-1Eyes Of Water

Chapter 3

Okiya

By

Bulma

Bulma and Andrea did not struggle. They both realized that it was pointless. The women named Hatsumomo and Korin joked and laughed all through the streets and city of the Royal City. They were so beautiful in their silk and colorful Kimonos. The Saiyans seemed to like Japanese Earth olden customs so much they added to their entertaining societies. Bulma looked wildly around at the sites before her. Noise and smells and the atmosphere filled her every senses to the maximum. Bulma didn't know from her ups or downs as she was being dragged by the arm by Hatsumomo. Bulma slowly began to realize that the farther away they had gotten from the busy life of the Royal City, the tighter and more violent the grip on her arm was becoming. Andrea did not suffer so much with Korin. Both girls exchanged looks, things were going to get worse.

Finally Bulma could not take the pain as she let out a whimper and pleaded, "Stop, your hurting me." The woman stopped and peered down at her with her adoring face, one might say she would be a mother looking adoringly at a child. But then she roughly grabbed Bulma's face and brought it inches from her own. Their faces were almost touching and Bulma could feel the air from her nostrils flare from such hatred. "You are a slave you little bitch and will do well to keep your mouth shut! Know your place because I, no anyone cares if you live or die from now on! Stop complaining and hurry along or Mother will be very upset and I will use the Bamboo stick on you!" she hissed. Bulma bit her lip back. No matter what she did or how she tried to make the pain stop in her life; she would always find someone to be so unkind to her.

Andrea and Korin looked at them. Now Korin was not a mean person, well, not to the extreme of Hatsumomo and later in life she would be very kind and generous to Andrea, as for Bulma, her life would lead one of brutality and unfairness. They stopped at the fork in the road. Bulma could feel this was a sign of destiny. On one path there was hope and light and faith, on the other there was pain, suffer, and a lifetime of hardship. Bulma knew that this would be her path and the other Andrea's. How she wished she could have gone with Andrea and both girls looked at each one last time before they were taken to their own paths.

Bulma tried not to fall behind Hatsumomo as she pulled her to what appeared to be an old fashion Japanese building. The woman took off her shoes inside the sliding gate at the door. Bulma, who was still in her nightgown from being kidnapped, had no things with her. She kept her eyes glued to the floor and bid herself to become hollow. "Get in!" the woman shoved her into the Okiya or the building they were to stay in for many more years to come. Bulma was dragged by Hatsumomo throughout the house. "Hatsumomo? Are you back?" called a voice through what Bulma thought to be an office, for when Hatsumomo opened the door and came in with Bulma behind her, it looked very much like an office.

Bulma looked up from the ground at what Bulma could only think of as a pig in a Kimono. Smoke filled the room from the pipe "Mother' as Bulma took as the plump, unattractive woman before smoked from her pipe. "I bought the new servant Mother." Hatsumomo sighed as if it was the worst chore in the world. Mother put down her pipe and went to Bulma. "Let me have a look at you." she croaked in what Bulma could describe in a frog's voice. She circled Bulma several times and then came to face her once more. Bulma's head was bowed and wished nothing more than to disappear and go back home.

"Look at me little girl." croaked Mother. Bulma slowly lifted her head, then her eyes at the woman before her. Mother sneered down upon her. "Too much water! Hatsumomo, you did well today." "Yes, well keep her out of my site until she is ready." Hatsumomo sneered at Bulma. "Such an unworthy pest. Honestly Mother, I don't understand why you keep insisting on making me have a younger sister! We all ready have Kyoko (mirror in Japanese)!" "Yes, but you said Kyoko was unfit to be your younger sister…" Mother began. "Well I changed my mind! She can be the new servant!" Hatsumomo pointed at Bulma. Mother put a hand under her chin as to think about the situation. "Hmm, perhaps this will see how fate wants this matter to be resolved. Next month I will send the girl with Kyoko to Geisha school and when the time comes we shall choose which one will be your younger sister and who shall be the servant to the Okiya." Mother smiled at this as she knew either way she would be making money.

Apparently Hatsumomo liked this idea very much and did not ponder on it for a second. "Very well Mother." she agreed and left. "KYOKO!" Mother bellowed suddenly and Bulma shrank back from the volume this woman used. A young girl not much older than Bulma appeared at the door kneeling in respect. She had dark eyes and the same chrematistics as a Saiyan would. She wasn't very pretty but she wasn't too ugly. If you must call her anything, she might have appeared plain I suppose. "Take…" Mother began but Bulma beat her to it. "Where am I?" Bulma was so sick of being silent and now she saw this as her chance to speak up. Mother chucked, "You will learn to have better manners than that unless you wish to end up on the streets. We are in an Okiya, a place to train and raise Geisha. Now I answered your question little girl. You tell me the answer to mine; what is your name?"

"Bulma Briefs…" "Well Bulma Briefs, whatever hole you managed to live in and crawl out of to end up here is long and dead. You live here now and until I give you permission to leave this Okiya for good, you are a servant. You will have work, you will have expectations, and you had better not cause any trouble for me or it's to the streets with you. If I came to find that you are more trouble than you are worth, I shall not hesitate in resolving the issue. Do I make myself clear?" Mother spoke and chuckled at Bulma's shocked form. Bulma managed to shake her head yes. "Good. Kyoko, take this nuisance to her room and show her around and her chores." Mother barked at the other girl. "Yes Mother, follow me." the girl named Kyoko told her.

-1 Month Later!-

For one month, Bulma had gotten accustom to life at the Okiya. She worked long hours on just chores and she barely slept. What kept her going was just the thought of running away from this horrid place. She wanted to leave and see her Mother again and ask her Father why he had this to her. So many questions she would lay awake thinking and yet so many answers denied to her. A lot of things in actuality was being denied to her but she kept moving on.

Bulma chores were the least of Bulma's problems; if chores were the only thing that Bulma had to endure in this tale; she should have considered herself very fortunate. However, that was not the case because she had to live and deal with Hatsumomo on a daily basis. Bulma made sure that the second Hatsumomo left to take care of her Geisha duties or even went out for the afternoon that she would go and do her chores in Hatsumomo's room.

All was well for a month until Hatsumomo came back early to see what Bulma had done. She stormed in and grabbed Bulma's arm and with the other slapped her. "STUPID, STUPID GIRL! HOW DARE YOU TOUCH MY THINGS!" she screeched to a high pitch. Bulma was in such a daze of shock she had no inkling of what was happening around her. Hatsumomo threw Bulma upon the ground and began to trash her room in her rant and rave. "NO ONE TOUCHES MY THINGS; NO WONDER MY ROOM SMELLS OF DUNG! IT SMELLS OF YOUR BACKWATERED HOME!" she cried.

Hatsumomo made such a ruckus that everyone in the Okiya came to see what was the matter. Mother went to go calm Hatsumomo down as Kyoko took Bulma to Mother's office. Kyoko left Bulma in the room alone. Bulma was so shaken up and she had red marks on her cheeks, not to mention a few cuts from Hatsumomo's nails from where they hit her. Mother came in several moments afterwards and she looked angrily at Bulma. "Bulma, what have you done to Hatsumomo? She is in an rant of which I have never seen before!" " I did nothing! I swear! I was only doing my chores as you have told me to!" Bulma defended herself. "Well things are going to be replace. All of Hatsumomo's that were broken shall be adding that to you debt." Mother tried to calm down. "My debt?" "Yes the money I had to pay to get you, your meals, your room in the Okiya, and now your lessons for Geisha school." Bulma could only stare at the floor. She had not seen or touch this thing called debt, but for her 10 year old mind she knew what it meant. "H-How am I to pay?" her voice was so small spoken. A chuckle came from Mother. "By becoming a Geisha or if you do not, you are to forever to work in this Okiya until you paid it all back, I sell you, or you die.

-1 Week Later!-

Bulma tried her hardest to stay of Hatsumomo's way the week that followed the talk she had with Mother. Bulma hated life. Hatsumomo had other plans on her mind at getting at Bulma and poor Bulma had no way of defending herself from the harsh cruelness of Hatsumomo. Mother saw this, but did nothing to stop it except send Bulma to Geisha school in hopes that Bulma could get away from Hatsumomo. But even that didn't help matters.

Bulma was so worn out by lack of sleep, low nutrition, and hard work at school, that the second she got home Hatsumomo was waiting there with her bamboo stick, ready to strike the poor girl. It was all to much for this child's body could handle but yet she kept moving on in hopes of one day escaping from this place. At school there was some relief, she saw Andrea. Now, Bulma would be lying to herself if she didn't feel jealous on how Andrea's life with Korin turned different then the how she and Hatsumomo's life turned out. It made her feel so alone, but at least she had someone in this place she could talk to; so she was alone but not really.

-Many Months Later-

Even through the cruel beatings, the harsh taunting from Hatsumomo, and the other children besides Andrea that pointed and left her to be in pain and loneliness; Bulma managed to stay strong for herself. She was doing very well in her classes of singing, calligraphy, playing the shamisen, and even tea ceremony. However, her dancing was horrid and she would always get scolded. She was never as good as Andrea. Her flow and rhythm was beautiful and depending on her mood of dancing, everyone felt her emotions like a glow of a candle spreading light into the room. Bulma didn't mind though, Andrea was good in her way and she was good in hers. With dancing aside, Bulma was turning out to be a very promising student and soon-to-be Geisha.

Everyone it seemed to praise her for her outstanding hard work and skills; but not everyone was too pleased with Bulma's way of doing things. In the eyes of some, she was becoming a threat closer to home. Kyoko and Bulma were walking home one afternoon and everything seemed normal for the most part until Kyoko stopped. Bulma noticed the girl was not walking beside her. Sure these two never bonded or even would be called friends, but they lived together and that was the only bonding relationship that kept them together.

"Kyoko?" "Bulma…you want to go back to your home and see your Mother?" Kyoko blurted out. Bulma was over come with shock and surprise as she found herself speechless. "………………" "Bulma, come!" Before Bulma could stop her, Kyoko grabbed Bulma's hand and they rushed through the city. Bulma felt herself being in like a dream like state and didn't know how to wake up from it.

Finally they came to a place Bulma recognize. It was the port where new slaves arrive and carriers leave to go get supplies and more slaves. "See that ship right there." Kyoko pointed out to Bulma. It was a lone ship by itself. It seemed as Bulma observed it, had taken a pounding over the years as it was much outdated on this planet. "Hai…" Bulma managed to find her voice by this time. That ship will take you to Earth. All you have to do is push the start button. I left instructions on how to get out of here. You are set to leave tomorrow night with Andrea."

"….why did you go through all this trouble?" Bulma asked gratefully. "Because, I've seen how horrible you have been treated and I wish for you to escape with your friend. I have talked to her and she has agreed that this would be good." With this said, Bulma could think of prying no more. She was so grateful. All her hard worked over the past months have paid off. "Come, we will talk as we run home. Mother must be worried about us!" Kyoko said as they both took off.

-Bulma

P.S. Moment Of Zen!

I expect you to go through your life with your eyes open!

-Nobu

"Memoirs Of A Geisha"