Chapter 3--Memories
"Ah,yes," Sai responded.
"March 29, 1847 was the last of our games. Jowa sensei had by that time become ill, and we started the game, with me taking 2 stones."
" The flow of my games with him was never easy,as he played always in a very violent style, whereas Shuwa would have a somewhat lighter and gentler approach to his Go. Anyway, Jowa had started by playing the 3-16 point, here in the upper left part of the board. After which,my stones were under an incessant attack from Jowa. I, however, was able in the lower left to save my stones, and I just about had a large group of Jowa's stones captured, with losses of my own."
Hikaru looked at the seemingly dreamier than usual look in Sai's eyes as he was talking about this particular game with Honinbo Jowa.
"Sai," Hikaru soon asked, "You mentioned that the last of the matches with Jowa was never brought to a finish. Did Jowa choose to not finish this game knowing that he would inevitably lose to you?"
The look upon Sai's face saddened considerably upon Hikaru's question about the game.
"No, Hikaru," said Sai slowly, "I was leading,but the game was extremly close at the time it was suspended. We had played up to that point 94 moves of the match,and I could see then that Jowa sensei was starting to tire from his illness. We had intended to finish with the game when Jowa felt better and could continue."
"Sadly, Hikaru, before we were to ever be able to continue with our match, Jowa had become much sicker, and in May of that year, he died."
Hikaru looked at Sai again. It seemed as if Sai were wanting to cry over Jowa's death even now,over 150 years after the fact.
Hikaru (thinking to himself) "If Sai loved Honinbo Jowa to the degree of crying for him 150 years later, the he musy not have been a bad person after all, unlike the rival Go-master at his court."
Sai read Hikaru's thoughts....."Yes, Hikaru, he was truly a decent person. In the year after his death, Torajiro married his daughter,Hana."
" So in the end, he became your father-in-law."
"Well, Torajiro's. Hikaru, I am sorry to have become so upset over those books."
"But if they are printing falsehoods, you should be upset."
Sai smiled his mysterious smile.
"Sai," Hikaru asked, "wanna play?"
"Oh goody, play,play."
Fin
"Ah,yes," Sai responded.
"March 29, 1847 was the last of our games. Jowa sensei had by that time become ill, and we started the game, with me taking 2 stones."
" The flow of my games with him was never easy,as he played always in a very violent style, whereas Shuwa would have a somewhat lighter and gentler approach to his Go. Anyway, Jowa had started by playing the 3-16 point, here in the upper left part of the board. After which,my stones were under an incessant attack from Jowa. I, however, was able in the lower left to save my stones, and I just about had a large group of Jowa's stones captured, with losses of my own."
Hikaru looked at the seemingly dreamier than usual look in Sai's eyes as he was talking about this particular game with Honinbo Jowa.
"Sai," Hikaru soon asked, "You mentioned that the last of the matches with Jowa was never brought to a finish. Did Jowa choose to not finish this game knowing that he would inevitably lose to you?"
The look upon Sai's face saddened considerably upon Hikaru's question about the game.
"No, Hikaru," said Sai slowly, "I was leading,but the game was extremly close at the time it was suspended. We had played up to that point 94 moves of the match,and I could see then that Jowa sensei was starting to tire from his illness. We had intended to finish with the game when Jowa felt better and could continue."
"Sadly, Hikaru, before we were to ever be able to continue with our match, Jowa had become much sicker, and in May of that year, he died."
Hikaru looked at Sai again. It seemed as if Sai were wanting to cry over Jowa's death even now,over 150 years after the fact.
Hikaru (thinking to himself) "If Sai loved Honinbo Jowa to the degree of crying for him 150 years later, the he musy not have been a bad person after all, unlike the rival Go-master at his court."
Sai read Hikaru's thoughts....."Yes, Hikaru, he was truly a decent person. In the year after his death, Torajiro married his daughter,Hana."
" So in the end, he became your father-in-law."
"Well, Torajiro's. Hikaru, I am sorry to have become so upset over those books."
"But if they are printing falsehoods, you should be upset."
Sai smiled his mysterious smile.
"Sai," Hikaru asked, "wanna play?"
"Oh goody, play,play."
Fin
