June 30th, 1885 – Yuunosuke comes to Ito

Telegrams exchanged between Tokyo and Kyoto
TO: YAGI TAMESABUROU, MIBU VILLAGE, KYOTO
FROM: YAGI YUUNOSUKE, GRAND HOTEL, TOKYO
GOT THE POSITION. GOING TO SEE NEESAN ON WAY BACK. BE BACK BY WEEKEND AT LATEST.
TO: YAGI YUUNOSUKE, GRAND HOTEL, TOKYO
FROM: YAGI TAMESABUROU, MIBU VILLAGE, KYOTO
NOT A GOOD IDEA… BUT WHY AM I NOT SURPRISED? OH, AND CONGRATULATIONS.
TO: YAGI TAMESABUROU, MIBU VILLAGE, KYOTO
FROM: YAGI YUUNOSUKE, GRAND HOTEL, TOKYO
JEALOUS I’M GOING WITHOUT YOU? I’LL TELL HER YOU SEND YOUR LOVE. I WILL EVEN BRING BACK WASABI.
TO: YAGI YUUNOSUKE, GRAND HOTEL, TOKYO
FROM: YAGI TAMESABUROU, MIBU VILLAGE, KYOTO
AS IF I CAN STOP YOU… DON’T FORGET THE WASABI.
I look at the telgrams exchanged before I left Tokyo and shove them back in my pocket with a grin. A bad idea? It wasn’t -my- idea to leave her alone all these years… but I respected her agreement with Tamesaburo. But now she came to -us-…
?
So this is Ito… I take a breath, ah, sea air! Well, there’s not much at this crowded train station but it’s not far… I pull a crumpled note from my bag. Heh. I bet Tamesaburou had no idea that I found Neesan’s address in his papers one day when I was looking for a stamp. And of course, with Ito being on the way back from Tokyo… Well not -really- but it’s close enough, ne? This is my second trip to Tokyo this month, what with talking about my new job. I don’t have long, after all I still have my job at the boy’s school until the end of summer and they get -lazy- if I’m gone too long.
I lug my bags to the curb and hail a carriage. After receiving and accepting the university’s offer, I went just a -bit- overboard at many of Tokyo’s fine booksellers. Gifts for myself, and ones for my nieces and nephew… and not forgetting this niece, who I’ve only seen in pictures.
Makoto… why did she name her that? And then in those pictures I saw something in that face. Hanako claims to know nothing, but had her questions about my sister and Saitou-san. They called each other by name -plainly-, she said. But then again, Hanako-san didn’t always get -everything-. Between her and Tamesaburou… neither had any idea why I hadn’t married yet. I chuckle a little at that…
Nor did they go to visit Suzuki-san at the temple. I was so young when Otou-san died… and I’ve found his old friend to be someone I can talk to in the way I would have him. Talking of this opportunity presented, and if I should leave everything I’ve ever known… or would I be better staying here, teaching others?
Before I left he asked, “and how is Hide-chan, and her suitor? I had not seen her in so long, but he was very good to her – they came in here holding hands and I hear caused something of a commotion down at the temple.” I was surprised – suitor? The name he gave was Yamaguchi but the man he described… it could be no other than Saitou-san, and suddenly a lot of small things made sense. That six years ago they were in Kyoto at the same time, and were back there again together. And something in that child’s face. I want to know, and if they’re together -now-…
?
As the carriage makes its way down the road, I spy a little shop… candy! Wonderful! Besides the books I won’t go empty-handed. I bid the driver to stop.