Chapter two: Memories
This part of the story is a flashback of Misao's earlier childhood. Oh, and I have no idea if evergreen trees, peonies, alfalfa, or any other foliage that I mention grow in Asia, but go with me here. It is a FICTION after all. I tried to make it longer this time- Thanks for all of the beautiful reviews!
A gentle breeze flowed through the clearing, passing over the surface of Misao's face and caressing it softly. She walked a few steps forward, being careful not to upset any of the beautiful flowers that surrounded her. The grass felt warm and soft under her feet, filling her with a sense of peace and contentment. The sun was beginning to set now, so everything was bathed in a brilliant glow that nearly blinded the small child that stood in the middle of it all.
She drew a deep breath, inhaling the wind that fondled her so tenderly. As she did so, the smell of all of the flowers came flooding into her: here, the delicate scent of grass; there, the smell of wild roses and alfalfa; and here, her favorite of all, the undeniably wonderful scent of evergreen.
The small house she lived in with her parents was nestled back in a rather larger clearing not far from where she now stood, surrounded by the evergreens. The thought of her favorite trees pulled her from her reverie: she was supposed to be gathering firewood.
She began to walk forward again, more quickly now that she had a set destination in mind. As she walked, she listened to the symphony of the forest, growing ever louder as she progressed into the woods themselves. A definite melody had been established, with a few minor variations, and she began to hum along, bending down every now and then to drop another fallen branch into her basket.
"Misao! Your father and I were beginning to worry about you, dear. What took you so long?"
"Sorry, Mommy," replied the three-year-old, with more than a tinge of remorse in her voice, "I got distracted by all the pretty flowers. This one's for you, mommy. It's violet, like your eyes." As she said this, she handed up a delicate looking peony to her mother, who accepted it with a smile.
"Thank you, sweetie." The tall and slender woman put the flower behind her ear in one long, fluid motion.
"You're so graceful and pretty, mommy. I wanna be just like you when I grow up!"
Again, her mother smiled at her warmly, grasping her hand to lead her over to the table where dinner was waiting. They positioned themselves across from each other and waited for the third member of the family, Misao's father, to join them.
"Misao, you did tell Daddy to come inside for dinner, didn't you?" Asked her mother after a few minutes had passed.
"Oooops, sorry mommy, I forgot! I'll be right back!"
She ran outside into the night, almost forgetting to put on her sandals before going to relieve her father from his labor. The field where he would be wasn't far from their home, but in order to make it there and back before dinner was cold she would have to go at top speed. Their family, like many others in the area, grew crops for a living. Her father was the only one of the three who worked the field. Misao wasn't old enough to be of much assistence, and her mother had enough to do since she kept up with both Misao and the household duties.
Night was now upon them and the air had cooled down considerably. Misao hugged herself to keep warm, but did not allow the chilly air slow her pace. The field was close now, she should be able to see it in a few more moments.
It was at that moment that she stopped in her tracks. It was faint, but she could swear she smelled smoke coming from the direction that she was headed. She started to run again, but faster this time, almost as quickly as her heart was beating. As the field finally came into view she started yelling, "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy where are you?" but ceased when she saw the brilliant flames. Her heart stopped for a moment, but started up again when she realized that the fire was under control. A heavy sigh of relief came flooding out of her, and she sank to the ground.
"Misao?" Came her father's voice, full of surprise, "What are you doing here?"
"I came to tell you that dinner's ready, daddy." It was then, when she finally diverted her eyes from her father, that she noticed another man sitting next to the fire. Her father was tall, to be certain, but was nothing compared to the giant that was situated across from him. "Daddy, who's that? And why did you build a fire way up here?"
"Who's this?" he repeated, seeming to be a bit dazed. "This…..this is my, um, friend. Yes, my friend. From Hiroshima."
"Oh. Why didn't you bring him home to meet us, daddy? It's getting dark and cold out here. Besides, it's time for dinner. Do you want to come eat with us, daddy's-friend-sama?"
The giant let out a hearty laugh that seemed to shake everything in sight. "Well," he said, in the same hearty tone, "If such a sweet young lady as yourself is going to be there, then how can I refuse?"
The three walked to the small house in silence, listening to the sounds of the night. When they finally reached their destination, Sakura (Misao's mother) was very worried indeed.
"Where have you……who's that?" She asked, as her family and the stranger walked into the moonlit garden.
"This is a friend of mine from Hiroshima. He came to have a chat since he was passing up this way. Sorry I didn't come in sooner…..we just got to talking and lost track of time." Replied her father, Seto. 'Misao is too young yet for the truth,' he thought to himself, 'but I'll be able to tell Sakura later.'
"Does your friend have a name?" She replied, as politely as possible. Her eyes ran along the stranger, taking him in. You could tell by just looking at him that this man was a samurai: his movements were swift and precise, his body covered in battle scars, his hands calloused from holding a katana. The clue that made her certain, however, was the look in his eyes. There was something…… else….. there, something that one didn't see every day. They weren't cold, per se, but they were hardened from battle and saddened from watching friends die right alongside you. She knew that look all too well.
The man gave a sweeping bow toward the beautiful woman who stood in the doorway, encompassed in the light that streamed out of the fire inside, and said, "My name is Risho Saito. I'm pleased to make your acquaintence, Miss…..?"
"Sakura." Replied her mother, bowing slightly. "I assume that you will be joining us for dinner, Risho-san?"
"You presume correctly, Sakura-san. Your lovely young daughter invited me." He replied, with a smile toward Misao.
With that, the three strode into the house and sat down to eat. Misao took an extra pillow from the closet to sit on so that all four could dine at once.
"It smells delicious, Sakura-san! I can't wait to dig in."
"Well, Risho-san, you will have to wait just a moment. It is customary in this household to pray before eating." With that all four of them bowed their heads to give thanks for their meal.
The meal progressed from there in idle chatter, Risho carefully avoiding the subject of who he was or why he was there by complementing Sakura's cooking. Sakura quickly became frustrated and gave up, giving her husband a you're-going-to-tell-me-later-once-Misao-is-in-bed-or-you'll-be-sleeping-outside glare. Seto smiled at her sheepishly in response, nodding his head minutely.
Once they had all finished eating, Misao cleared the table and took the dirty dishes out to the well to clean. They weren't much- just wooden bowls and utensils- but they were enough.
'Risho-sama is very nice. I can see why he's friends with daddy- they're both really kind and funny.' Misao thought as she began to clean. Night was now fully upon them and the day creatures were nestled away in sleep. The kingdom of the night now awoke to go about daily business- stalking prey, minding the young, gathering the food that mother nature provided, and building homes for themselves. Having lived here all of her life, Misao knew how to read the forest in all of its glorious mystery. This is where she belonged: out among the animals and the evergreens, totally free, totally happy.
But meanwhile, at the kitchen table, a conversation not so cheerful was taking place……
