CHANCES ARE . . .

(X MARKS THE SPOT)

By: TREASURE

CHAPTER 5

Over dinner, Kaoru informed Kenshin that she would be leaving in the morning.

'You have no relative here in Tokyo or anywhere else yet you still wanted to leave?' His voice is full of concern about Kaoru.

'I've been a rurouni for three years now, and I'm not about to domesticate myself, not until I found my father!'

'But do you know where he is?'

'The last I've heard was that he was in Hiroshima, doing hard labor for a loan shark.'

'Hiroshima is a long way from here. How do you suppose you could go there? And after you found your father, where would you go?

Upon hearing Kenshin's questions, Kaoru dropped her head confused.

'I still don't know. I just wanted to see my father!'

Kenshin look thoughtfully at the young woman, unsure, confused and definitely has no plan after seeing her father.

'Kaoru, could you tell me how did your father end up working for a loan shark in Hiroshima? Isn't it too far from Hokkaido?'

Kaoru was apprehensive. Though Kenshin had been good to her for almost a week now, she still considered him as a stranger. But when something burdens your heart, it would be nice to unload them, even to a stranger. Telling him her story would be a great relief; after all they may never meet again.

'This may take the whole night!' Kaoru said.

'We have the whole night!' Kenshin gave her a reassuring smile.

With a deep, deep sigh, Kaoru started her story. 'I was fourteen when my father decided to remarry. He told me, "Kaoru, you know I still love your mother, but when I met Kaede I felt that she has been waiting in the wings just for me! And we have this whirlwind romance and she had accepted to be my second wife. By next week I'll bring her here and her daughter Yumi. They are both nice and I know you will like them just like I do!'

'With so much love and respect for my father, I smiled for him though part of me was furious with what he did. Maybe I was jealous that he'd now devote his little time at home between my stepmother and me. I remained jolly for the rest of the days he was home, you see, he worked as a surveyor and he is often away especially when the palace decided that building railways would be beneficial to the people of Nippon.'

'And then what?' Kenshin urged her to continue.

'Aunt Kaede and her daughter would be picture perfect with their beauty but something in them is just not right. Every time my father would be away they've manage to fire a helper or two. By the end of sixth month being married to my father, Aunt Kaede had thrown away all our hand help, reasoning poor production or bad attitude of the help. In the end she said the three of us, she, Yumi and me could practically accomplish the work those helper she fired has been doing.'

'I can't believe my father would fall with all that crap, but he did, and he let Aunt Kaede do what she pleases.'

'I could see my father going blind to all the things that's happening in our own home. All he can see is how dutiful Aunt Kaede was to him whenever he's home, which is not often.'

'Are you telling me that your father was charmed?' Kenshin asked.

'Hook, line and sinker!' Kaoru again sighed.

'The worst part happened a few days after a year they were married. Aunt Kaede had coaxed my father into borrowing a large sum of money from a certain individual from Hiroshima. She told my father that they could use the money to trade tea and tea paraphernalia. She reasoned out that 100 of Hokkaido drinks tea and there would be no way her idea would go ppfffttt! She even added that after the first deal my father could kiss his work goodbye and would still be moneyed.'

'As it is, father did what he was told and was able to get the money. He let Aunt Kaede hold on to the money as he was going to report for duty a few days after they have received the money. He even told her that he would be away longer this time because he would tell his superiors that he is quitting his job and will be willing to train his replacement.'

'The minute father left, Yumi and Aunt Kaede dressed themselves to a T and went out shopping for new kimonos and trinkets. This they would do the whole week round, coming back exhausted from shopping!'

'So it's a shop till you drop thing eh?' Kenshin smiled at his term.

Kaoru nods her head 'Would you expect the money to last with their attitude? The money was gone, but still no sign of my father.'

'I didn't say anything because it is my father's and Aunt Kaede's decision, but what I couldn't tolerate was when Aunt Kaede and Yumi bad mouthed father! They've said that father was an idiot to spend too much time with the work he's leaving behind. They've said that if father had only bought the tea leaves before he left, the money they've borrowed should have been earning profits for them!'

'Hearing those blames they've been hurling my absent father, I felt my blood rushed to my head. Without second thoughts, I took my bokken and strike them both. I've hit Aunt Kaede on her shoulders; Yumi threw curses on me. Auntie sprawled on the floor. Yumi went around to find anything that can be thrown upon me. I tried to dodge and parry them all, except for one, half of the broken bowl I parried flew right down across my face leaving a wound on my left cheek.' Kaoru stood up and went near Kenshin showing him the scar on her left cheek that ran half an inch from her nose diagonally down almost to her jaw.

'Kenshin was surprised at Kaoru's nearness, he could see that she has this rosy white fine skin that would have been perfect except for the twin scar on her. But what had jolted him more was the sweet scent of jasmine she exudes.

'So. . . . so that is how you got one of your scars!' Kenshin has stammered as Kaoru went back to where she was sitting.

'It was bleeding profusely, that is when I went berserk! I was so mad with Yumi that I've hit her head with my bokken until she almost passed out, then father came in to the house.'

Kaoru was about to continue her story when they've heard knocks from the gate.

'Excuse me, I'll just see who it is.' Kenshin stood and went to the gate.

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'When would you be coming back Henya?'

'I'm not so sure, but they've sent words that I need to go back to Kobe as soon as I can. Youngsters could sometimes be pain in the &!'

'I trust that you, young lady would be able to take care of Kenshin, um, I mean help him here!' Henya continued between bites of maki.

'But Henya-san I must be on my . . . . . . ' Kenshin interrupted Kaoru.

'I wish to speak to you later!' Kenshin bowed towards Kaoru.

'So, everything is settled then. I'll see you again, my friend after six months!'

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