I thought I could get back to writing but, no! I still have a lot of
parties to attend to. I'm so sorry for the delay. I got the info from
different sources but the most reliable one is at
http://www.geocities.com/meowcarrot/gumi.html and other Japanese books.
I admit, I guessed their ages then but, I still have no info on that. It's quite hard to come by. I can't let that clash with my other research - for the school that is.
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The journey to the next town was monotonous and silent. All Okita could see were trees, the dirt road, rocks and the other carriages. Most of the passengers were either asleep or singing enka - some sounding worse than a cat getting his tail stepped on. He never really tried to sing it but he knows he couldn't since his family was never musically inclined, so he guessed he wasn't either. Saito and Toshizo were forced to awaken whenever a cart with enka-singing samurais were near as much as they wanted to continue sleeping.
Souji heard from other peddlers that Kyoto was a grand place with shrines and temples by the tens. It was always a busy town with the people's lanterns and lamps always glowing in the night. There was nothing for him to do but sit in his place and find his own way to pass the time because he had heard that if they would not reach their destination by nightfall, they would be camping for the night and continue their journey by morning.
When Souji shifted in his seat, he felt something inside his haori that he forgot to remove. He reached in and found a paper ball. It was late last night that he came by a boy who was stuck in the tallest sakura tree trying to get his toy. No one noticed it since it was the outskirts of town and most had retired to their rooms.
"Anyone, help me!" the boy cried out, "Onii-san, please help me. I can't get down!" he called upon him as he passed by.
Souji looked up with a smile on his face but it was not seen by the kid for his features were hidden by an overcast shadow. The boy gasped. Although he couldn't see his face clearly, he knew it was Souji for his distinctive air and built. "I'll get you down." He called up, "Don't fall until I get there, OK?"
Before the child could respond, Souji was already halfway up the branch where he sat stuck. And in almost an instant, he found himself in the older boy's arms and, with a jump, was on the ground. He settled the boy n the ground and patted his head. It was only then that the boy realized that the person he once knew was the most serious of all in the fief was smiling genuinely at him.
"Why were you up there?" Souji started to ask, "How long have you been waiting and wailing for someone to help you?"
"Ever since after dinner." The boy admitted, "I was invited by my friends to play but then there were two bullies who suddenly came and snatched our toy. The others ran but I didn't because my mother gave it to me. But then, they put it up there and when I got it, I couldn't get down."
"How many were you and the bullies?"
"We were eight and the bullies were three." The boy said as he held back a tear.
"I see. The next time those bullies come," he told the boy without a slight quaver in his smile, "Stand up to them along with your friends because sometimes, the best way to win and succeed is to be together. You're more than they are, so why are you afraid? It should be them who are afraid of you because you can help each other beat them, right?"
The kid nodded and sounded happy and honored at the presence of one of the best, if not the best swordsman he ever knew. "Okita-san, thank you. I believe in what you say and I want you to know that I want to be like you and you look better when you smile." The boy approached him and placed the paper ball in his hands. "I want to give this to you so that you will remember me someday."
Souji eyed the kid that ran quickly down the street and then on the ball that was given to him. He eyed the deflated ball just as he was eying it in the carriage. [So that you will remember me someday...] the thought ran in Souji's head. [Will I ever see him again? Even after the war? Will it be over?] The sudden bump on the road suddenly jerked him out of his thoughts and looked up to see his traveling companions. They were still both asleep. A huge sweat drop formed behind his head.
Again, he stared at the flat, but colorful ball in his hands. The last time he was able to touch one of those was when he was a mere seven years old...thirteen years ago. It was too long. [Perhaps Hajime-san was right; I had wasted my youth for something like this. A war.] He now doubted, himself, if service to the government and being renowned as one of the best was any consolation for the lost time; the time he should have spent in childhood. He thought he could have waited at least five more years before he trained as rigorously as he did.
He shook his head. [Now is not the time for regrets.]
He blew up the paper ball and deftly played with it even at the crowded space they had. For the first time in his entire life as a swordsman, he felt lighthearted and relaxed. He didn't even care when other swordsmen from the other coaches saw him. All he knew was, he was going to get the rest of his childhood back.
His two companions eyed him in askance and the ball was tossed without warning to Toshizo without him realizing that he returned it. Souji laughed and Saito found it quite amusing. Before the 3rd squad captain realized it, the ball was toward his direction and it landed on his face. Both Toshizo and Okita laughed and Saito returned the ball with a grunt. Soon, the three of them were playing and became either the envy or the show of the other Shinsengumi.
=8=8=8=8=8=8=
The only reason I had written this is because I'm sick and I did not attend the party I was supposed to attend to.
I admit, I guessed their ages then but, I still have no info on that. It's quite hard to come by. I can't let that clash with my other research - for the school that is.
=8=8=8=8=8=8=
The journey to the next town was monotonous and silent. All Okita could see were trees, the dirt road, rocks and the other carriages. Most of the passengers were either asleep or singing enka - some sounding worse than a cat getting his tail stepped on. He never really tried to sing it but he knows he couldn't since his family was never musically inclined, so he guessed he wasn't either. Saito and Toshizo were forced to awaken whenever a cart with enka-singing samurais were near as much as they wanted to continue sleeping.
Souji heard from other peddlers that Kyoto was a grand place with shrines and temples by the tens. It was always a busy town with the people's lanterns and lamps always glowing in the night. There was nothing for him to do but sit in his place and find his own way to pass the time because he had heard that if they would not reach their destination by nightfall, they would be camping for the night and continue their journey by morning.
When Souji shifted in his seat, he felt something inside his haori that he forgot to remove. He reached in and found a paper ball. It was late last night that he came by a boy who was stuck in the tallest sakura tree trying to get his toy. No one noticed it since it was the outskirts of town and most had retired to their rooms.
"Anyone, help me!" the boy cried out, "Onii-san, please help me. I can't get down!" he called upon him as he passed by.
Souji looked up with a smile on his face but it was not seen by the kid for his features were hidden by an overcast shadow. The boy gasped. Although he couldn't see his face clearly, he knew it was Souji for his distinctive air and built. "I'll get you down." He called up, "Don't fall until I get there, OK?"
Before the child could respond, Souji was already halfway up the branch where he sat stuck. And in almost an instant, he found himself in the older boy's arms and, with a jump, was on the ground. He settled the boy n the ground and patted his head. It was only then that the boy realized that the person he once knew was the most serious of all in the fief was smiling genuinely at him.
"Why were you up there?" Souji started to ask, "How long have you been waiting and wailing for someone to help you?"
"Ever since after dinner." The boy admitted, "I was invited by my friends to play but then there were two bullies who suddenly came and snatched our toy. The others ran but I didn't because my mother gave it to me. But then, they put it up there and when I got it, I couldn't get down."
"How many were you and the bullies?"
"We were eight and the bullies were three." The boy said as he held back a tear.
"I see. The next time those bullies come," he told the boy without a slight quaver in his smile, "Stand up to them along with your friends because sometimes, the best way to win and succeed is to be together. You're more than they are, so why are you afraid? It should be them who are afraid of you because you can help each other beat them, right?"
The kid nodded and sounded happy and honored at the presence of one of the best, if not the best swordsman he ever knew. "Okita-san, thank you. I believe in what you say and I want you to know that I want to be like you and you look better when you smile." The boy approached him and placed the paper ball in his hands. "I want to give this to you so that you will remember me someday."
Souji eyed the kid that ran quickly down the street and then on the ball that was given to him. He eyed the deflated ball just as he was eying it in the carriage. [So that you will remember me someday...] the thought ran in Souji's head. [Will I ever see him again? Even after the war? Will it be over?] The sudden bump on the road suddenly jerked him out of his thoughts and looked up to see his traveling companions. They were still both asleep. A huge sweat drop formed behind his head.
Again, he stared at the flat, but colorful ball in his hands. The last time he was able to touch one of those was when he was a mere seven years old...thirteen years ago. It was too long. [Perhaps Hajime-san was right; I had wasted my youth for something like this. A war.] He now doubted, himself, if service to the government and being renowned as one of the best was any consolation for the lost time; the time he should have spent in childhood. He thought he could have waited at least five more years before he trained as rigorously as he did.
He shook his head. [Now is not the time for regrets.]
He blew up the paper ball and deftly played with it even at the crowded space they had. For the first time in his entire life as a swordsman, he felt lighthearted and relaxed. He didn't even care when other swordsmen from the other coaches saw him. All he knew was, he was going to get the rest of his childhood back.
His two companions eyed him in askance and the ball was tossed without warning to Toshizo without him realizing that he returned it. Souji laughed and Saito found it quite amusing. Before the 3rd squad captain realized it, the ball was toward his direction and it landed on his face. Both Toshizo and Okita laughed and Saito returned the ball with a grunt. Soon, the three of them were playing and became either the envy or the show of the other Shinsengumi.
=8=8=8=8=8=8=
The only reason I had written this is because I'm sick and I did not attend the party I was supposed to attend to.