The Lonely Widow, Not so Lonely Anymore
Misao sat down on the couch in her lounge room patiently waiting for Aoshi to arrive. She had set out some pastries and sandwiches just in case he hadn't eaten lunch. Misao stared at the clock on the wall for the hundredth time as it read 11:45.
"Get a hold of yourself Misao. Its 12 that he's coming over you idiot…" Misao muttered to herself closing her eyes to calm down her nervousness. She practically jumped out of her skin when she heard a knock at the door. Misao scurried into the hallway and flattened down the strands of her hair hoping she looked presentable. Misao was wearing a pair of white jeans and a light purple sweater that stopped at her hips showing off her slender form. Her hair was placed in a loose bun with strips of hair framing her face and falling down her neck. Misao took a deep breath and opened the door.
"Good morning Misao-san, I hope I'm not too early." Aoshi created the…well lovely looking woman that stared up at him with a charming smile on her face. Every outfit he had seen Misao in complimented her curves as though secretly telling him to look her up and down and admire her beauty.
"Not at all Aoshi, please come in." Aoshi stepped inside walking down the short hallway heading into the lunge room with his black bag.
"You look lovely by the way." Aoshi spoke casually and missed the blush that crossed Misao's cheeks as he was in front of her and pulling out his folders from his bags.
"T-Thank you." Misao replied back shakily and prayed to the gods that her blush would go away so she didn't feel like an idiot.
"Shall we begin to look through the folders Misao-san?" Misao watched as he kneeled down on the carpeted floor near one of the lounge chairs and the coffee table.
"Please call me Misao." Misao spoke moving closer towards him. She took in a deep breath, the cologne he wore making her head spin slightly but she contained herself and sat down in the chair.
"Are you sure?" Aoshi spoke back; totally clueless as to the way Misao was acting around him.
"Yes, now what should I look at first?" Aoshi handed Misao the folders letting her choose whether she wanted to look at cupboard designs and colours, tiles or bench top tiles and lining.
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About an hour had passed with Aoshi, now leaning his back against the couch with one of the folders in his hands, was flipping through the folder looking at the designs Misao had ticked with a pencil. Misao was skimming her way through the cupboard designs and glancing every now and then to see Aoshi nodding at some of her choices.
"Can I show you what I am tossing up between?" Misao spoke up getting out of the chair. Aoshi stood up following Misao into the kitchen without saying anything. He placed the folder on the preparation bench as did Misao with the other two and she began flipping through it to find her first selection.
"Okay I've got these tiles, to go with this design of cupboards, this colour for the cupboards and this bench top lining. I think having it all tiles is too much, so I'll go for lining. So what do you think?" Misao stared up at the tall man watching as he skimmed his eyes over the books and then walked away standing at the front entrance to the kitchen. She watched him silently as he moved his head around as though seeing everything in place. Aoshi walked back over and nodded his head. Misao gave him a long stare, as he didn't even comment on it. Perhaps he wanted to see the other two combinations before giving her his opinion.
"What about these ones?" Misao asked again watching as he did the same routine of heading to the main entrance and looking around, silently coming back to where she was standing, only this time he spoke.
"To me, black and marble, is something for a really posh bathroom or maybe even a mansion. Have you ever walked into a restaurant and its décor is pretty standard looking but when making your way towards the restrooms and once you walk inside, your completely speechless out how everything compliments each other. It may sound strange but just think about it… The restroom is better looking then the restaurant itself meaning you'd rather spend the evening in there. Your house is very large, spacious and presented nicely the way you've placed your furnishings and ornaments around, complimenting everything in it, but to me...the kitchen needs to be modern and elegant but not over powering the rest of the house. Do you get what I mean?"
"I do Aoshi and now that I look at it, you seemed to be right."
"No, no don't totally dismiss the idea…look at it from over here." Aoshi spoke once more and grabbed a hold of Misao's hand pulling her towards the kitchen entrance. Misao's cheeks darkened at the warm feeling flowing inside of her as Aoshi held her hand. It was completely innocent on his behalf, he not realising…yet again…about the way Misao was feeling towards his straight forward advances, Aoshi never thinking that they were actual advances either.
"If you stand here, think of those tiles, the cupboard colour and design and the marble lining. Now tell me what you think."
"Oh gross…" Misao spoke after a while as she could picture the kitchen in her mind as though she'd just come back from a walk and entered the house. It was so dark, so gloomy and a real bad combination of colours she chose in the tiles and lining. She heard a soft chuckle behind her and turned around smiling up at Aoshi. Misao stepped away from the closeness they had been sharing and moved towards the middle of the kitchen to have a look at her final decision.
"What about this lot?" Misao spoke again watching as Aoshi stood beside her, his green-blue eyes scanning the folders. Misao placed on a small smile watching as he tilted his head ever so slightly, his teeth coming out to lightly chew on his bottom lip as he was deep in thought.
She silently watched as Aoshi's eyes kept glancing around the kitchen and then back down at the folders as his right hand came up moving towards the designs in the folders. Misao's breath caught as his hand brushed over her fingers accidentally, with him not noticing at all, causing Misao's breath to catch in her throat. Misao let out a soft shuddering breath, his cologne still strong on his tanned skin making her feel light headed once more.
Misao finally realised that Aoshi was different from Soujiro, different from any man she had met in the past year and that scared her. Her heart beat wildly in his presence and it had only been a couple of days. Did he know how he made her feel? Her mind would turn to jelly when she was in his presence, he overpowering her every thought. She could loose herself within him and that was the most frightening thing of all…Aoshi could steal her heart and maybe even break it too.
Misao had confessed to Megumi how afraid she was at loving again and yet being in the same room as this man beside her, she felt utterly calm…and totally safe. Misao had been a bundle of nerves when her and Soujiro first met but here right now with Aoshi…Misao felt like she had known him forever, as though they had been friends forever…maybe even lovers in another life.
"This is it…" Misao snapped out of her thoughts hearing Aoshi say that. She glanced to her side only to find he wasn't there anymore. Misao turned around to seem him walking around the kitchen, his strong hands brushing over the cupboards and on the bench top as though he could truly see the design in place.
"Can't you see it Misao?" Aoshi spoke turning to face the young woman, his eyebrows creasing in confusion as her cheeks were stained a soft pink for some unknown reason. Now it was his turn to silently watch her as she stared around the kitchen, her mind taking in the colour of the tiles, the lining for the bench top, the creamy colour of the cupboards and her mouth parted open in surprise.
"I can…its modern and elegant…truly lovely…" Misao spoke to herself but Aoshi heard her every word. He knew she had ruled out black now and so she had two choices, go for the speckled greens or the blue. Aoshi loved the blues she choose, it was not too much and not too less that the kitchen would be all a cream colour, but she was right in that now the kitchen would compliment this large house beautifully. All she needed to worry about would be lights, handles and of course maybe repainting the walls but that was simple stuff.
"I'll get you samples of each, but not the black okay?" Aoshi spoke and Misao nodded her head watching as Aoshi picked up the folders heading into the lounge room and placing them back into his bag. Misao watched as he zipped up the bag fully intending on getting ready to leave but Misao spoke, trying to think of the first thing that would hopefully make him stay a bit longer.
"Please eat some sandwiches and pastries Aoshi. There is plenty there and it's a small thank you for coming all this way and helping me out."
"Oh, thanks, but it was no problem at all. It's my job after all." Aoshi replied back and sat down on the couch grabbing one of the small plates and placing some sandwiches on it and began eating silently. Misao inwardly sighed and sat down in the chair grabbing a couple of pastries and began eating too.
"So, how long have you been in business for?" Misao spoke after a small amount of silence. It was just like Megumi said…slowly break into a small conversation on his work to get to know him better. Misao closed her eyes for a brief moment still not believing she was actually doing this.
"This was actually my fathers business to begin with. I've only been working full time for a few years, slowly picking up the pieces of having a really bad time. We lost a lot of money in Tokyo after my mother passed away, my father going into a deep depression and then when he permanently injured his back, I had no choice but to take over the business, or else…we didn't have a home to live in."
"I'm sorry to hear that Aoshi, about your mother…and your fathers injury. Is he all right now? I mean, has he let your mother go…to rest in peace?" Misao gulped down a nervous lump in her throat as Aoshi stared silently at her. She was asking very private questions about his life and when she had snapped at him the other day, he didn't need to tell her a single thing. Aoshi tuned his head away from Misao, his eyes glancing down at some small spot on her coffee table and after a few silent moments between the two of them, he finally answered her.
"When you love someone I don't think it is right to ever forget them, maybe not even right to ever let go either. My family is originally from Kyoto and when we moved away, leaving behind so many memories, so many childhood friends it really hurt. Life began to get better, but I had lost contact with my closest friends and that hurt me, but I made new ones and mum and dad were so happy, happier then my sister and I had ever seen them before. Then tragedy struck, mum got sick. She was in and out of hospitals all the time, but time went by and she grew weaker. Finally after a long battle of many years she died at home, wanting to be around us, around her home with her family. Shit that was a terrible time, I was still a teenager and at 16 I dropped out of school to help dad with the business part time. We came back here, to bury mum in the cemetery her parents where buried in. That's what she always wanted. When I ran into you that day that was whom I was seeing. Father can never let go of mother. She was the biggest and best thing that ever happened to him in his entire life, beside his children, but loosing someone like that can kill you inside."
"I know…" Misao spoke softly, her eyes falling to her hands in her lap. She looked up once more to see Aoshi silently looking at her and Misao felt it right to say something about herself.
"My parents are in that cemetery too. They had died when I was 10 years old. It was hard for my grandfather, brother and sister to look after me. I shut myself out so much but they were patient and I thank them everyday for never giving up on me. I even stopped talking and just began to die on the inside. It wasn't until I met my best friend at school in grade 7 that I began to open up again, that I began to speak once more. My family still worries about me, but truly I am alright now, at least I think so anyway."
"These are really good Misao." Aoshi spoke needing to change the depressing topic of loosing parents and death. It wasn't nice to think about it at all. Misao's cheeks stained a light pink colour once more, obviously not used to being praised about her wonderful cooking. Aoshi shrugged his shoulders and grabbed another pastry leaning back against the soft couch, his left ankle resting on his right knee.
"I'm glad you like them. I usually get compliments from the children I look after but kids generally love anything."
"I'll agree with you there. When I was a kid I loved all the cooking my mother made, but my Auntie made the best pastries of all. Actually she's not my real Auntie, but I grew up with her son and he was like my very own brother…as was I to him since he didn't have one either. We were best friends and we shared everything together, clothes, food, secrets and dreams, you name it. We always looked out for each other too… I sometimes wonder where he is these days…"
"Was it hard? Leaving your hometown for Tokyo?"
"The concept of moving, going to another place was rather exciting and would be a complete challenge, one I knew I could achieve. The toughest was leaving behind friends and other family. I knew no one in Tokyo and I wasn't the most outspoken person in the world. My sister on the other hand is another story. Day one at our new school she was already Miss Popularity and everyone loved her, mostly the guys of course. It took me awhile to make a friend or two, but now everything is all right. I still miss my mother, everyday it decreases, but I know she'll never be forgotten, I just have to look at my sister and see that my mother lives in her and I thank the gods that I have an older sister. They have the same eyes, the same long black hair and the same cunning but smart brain. I still miss my childhood friends, wondering what they are doing and how life has treated them so far. Once I get more settled into the apartment I'm staying at with Sanosuke, the electrician I told you about, I will have to look up my best friend and surprise him."
"I'm sure you'll find them Aoshi." Misao watched as he nodded his head and looking over at her clock that hung on the wall to see it was four in the afternoon. Aoshi stood up softly mumbling to himself, Misao not understanding a single world and then he faced Misao, looking down at her as she was still sitting curled up in the chair.
"I really must be heading off Misao, I'm already 15 minutes late." Misao stood up and walked into the hallway and down to the door opening it up letting Aoshi outside.
"I'll get you to come to the store in a couple of days, I'll have the samples ready by then okay?" Misao nodded her head watching as Aoshi waved to her throwing his bag in the passenger seat and closing it.
"Apologise to your next customer for me. Tell him or her it was my fault for making you stay and eat the sandwiches and pastries." Misao spoke loudly earning a laugh from Aoshi's lips.
"Sure thing…but its only my sister…but she is impatient." Aoshi got in his car turning it over and drove off giving Misao a small honk of the horn. Misao waved goodbye and entered her house closing the door and making her way back into the lounge room. She began cleaning up the small mess they had created and as Misao carried the plates into the kitchen she passed the mirror and stopped to look in it to see her face was glowing with happiness.
"Misao, that went really well." She spoke to herself and walked into the kitchen washing the dishes. If Misao had stayed longer she would have seen a reflection of a ghostly looking Soujiro in the mirror, a bright smile crossing over his boyish features.
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To be continued…
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