Do I have to get strong and fight the people? Because I've been training and I think I'm pretty strong now!"
Okon wanted to slap herself on the forehead. "No, it's not that."
"Papa! Hey Papa wait up!" Too late it was as the child rocketed out the Aoiya door and dashed off down the dirt road.
Okon was about to go after him. "Genichi wait!" But then, she thought better of it and proceeded for the kitchen once again.
Genichi didn't have to run far as he soon came to the woods. A rush of excitement filled his small form. Never before had he been in this area alone before. He increased his speed down the leaf-covered trail, hoping to spot Aoshi. It wasn't long before he did.
He came to a stop at a sun-lit clearing and gasped. Five large stones stood up from the long grass, small lumps of soil beneath them. Genichi spotted his father kneeling before the furthest one. Aoshi, apparently oblivious to his son's presence, kept his head bowed low, simply staring at the stone before him. Time seemed frozen for a long moment, but then it was interrupted by a voice. "I was wondering when you would follow me."
Suddenly feeling a little nervous, Genichi stepped out into the open. Aoshi slowly lifted his head towards him, eyes hidden by his long black bangs. A slight nod permitted the child to come scurrying over.
Genichi bowed shamefully. "I'm sorry, Papa. I just wanted to know who you were visiting!"
Aoshi turned his rocky gaze back towards the stones. "These are the people I visit." He answered softly.
"But Papa, they're." he knew not to finish as a flash of anger erupted in Aoshi's nearly invisible eyes.
"Even when a person dies, one can still visit them, Genichi."
The boy sat down beside his father in the grass. "Who are they?"
Aoshi pointed to each of the four in the back. "Hanya, Hyotokko, Beshimi, and Shikijou are who sleep in those graves."
"Hey, weren't those your friends a long time ago, Papa?" Genichi loved to hear stories about Aoshi's past and the old members of the Oniwabanshuu.
Taking his hint to explain, Aoshi shifted into a more comfortable sitting position and drew in a deep breath. "These four were some of the strongest of warriors. Hanya was an extremely loyal follower and a very talented fighter who fought in the style of kempo."
"Was he the one with the mask?" Genichi asked.
"Hai, he wore a mask to cover his badly burned face." Aoshi told him. "Hyotokko was actually a giant and fought with his incredible strength. He could also shoot fire from his mouth."
Genichi's eyes widened. "But I thought dragons only spat fire! Was he part dragon too?"
Aoshi suppressed a chuckle. "No, he kept oil in his mouth to light the fire."
"Oh,"
"Beshimi was also a very loyal fighter of the Oniwabanshuu." Aoshi continued as his son listened attentively. "He was smaller than the others and could therefore move very fast. He used agility to win fights." He gazed over at the fourth gravestone. "And Shikijou used to be one of my foes, but eventually joined the Oniwabanshuu. He also used his strength to win battles, but with a ball and chain to aid him."
The boy was fascinated. He only wished he could have met them himself, but this brought him to the next question. "What happened to them, Papa?"
Aoshi was silent for a long moment, his face turned away from his son. He seemed to be summing up his answer. Before Genichi decided to ask again, he spoke. "They died protecting me, Genichi. The person we worked for became our own enemy. He would have shot me, but Hanya, Hyottoko, Beshimi, and Shikijou.they were shot instead."
Genichi gasped, noting the pained look Aoshi had on his face, even though it was partially hidden from his view. He crawled up onto his father's lap and hugged him. "I'm sorry, Papa. I didn't mean to make you sad."
Aoshi shoved the pain back down and slowly tousled the boy's hair. "I'm fine." They were both silent for a long moment, the only sound being that of the breeze rustling the leaves overhead, along with the occasional call of the shrikes and thrushes. Then, the okashira took in another deep breath. "Genichi, there is one last grave I haven't told you about.your mother's."
The child's head snapped up in shock. "My.mother?"
Nodding, Aoshi pointed towards the grave closest to them. "There she is."
Genichi stared at the small rock, the tiniest compared to the other grave marks. His eyes lit up and darkened at the same time. His mother, the mother he'd never even known, lay there beneath the grass. "What was her name, Papa?" he asked, eyes glued to the spot.
"Her name was Misao." He told him, finding himself smiling fondly at the sound of her name. "She was also an Oniwaban member. One of our best fighters, actually."
"Was she pretty?"
Aoshi nodded. "Hai, she was. She was the most beautiful onna I had ever seen." He was shocked at how tenderly he'd answered Genichi. It was completely out-of character for him. It must just have been her effect on him.
Genichi nodded, a small smile playing upon his childish features. He was about to ask why he never met her, why he didn't remember her. But a glance at Aoshi's unusually emotion-filled face stopped him. Instead, he tried to imagine her as he stared at her stone. He could see her now, much to his amazement. "I see her, Papa! She's smiling at us!"
Aoshi's eyebrows lifted. What was his son talking about? The boy was grinning from ear to ear now. "Wow, Papa! She is beautiful! She has black hair and blue eyes like you and me! She's my mother!"
It must just be his imagination. Aoshi thought, standing up. "Alright Genichi, it's time to go."
"Hai, Papa!" Genichi turned to follow him, but stopped to bow. "Goodbye, Mother. And Oniwaban people!"
As he darted back into the woods, Aoshi hesitated. Ice blue eyes found the graves once more, the resting place of his family. For a moment he felt a familiar stab of guilt and sadness.
"Come on Papa!"
But the sound of that squeaky, cheerful voice caused him to shake his head and continue forward.
Little did he realize that he and his son were being watched.
It was a beautiful summer evening when Aoshi left the Aoiya, off to one of his "secret places" as Genichi learned to call it. But unlike the countless times before when the boy would watch his father depart for the woods, he wasn't content to just stay there.
"Okon-san, where does Papa go?" he ventured to ask Okon as she headed for the kitchen.
She froze, trying to think of something. "Uh.well Genichi.your father went to.go visit someone."
"Why doesn't he take me with him?" he asked.
"How can I explain this to a 5-year-old?" the woman thought. But she answered anyway. "Your father will take you there when he thinks you are ready."
Genichi cocked his head to one side. "Not ready? Do I have to get strong and fight the people? Because I've been training and I think I'm pretty strong now!"
Okon wanted to slap herself on the forehead. "No, it's not that."
"Papa! Hey Papa wait up!" Too late it was as the child rocketed out the Aoiya door and dashed off down the dirt road.
Okon was about to go after him. "Genichi wait!" But then, she thought better of it and proceeded for the kitchen once again.
Genichi didn't have to run far as he soon came to the woods. A rush of excitement filled his small form. Never before had he been in this area alone before. He increased his speed down the leaf-covered trail, hoping to spot Aoshi. It wasn't long before he did.
He came to a stop at a sun-lit clearing and gasped. Five large stones stood up from the long grass, small lumps of soil beneath them. Genichi spotted his father kneeling before the furthest one. Aoshi, apparently oblivious to his son's presence, kept his head bowed low, simply staring at the stone before him. Time seemed frozen for a long moment, but then it was interrupted by a voice. "I was wondering when you would follow me."
Suddenly feeling a little nervous, Genichi stepped out into the open. Aoshi slowly lifted his head towards him, eyes hidden by his long black bangs. A slight nod permitted the child to come scurrying over.
Genichi bowed shamefully. "I'm sorry, Papa. I just wanted to know who you were visiting!"
Aoshi turned his rocky gaze back towards the stones. "These are the people I visit." He answered softly.
"But Papa, they're." he knew not to finish as a flash of anger erupted in Aoshi's nearly invisible eyes.
"Even when a person dies, one can still visit them, Genichi."
The boy sat down beside his father in the grass. "Who are they?"
Aoshi pointed to each of the four in the back. "Hanya, Hyotokko, Beshimi, and Shikijou are who sleep in those graves."
"Hey, weren't those your friends a long time ago, Papa?" Genichi loved to hear stories about Aoshi's past and the old members of the Oniwabanshuu.
Taking his hint to explain, Aoshi shifted into a more comfortable sitting position and drew in a deep breath. "These four were some of the strongest of warriors. Hanya was an extremely loyal follower and a very talented fighter who fought in the style of kempo."
"Was he the one with the mask?" Genichi asked.
"Hai, he wore a mask to cover his badly burned face." Aoshi told him. "Hyotokko was actually a giant and fought with his incredible strength. He could also shoot fire from his mouth."
Genichi's eyes widened. "But I thought dragons only spat fire! Was he part dragon too?"
Aoshi suppressed a chuckle. "No, he kept oil in his mouth to light the fire."
"Oh,"
"Beshimi was also a very loyal fighter of the Oniwabanshuu." Aoshi continued as his son listened attentively. "He was smaller than the others and could therefore move very fast. He used agility to win fights." He gazed over at the fourth gravestone. "And Shikijou used to be one of my foes, but eventually joined the Oniwabanshuu. He also used his strength to win battles, but with a ball and chain to aid him."
The boy was fascinated. He only wished he could have met them himself, but this brought him to the next question. "What happened to them, Papa?"
Aoshi was silent for a long moment, his face turned away from his son. He seemed to be summing up his answer. Before Genichi decided to ask again, he spoke. "They died protecting me, Genichi. The person we worked for became our own enemy. He would have shot me, but Hanya, Hyottoko, Beshimi, and Shikijou.they were shot instead."
Genichi gasped, noting the pained look Aoshi had on his face, even though it was partially hidden from his view. He crawled up onto his father's lap and hugged him. "I'm sorry, Papa. I didn't mean to make you sad."
Aoshi shoved the pain back down and slowly tousled the boy's hair. "I'm fine." They were both silent for a long moment, the only sound being that of the breeze rustling the leaves overhead, along with the occasional call of the shrikes and thrushes. Then, the okashira took in another deep breath. "Genichi, there is one last grave I haven't told you about.your mother's."
The child's head snapped up in shock. "My.mother?"
Nodding, Aoshi pointed towards the grave closest to them. "There she is."
Genichi stared at the small rock, the tiniest compared to the other grave marks. His eyes lit up and darkened at the same time. His mother, the mother he'd never even known, lay there beneath the grass. "What was her name, Papa?" he asked, eyes glued to the spot.
"Her name was Misao." He told him, finding himself smiling fondly at the sound of her name. "She was also an Oniwaban member. One of our best fighters, actually."
"Was she pretty?"
Aoshi nodded. "Hai, she was. She was the most beautiful onna I had ever seen." He was shocked at how tenderly he'd answered Genichi. It was completely out-of character for him. It must just have been her effect on him.
Genichi nodded, a small smile playing upon his childish features. He was about to ask why he never met her, why he didn't remember her. But a glance at Aoshi's unusually emotion-filled face stopped him. Instead, he tried to imagine her as he stared at her stone. He could see her now, much to his amazement. "I see her, Papa! She's smiling at us!"
Aoshi's eyebrows lifted. What was his son talking about? The boy was grinning from ear to ear now. "Wow, Papa! She is beautiful! She has black hair and blue eyes like you and me! She's my mother!"
It must just be his imagination. Aoshi thought, standing up. "Alright Genichi, it's time to go."
"Hai, Papa!" Genichi turned to follow him, but stopped to bow. "Goodbye, Mother. And Oniwaban people!"
As he darted back into the woods, Aoshi hesitated. Ice blue eyes found the graves once more, the resting place of his family. For a moment he felt a familiar stab of guilt and sadness.
"Come on Papa!"
But the sound of that squeaky, cheerful voice caused him to shake his head and continue forward.
Little did he realize that he and his son were being watched.
