Saitou:
I left Aioi in the morning, after going over the plans for this week. She didn’t seem particularly eager for the plan but it may have just been the mood. I’m not sure what she was expecting from me after, words of endearment maybe? What’s so different about -this- time, compared to the other times? She should know, that’s all that was. She’s a professional after all.
I’m exhausted so I go straight to the row house. I guess it didn’t energize me the way I thought it would and it’s left me even more weary. But almost everything is in place now, the last thing to do is to appear on my first day of “work” on Monday at the Museum. Then we can start. Well -I- won’t but Aioi’s going to start tonight to get the lay of the land and hopefully by Tuesday evening, I can meet that -swine- Miyagawa.
Pouring myself a glass of water, I go to my nippontou and take it out of the sheathe to inspect it. It needs nothing, mostly because I’ve used it on no one. Not yet at least. The ruffians who -tried- to beat me up the other night wouldn’t be worth it, though now it seems I owe that brat a favor for dragging my drunk ass back here. But I can’t think about that now. I slip the blade back to its saya and place it against the wall. After which I sit on the elevation of the small genkan, thinking to myself what a shabby place this is and smoke. As I blow out the smoke over my head, I stand up thinking of opening a window and realize, there isn’t one. Any natural light only comes from the slats of the wooden door, over the rice paper partition that keeps the insects out.
I sit back down and keep smoking. I could open the door but that’s like inviting trouble, so I just lay my back against the side wall. What time is it? I ask myself and for a minute miss the pocketwatch she gave me. But I left that and the rest, in a false drawer in my office. I might as well forget that ever existed. Besides, why torture myself like the other day, when Saya burst in unannounced? Everything in there is nothing more than just artifacts of bygone days. I’ll move forward, I tell myself and take a long and hard hit on my cigarette. I cannot be doing what I’ve been doing. Going back to the house. To see them. To see her. She probably thought I was weak, thinking she can boss me around with her watering can or manipulate me with a kiss. Thank Kami I had enough wits about me not to follow her there where I’d probably bed her and she’d have one over me -again-. I left after all so I don’t keep subjecting myself to those kinds of torture of waiting, looking, hoping and all those things a -foolish- man does.
You don’t have to do this Hajime-han. Not for her.
I -don’t- and I’m -not-. That’s the only answer I could give Aioi this morning. She seemed to doubt me but then I guess she made up her mind to believe what I said in the end. Why would I do this for a woman who time and time again bested and rejected me? Who I’ll never be able to move? I scaled mountains before but I can’t move them. I told her, I’m doing it for -justice-. And as for myself? Maybe, for some semblance of peace. I ash the cigarette. I sat here living in my head again, when I could be doing something. -Anything-. Like making that pond for one. But it’s a Sunday and who knows if her brother is still there, certainly the children are there it’s a Sunday after all. Though I miss my youngest daughter, but her place is with her mother. No one else.
Heh. If I went, maybe she’ll smell me this time? But I didn’t do that to get her to react nor move her like before – that’s long gone and I -know- her answer already. I just needed a warm body against me. It didn’t matter who it was. But Aioi was there, wanted it and it was time for me to oblige. Stubbing the cigarette on the dirt. I rest my eyes a bit. I’ll figure out how to fit in that pond later. Maybe that brat who dragged me back here can help.
I don’t know what it was but after hiring that boy I decided I needed a bit of a drink. I’m going to need some sleep and sake’s the best aid for that this evening. I light the lamp, my sole companion for the night but I much prefer to be alone.
I smoke for a bit first because the sake doesn’t really go well with the taste of cigarettes. Is that why I don’t drink as much anymore? Aside from my concern of not being in control of my senses? Cigarettes helps me to focus while the alcohol gets me more lax. But I need that right now, so just for tonight I drink.
It gets darker and I empty the bottle swig by swig. And my mind goes to them, even though I try not to think about it. Yaso is an old memory, I hardly remember her anymore. But I heard her message loud and clear in her letters that -she- forced upon me in Aizu before disappearing for her shadow. But can I do Yaso’s request truly? Do I want to? Two very different women who in the end ended up very much the same.
One made fun of me with her friends. The other had her fun at my expense. But I was the -fool- after all, trying to make it work out by abandoning my first wife and then leaving that wife for someone who I thought loved me. But not really. And yet my dead wife is telling me to follow her advise once again. No. I’m done listening to -any- of them.
I grin grimly as I hear that very old song. https://youtu.be/nD-XjpYYgiA
It fits these two women very well. The first one told her friends all about me while the second, ah whatever! The man saying he’s happier in spite of everything, is more of a fool than I! Thank kami.
I reach to pour myself another cup, but I see I’ve finished the bottle. I can’t help but grimace. There’s still a long way to go till morning. Should I get more? And why is it I never had a song for my dead wife? Did I loathe her that much? Perhaps not as much as her brother loathes me. We’re even then.
Man I shouldn’t have stopped by the Akabeko! Although it wasn’t open, Tae-san still had a lot for me to do and unpaid! I was already poofed from having to dig all that dirt at Yagi-san’s house… But now I’m back in Ruffian’s Row ready to get my pay from Saitou. He should still be awake, he doesn’t strike me as the “early to bed” type.
I knock first and there’s no answer but there’s light in there. Is he pretending not to hear me? I knock again. No answer! Oh he’s not going to not pay me today. Not after all that work! And he’s no Tae-san. I throw the shoji door wide open. Huh… It’s not locked?
I look at the side door and notice, the lock is broken. So I slide it close and cross the genkan on to the 1 tatami room and there he is asleep against the wall. I go over to him and see he’s been drinking and it’s knocked him out. Didn’t he learn his lesson before? It’s not safe in Ruffian’s Row to be drunk, much less sleeping drunk and completely unaware.
“Yo Saitou.” I shake him, “Wake up.” I shake his shoulder and he groans and pushes my hand away.
“I said wake up you damn cop!” I shake him harder and I guess I did that hard enough that his sword falls down beside him. Well at least he has his sword back.
He starts coughing a dry cough. I guess he’s been passed out a while. I slap his cheek a bit. “Come on. I can’t leave you like this, even if none of us like you.”
“I don’t need to be liked.” He says gruffly and finally opens his eyes and stares at me but they’re cloudy.
“Why am I not surprised?” I let out a sigh of relief. I thought I’d need to get one of his police comrades here to get him. But he damn closes his eyes again!
“Hey! Hey! Don’t go to sleep!” I shake him again. “I can’t baby sit you all night.”
“Go away.” He tries to push me.
“Geez! Here! Yagi-san wanted to give this to you.” I show him the bag waiting for him to take it.
“What is it?” And suddenly he’s gone quiet, eyeing the bag.
“How should I know? Why don’t you open it?” Stupid cop.
He does and takes out a scarf. It’s a neutral color but the stitching isn’t very good.
“Did she say anything else?” He asks but averts his eyes looking to the side.
“No. Why would she?” I look at him. Kaoru said he was cheating on that poor woman.
He smells it for a moment and then his expression change and slowly shakes his head. “Give it back to her.”
“Hey! I’m not your gopher Saitou! I just came here for my pay.”
But he quickly wraps it back up and suddenly pushes it back to me. “You don’t have to take it back to her but take it away from here. If you want to get paid.”
“But I don’t need this. What am I going to do with it?” I hold the bag in my hands.
“Didn’t you have a girl you liked?”He leans over, supporting his head with one hand. Then he hiccups. “That’s a woman’s scarf so maybe that girl of yours… that little rabbit…”
“Her name’s Tsubame, get it right you cop.”
“Give it to Tsubame then…” Suddenly he’s quiet, his gaze on the floor and he’s breathing really hard. He’s a mess. There’s no sense arguing with him is there? And if he’s not going to pay the other half… But it’s a nice enough scarf.
“Alright. I’ll just consider this as payment.” I feel sorry for him. I think. “Tsubame’s birthday is just a few days away and it will make a nice gift.”
“Good.” He says quietly.
“At least it looks like you’re awake now.” Stooping down, I reach for the katana that fell away from him earlier. “Here, don’t forget your sword.” I leave it in front of him, where he can easily grab it, if he needed to.
I need to get some rest myself so turn to leave. After putting on my slippers at the genkan, I turn back to look at him still hunched over. I guess he’ll be like that for a while. “Hey Saitou. Your little girl really liked the pond and I think that sourpuss son of yours, made quite an impression on that Nishino girl.”
He doesn’t say anything so I go out the door. I’ll have to do something about this door lock, not so much to protect his property, it doesn’t even look like he has any… But those men don’t like newcomers. Where’s Sano when you need him?
(Close)