Akito waited for Chie to leave the room and eyed the envelope warily. With a glance at Shigure, she opened it and began reading.
Greetings.
I am Thomas Sashimoto and I am writing to you in hopes that you are well. My great-grandfather, Endou Sashimoto, is 102 years old and is on his deathbed. He has lived a long and meaningful life. He has seen wars come to pass, family members die of age, and great great grandchildren learn their first words. He is now very close to the end of his life and he has asked me to write this letter on his behalf. I promised that I would do this, though I'm not certain why. It may simply be out of delirium, but I agreed to do it and so I have. I hope the words contained within are meaningful to you.
When I was a young boy, he would often tell me elaborate stories. One, in particular was a favorite of mine and he would tell it to me often. My great grandfather was very keen on tradition and, though he had not lived in Japan for several years, was proud of his family's Japanese ancestry. It is this story, and its effect on me and my family that he wanted me to put in writing. Again, I'm not certain why, but these were his instructions.
The story begins much the same as the modern day Japanese Zodiac folktale, it talks of 'God' and the animals of the zodiac, the race, and the banquet. To make it more interesting for us youngsters, he added a twist to the story. He would tell us of an ancient family that was marked by the zodiac, and some members of this family could change into the animals of the zodiac.
As a youngster, I often laughed with delight with my siblings at this idea. How wonderful it would be to transform into an animal and run wild at night without a care in the world! We would play in the yard and pretend we were the zodiac animals, and my great grandfather would watch us bring his story to life.
As we got older, he would add more to the story. First this original zodiac folktale, then the family. Several years later, when I was about 9 or 10, he added a new chapter to the story...
The zodiac family, had become very influential as time had passed, and had amassed a great deal of wealth. They held property, large estates, storefronts and were extremely socially adept. A young male member of the family, who so happened to be the Rat of the zodiac, had befriended another boy in the town in which they lived. The boy was the son of a local grocer whose building was owned by the zodiac family. The Rat would often pass by the grocer's storefront on his way home from school, and would sneak off with the shopkeeper's son for hours to play. The years passed and the boys continued their friendship, much to the disapproval of the Rat's family. As an adult, being the Rat commanded a certain respect within the family, and he gave his life long friend the opportunity to move the grocery (passed down to his friend by his father) inside the walls of the estate. Knowing that having the exclusive business of the most influential family in the city meant that his family would never want or need again, the decision to move was an easy one. As the years passed, more descendants of the grocer's family began serving the zodiac family in various ways. From gardeners to maids, babysitters to teachers, to cooks and household servants, the families became intertwined.
Many years would pass, and the Rat and the grocer's boy had reached the age where men spend much of their time reflecting back on their lives. Finally, on a cold spring morning, the Rat confided his family's secret to the grocer's boy. The boy, now an aged old man, knew better than to question the truthfulness of his friend's declaration. He believed every word the Rat told him, knowing that at their age there was no time left for tall tales and stories. He knew something was different about the family, he'd always known there was something. Know he knew what. Only a few weeks would pass before the Rat finally reached the end of his life. On his deathbed, he called for his friend. The success of their friendship meant the success of both families for generations to come, the Rat knew this, as did his friend. Because of this, the Rat felt compelled to bind the families together using the same supernatural force that bound the zodiac to 'God'. The grocer's boy accepted this idea, and declared an oath that his family would ensure the safety, protection, and stability of the cursed family for generations to come in return for the same.
At these words, an ice cold feeling washed over the grocer. He looked into the dying man's eyes and realized the true depth of the oath. He could suddenly feel the physical pain the Rat was feeling. The Rat could sense the sudden spike of alarm coming from his friend through the bond. They were intertwined mentally, physically and emotionally. The toll of the bond proved too much for the Rat, and he passed shortly after.
Overwhelmed by his friend's death, the grocer grieved. The bond magnified the pain of loss. The death of the the Rat passed nearly unnoticed by most of the residents of the estate. In such a large family, with so many comings and goings and day to day business, who would have time to grieve for just another old man? The Grocer bore the brunt of the grief on his own. His wife had died over 10 years prior, and his children grown with families of their own. While they knew they owed so much to friendship of these two men, they could never understand the true depth of it. Within days the Grocer was hospitalized and, soon after, followed his lifelong friend into the afterlife. The doctors would never be able to explain exactly why he passed away. They told the family that it was as if "he just withered away."
My great grandfather said the story was over, and he had nothing else to tell. He told me to continue it on my own when I had children, and so I have.
I don't know why he wanted me to write this, I don't know what significance it has. I didn't even know he still spoke to anyone in Japan. Obviously I know we have distant relatives there, but I've never visited myself.
Well there it is. Thank you for taking the time to read it.
Hoping you are well,
Thomas Sashimoto.
"Shigure. Come read this."