Chapter 3

A stranger's departure

As soon as Kenji came into sight, people grew quiet and looked at him with sadness and pity in their eyes. It disgusted him. He didn't need their pity. He was a man, not a little boy. Some of them offered him their condolences. He bowed in returned. Surely his rudeness would be put on account of his grief. He walked in the dojo. The place was packed with strangers. It was so hot that he had to cut through the heat to make each step. He knew the people around him were looking at him, but he kept his eyes on his father's framed picture, set on top of the family altar. The man's austere expression kindled the fire of his hate. He felt as if time had slowed down. The noise had died out and the only sounds left were his own ragged breath and his heavy steps. Slowly, he knelt down in front of his father's remains and as if in a dream, he lighted a stick of incense. Then, he joined his hands and pretended to pray. But in his heart of hearts, he was uttering a curse. He remained there a long moment.

A hand landing heavily on his shoulder brought him back to reality. The voices came rushing back at him, dizzying him. He looked up. A man he didn't know was looking down on him.

"Your father was a great man. Please accept our condolences."

Kenji looked at the man, not understanding. Megumi came to his rescue.

"The poor boy is so grief stricken; he's not himself. Please allow me to take him to his mother."

The stranger nodded and exchanged a few words with the fox lady. Megumi, then helped the boy to his feet and lead him to Kaoru. When he saw her, Kenji's heart all but broke in a thousand pieces. His mother was so thin. Deep shadows circled her eyes, it was as if she stared at the world from a deep cavern. Her cheek were hollow and her lips parched. She sat straight with the help of a carved chair. Her hands lay on her knees, her fingers bony, her veins like so many blue ridges. She looked like a living corpse. Kenji held back his tears. Where was the woman he had left two years before? Sickness had ravaged her and it was all because of him.

When she saw her son, Kaoru's face lighted up and she tried to stand. Tae, who was stood next to hear tried to stop her but even in sickness, there was no stopping that woman. Kenji rushed to her and made her sit back down. He took her bare hands and noticed that she was covered with bandages to her wrists. He looked at her face. With her smile, she was still beautiful.

"Kenji. I'm so glad you're here," she said, her voice unchanged.

The boy nodded, unable to speak.

"Your father came back. He will never leave us again."

Kenji squeezed his mother's hands unable to stand her expression. Why did she look so at peace? He just couldn't understand. She should have been crying. She had loved him and he had deserted her, wasn't it normal to cry? Once again, his mother's feelings were confusing him. He tried to control his anger. Megumi came to the rescue.

"Kaoru, I think you should rest. Let Kenji take over."

Kaoru looked fiercely at the woman.

"I'm not moving. You can't fool me. I know I don't have much longer left."

Tae protested indignantly but the sick woman brushed her words aside with a wave of her hand.

"Resting will not make me better. Kenshin needs me by his side. I will rest tonight when this is over."

Kaoru lowered her eyes to looked at her son still kneeling in front of her.

"Now sit next to me Shinta and greet your father's guests."

Kenji looked up at Megumi. Shinta? Who was Shinta? The fox lady shrugged and motioned for Kenji to sit between his mother and his father's coffin.

People came and went, talked to him and his mother but he didn't really listen. Images crossed his mind like clouds cross the sky, far away, indefinite, intangible. In his dreamlike state, he still managed to be impressed at the number of people who came to pay his father their respects. Some of them were even foreigners.

The sun was low on the horizon and candles were being lit when the guests finally started to leave. Only family and friends remained when a rugged man dressed in dirty white clothes walked in. His hair and beard were unkempt and he looked as if he hadn't taken a bath in a long time. He walked straight for Kenshin's coffin and knelt in front of it. Everybody looked at him while he lit some incense. Kenji expected him to pray but the man took a jar of sake out of his travelling bag. He then uncorked the bottle and poured the liquid on top of the altar. Kenji jumped to his feet. Who was this man? What the hell was he doing? And why was everyone looking at him like that?

"It's good, isn't it? I paid a lot for it. Not to worry, I didn't borrow from anyone this time."

The man spoke like a yakuza. Kenji was revolted. He didn't want his mother to have to deal with such a man. Once again he reached for his sword and cursed himself for having left it in his room. He eyes the sakabato that lay on its stand next to his father's picture. As if sensing the turmoil in her son's heart, Kaoru got up with Tae's help.

"Thank you Sano. I'm sure he enjoyed it."

The man looked their way.

"Oh! Jo-chan! What's happening with you? Another diet? This one worked well!" joked the man.

Kenji was ready to jump at his throat when his mother's laughter stopped him dead in his tracks. It was a surprisingly strong laugh for a person in her condition. The man called Sano laughed, too, and little wrinkles formed at the corner of his eyes.

"Kenji doesn't recognize me. I could swear he was about to assault me," he said with a smirk.

Kaoru laughed again.

"Let's just say that he's very protective of his mother," she explained.

The man looked satisfied with the answer.

"Like father, like son."

Everyone laughed. All these people laughing were confusing Kenji. He was getting angrier with every second that passed.

"I am nothing like my father!" he suddenly yelled.

In the silence that followed, the only thing that could be heard was Kenji's heavy breathing.

Sano got up and got closer to the boy, towering him.

"Don't be silly, you look just like your father must have looked at your age. You move like him and you talk like him."

"I'm pretty sure Kenshin was calmer," protested Kaoru. Everyone laughed anew, only enraging Kenji further. Without thinking, he reached for his father's sword and unsheathed it. The blade gleamed with the trembling light of the candles. The boy pointed his word at Sanosuke.

"I am nothing like him. I may look like him, but this is my curse."

For a moment, he looked like he was going to attack the tall man. Suddenly, he dashed to his father's picture and with a swift movement, he broke the frame. Glass shards flew everywhere. Kaoru screamed, but Kenji wasn't done.

"Who is this man? Who is he? You all seem to know but I don't! He's a stranger. A stranger!"

With his feet, Kenji kicked his father's picture. Tae and Tsubame screamed in horror.

"What is this circus? Are you playing a game on me? Was this all to bring me back to Tokyo?"

Kenji was hysteric. He waved the sword around, breaking things randomly. Kaoru had fallen to her knees and was crying helplessly in Tae's arms. Tsubame was crying, hiding her face behind her hands. Sanosuke and Yahiko looked at the boy, waiting for an opening. Megumi just stared at Kenji, her face expressionless.

Kenji wasn't conscious of what he was doing until the sakabato caught in a wooden pillar and wouldn't come out. He pulled and pulled but the damned sword would not budge. Giving up, he looked around and started to trash whatever he could with his hands and feet. He kept on howling.

Sanosuke and Yahiko were about to make a move when a voice coming from behind stopped them.

"I thought this was a funeral. I guess I was mistaken."

Everyone, including Kenji, turned around to look at the newcomer.

A police officer smoking a cigarette looked at Kenji with great interest.

"Interesting. Himura's son, I presume? He looks just like him. Just like a killer."