Chapter 2
Kenshin led Senko back to her room. She ran to the large window that was in her room and gazed out of it. Kenshin walked up behind her. "Please stay with me." She pleaded still looking out into the sea. "I don't want to be alone. Be my bodyguard please!"
"Alright I shall be Mrs. Senko's bodyguard." He said with a smile to try to cheer her up.
"My brother said he would protect me."
Kenshin stood silent for a moment. "What happened?"
Senko's mouth quivered. "There was a terrible storm and I hurt my arm. He begged Captain Suiso to stop and pick me up some medicine. We were so surprised when he did." She stopped a moment to suppress a sob. "Suiso put the medicine in a bag and hung the bag on this pole that hung out over the ocean. He told my brother that if he could crawl out on the pole and get the medicine then we could have it." Now she did sob. "I remember it so clearly. It haunts me everyday. I begged Unmei, my brother, not to do it. He told me he would be okay and he jumped on the pole and made his way to the bag. He got the bag and on his way back the ship began to pitch." She wiped her eyes. "He tossed the bag and told me to be strong as he tried to make it back. He was so close then... then... one of the sailors jarred the pole and Unmei fell. He fell and Suiso was laughing. Laughing. I screamed that he stop the ship but Suiso just laughed harder." Senko began to cry uncontrollably.
Kenshin looked out the window as Senko tried to regain control of herself. "I tossed him a wooden stool I found on the deck and I was going to jump myself but Unmei yelled for me to stay. He seemed so far away." She covered her mouth a moment. "Suiso grabbed me anyway. He told me he only needed one of us to get the ransom. He dragged me down here and told me I better not do anything stupid. So all I could do was watch out this window as my brother grew smaller in the distance till he was gone. Everyday I sit here and look for him but he must be... by now he should be..." She couldn't continue and cried.
Kenshin sat down beside her. "I am so sorry." Senko looked at him as the tears streaked down her face. "If I had only come sooner." Kenshin hung his head.
Senko wiped her eyes with her palm. "It's not your fault. Besides my brother you've been the only one to care about me here. I just want to go home."
"I won't leave you Senko. I will be your bodyguard and protect you from harm, that I will."
Kenshin led Senko back to her room. She ran to the large window that was in her room and gazed out of it. Kenshin walked up behind her. "Please stay with me." She pleaded still looking out into the sea. "I don't want to be alone. Be my bodyguard please!"
"Alright I shall be Mrs. Senko's bodyguard." He said with a smile to try to cheer her up.
"My brother said he would protect me."
Kenshin stood silent for a moment. "What happened?"
Senko's mouth quivered. "There was a terrible storm and I hurt my arm. He begged Captain Suiso to stop and pick me up some medicine. We were so surprised when he did." She stopped a moment to suppress a sob. "Suiso put the medicine in a bag and hung the bag on this pole that hung out over the ocean. He told my brother that if he could crawl out on the pole and get the medicine then we could have it." Now she did sob. "I remember it so clearly. It haunts me everyday. I begged Unmei, my brother, not to do it. He told me he would be okay and he jumped on the pole and made his way to the bag. He got the bag and on his way back the ship began to pitch." She wiped her eyes. "He tossed the bag and told me to be strong as he tried to make it back. He was so close then... then... one of the sailors jarred the pole and Unmei fell. He fell and Suiso was laughing. Laughing. I screamed that he stop the ship but Suiso just laughed harder." Senko began to cry uncontrollably.
Kenshin looked out the window as Senko tried to regain control of herself. "I tossed him a wooden stool I found on the deck and I was going to jump myself but Unmei yelled for me to stay. He seemed so far away." She covered her mouth a moment. "Suiso grabbed me anyway. He told me he only needed one of us to get the ransom. He dragged me down here and told me I better not do anything stupid. So all I could do was watch out this window as my brother grew smaller in the distance till he was gone. Everyday I sit here and look for him but he must be... by now he should be..." She couldn't continue and cried.
Kenshin sat down beside her. "I am so sorry." Senko looked at him as the tears streaked down her face. "If I had only come sooner." Kenshin hung his head.
Senko wiped her eyes with her palm. "It's not your fault. Besides my brother you've been the only one to care about me here. I just want to go home."
"I won't leave you Senko. I will be your bodyguard and protect you from harm, that I will."