CHAPTER 3 –
The sweet scent circled around him tantalizing his senses with the fragrance of lilies and fresh ocean breezes. There was water as far as the eye could see, and the ocean stretched itself out underneath a breathtaking sunset. He stood upon a high cliff and at his feet were small flowers and wild grass. In his arms was the young girl. She breathed lightly and her chest moved in and out softly. He could feel her heartbeat, her very soul almost. He closed his eyes and breathed out feeling quite relaxed. She was wearing her sky blue kimono with the silk shimmering in the sunset. Then her voice broke the spell of silence.
"He will find us, he always does. I don't know what he'll do when he does," she started to shiver and then looked up into his eyes ", I'm scared Hiroshi."
He smiled at her and stroked her hair.
"I won't let him. If he tries to harm you, he has to fight me first." He reassured her then held her close again.
She started to shake uncontrollably and he then noticed her kimono was red again and blood was seeping through around her waist. She fell to the ground with a thump.
"Isaki!" he yelled in despair.
Hiroshi sat bolt upright in his sunken mattress. Breathing heavy and breaking out in a cold sweat. Her words and his yelling echoed through his mind and he could still feel the warmth of her blood on his shirt. Isaki? Who the hell was Isaki? That girl looked exactly like Akina. He fumbled for the edges of the lily hairpin in his pocket and examined it. There was no evidence of name or owner, just the pearly lustre of the glass lily's petals. He placed it underneath his pillow and ventured downstairs to greet his parents.
Hiroshi's mother and father were busy hustling around the kitchen preparing pans and pots for chickens and dumplings. This wasn't their usual morning routine.
"Ma, what's going on?"
"I can't talk right now Hiroshi," she rushed ", we are getting ready for a dinner tonight, you should be too. Please go down to the market on the south to get some more Fish Sauce."
With that she dropped a couple of coins into his hands. He then set off through the trees of their property and jumped over the fence feeling quite proud he made the jump. He had been practicing since he was younger to jump over that fence without touching it, it cost him a few broken bones but he was still persistent. Walking briskly down the dirt road and still smirking at his memories of jumping the gate, he recognized only one person. Everything else seemed to disappear and he only saw the back of a grubby brown coat purchasing goods of some sort. He kept walking and eventually everything else came back into view and the grubby brown coat was in front of him.
He tapped her on the shoulder and she jumped.
"Oh! You startled me." She gasped.
The shopkeeper shot Hiroshi a nasty look then got back to serving another customer. There was an awkward silence between the two, then Hiroshi' eyes met hers and hers soon fell to the floor as she blushed.
"I still don't know your name." He blurted out.
She smirked and examined a coin in her fingers, "Ah, well then I guess you'll just have to wait won't you?"
She threw the coin up in the air and snatched it back. She then straightened herself and walked away humming a little tune. It sounded familiar and sweet, but he didn't spend too much time dwelling over it. Instead he watched her walk away and kicked himself for sounding like such a loser. He rolled his eyes remembering what he came for. Approaching the counter the shopkeeper gave him a dark look and asked,
"Now what would you be doing talking to that young woman back there hmm? I would stay as far away as possible my son; you have no idea what you're getting yourself into."
"But I just came here for-" The shopkeeper interrupted him by placing a bottle of Fish Sauce on the counter and took the money from his hand.
What would that old man know about it? He has no right to tell me how to live. Who does he think he is? 'No idea what you're getting yourself into.' What a cocky bastard.
He made his way home mumbling to himself and kicking rocks out of the way.
"Hiroshi! Come inside and get ready for the dinner! Did you get the fish sauce! I want you to wear your special kimono I bought you a while ago alright?" His mother sounded rather flustered and she pushed him inside hurrying him along up the stairs.
"Okay…Ma…Ma!…alright!"
He shook his head as soon as his mother shut his shoji screen. These people coming for dinner, they can't be that important. No one we know is that high maintenance. He adjusted his kimono and sighed. He would rather be out in that garden with… wait, he still didn't know her name! He pulled out the lily hairpin from his pillow and tucked it inside his obi with the flower only just showing. No one would know where it's from so it was like his little secret that made him smile to himself. After smiling about the flower he soon found himself daydreaming about her pretty eyes, the way she stroked her hair and the way that red kimono fanned out around her like she was a little garden fairy. He came back out of the hazy dream and found himself smiling with a goofy look about his face. He snapped out of it and walked downstairs to a full table of bright, colourful food and flowers. His parents kneeling down on pillows looking quite pleased with themselves and humming patiently waiting for the guests to arrive. His mother turned her head and gasped in amazement at the sight of Hiroshi wearing his expensive, night sky blue kimono. She had never seen him so dressed up.
Then there was a knock at the door. Time stopped for a moment or two then Takki slowly stood up from his kneeling position and opened the door.
"Konbanwa," a friendly female voice from the door spoke soon before an elderly male voice,
"Konbanwa, Long time no see, Takki."
Takki guided them to the table as everyone stood, acknowledged each other and kneeled down next to the table. Hiroshi's mother smiled to herself as the guests hungrily eyed the smorgasbord of fish and rolls, sushi and platters of Sashimi. She gestured for everyone to start eating so they did. Hiroshi was sitting opposite his mother, to his left was his father at one end of the table and the opposing end were the two guests. The woman was plump and cheery wearing probably her best green kimono decorated with gold swirls and fireworks and the man was elderly with a long moustache and beard. His eyes were beady and darted around the room as if he was searching for a single fault in their home. There was something Hiroshi felt was a little uneasy about these people and he still did not know who they were. So he decided to find out.
"I am Hiroshi, Takki's son." He declared boldly while reaching for a baby octopus with the opposite end of his chopsticks.
The old man turned his head slowly and nodded. "I am Kazufumi, Ai's husband." Then he eyed the flower tucked in Hiroshi's Obi and gained a smug look about his face.
"I see you have a girl who is fond of you am I right…? You think you are in love?"
Everyone at the table paused and turned to Hiroshi. He swallowed his mouthful of rice and nodded, blushing.
"Ah, well might I ask who this girl is?" He questioned even further.
"No! I mean I do not even know this girls name, so I'm afraid I cannot tell you that."
Kazufumi leant over the table and gained eye contact with Hiroshi.
"Love is an infatuation my son, sometimes beauty can fool even the coldest of hearts." He stated with a glare in his eyes.
Hiroshi leaned away from Kazufumi, looking around at anybody else to see if they had just heard what he did. Kazufumi snatched a dumpling from a platter next to Hiroshi and kneeled back down.