Chapter Four
Something was wrong. I was lying on my back, with a splitting headache. Not that unusual an experience, after so many years of long sake parties, American beer, and Russian vodkas, you know what a hangover feels like. Problem is, this didn't FEEL like a hangover. In fact, it felt a lot like someone had slugged me. Wait.... I was sleeping on something soft. A futon? How odd. I haven't slept on one of those in nearly two years. Come to think about it.... where am I? One minute I had my screwy experience with Tsubame at the gravesite, next thing I know I run into Yahiko, and be knocks the piss outta me... HOLD ON........Yahiko beat the piss out of ME??? WHAT THE HELL?!
****
Tsubame and Yahiko were sitting quietly on the egawa, the rain leaving a smattering of puddles in the sandy courtyard next to the dojo. Trying to remain inconspicious, Shinya listened quietly from behind one of the sliding shoji as his parents chatted about their guest.
"Jeez, Sano's not been slouching off, has he?" Yahiko commented while still rubbing his sore stomach after that strike he'd recieved. Tsubame was trying very hard not to laugh at her husband's discomfort. She couldn't help but be amazed that Yahiko and Sano saw each other less than thirty seconds and were already causing each other no end of grief. Then again, helping lug Sanosuke's gangly frame back to the dojo had given her a backache, as well.
"Well, if you would have a little consideration for the people you are about to fight with, maybe a misunderstanding like this won't happen again, dear." Tsubame chided.
"Well, what did you expect me to do, I saw a guy trying to kidnap my wife! I've made enough enemies in my life that it isn't entirely insane to think that, you know. That's why I trained you, why I am training Shinya. I don't know what would happen if I lost you two."
"I know, and it was sweet of you... but not even I thought you would forget what Sano always wore, and besides, he STILL had 'evil' on his back, so how could you miss THAT if anything?"
Yahiko sighed in the face of his wife's gentle, but very logical argument. He had over-reacted. Maybe it was the stress of seeing what happened when husbands lost their wives. He realized he would have to applogize to Sano. Damn he hated being wrong. He REALLY being wrong and needing to be called to it by that roosterhead only made matters worse. Oh well, he thought, there isn't much I can do.
"Shinya, come out from behind there and get a broom to start sweeping the courtyard with. Your mother has been trying to do it for the last two weeks by herself, and I would imagine there are a few spots that could be done again." Yahiko called out to where his son had been trying to eavesdrop from behind the shoji leading to the kitchen.
"Hai, tousan......" Shinya sheepishly replied, coming out from his hiding spot. "But, Dad, is that the REAL Sano? the Sano that helped you and Ken-san fight Shishio, and beat up 500 men single handed?"
"Yes, Shin-chan, it is." Yahiko replied, remembering all the stories and fables that grew up around the Kenshin-gumi all those years ago, about the fights, and the fun. Shinya was just utterly enthralled with the facts, and always told the stories to his friends. .
"Sugoi...... I can't wait to tell Outa! He always wanted to meet Sano. He was always his favorite!."
"Well, there will be time for that later young man. Now go do as your father told you to, and then we will talk later. Okay?" Tsubame broke in with the "don't mess with me, I am the mother" look.
"Hai, mamma...." With that, Shinya trudged off toward the cleaning shed, intent on his work.
Turning back to Tsubame, Yahiko suddenly thought of something. "Dear, shouldn't you be at work by this time?"
Tsubame went quite pale. "Oh no...." she stated before rushing off toward the gates... "Tae is gonna KILL me" was all that was heard as she faded into the distance.
*****
I wander my way through the Kamiya home. It's been ten years since I was last here. Time seems to have changed it little. Plants are still in the same locations. Little things that Kaoru had done seem to have been continued by Tsubame and Yahiko. They have taken over the main room, it seems. Looking around, I notice the occupation of children. Kids. Perfect. More trouble to get me into. The whole experience brings back memories. Yahiko spending countless hours out there polishing the floor for Kaoru as part of her ab... training, then doing two thousand strokes Kaoru beating on Kenshin with a bokken. Kaoru beating on Kenshin with a pot, a spoon, a shinai... I was broken out of my memory induced trance by the sound of someone walking up behind me. Turning around, quickly, I quickly look at what Yahiko has become, and am quite happy. Grinning wrying, I figure he's prolly as easy to bait as he was ten years ago......
"Hey, brat. You hit hard, you know that?"
"I could say the same about you, you damn roosterhead. In town less than a day, and you're already groping my wife, jeez!"
"Oh come on, I didn't have my hands anywhere near her bre...." I cut myself off quickly at seeing the mischif in Yahikos eyes.
"Oh, so now you're denying that my wife tossed you around like a rag doll this morning?" Yahiko stated archly.
"Hey, she caught me off gaurd, I wasn't expecting to see anyone there."
"That's fine, she explained everything to me. It's good to see you again. We haven't had a card from you in nearly three years. I was starting to wonder where you'd gotten off to."
"Oh, you know me. The road catches my attention, and I follow it where it needs to take me." My stomach rumbles quietly, showing it's annoyance at being ignored up until now. Laughing gently, Yahiko just beckons me out of the door, and stopping in the dojo to tell the kid cleaning the floor, he starts leading me out the gates.
"Come on, We can prolly catch up to Tsubame if we hurry up. We have a lot of catching up to do!"
To Be Continued
Something was wrong. I was lying on my back, with a splitting headache. Not that unusual an experience, after so many years of long sake parties, American beer, and Russian vodkas, you know what a hangover feels like. Problem is, this didn't FEEL like a hangover. In fact, it felt a lot like someone had slugged me. Wait.... I was sleeping on something soft. A futon? How odd. I haven't slept on one of those in nearly two years. Come to think about it.... where am I? One minute I had my screwy experience with Tsubame at the gravesite, next thing I know I run into Yahiko, and be knocks the piss outta me... HOLD ON........Yahiko beat the piss out of ME??? WHAT THE HELL?!
****
Tsubame and Yahiko were sitting quietly on the egawa, the rain leaving a smattering of puddles in the sandy courtyard next to the dojo. Trying to remain inconspicious, Shinya listened quietly from behind one of the sliding shoji as his parents chatted about their guest.
"Jeez, Sano's not been slouching off, has he?" Yahiko commented while still rubbing his sore stomach after that strike he'd recieved. Tsubame was trying very hard not to laugh at her husband's discomfort. She couldn't help but be amazed that Yahiko and Sano saw each other less than thirty seconds and were already causing each other no end of grief. Then again, helping lug Sanosuke's gangly frame back to the dojo had given her a backache, as well.
"Well, if you would have a little consideration for the people you are about to fight with, maybe a misunderstanding like this won't happen again, dear." Tsubame chided.
"Well, what did you expect me to do, I saw a guy trying to kidnap my wife! I've made enough enemies in my life that it isn't entirely insane to think that, you know. That's why I trained you, why I am training Shinya. I don't know what would happen if I lost you two."
"I know, and it was sweet of you... but not even I thought you would forget what Sano always wore, and besides, he STILL had 'evil' on his back, so how could you miss THAT if anything?"
Yahiko sighed in the face of his wife's gentle, but very logical argument. He had over-reacted. Maybe it was the stress of seeing what happened when husbands lost their wives. He realized he would have to applogize to Sano. Damn he hated being wrong. He REALLY being wrong and needing to be called to it by that roosterhead only made matters worse. Oh well, he thought, there isn't much I can do.
"Shinya, come out from behind there and get a broom to start sweeping the courtyard with. Your mother has been trying to do it for the last two weeks by herself, and I would imagine there are a few spots that could be done again." Yahiko called out to where his son had been trying to eavesdrop from behind the shoji leading to the kitchen.
"Hai, tousan......" Shinya sheepishly replied, coming out from his hiding spot. "But, Dad, is that the REAL Sano? the Sano that helped you and Ken-san fight Shishio, and beat up 500 men single handed?"
"Yes, Shin-chan, it is." Yahiko replied, remembering all the stories and fables that grew up around the Kenshin-gumi all those years ago, about the fights, and the fun. Shinya was just utterly enthralled with the facts, and always told the stories to his friends. .
"Sugoi...... I can't wait to tell Outa! He always wanted to meet Sano. He was always his favorite!."
"Well, there will be time for that later young man. Now go do as your father told you to, and then we will talk later. Okay?" Tsubame broke in with the "don't mess with me, I am the mother" look.
"Hai, mamma...." With that, Shinya trudged off toward the cleaning shed, intent on his work.
Turning back to Tsubame, Yahiko suddenly thought of something. "Dear, shouldn't you be at work by this time?"
Tsubame went quite pale. "Oh no...." she stated before rushing off toward the gates... "Tae is gonna KILL me" was all that was heard as she faded into the distance.
*****
I wander my way through the Kamiya home. It's been ten years since I was last here. Time seems to have changed it little. Plants are still in the same locations. Little things that Kaoru had done seem to have been continued by Tsubame and Yahiko. They have taken over the main room, it seems. Looking around, I notice the occupation of children. Kids. Perfect. More trouble to get me into. The whole experience brings back memories. Yahiko spending countless hours out there polishing the floor for Kaoru as part of her ab... training, then doing two thousand strokes Kaoru beating on Kenshin with a bokken. Kaoru beating on Kenshin with a pot, a spoon, a shinai... I was broken out of my memory induced trance by the sound of someone walking up behind me. Turning around, quickly, I quickly look at what Yahiko has become, and am quite happy. Grinning wrying, I figure he's prolly as easy to bait as he was ten years ago......
"Hey, brat. You hit hard, you know that?"
"I could say the same about you, you damn roosterhead. In town less than a day, and you're already groping my wife, jeez!"
"Oh come on, I didn't have my hands anywhere near her bre...." I cut myself off quickly at seeing the mischif in Yahikos eyes.
"Oh, so now you're denying that my wife tossed you around like a rag doll this morning?" Yahiko stated archly.
"Hey, she caught me off gaurd, I wasn't expecting to see anyone there."
"That's fine, she explained everything to me. It's good to see you again. We haven't had a card from you in nearly three years. I was starting to wonder where you'd gotten off to."
"Oh, you know me. The road catches my attention, and I follow it where it needs to take me." My stomach rumbles quietly, showing it's annoyance at being ignored up until now. Laughing gently, Yahiko just beckons me out of the door, and stopping in the dojo to tell the kid cleaning the floor, he starts leading me out the gates.
"Come on, We can prolly catch up to Tsubame if we hurry up. We have a lot of catching up to do!"
To Be Continued