I spent the entire day at the home ministry and didn’t have time to stop by the office but I did send Kawaji-san a note that I had some personal issues to attend to in Aizu. An odd thing to be sending the man that I’m going to take some paid time off for something personal after I’ve just been out of commission for a week. I almost felt guilty doing so but I rationalized it with the fact that I’ll be the Meiji’s guinea pig for their new experimental drug. So far it has worked well but I admit administering the drug is a problem and so I found myself at the machiya that evening.
It’s dim in the garden and quietly I go inside the rented room where she’s by the a kerosene light.
“Is it too late for a visit?” I grin at her.
“Did you ever care what time it was?” She smiles back at me. I’d almost say it was beguiling but I’ve just spent the day going through paper work and writing letters I didn’t care to write. But I give her an admiring look anyway. Can’t let the woman lose her confidence after all we have more work to do when I come back.
“I brought you some food.” I say and put the sashimi on the table. “In case you were hungry.”
“Oh how -thoughtful- of you after you’ve basically abandoned me for weeks.” She inspects the food but she doesn’t seem hungry but then a cat gets up the table.
“Oh Mai. Shooo, this is too good for you.”
I only look at the cat. Didn’t I tell her before not to get too tied to things? But my face might have betrayed me as she immediately answers…
“Her name is Mai and she’s become quite the companion to me.” She looks up at me and then back to the cat, tickling it under its chin.
“Fine. Well I suppose it won’t hurt as I’ll be gone again but for only a few days.”
“Oh isn’t that what you -always- say? In Kyoto, in Tokyo, in Yoshiwara and -now-.”
With a grin, I simply sit down. “Do you want me to say sorry?”
“Well that would be a good start. After all when you’re gone I don’t know when you’ll be back and unlike -before-, I didn’t have some woman coming over here trying to be all nice and wanting to keep me up to date. Oh and then parading around her baby for everyone to see.”
I quirk an eyebrow, I don’t think Hide would ever take Ai-chan here.
“Oh but I guess the child -is- cute. I’m sure she can’t resist dragging the poor thing around to show her off. The child seemed sick as it threw all over my kimono.”
I’d tell Aioi I’m not sure what she’s getting at and where this talk is going. It’s one of those things where it’s probably best to keep my mouth shut and so I lit a cigarette and start sucking on it like it was candy. And Ai was sick?
“Why didn’t I ever want a child like that Hajime-han? All those girls in the brothel kept having them left and right. They’d give them away or “send them back”.”
I tilt my head for a moment and consider, “It suited you well not being tied down. A Tayu’s responsibility would be entirely hindered by rearing a baby. In fact it might downright make you undesirable to other men.” But I do wonder, why after all this time she’s manage not to send one back. Or has she?
She puts Mai down and leans in, “But you seem to like that “princess” having your children. It made her more attractive to you Hajime?”
Slowly I shake my head. It’s not a subject I want to discuss. Children made our lives more complicated, where it made it difficult to see where love is, where compassion is, and where duty and justice lies. “Be glad that you’ve not had that burden placed on you whether by purpose or accident.”
I reach out for a minute and touch her cheek lightly with my hand but she instead smiles and takes my hand in hers and lays her cheek on the palm of my hand completely. Contentedly.
With a sigh I take my hand away and go back to my cigarette. “I need your help on something.”
“Oh what is it?”
I take out from my back pocket a small bag and open it in front of her. “I told you I’m going on a trip and I need to be ready.” Taking the needle I puncture the vial and take out twice the recommended dose. Perhaps doubling the dose will tide me over until we get back to Tokyo and then Tenma can “manage” me in his clinic.
“So what do you want me to do?”
I grin slightly, the truth was there was nothing she needed to do. I -can- inject myself but the problem was after. I can’t remember what happens after or for the matter, what I do right after. All I now is I wake up after an hour or two tied down. “I’m going to inject myself with this and you get to watch over me like you used to.” I nod over at the other side of the room where the futon lies. “I get tired for an hour or so and I need a place to crash.”
She laughs softly, “Is that all Hajime-han?” She pops a sushi in her mouth. “Well go ahead. Inject yourself with your medicine… And I’ll be the good doctor to take you to bed.”
“Good woman.” I say. Because in a very different way, she has been to me.
“But if something else happens, don’t blame me. It’s been a while for me too.” Her lips curl into a smile, that if I were just any man, I’d jump her right here. But instead, I can only shake my head at that. I’ve nothing to pay her. I doubt she’d do anything would she?
I look at the watch, it’s past six. I’ll be back to the house at 9 just in time to prepare for Aizu.