Epilogue - The Demon Cave
Nobuyuki walked with his grandson through the forest where Tenchi had spent so many years playing during summer visits with his grandparents. Nobuyuki had decided to stay in Okayama after Tenchi and Sasami left to take advantage of a partnership offer with an architectural firm in Hanata. Nobuyuki didn't see nearly as much of any of them as he would like. He missed his son and the wonderful people who had made his too-quiet house into a happy - and sometimes raucous - home.
But, at least they'd decided to keep the family tradition; Tenchi's children would spend summers with their grandfather, and great-grandfather, at the shrine in Okayama.
And that suited Nobuyuki just fine. He hoisted Shinchi up onto his shoulders and listened to him babble happily while he pointing his chubby hands at this and that. Nobuyuki made agreeing noises, enjoying their late afternoon walk. The heat of the day had broken and evening was settling onto the forest; the sun a series of slanting golden shafts through the trees. The birds and cicadas chorused, filling the air with sound.
They rounded a corner on a hillside and Nobuyuki realized that he had absent-mindedly taken the path that led past the Demon Cave. As he walked by the dark mouth he could feel the cool air that flowed from within. Nobuyuki noted that the gate was still locked and secure, the new chain and padlock showing little weathering from their few months exposed to the elements.
The path took them back into the forest; Nobuyuki could feel Shinchi turning on his shoulders, trying to keep the cave in sight. He had stopped chattering and then voiced an "Ooh!" Nobuyuki knew this meant he had seen something that interested him or that he liked.
"What's wrong, Shinchi?" Nobuyuki asked his grandson. "Do you see a demon or something?"
Chuckling, Nobuyuki continued up the path, Shinchi straining to look back until a bend took them out of sight of the cave. "You know," he said to the child he carried. "Your father always loved this cave, too. Your grandmother used to walk with him through these woods all the time. Sometimes she said she swore he could see the demon that's supposed to be locked inside!" He chuckled again. "When he got older, it was all his grandfather and I could do to keep him away from here. I was always afraid he'd go in there and get into trouble nosing around. I guess you've inherited his fascination with that place; you'll need watching too!"
Nobuyuki began quietly singing a children's song to his grandson as the path merged with the stairs to the valley floor and he began the long descent to his home. Then, Nobuyuki stopped singing and paused on the stairs, turning to look back up toward the cave. "What was that? Did someone say something?" he said out loud. "Humph. If I didn't know better, that sounded a lot like Ryoko. But she's been gone on her travels for, oh, a couple years now I guess. Must be my imagination. And, anyway, she'd be saying, 'hello', not 'goodbye', right, Shinchi?"
Just then Shinchi uttered one of the few words he had mastered.
"Bye bye," he said, looking back toward the cave and waving.
"Heh heh! Bye-bye it is, then!" Nobuyuki said to the child. "Bye-bye cave!" he said enthusiastically, waving as well. "Bye-bye!"
And turning, he started down the stairs through the gathering evening toward the valley floor, dinner and the welcoming lights of home.
Nobuyuki walked with his grandson through the forest where Tenchi had spent so many years playing during summer visits with his grandparents. Nobuyuki had decided to stay in Okayama after Tenchi and Sasami left to take advantage of a partnership offer with an architectural firm in Hanata. Nobuyuki didn't see nearly as much of any of them as he would like. He missed his son and the wonderful people who had made his too-quiet house into a happy - and sometimes raucous - home.
But, at least they'd decided to keep the family tradition; Tenchi's children would spend summers with their grandfather, and great-grandfather, at the shrine in Okayama.
And that suited Nobuyuki just fine. He hoisted Shinchi up onto his shoulders and listened to him babble happily while he pointing his chubby hands at this and that. Nobuyuki made agreeing noises, enjoying their late afternoon walk. The heat of the day had broken and evening was settling onto the forest; the sun a series of slanting golden shafts through the trees. The birds and cicadas chorused, filling the air with sound.
They rounded a corner on a hillside and Nobuyuki realized that he had absent-mindedly taken the path that led past the Demon Cave. As he walked by the dark mouth he could feel the cool air that flowed from within. Nobuyuki noted that the gate was still locked and secure, the new chain and padlock showing little weathering from their few months exposed to the elements.
The path took them back into the forest; Nobuyuki could feel Shinchi turning on his shoulders, trying to keep the cave in sight. He had stopped chattering and then voiced an "Ooh!" Nobuyuki knew this meant he had seen something that interested him or that he liked.
"What's wrong, Shinchi?" Nobuyuki asked his grandson. "Do you see a demon or something?"
Chuckling, Nobuyuki continued up the path, Shinchi straining to look back until a bend took them out of sight of the cave. "You know," he said to the child he carried. "Your father always loved this cave, too. Your grandmother used to walk with him through these woods all the time. Sometimes she said she swore he could see the demon that's supposed to be locked inside!" He chuckled again. "When he got older, it was all his grandfather and I could do to keep him away from here. I was always afraid he'd go in there and get into trouble nosing around. I guess you've inherited his fascination with that place; you'll need watching too!"
Nobuyuki began quietly singing a children's song to his grandson as the path merged with the stairs to the valley floor and he began the long descent to his home. Then, Nobuyuki stopped singing and paused on the stairs, turning to look back up toward the cave. "What was that? Did someone say something?" he said out loud. "Humph. If I didn't know better, that sounded a lot like Ryoko. But she's been gone on her travels for, oh, a couple years now I guess. Must be my imagination. And, anyway, she'd be saying, 'hello', not 'goodbye', right, Shinchi?"
Just then Shinchi uttered one of the few words he had mastered.
"Bye bye," he said, looking back toward the cave and waving.
"Heh heh! Bye-bye it is, then!" Nobuyuki said to the child. "Bye-bye cave!" he said enthusiastically, waving as well. "Bye-bye!"
And turning, he started down the stairs through the gathering evening toward the valley floor, dinner and the welcoming lights of home.