Please go visit my site to see my replies to your reviews! The address is in my profile page…and here is the next chapter:
Light rain began to fall as he poured the sake over the two grave markers, an offering from his grandfather.
"One should not forget to honor the dead," his grandfather had said to him as the older man had handed him the two bottles of sake before Kenshin had left for Kyoto Thursday evening.
Now it was Friday, early morning, and Kenshin had come to the cemetery to pay his respects.
His more modest gift of flowers he placed inside the wooden bucket that had been there when he'd arrived. Somebody had put fresh flowers between his parents' graves.
Purple irises, his mother's favorite flowers.
He idly wondered who it could have been. He had no other relatives in Tokyo.
"Hello mother. Hello father," he said to the two gravestones.
How long has it been since he last came to visit? He felt slightly guilty when he remembered that it had been a while.
Together with that guilt came the dull ache of old pain. Time had made it easier to live with the loss but the memory of that day had been etched into his mind that he could remember parts of it in startling clarity.
Then again, he had a visible reminder of that day he carried with him all the time.
His hands touched his left cheek where the odd x-shaped scar was.
And without invitation, the bits and pieces played in his mind like a horrible montage of that day.
Tires screeching…his father's desperate attempt to steer clear…his mother's horrified scream…the deafening sound of a collision…the warm sticky feel of blood…the wailing sirens…the flickering red lights of an ambulance…the horrible realization of death and loss.
His parents had died in that car accident but he'd walked away with only a scar.
The old feelings of helpless rage, of how unfair life was, rose up in him, but were held in check by the wisdom of age that said to accept the things one cannot change.
He'd accepted the loss long ago when he found out that by surviving the accident it meant that he had to go on living.
But he hadn't realized that until that day she had looked at him with disgust and angry pain… his beautiful angel with her halo of silken black hair and her tear-soaked sapphire eyes.
He sighed. Life was complicated and unfair.
And yet, in all its chaos, one finds something to keep one going.
The rain was coming down harder and Kenshin reluctantly decided to end his visit.
After he said his goodbyes to his parents, he ran down the path towards a covered walkway.
He'd almost gotten to there, when he saw it.
A lone figured dressed in black, protected from the rain by a black umbrella, standing before a grave.
Without thought, he stopped. There was something about the figure that made him stop.
Yet at the same time, he wanted to move on. He didn't want to be a witness to that moment.
There was an air of sadness and loss about the black clad figure. From his own experience he knew how private one's grief was.
He didn't want to intrude, but no matter how much he tried, he could not walk away.
Partly hidden by a large grave marker, Kenshin watched the person, wondering what was keeping him there, rooted in place.
Was it the poignancy of the scene?
The strange beauty of it?
Was it because it reflected what he had felt earlier, standing over his parents' graves?
There was something achingly familiar about the scene. He'd seen this before…
Then the figure turned and Kenshin's eyes widened in shock as he recognized the person.
Kaoru.
Kenshin could swear that in that moment all the air left his lungs and his heart stopped beating.
He opened his mouth to call to her, but nothing came out.
He tried to go to her, but his feet wouldn't move.
He just stood there and watched her walk away.
A lonely figure in black, walking away in the rain. Again.
That feeling of déjà vu intensified, as he stood there motionless, watching her until she disappeared.
'Why was she here?' his mind asked. Without conscious thought, Kenshin walked towards the grave Kaoru had been visiting.
HayashiKichiro, he read.
How could he have forgotten? When almost one year ago, he'd been standing here, attending the funeral of this man.
That is why the scene earlier had been so familiar. He'd seen it before…Kaoru had been standing there in that same spot, grieving for this man.
What had he said to her that day?
"Time is a healer," he whispered to himself, remembering that day clearly now.
It had been raining…just like today…
She had looked up at him through glassy eyes, eyes that kept the tears inside, murmured "Thank you," and walked away.
Kenshin knew from experience that time was a healer, that pain lessened as months go by and you pick up the pieces of the life that was left behind…
So why was she still grieving like he had died yesterday?
Why was there still so much sadness in her?
'And why haven't you been there for her?' a tiny voice inside him asked.
'Because she had not wanted me there' he answered that voice. That was the truth but…not all of it.
Just then, he realized that he was soaked through from the rain. He looked up at the gray skies, feeling the fat raindrops fall on his face.
After one last look at the grave, he turned and left the cemetery, troubled and confused.
Misao stepped into the office she and Kaoru shared, in hopes of finding her friend and business partner there. There was something she needed to discuss with Kaoru.
Kaoru was talking on the phone. She looked up and gave Misao a brief smile of hello, then turned back to her phone conversation.
"We delivered one hundred fifty chairs, Mr. Yana. There is no way that there are only one hundred five there. I filled out the form myself and I specifically wrote down one hundred fifty chairs on the list for the things needed. Our crew counts twice before they deliver the materials to make sure they have everything that is needed for the physical arrangements…"
Misao sat down on her desk, looking at Kaoru inquiringly.
Her friend looked at her and mouthed 'Don't worry, I got it.'
Kaoru took one of the folders on the neat pile on her immaculately neat desk and opened it.
"I've got the list right in front of me, Mr. Yana and I assure you I wrote one hundred …"
Misao could see Kaoru scan down the list, then suddenly stop. Kaoru frowned, looked at Misao then looked back down at the list.
Then she said into the speaker, "Ah, Mr. Yana, I'll have the forty-five chairs delivered in an hour. Ok…I'm sorry Mr. Yana, you were right…I'll escort the chairs myself…I truly am sorry…See you in an hour Mr. Yana," and she placed the phone back in its cradle.
Misao watched as Kaoru kept staring at the list with a look of confusion and unbelief on her face.
"What's the matter?" she asked her friend.
Kaoru looked up at her, handing her the piece of paper, "Apparently I've developed some sort of dyslexia…"
Not comprehending what she meant, Misao took the paper and looked at the list.
There she read: 105 chairs. She looked back at Kaoru, who was rubbing her forehead.
"I can't believe I wrote 105 instead of 150! I checked that list five times…I check all my lists five times! I don't know how that could have escaped me!" Kaoru said to her.
"Hey, so you made a mistake, it's no big deal! We all make one sometime," Misao assured her friend.
"I don't," Kaoru said looking at Misao with a troubled frown. She couldn't believe that she'd written 105 instead of 150, and she couldn't believe she'd missed that!
Misao looked at her friend, whom she loved like a sister.
Kaoru had an extraordinary sense for organization and order. Granted, she might come off obsessive-compulsive at times, but her incredible attention for detail, no matter how small, made her the best at what she did. Some called her a perfectionist, but Kaoru didn't believe in half measures.
She was also incredibly unflappable, dealing with life's little surprises with a shrug of the shoulders and a back-up plan because she was the kind of person that planned for every contingency.
Misao used to envy that about Kaoru…and how she could go through the most stressful and draining situations and come out looking like a rose in first bloom, serene and unruffled like she'd done nothing more stressful than have a cup of tea.
But lately her friend had been coming apart. It was really surprising because one year ago, when life had dealt a shocking blow, she'd gone through the experience with extraordinary calm and composure.
When Misao herself would have become a weeping wreck, Kaoru had kept her eyes dry and gone through those terrible days with stoic dignity.
Yet ever since that day, there had been a cloud of sadness hanging over Kaoru… but she hadn't let that affect her job… until recently.
About four weeks ago, Kaoru had put pink table runners instead of peach ones on table settings for a wedding reception.
Nobody noticed the difference but Misao knew that Kaoru would have noticed the pink instead of the peach. That's how attentive she was to detail.
But to Misao's surprise Kaoru hadn't noticed at all. Misao didn't tell her, knowing that her friend would obsess about it if she'd know.
Odd little things like that had kept happening, but Misao wasn't really that worried until yesterday. Mrs. Yamaguchi, one of their long-standing clients, had hired them to do a lunch for her and her friends. From previous experience, she had let them decide what to do for the luncheon.
Misao had suggested some items she knew Mrs. Yamaguchi liked but she let Kaoru plan out the whole menu, trusting in her taste.
When she had gotten a printout of the menu, she was so surprised that her friend had put strawberry sorbet for dessert. Mrs. Yamaguchi was very allergic to strawberries. They both knew that. In fact, Kaoru kept mentioning that every time they had planned a menu for their client before!
Misao knew why Kaoru kept slipping up like that. That's why she decided to talk to her friend.
"Don't be too hard on yourself, ok? You're only human and you've been working too hard lately," Misao said, trying to console her friend and at the same time get the conversation started.
Kaoru rolled her eyes, "I've always worked hard…"
"But not like you did the past twelve months…" Misao looked at her friend, noticing how pale she'd become and that she'd lost weight.
Kaoru had a sense where this was going, but she wasn't up to it. She smiled vaguely in an attempt to stop the conversation and stood up.
Misao knew what her friend was doing, so she went directly to the point.
"I think you should take a break."
"I can't…I have to deliver forty-five chairs to Mr. Yana," Kaoru said flippantly, reaching for the tote bag she'd left on the floor beside her desk.
"That's not what I meant…Kaoru, I want you to take some time off from work."
Kaoru looked at her friend and coolly asked, "Was I a topic for discussion between you and Dr. Shinomori at dinner last night?"
She noticed Misao looked slightly hurt, as she replied, "No. Aoshi takes doctor-patient privilege very seriously. We never discuss any of his patients… not even you. You should put more trust in him."
Kaoru knew that she'd gone too far and she apologized, "I'm sorry, that was out of line…I do trust Dr. Shinomori…and I don't think he would want to talk about his patients when he's out with you."
Accepting the apology with a smile, Misao impishly said, "It's incredible how little we actually do talk…"
Kaoru raised an eyebrow, "Is that what you do at dinner with a man nowadays?"
"You know I've always had a weakness for dessert," Misao said, a sly grin on her face.
"Dessert? Is that what they call it now?" Kaoru smilingly teased, grateful that the subject had been changed.
"Maybe…you should try it sometime…you've been out of the dating scene too long," Misao said, instantly looking contrite when she realized what she had been saying.
Kaoru gave her an understanding smile, knowing that her friend meant well.
"Do you want to know how long it's actually been? Exactly one year…" she tried to joke.
But Misao didn't smile at that feeble attempt but asked instead, "Can I come with you when you go visit him?"
Kaoru guiltily said, "I've already visited him…"
"When?"
"Earlier this morning, before I came to work…"
"You should have let me come with you," Misao said, worried about her friend.
Kaoru shook her head, "No, I had to do this on my own…"
"Are you ok?" Misao asked.
"Of course!" Kaoru tried to smile brightly, but failed.
"Kaoru, you need to move on…it's been a year…"
Kaoru smiled sadly, "I know…"
"You should start dating again…there are a lot of men out there who'd love to go out with you…I should know, they asked me if…"
Kaoru gave Misao a horrified look "You're not planning on setting me up on a blind date again, are you?"
Misao flushed guiltily, remembering the last time she'd tried that. The results had been disastrous.
"No, no blind dates, I promise," Misao said to Kaoru, "But you should start dating again…"
"Misao…I know you mean well…but I'm just not ready yet," Kaoru said to her friend, willing her to understand.
"When will you be?"
"I don't know…I don't know if I'll ever be," Kaoru whispered sadly.
Misao got annoyed, "Kaoru! You have to get over him…this is no way for you to live! Why is it so hard to get over him? You've gotten over Kenshin, haven't you? At one time you thought he was your big soul mate…"
There was a momentary pause before Kaoru said defensively, "That was different…"
"You were the one who always said that when things fall apart, all you have to do is pick up the pieces and start over again…" Misao reminded Kaoru.
This time Kaoru flushed guiltily. It was true, that had been her motto.
Feebly she tried to defend herself, "It's different this time…"
"No it's not! You're just not trying!" Misao said forcefully.
"You don't understand…" Kaoru whispered and for the first time Misao noticed the suspicious moisture in her friend's eyes.
This stopped her short. In all the time since last year, this was the closest she'd seen her friend to crying.
She walked over and gave Kaoru a hug, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pushed so hard…"
"It's ok," Kaoru whispered, wanting to end this conversation.
Misao stepped back to look at Kaoru and pleaded gently, "Take some time off…"
Kaoru shook her head, "I don't think I can…there's too much to do…"
"Sure you can," Misao said gently, "After the reunion tomorrow you'll have time…"
"But what about…" Kaoru started.
"No buts…I can handle the few events that we booked already…besides, we do have a very efficient staff, you know," Misao said, "You really need to take some time off…go away on some exotic cruise or something…or go to a hot spring resort…find a hot guy to distract you…anything…just take some time off."
Kaoru looked at her friend, slightly bemused, "You really wouldn't mind?"
Misao frowned slightly, "Hmmm… would I mind if you'd get hot and heavy with a cute guy at a hot spring resort? I don't know…perhaps only if you'd find one for me?"
Kaoru had to smile as she teasingly asked, "And what about Dr. Shinomori?"
"Aoshi at a hot spring resort…that thought has merit…" Misao said with a wicked gleam in her eyes.
Kaoru couldn't help it, she laughed out loud. Misao was so startled by the sound that she looked at her friend like she'd metamorphosed into a two-foot chicken.
"You're head over heals with the guy, aren't you?" Kaoru asked her with a big smile.
"That obvious huh?" Misao asked wryly.
"Yeah, you have that glow of happiness about you," her friend said sincerely.
But Misao could pick up a small trace of sadness and…was it envy?
"I am happy…and I want you to be happy too," she told her friend.
Kaoru was really happy for her friend that she'd found someone nice like her therapist, but in the deepest part of her, she did feel slightly envious of Misao's happiness, because she knew how it felt to be in love…
"Hey, I'm really glad for you…Dr. Shinomori is a really nice guy," Kaoru said, to dispel the tiny niggling of envy.
"He is, and somewhere out there is a nice guy waiting for you," Misao said.
Kaoru smiled bitter-sweetly, "You think third times the charm?"
Misao smiled briefly, "Who knows?"
Instead of answering, Kaoru glanced at her watch and said, "I better get going and deliver those forty-five chairs."
Slinging the tote over her left shoulder, she made her way to the door, giving Misao an apologetic look.
Her friend looked at her intensely for a second before asking, "You will think about it, won't you?"
"About what?" Kaoru asked, pretending not to understand.
"About taking some time off," Misao said, concern and caring written on her face.
"I'll think about it," Kaoru said but just to placate her friend and walked out the office.
In the hall way she stopped briefly and closed her eyes.
Things were complicated…and she was tired…so tired.
She wished she could just crawl into bed and sleep for days and wake up to find out that last year had been only a bad dream…
Kenshin sat at the bar waiting for Sano to arrive. They made plans to have lunch together today, when Kenshin had called his friend from his hotel room yesterday to tell him he'd arrived a day earlier than planned.
Sano had called earlier to tell him he'd be a few minutes late. Kenshin didn't mind the waiting, it gave him some time to think about what he'd seen this morning.
Ever since he left the cemetery, he'd wanted to call Kaoru, but he hadn't because he didn't know what to say…the scene earlier had disturbed him too much.
"Hey!" someone standing beside him suddenly said.
Kenshin looked up to see his friend dressed in a dark conservative suit, with a matching conservative tie, holding a briefcase in his hand.
Although he knew that Sano was a lawyer, and a very good one at that, the image of conservative professional Sano somehow always clashed with the image of Sano in High School.
Kenshin smiled, "Hey Mr. Big Shot Lawyer."
Sano loosened his tie as he placed his briefcase on the counter and sat down on one of the stools, "I need a drink."
The bartender approached and Sano made his order, "Scotch."
With a few deft movements, the bartender produced the drink and handed it to Sano.
Sano finished his drink in one long swallow. With a bang, he placed the glass on the counter.
"Isn't it a bit early for that?" Kenshin asked wryly.
"Trust me, you'd need it if you worked for the man I call my boss," Sano said looking at him.
"That bad?"
"Worse," Sano grumbled. Then he saw a man sitting at the opposite end of the bar lighting a cigarette.
"Hey buddy," he called out, "do you mind not doing that in here?"
The man looked at him, at the lit cigarette and put it out in an ashtray.
"Thanks," Sano said.
Kenshin looked at the man, then at Sano and asked, "What's gotten into you? The last time I checked it was still legal to smoke in public places here in Tokyo."
Sano shrugged his shoulders, "Doesn't mean that I have to inhale all that second-hand smoke. Besides I saved the guy some lung cells."
"Very altruistic of you," Kenshin said looking at his friend.
"What?" Sano asked, seeing that probing look, but when Kenshin just kept looking at him, Sano relented.
"Ok, so I'm sick and tired of the smell of cigarette smoke. My boss keeps puffing his cigarettes right in front of me," Sano grumbled.
Kenshin had to smile, "He still does that?"
"Yeah! And only around me! I think he's doing it on purpose," Sano complained.
"Then sue him for harassment," Kenshin suggested.
Sano looked at him perplexed, "That thought never occurred to me."
Then he asked, "You think Saitou Hajime would part with his millions to give me a nice settlement?"
"Only if you'd win the suit. You think you could do it?"
Sano thought for a second, "Against The Wolf? I'm not sure…he's a tough lawyer to beat. It'll be easier if I just quit the job."
"Why don't you, then?" Kenshin asked his friend.
Sano sighed, "Because even if I think my boss is an ass, it's still the best law firm in Japan. I like the work, it's challenging…but let's not talk about that, ok? I haven't seen you in a while, there's better things to talk about.
Kenshin nodded, "How's Megumi?"
Sano smiled at the mention of his wife, "She's doing great…she loves it at the Genzai Clinic."
"Any mini Sanos or Megumis in the future?" Kenshin asked.
"We're trying," Sano said on a sigh.
Kenshin chuckled, "You make it sound like it's such a hard job."
Sano smiled wryly, "You're right…it's actually one of the easiest I ever had."
They both laughed.
"How bout you?" Sano asked, "Any chance I'll get a call from you someday soon to tell me you've decided to give up sacred bachelorhood?"
"I won't be making that call at all, I assure you," Kenshin said, the image of Kaoru this morning popping into his head.
Sano sensed his friend going somber and wondered if Kenshin was thinking of his and Megumi's wedding day.
Kenshin had been really heartbroken that day…but that had been almost two years ago, long enough for him to get over it.
"Have you seen Kaoru lately?" Kenshin suddenly asked his friend.
"No I haven't, but Megumi has. Why?"
"Nothing," Kenshin said, suddenly reluctant to discuss her with Sano.
Sano studied Kenshin for a second then said, "Can we go to the restaurant? I'm starved."
"Ok," Kenshin said, so they stood up and Sano gathered his things.
They made their way to the hostess, who led them to a table near the window where the friends took a seat.
A look outside the window confirmed today's weather forecast for Tokyo: Gray Skies and Rain.
That's about it for this chapter. I just sat down in front of the pc and started typing away…I hope this chapter makes enough sense to tie in with the story. Thank you for the reviews. BTW, the 150/105 thing happened to me once during a math quiz! Plus, I don't know if there is a law that makes it illegal to smoke in public places in Japan…
More will be revealed in the following chapters…
Until then,
Lillienne
PS. Rurouni Kenshin isn't mine, but then again, you already knew that, didn't you?
Please visit my site…go to my profile page and click on the address.