Epilogue
A long time has past since Tokito's death. Sanosuke has found it hard to remove the image of her dead body from his head since then. Saito Hajime disappeared, and the next day after the death, his house and the station he used to work in burned to the ground. No one was reported to survive.
Recently, we find Sanosuke in a noisy flea market. Not that he's there for any particular reason. He just wants to waste his time.
As he walked around, he noticed a strangely tall and stern-looking, though smiling, herb seller. By curiosity, he went to him.
"Yes sir, may I help you with anything?" the herb seller asked.
"No, nothing really," Sanosuke answered. "You just look really familiar..."
The seller laughed. "I assure you sir, you've never seen me before," he said.
Sanosuke looked at the herb seller carefully. "I don't know," he said. "You really look familiar..."
The seller laughed again. "Look sir, I've never seen you before," he said. Then his tone became more serious when he said, "If you're not going to buy anything, please leave."
Sanosuke wouldn't. He stayed and analyzed the seller to the last detail. He particularly noticed his hands, which had calluses all over them. Sword- handling calluses. With slow realization, Sanosuke started to see that this herb seller did have a place in his crazy life. He was a part of the craziest thing that happened to him.
"Saito Hajime," Sanosuke said to the seller, smirking.
The seller stopped as he grounded the herbs in his mortar. He looked at Sanosuke with the most serious eyes.
"I see that you will not easily forget me Sanosuke," he said.
Sanosuke, in turn, became serious too.
"How can I forget your face when you're the killer of the only woman I fell for and pledged my heart to?"
Saito glared at Sanosuke and moved closer to him. "I know that you chicken- head. But just so you know, I gave my heart, body, and soul to that same woman and she gave me hers in return. Now, who has the heavier load on their chest between us?" he asked coldly.
Sanosuke couldn't answer. He didn't know what to do either. He got filled up with so much anger for Saito that all he could do was snort at him and walk away.
That night Saito went home to a shabby little inn. He set down his herb box and took out the same sword he used when he was a policeman from under a floor panel. He unsheathed the shiny, tarnish-free blade and looked at it. With a sigh he said, "With another kill comes another bag full of money."
A sound came from behind him. Saito became alert at once and listened. Someone was approaching him from behind. He settled down his sword and got ready to grab who ever it was who was stalking him.
It was all over in a flash. With one swift movement, Saito turned on his feet and grabbed the person who was about to jump on him. It turned out to be a four year-old girl.
"No fair daddy! You cheated!" the girl said as she hung by Saito's grasp.
He smirked. "I wouldn't know you were there if you weren't such a noisy walker!" he said.
The little girl pouted jokingly. Saito put her down with a chuckle. She then noticed that he had his sword out.
"Are you going out again?" she asked.
"Yes I am," he answered as he sheathed the sword.
"So you're going to leave me alone again! Why do you always leave me?" the girl screamed.
Saito sighed. "Tokime, I'd never leave you alone. I told you, you always have your mother here with you," he said.
"I don't have mother here! She's not here! I never see her!" Tokime screamed again.
"I already explained this to you, didn't I?" Saito asked, getting a little exasperated.
"No you didn't!" Tokime screamed.
Saito glared at Tokime. "You're stalling me," he said with impatience.
Tokime glared back at him then stuck her tongue out.
Saito sighed again. Giving in, he lit a candle then turned all the lamps off and led Tokime into a room. There he laid out a bed and tucked her in.
"Tell me about mother," Tokime said.
Saito set down the candle beside the bed. He then sat himself beside Tokime before he began.
"Your mother was an incredible woman who could do many things that other people couldn't," Saito began. "People called her a witch for that and wanted to kill her."
Tokime was looking at her father intently as he spoke. Her anxious face glowed in the candlelight and amused Saito very much.
"I met your mother when I protected her from those who wanted to kill her," he continued. "We got married and we wanted to start a family but the people from my old job got mad at me and wanted to make me sad so they killed your mom, who was pregnant with you then."
Tokime stared at her father. "Does that mean I'm not supposed to be here?" she asked.
"No," Saito answered his little daughter. "Didn't I tell you your mom could do things that other people couldn't do? This was one of them. She was supposed to bring you to heaven with her but instead she left you with me. She wanted you to have fun before you went to boring heaven."
Tokime crossed her arms. "So if she's in heaven, how can she be with me here?" she asked with a sassy tone.
"Your mom can do incredible things. Sometimes, people in heaven become angels. Your mom because one so she can come down here and protect us, especially you," Saito said.
"Can I see her?" Tokime asked.
"Not all the time," Saito answered, "but on special occasions she sometimes makes herself visible so she can touch you too. Angels aren't supposed to be seen or touched, but your mom's an exception."
Tokime smiled. "Thank you daddy. I believe you now," she said. "You can go out and I'll stay here with mother."
Saito smiled. "Thank you Tokime. It's best that you go to sleep then," he said as he blew out the candle.
As Tokime snuggled in, Saito crept out of the room silently. He walked across the room and gathered his sword. Just as he did so, the moon crept out from behind the clouds and the light shone in the room. Just as he turned around, the figure of his dead wife, Tokito, was illuminated in the moonlight.
She smiled at him. He couldn't do the same. He knew that she was there, but did he dare try and hold her lest he grope for air? He couldn't bear not being able to hold her.
She started to walk to him, and so did he. The open balcony was their only source of light. When they were so close to each other, Saito lifted his hand ad slowly reached for her face. He breathed in deeply, preparing himself to take his hand going right through her face.
Moments later the cold but very much real flesh of Tokito touched Saito's fingers. He looked to find his hand holding Tokito's pearly white cheek. She reached for his hand and held it in hers. It was so cold, but he was so happy he was holding it.
Saito couldn't take it any longer. He pulled her close, kissed her, and then embraced her. All he could really do was feel her, feel her skin in his, her lips on his, and her hair in his hands. How long had he been aching to hold her like this for all this time?
"Tokito, I've missed you so much," Saito said.
Her voice was airy and echoing, like it really didn't come from her. But still she said, "And I've missed you too, darling."
Saito couldn't let her go. If it were up to him, he wouldn't let her go. He wasn't going to let her disappear again.
"Is something wrong darling?" Tokito asked in her mystic voice.
"I'm not letting you go again Tokito. Don't become nothing in my arms," Saito said desperately.
"But don't you have a job to do darling?" she asked.
"My job was to protect you but I didn't do it," Saito said sadly.
Tokito gently came out of his embrace, kissed him, and then held his face. "Darling, you did your best. I don't blame you for my death and neither should you," she said. "Your job now is to provide for Tokime and teach her as much as possible. Don't dwell in the past, because I am your past. You present and future is now with Tokime."
Tokito gently caressed his face. Saito smiled and embraced her one last time before letting go and gathering himself. With one last look as he went out the door, he said, "Watch over our daughter, angel."
Tokito nodded. "And I will watch over you as well, my darling."
A long time has past since Tokito's death. Sanosuke has found it hard to remove the image of her dead body from his head since then. Saito Hajime disappeared, and the next day after the death, his house and the station he used to work in burned to the ground. No one was reported to survive.
Recently, we find Sanosuke in a noisy flea market. Not that he's there for any particular reason. He just wants to waste his time.
As he walked around, he noticed a strangely tall and stern-looking, though smiling, herb seller. By curiosity, he went to him.
"Yes sir, may I help you with anything?" the herb seller asked.
"No, nothing really," Sanosuke answered. "You just look really familiar..."
The seller laughed. "I assure you sir, you've never seen me before," he said.
Sanosuke looked at the herb seller carefully. "I don't know," he said. "You really look familiar..."
The seller laughed again. "Look sir, I've never seen you before," he said. Then his tone became more serious when he said, "If you're not going to buy anything, please leave."
Sanosuke wouldn't. He stayed and analyzed the seller to the last detail. He particularly noticed his hands, which had calluses all over them. Sword- handling calluses. With slow realization, Sanosuke started to see that this herb seller did have a place in his crazy life. He was a part of the craziest thing that happened to him.
"Saito Hajime," Sanosuke said to the seller, smirking.
The seller stopped as he grounded the herbs in his mortar. He looked at Sanosuke with the most serious eyes.
"I see that you will not easily forget me Sanosuke," he said.
Sanosuke, in turn, became serious too.
"How can I forget your face when you're the killer of the only woman I fell for and pledged my heart to?"
Saito glared at Sanosuke and moved closer to him. "I know that you chicken- head. But just so you know, I gave my heart, body, and soul to that same woman and she gave me hers in return. Now, who has the heavier load on their chest between us?" he asked coldly.
Sanosuke couldn't answer. He didn't know what to do either. He got filled up with so much anger for Saito that all he could do was snort at him and walk away.
That night Saito went home to a shabby little inn. He set down his herb box and took out the same sword he used when he was a policeman from under a floor panel. He unsheathed the shiny, tarnish-free blade and looked at it. With a sigh he said, "With another kill comes another bag full of money."
A sound came from behind him. Saito became alert at once and listened. Someone was approaching him from behind. He settled down his sword and got ready to grab who ever it was who was stalking him.
It was all over in a flash. With one swift movement, Saito turned on his feet and grabbed the person who was about to jump on him. It turned out to be a four year-old girl.
"No fair daddy! You cheated!" the girl said as she hung by Saito's grasp.
He smirked. "I wouldn't know you were there if you weren't such a noisy walker!" he said.
The little girl pouted jokingly. Saito put her down with a chuckle. She then noticed that he had his sword out.
"Are you going out again?" she asked.
"Yes I am," he answered as he sheathed the sword.
"So you're going to leave me alone again! Why do you always leave me?" the girl screamed.
Saito sighed. "Tokime, I'd never leave you alone. I told you, you always have your mother here with you," he said.
"I don't have mother here! She's not here! I never see her!" Tokime screamed again.
"I already explained this to you, didn't I?" Saito asked, getting a little exasperated.
"No you didn't!" Tokime screamed.
Saito glared at Tokime. "You're stalling me," he said with impatience.
Tokime glared back at him then stuck her tongue out.
Saito sighed again. Giving in, he lit a candle then turned all the lamps off and led Tokime into a room. There he laid out a bed and tucked her in.
"Tell me about mother," Tokime said.
Saito set down the candle beside the bed. He then sat himself beside Tokime before he began.
"Your mother was an incredible woman who could do many things that other people couldn't," Saito began. "People called her a witch for that and wanted to kill her."
Tokime was looking at her father intently as he spoke. Her anxious face glowed in the candlelight and amused Saito very much.
"I met your mother when I protected her from those who wanted to kill her," he continued. "We got married and we wanted to start a family but the people from my old job got mad at me and wanted to make me sad so they killed your mom, who was pregnant with you then."
Tokime stared at her father. "Does that mean I'm not supposed to be here?" she asked.
"No," Saito answered his little daughter. "Didn't I tell you your mom could do things that other people couldn't do? This was one of them. She was supposed to bring you to heaven with her but instead she left you with me. She wanted you to have fun before you went to boring heaven."
Tokime crossed her arms. "So if she's in heaven, how can she be with me here?" she asked with a sassy tone.
"Your mom can do incredible things. Sometimes, people in heaven become angels. Your mom because one so she can come down here and protect us, especially you," Saito said.
"Can I see her?" Tokime asked.
"Not all the time," Saito answered, "but on special occasions she sometimes makes herself visible so she can touch you too. Angels aren't supposed to be seen or touched, but your mom's an exception."
Tokime smiled. "Thank you daddy. I believe you now," she said. "You can go out and I'll stay here with mother."
Saito smiled. "Thank you Tokime. It's best that you go to sleep then," he said as he blew out the candle.
As Tokime snuggled in, Saito crept out of the room silently. He walked across the room and gathered his sword. Just as he did so, the moon crept out from behind the clouds and the light shone in the room. Just as he turned around, the figure of his dead wife, Tokito, was illuminated in the moonlight.
She smiled at him. He couldn't do the same. He knew that she was there, but did he dare try and hold her lest he grope for air? He couldn't bear not being able to hold her.
She started to walk to him, and so did he. The open balcony was their only source of light. When they were so close to each other, Saito lifted his hand ad slowly reached for her face. He breathed in deeply, preparing himself to take his hand going right through her face.
Moments later the cold but very much real flesh of Tokito touched Saito's fingers. He looked to find his hand holding Tokito's pearly white cheek. She reached for his hand and held it in hers. It was so cold, but he was so happy he was holding it.
Saito couldn't take it any longer. He pulled her close, kissed her, and then embraced her. All he could really do was feel her, feel her skin in his, her lips on his, and her hair in his hands. How long had he been aching to hold her like this for all this time?
"Tokito, I've missed you so much," Saito said.
Her voice was airy and echoing, like it really didn't come from her. But still she said, "And I've missed you too, darling."
Saito couldn't let her go. If it were up to him, he wouldn't let her go. He wasn't going to let her disappear again.
"Is something wrong darling?" Tokito asked in her mystic voice.
"I'm not letting you go again Tokito. Don't become nothing in my arms," Saito said desperately.
"But don't you have a job to do darling?" she asked.
"My job was to protect you but I didn't do it," Saito said sadly.
Tokito gently came out of his embrace, kissed him, and then held his face. "Darling, you did your best. I don't blame you for my death and neither should you," she said. "Your job now is to provide for Tokime and teach her as much as possible. Don't dwell in the past, because I am your past. You present and future is now with Tokime."
Tokito gently caressed his face. Saito smiled and embraced her one last time before letting go and gathering himself. With one last look as he went out the door, he said, "Watch over our daughter, angel."
Tokito nodded. "And I will watch over you as well, my darling."