*In a horrible mood. I apologize to my faithful reviewers. I will be getting in touch with you to thank you for your reviews! I am in the middle of the biggest decision of my life. Going to Law School in Maine or New Mexico...any thoughts?

I choose to wear a kimono the color of green apples that night. I imagined the color matched my mood. I once heard of the Western saying, being green with jealousy.

For I was jealous. Everything I had worked hard for, everything I had sacrificed, only to have it taken away by Hatsumomo. Truth be told, Nobu was still my Danna and I was still the daughter of the Okiya. I agreed with Mother that I doubted he had plans to put me aside and take Hatsumomo as his Mistress. The matter of this impending child infuriated me beyond belief. Geisha do not have children. Unless they are the daughters of the Okiya or plan on then, it was preferable to adopt outside the okia so as not to interupt the earnings of the main geisha.

I wondered what Hatsumomo would do with the child when it was born. Would she keep it? How long would she carry the burden of the expense? What had Nobu agreed to?

I had promised Mother that I would not break my arrangement with Nobu. He was too valuable to lose. With the War coming, the future had never seemed so uncertain. The rice in our bowls, my make-up, the pay of the cook and my dresser and various fees, all were heavily dependent on Nobu's generous upkeep. Mother had been able to put away money and goods because of this. Nobu was our chance to survive the long winter ahead.

Wearing a heavy orange scented perfume, I walked into the banquet with my head held high.I knew that despite my sadness, I was attractive that evenining. The green of my kimono had darkened my eyes to a dull slate color that seemed black in the low lighting of the tea house.

Hatsumomo and Pumpkin, thankfully weren't there to futher darken my mood. Mameha had promised to show up later that evening.

I did my job perfunctorily. I chatted and laughed with customers. I poured sake and beer. When pressed to perform, I abandoned my usual post at the shamisen and rose to dance. I asked the geisha accompanying me to perform a song about the snow falling for the first time in winter.

Moving my sleeves, I conveyed the death of a snow flake and then a rebirth in the sudden onslaught of a the end, I sank slowly to my knees, reacting the inevitable death of winter as spring came. For spring always comes. I put my fan over my face to signal the end of my life.

It was both fierce and sad. The death of a snowflake,greatly inconsequential in the grand scheme of things mirrored my existance in Gion. It was very poetic.

The audience was clapped enthusiastically. I suppose my emotion had transferred positively in my dancing. I folded my fan closely to my body. I murmured my thanks.

AsI was taking my seat, a man's voice called my name.

"Sayuri-san, what a pleasant surprise."

"Chairman!" I turned my body towards him and bowed. "I did not know that you were going to be at this party! What a pleasant surprise!"

The Chairman had his hands folded around his sake glass. I remembered how months ago, that gesture would have thrilled me.

Inside me everything was still. Like a fallen a snowflake.

He gestured politely for me to sit by him. I folded my sleeves and sat. I asked him if he required a fresher drink. He shook his head.

"You are very beautiful when you dance, Sayuri-san."

"I am not beautiful all the time then Chairman?" I quipped teasingly. He shook his head and smiled.

"You know what I mean. You are a born dancer, is something about the way you convey feelings and emotion."

"I am a performer" I told him. "I am not sure I was born a dancer, but I became one. Just as you, Chairman, were not born a Chairman but became one through many years of hard work and devotion."

The Chairman shook his head wistfully. "I owe all my success to Nobu-san" he said. "Without him this company would not be what it is and I would not be the man sitting here before you." I nodded my head.

"Many people owe their success to my Danna." The Chairman looked at me in surprise, aware of the tinge of anger in my words.

"Indeed. I believe that Nobu-san will be here tonight. I spoke to him a few hours before I left the office. He was busy handling some affairs with the War Office. They have started to pressure our company to meet their demands in manufacturing bombs and airplane equipment!"

"Can Iwamura Electric do that?"

"We will see what Nobu promises them. Perhaps circuit breakers, but certaintly not complete airplanes! You might as well ask us to lay golden eggs." I laughed.

"Chairman, you are entertaining me tonight! It should be the other way around!" I scolded. I gestured towards the snacks that were laid out onto the table. He took a sesami cracker.

"It is no trouble. Truth be told, I am glad to make you laugh...Sayuri-san..." The Chairman said my name like he wanted to tell me something of importance. I looked at him waiting.

Suddenly Nobu was ushered into the room by a geisha. I rose and bowed to my Danna.

"Good evening Nobu-san." I smiled and bowed. Nobu nodded at me and quickly seated himself beside the Chairman.

Without further acknowledging me, the two began a low conversation. The Chairman looked troubled. I remained in my seat, politely waiting.

I heard the Chairman give a low sigh and then he turned to me and apoligized. He told me he had another engagement to attend.

"I wish you had been here earlier, Nobu-san. Sayuri gave a most impressive and beautiful dance."

"Sayuri is a most accomplished dancer" Nobu said. I gave him a small smile.

"Please excuse me. Sayuri-san. Nobu-san." He bowed to us and begin to make his way to the door. I would have helped him with his shoes but Nobu gestured for me to stay.

"You look well tonight, Sayuri."

"I am glad you find me so" I told him. Nobu looked at me questioningly.

"Are you feeling well? You look flushed."

"I am quite well" I told him. I took out my fan from my obi and fanned my face, trying to think of polite things to say.

"Is something the matter?" Nobu asked quietly, his eyes searching my face.

"Is there?" I questioned. My mind screamed at me to be quiet and not bring on the impending arugement. I recalled Mother's words. The rice in our bowls, the silk kimonos, the precious make-up.

Nobu-san was too valuable to lose, and yet the water in me pressed me onwards.

Now it seemed I would find out my value. Was I too valuable to lose?

"It seems that there has been a current of change in our agreement"I said, picking my words carefully. I was using the veiled language of a geisha, something that Nobu-san despised.

"What are you talking about?"

"There is a saying that one cannot be satisfied with picking just one flower. To find complete complete satisfaction and beauty, a man must pick at least three flowers to make a boquet."

"I do not understand you, Sayuri. Is this what Mameha teaches you? To speak in riddles?"

"It is you I do not understand!" I snapped. "I thought...never mind...forgive me. I must go." I rose from the table and made my way to the hostess. I bowed to her and thanked her for inviting me.

Nobu-san did not call my name, but I could sensed his presence behind me.