Chapter 3
Whispering voices drifted in the small current of air that entered through the moonlit window. The voices did not come from outside, but seemed to come from a larger room in the house. Sanosuke heard these silent wonderers in his sleep, but his eyes did not react until one voice mentioned the name of his beloved deceased leader. His body sat up at lighting speed and turned to the gaping sliding door, the two thick sheets that covered him sliding down his naked chest. He crawled slowly across the cold wooden floor and looked through the small fissure.
A man and woman sat facing each other. Sanosuke recognized the man as Shunzo, but the woman he had never seen before. (Note to reader: Sagara Shunzo helped his son occasionally and was familiar with every member of the Sekihou Tai. His wife and daughter were never allowed to show their faces in case a spy had infiltrated the army.) He supposed it was Captain Sagara's mother, but he wasn't certain for he had never seen her face before.
" Anata, it was his choice. The only thing we can do now is take care of the Lost One," the woman whispered. Now Sanosuke was sure that the woman was Shunzo's wife.
" If he only listened. Had I not taught him as a sensei and as a father to watch his step? Had I not told him the enemy is treacherous and can trick the mind easily?" Tears streamed down Shunzo's cheeks; unable to stop his despair and sorrow from showing. Sagara Hanako, easily touched by her husband's tears, sat herself beside his and wrapped her trembling hands around him. She joined his mourning silently, burying her face in her husband's silky black hair. Shunzo cradled himself against his wife and rested his head against her bosom like a suckling child. The two senior lovers still had the same passion between them like when they first met. Shunzo began to hear sobs, and believing his wife was the one causing them, he looked up at her. Hanako heard the same puzzling sound and looked down at her husband. Both confused as they were, Hanako stood and walked to the cracked door that Sanosuke was in. Sanosuke placed both hands over his mouth to stop his sobbing and woes of crying, but it didn't work. The woman had opened the door fully and revealed the tear-stricken boy. Shunzo looked at the young child and cleared his throat. He motioned for him to come take a sit next to him, and Sanosuke rose and obeyed.
" Listen carefully," Shunzo whispered, " you must not tell anyone of the deaths of your fellow comrades nor what you saw of your captain."
"But how-" Shunzo placed a finger over Sanosuke's lips to silence him.
"You spoke in your sleep. You have already told me the whole story," Shunzo replied in a calm, composed tone. Hanako then took the chance to take her place across her husband and pour some tea for the two men.
"I found you on my way back home from the village," the sensei continued, "You thought I was my son and came to me before fainting at my feet. I brought you here and my wife healed the fever that burned your skin." Shunzo sighed once more and took a small sip of his tea.
"You must listen carefully now," Hanako spoke for her grieved husband, "your life is in danger from this moment on. You must not tell a soul about what you encountered nor what you were involved in. From now on you are Sagara Sanosuke, our distant 5th cousin that has come to live with us from a remote village outside of Kyoto. Your parents died recently of a plague. A Western doctor found you and cured you of the disease you caught from them, which would explain the paleness of your skin. This nameless doctor then left you with your aunt in Kyoto, who he tracked down, and your aunt sent you to us. This is the lie you will live by for the rest of your life."
" Our last child." Shunzo whispered in pain. Hanako nodded and placed her hand on her husband's shoulder.
" Our last child, Hikaru, is unaware of you. It is best you do not tell her the truth. She is too young to understand death. Also, do not mention about what happened in the square to her. She held Souzo, may Izanami guide him, very highly and loved her oniisan with such passion. As far as she knows, Souzo died bravely in battle protecting his men. She does not need to know more." Hanako stood and placed her hand on Sanosuke's shoulder as in acceptance. "Go back to sleep. We will speak in the morning." And with that, she kissed him on the forehead in Western manner and retrieved herself from the room.
Shunzo looked at Sanosuke with dead eyes as the boy stood and walked silently back to his room. Sanosuke turned before closing his door and bowed to his new uncle.
"Arigatou, ojiki," He bowed once more and closed the door. He layed back down on the mat and placed the thick sheets over his body, ready to sleep. Sanosuke smiled and closed his eyes. His dream had come true after all. He had taken the last name of his leader.
Whispering voices drifted in the small current of air that entered through the moonlit window. The voices did not come from outside, but seemed to come from a larger room in the house. Sanosuke heard these silent wonderers in his sleep, but his eyes did not react until one voice mentioned the name of his beloved deceased leader. His body sat up at lighting speed and turned to the gaping sliding door, the two thick sheets that covered him sliding down his naked chest. He crawled slowly across the cold wooden floor and looked through the small fissure.
A man and woman sat facing each other. Sanosuke recognized the man as Shunzo, but the woman he had never seen before. (Note to reader: Sagara Shunzo helped his son occasionally and was familiar with every member of the Sekihou Tai. His wife and daughter were never allowed to show their faces in case a spy had infiltrated the army.) He supposed it was Captain Sagara's mother, but he wasn't certain for he had never seen her face before.
" Anata, it was his choice. The only thing we can do now is take care of the Lost One," the woman whispered. Now Sanosuke was sure that the woman was Shunzo's wife.
" If he only listened. Had I not taught him as a sensei and as a father to watch his step? Had I not told him the enemy is treacherous and can trick the mind easily?" Tears streamed down Shunzo's cheeks; unable to stop his despair and sorrow from showing. Sagara Hanako, easily touched by her husband's tears, sat herself beside his and wrapped her trembling hands around him. She joined his mourning silently, burying her face in her husband's silky black hair. Shunzo cradled himself against his wife and rested his head against her bosom like a suckling child. The two senior lovers still had the same passion between them like when they first met. Shunzo began to hear sobs, and believing his wife was the one causing them, he looked up at her. Hanako heard the same puzzling sound and looked down at her husband. Both confused as they were, Hanako stood and walked to the cracked door that Sanosuke was in. Sanosuke placed both hands over his mouth to stop his sobbing and woes of crying, but it didn't work. The woman had opened the door fully and revealed the tear-stricken boy. Shunzo looked at the young child and cleared his throat. He motioned for him to come take a sit next to him, and Sanosuke rose and obeyed.
" Listen carefully," Shunzo whispered, " you must not tell anyone of the deaths of your fellow comrades nor what you saw of your captain."
"But how-" Shunzo placed a finger over Sanosuke's lips to silence him.
"You spoke in your sleep. You have already told me the whole story," Shunzo replied in a calm, composed tone. Hanako then took the chance to take her place across her husband and pour some tea for the two men.
"I found you on my way back home from the village," the sensei continued, "You thought I was my son and came to me before fainting at my feet. I brought you here and my wife healed the fever that burned your skin." Shunzo sighed once more and took a small sip of his tea.
"You must listen carefully now," Hanako spoke for her grieved husband, "your life is in danger from this moment on. You must not tell a soul about what you encountered nor what you were involved in. From now on you are Sagara Sanosuke, our distant 5th cousin that has come to live with us from a remote village outside of Kyoto. Your parents died recently of a plague. A Western doctor found you and cured you of the disease you caught from them, which would explain the paleness of your skin. This nameless doctor then left you with your aunt in Kyoto, who he tracked down, and your aunt sent you to us. This is the lie you will live by for the rest of your life."
" Our last child." Shunzo whispered in pain. Hanako nodded and placed her hand on her husband's shoulder.
" Our last child, Hikaru, is unaware of you. It is best you do not tell her the truth. She is too young to understand death. Also, do not mention about what happened in the square to her. She held Souzo, may Izanami guide him, very highly and loved her oniisan with such passion. As far as she knows, Souzo died bravely in battle protecting his men. She does not need to know more." Hanako stood and placed her hand on Sanosuke's shoulder as in acceptance. "Go back to sleep. We will speak in the morning." And with that, she kissed him on the forehead in Western manner and retrieved herself from the room.
Shunzo looked at Sanosuke with dead eyes as the boy stood and walked silently back to his room. Sanosuke turned before closing his door and bowed to his new uncle.
"Arigatou, ojiki," He bowed once more and closed the door. He layed back down on the mat and placed the thick sheets over his body, ready to sleep. Sanosuke smiled and closed his eyes. His dream had come true after all. He had taken the last name of his leader.