Chap 19 A Holiday Bedtime story—Hotei and Hachi

Time: the future on Japanese New Year Eve (which I understand is like our Christmas eve?)

Inuyasha rested peacefully in his favorite chair in the recreation room of the Takahashi Canadian home. Sango rested quietly in his arm. She had just finished nursing. He was enjoying this moment of quiet.

"Daddy? Will you tell us a bedtime story?" Suzy asked as she stood near the chair watching Sango sleep. Suzy was fascinated with the baby and how the baby nursed from her daddy. She often stood by the chair when it was time to nurse Sango.

Inuyasha smiled.

"I have just the tale. Do you think you can bring everyone here so I don't have to move?"

"Hai!" Suzy dashed through the house calling "Storytime" to her siblings.

A large group of the Takahashi children had come home to see their newest sibling. Suzy found Keiko and Steven decorating the living area for the holidays. They knew their dad was too busy with the new baby to get the lights and decorations up so they found the boxes of holiday cheer and had started in the living area.

"Come to the recreation room. Daddy's going to tell a bedtime story!" Suzy smiled jubilantly as she entered the room.

Keiko smiled at Steven and they gently lowered the garland they had just untangled. Steven took his wife's hand and led her toward the rec room.

Suzy continued her retrieval job. Dolly ran happily at her feet. She raced to Bobby's room and knocked on the door.

"Come in," a somber voice replied.

Suzy peeked open the door to see Bobby leaning over a text book.

"Suzy, no games now. I've got to finish this chapter for school. It's so hard to read. I'm falling asleep on it." Bobby looked exhausted.

"Okay, but Dad is going to tell a bed time story…" Suzy was about to say more when Bobby jumped up from his seat.

"Awesome! I'll go get Barbie. Where is he going to be?"

Curls bouncing as she turned away he heard her call out, "the rec room!"

Dolly barked happily as she chased Suzy through the house.

Yuki and Barbie were talking when Bobby knocked on the door. He didn't wait for their response.

"Hey you guys! Dad's telling a bedtime story in the rec room!"

"We're coming," two female voices cheerily called out.

Suzy found her father in his study with the door open.

"Father?" she called. "Daddy's going to tell a bedtime story in the rec room and he asked me to gather everyone so he wouldn't have to move."

Sesshomaru pushed back from his desk. Rising from his seat he took several steps to the door.

"Can you go get Rin? I'll go get him a glass of water and I'll meet you in the rec room."

"Sure Father," Suzy bubbled and she ran to the second floor to find her younger sister.

Sesshomaru found Ryuu in the kitchen refrigerator gathering things to make a ham sandwich.

"Son, your Dad is telling a bedtime story in the rec room. Want to join us?"

Ryuu put the sandwich parts back in the refrigerator and raced off toward the rec room.

Sesshomaru fixed a large glass of cold water and strolled in the rec room. He scanned the room. Inuyasha and Sango were in his favorite nursing chair with Suzy and Rin close by. Facing him, Keiko and Steven sat on the sofa. Steven had one arm wrapped protectively around Keiko's bulging baby bump, his fingers rubbing small circles as Keiko leaned back into him. Bobby was lying on the floor in front of them with his head propped up on a small cushion. Yuki and Barbie were in their normal spot for playing board games to the right of the TV but facing their Dad. Ryuu had moved a little closer to Inuyasha's chair and had convinced his youngest sisters to sit with him.

Kenichi and Kyo had been tied up with work and had not yet seen their youngest sister so the Takahashi family was not complete.

Sesshomaru strolled over to his mate. Sitting the glass of water in his hand he offered to take Sango.

"Nah. We're good for now. I thought maybe the children would like to hear a holiday bedtime story. Feel like helping me?"

"Always, my love," and with that Sesshomaru found a seat near his mate.

With his family surrounding him and his mate beside him Inuyasha started his tale.

"Once upon a time around the time your father was born a Chinese Zen priest named Kaishimoved to Japan. He was an extraordinary monk and could quote Buddhist text verses almost nonstop. Some beings believed he was an incarnation of the Bodhisattva Miroku or Maitreya in Sanskrit, the Buddhist Savior of the Future. For all his priestly characteristic there still remained a few of his actions that were not considered to be particularly saintly by the humans he routinely cared for. For example, he would beg for meat and fish even though they were foods forbidden to priests. You know in that way he was a lot like Monk Miroku who would eat nearly everything except Brussel sprouts."

'I wonder if their food preferences will change,' both mates thought as they rubbed their marks. The two mates laughed.

The children stared at their parents curiously.

"Man, I wish I knew the joke," sighed Bobby. Barbie nodded.

"It's been like this from the beginning," Keiko replied softly. "They used to be worse at it specifically keeping secrets from Kenichi, Ryuu and me. Remember Ryuu?"

Ryuu scratched his head.

"Yeh, kind of. I was really little then." He shrugged apologetically to his big sister.

Inuyasha overhead the comments and smiled.

"We were just wondering if our reincarnated kids will have the same food preferences."

Suzy squinted, her brow wrinkled.

"Why is that funny?" Then turning to Rin she asked, "Do you like the same stuff?"

Rin made a funny face as she scrunched up her face to think. Finally she said, "I dunno. I don't remember."

Amused by their children Sesshomaru and Inuyasha beamed.

Sesshomaru redirected the family as he cleared his voice.

"The part that was funny was that your dad and I thought of the same question at the same time. After so many years together we think alike. I am very pleased." He leaned over and gave his mate a peck. Then turning back to the children he continued.

"Father told me the reincarnated ones wouldn't remember their previous lives just that they would know they belonged to us. So naturally we are curious if that includes their food tastes and habits and quirks."

Then turning to Inuyasha he added, "Let us hope our son Miroku is a gentleman like the rest of his brothers." A penetrating glare followed.

"Hey! Don't blame me if he isn't. I still get embarrassed about those things." Then the inuhanyou realized he vocalized his admission and blushed.

Suzy asked. "What things Daddy?" Then turning to Ryuu she asked him.

Ryuu blushed.

Sesshomaru laughed.

Keiko noted. 'Like Dad like son.' A grin arose on her face.

Steven used his mark to ask her what she was smiling about.

She beamed but didn't answer. It was her secret.

Inuyasha took a large drink of water to avoid answering the question. After swallowing it he resumed his tale.

"Any way- Kaishi was his Chinese name but in Japan he was called Hotei. Presumably, Hotei thought it was unnecessary to abide by the restrictions that mortals need to guide their lives. No one knows for sure. Hotei also looked like a rogue. He was unkempt, dressed in rags and had no regular place to stay or sleep. It is said that once he slept outside during a snowstorm, and people were amazed when he did not get cold or wet.

One day your grandfather met him. Hotei was wandering through the western lands, singing, dancing and laughing to himself. A number of the mundane animals were attracted to his charm and were following him at a distance. Grandfather thought it odd that the animals would follow a human so he phased a bit ahead of the monk and sat at the side of the road.

When Hotei came upon him he smiled and asked Grandfather who he was waiting for.

"Why you, of course," Grandfather smiled.

"Are you interested in a fortune?" Hotei asked smiling politely at the dignified man.

"Sure, why not?" Grandfather replied.

Grandfather didn't know that Hotei was a fortuneteller or that his predictions always came true.

Hotei stared at him for a moment.

"You must know I will not tell the future to any being who does not sincerely desire to know the complete truth less they regret their curiosity."

Grandfather laughed.

"Then let's us walk together for a ways and then I'll decide if I trust you for the truth."

Hotei laughed.

"That is a wise response, for why would one trust a complete and total stranger with information about his future. Come let's find a tea house and you can treat me to some cakes and tea."

Now Toga laughed. "Yes, let's go my dear iterant monk."

The two spent the day together and enjoyed their tea and cakes. At the end, Grandfather didn't want to know his future. He decided it would be more fun to be surprised by it. The monk liked his answer.

When Grandfather returned to his castle he called for his tanuki friend Hachi. Toga knew Hachi loved to wander and had great love for many of the things he and Hotei discussed so he told Hachi of Hotei and sent him with some coins, a bag, and a wooden walking stick for his comfort. Hachi searched for Hotei to deliver the gifts.

When Hachi met Hotei he knew he would never leave the monk's side. Deep inside he felt something drawing him. He needed to serve the monk. I suppose it was not unlike Uncle Jaken's feelings for your father.

Inuyasha winked at Sesshomaru when he made that comment.

Sesshomaru did absolute nothing.

Inuyasha and the children laughed.

The two became fast friends and wandered the Western Lands. Hotei did enjoy meat and fish but otherwise was thrifty and giving. Beings reported seeing a laughing man with a huge belly carrying a ceremonial fan and a large bag of riches over his shoulder. The supply of rice from his bag appeared never exhausted; there was always a sufficient to feed the hungry and so he was known to be generous. Children flocked to him.

Hachi told Toga that it was not unusual for someone to give him rice in the morning only for him to give it to another in need later that day. That's why there seemed to be an endless supply of rice from his bag. Hachi would tell Toga time and again how grateful Hotei was for the walking stick and the bag.

Toga asked why Hotei didn't purchase some fine robes so that he would be warm but the monk just laughed and said it would make it harder for the children to rub his fat belly for good luck.

Never had Hachi or Toga met just a happy content soul.

In the evenings the two friends would look to the heavens and tell stories about the stars. In later years there would be drawings of Hotei looking to the stars.

However as time progress the monk aged and neared his death. Hachi was nearly broken hearted as he sat with his friend. Hotei never frowned though. He smiled benevolently at Hachi and asked him one favor.

"Anything for you my friend," Hachi replied.

"This could be a very challenging favor, my dear Hachi. Please think it through before you agree."

Hachi nodded solemnly.

"I have only one regret. Once I'm gone there will be no one to laugh with the children. Could you… Would you…Are you able to continue in my stead? I know you are long lived and can transform. I only ask that you transform once a year at the New Year's. Smile, laugh, dance, remember the children. They need to have something to look forward to. Don't forget my large earlobes! They are my best asset! The monk laughed softly.

Hachi agreed, but said he could not take the name "Hotei"; instead he would be "Hotei-osho" because he honored his friend so much.

Hotei smiled and passed away peacefully.

Hachi buried his friend. He cried until his tear ducts ran dry and then he took the bag and stick with him back to the Western Castle and told Toga of his arrangement.

"So shall it be," Toga declared.

Several years later Toga made a royal decree that Hotei was to be included in the "Seven Gods of Good Fortune". Shortly after the decree, paintings and idols of Hotei-osho were circulated about Japan. It was even reported that one should rub Hotei's belly for good luck, a custom you may have seen even today.

Bobby's mouth was wide open.

"Dad? Hachi? Hachi from your stories of the Shikon jewel? Hotei-osho is real?"

Inuyasha didn't say anything else because Sango started crying which might have been because he pinched her.

"Well, I've got to change Sango's diaper. Sesshomaru? Can you help me?" Inuyasha winked.

"Of course my love," Sesshomaru took his hand and pulled them up and walked them out of the rec room.

"Does that mean Hotei-osho is real?" Suzy asked Ryuu. "He can see from the back of his head. He knows if you've been bad or good."

Ryuu watched their parents leave the room.

"That's what that means." Ryuu confirmed.

"Woah!" whistled Bobby. "I need to finish my homework. Barbie, can you help me?"

Barbie got up and followed Bobby.

Yuki helped Ryuu take Suzy and Rin to their bedroom. But before he left he asked, "Hey anyone remember where the Hotei-osho idol is?"

Steven pointed to the holiday box they had been sorting through.

"Thanks man!"

Keiko hollered after him. "Leave it on the table so everyone can rub it!"

An affirmative was heard.

The following morning the children found the kitchen table full of gifts and rice dishes, plus a note addressed to the King of the Western Lands.

My dear King,

Enjoyed traveling with you last night. Reminded me of times with your father. See you again next year.

Love to you and yours,

Happy New Year!

-Happy Holidays Everyone!-