Previously…..

"No, wait!" Kannako yelled but no one noticed the baby didn't stir, the mother didn't hear, the man didn't even flinch.

"NO," Kannako felt herself running after him, "Don't you want to stay around? See the baby grow up?"

Tying her rebellious hair at the back of her neck, Kannako thought of her dream, having it so many times before, it was no surprise that she had it this week but yet the dream send her a strong message, 'he left you'. So in her perspective it meant that for the past 17 years that he could have come back to see her he preferred not to.

Kannako never knew her father but her mother said that the resemblance she bore with him was amazing, except for her grey eyes that was a gift from her mother.

"It's raining outside." Her voice reached no one in particular, the house stood empty like this for five years.

The thought brought tears to her eyes. Wiping them away with her sleeve she walked to her mothers' room.

Her kimonos were still in her closet, her bed was still neatly made, and Kannako had taken the liberty of putting new flowers in the vase next to where her mother would have wanted them.

She wouldn't have wanted this, to see her daughter still keep her room in tact as some what of a memorial; she'd have wanted her to move on.

Kannako had not touched the bed since her mother had died, that was nearly five years ago but after the dream about her father, she shook off the thoughts. 'I need to go into town today' Kannako noticed for the first time how worn out her clothes were, she needed new ones, but with no siblings and the cost of material being so high, how could she …..Turning to her mother's closet a thought pierced her mind, 'I've never worn mother's clothes before, I haven't even seen the inside of her closet, and she always told me that some of her private things were in there.' Slowly striding to the closet, Kannako took a deep breathe and slide open the wooden barrier between her and her mothers private world, but her clothes were worn out and she had to go into town today, plus the clothes should fit her by now. Taking a deep breathe Kannako slipped open the door and saw what lay in front of her. Two pairs of sandals, one pair of silk slippers, three kimonos, one was for fancy nights in the capital's tea houses, another she always wore when ever she was cleaning up Kannako's messes, another that was broadly decorated with vibrant patterns of butterfly's and finally a tiny silk hat that matched the description of the last kimono perfectly. A broad smile spread across the young woman's face! Of course that butterfly kimono she always wore to make her feel happy.

Kannako quickly took off her clothes, slipped on the slippers and held out the kimono in front of her. She was so mesmerized at the memory of her mother when suddenly she heard something fall onto the floor.

Thump

Looking down she saw what seemed to be parchment, bending down Kannako slowly opened it, but paused for a moment 'I wonder what this was doing in mother's kimono.' Looking at it again she saw a name written on it. Kambei

Who was this Kambei and why had mother hidden this letter with her kimono in a closet that Kannako was told never to open? Kannako wanted to find out opening the letter quickly she looked at what appeared to be a letter in her mothers hand writing.

Dear Kambei

This is one of many letters I've wanted to write to you, I don't know how to tell you this but, you have a daughter. Our relationship was never the best and we agreed to never see one another again, that even a friendship would be awkward, but I fell pregnant with your child, the night after you left for the great war. I can not begin to tell you what she's like she looks just like you but I gave her my eyes. She's clumsy but a lot like you, calm and forgiving. I know you may think of this as a burden but I've seen her grow up and I just wanted you to know that she's the best thing to have ever happened to me. I can't bear to tell her this but I'm terribly ill so if anything happens to me, look out for her

-Your beloved Nana

The letter had many tear stains on it.

Kannako blinked a few times. She had a father. Pulling her hair out of her face she put on her kimono and adjusted it just the way her mother wore it .Clutching the parchment in one hand. She took a deep breathe and smiled 'I'm going to find you Kambei.'

Walking out the door was easy, but emotionally letting go was difficult. Kannako decided that she would first go to the capital's main section, there were many samurai there and she knew three things about her father 1 His name was Kambei and 2 He looked like her and 3 He was a samurai. 'This is going to be easy' Kannako thought to herself, smiling as she turned the corner, 'how hard can it……..' Her thought were stopped in mid air as she saw the billions of samurai, even more people and the overcrowded stalls in front of her. 'Never mind' she mentally argued back.