We must be a sight… but the clerk does confirm that Hajime made reservations. I let her know that we may be joined by more people, a young man in glasses and two sick people, and that we need to be left undisturbed. I’m glad now for the Hanafubuki’s remoteness from the rest of the onsen in town… I’m not known here as I am with the ones in the central area near Sugiyama’s, where it’s more like a community.
I hold on tight to Makoto’s hand as we’re lead around the property. I look around the room once we arrive. This is not the same set of rooms I stayed in before, but a small house out on its own at the back of the property, consisting of two rooms and a small bath. I glance around, and see not too far behind me is a tall fence. The woman shrugs, “we have to, or people will sneak into the baths.”
She makes a point to show up the yukata that the onsen provides. “I’ll send one out for the girl,” she looks over us, we both look terrible, still in our sleeping yukata, mine is torn and bloodied. But at least our injuries are minor, compared to… I’ve known his bravery in times past and tonight – he is the man I’ve always known him to be.
“I want a bath, Okaasan,” Makoto tugs at my sleeve. I smile sadly, thinking of my last bath, where I fell asleep in Hajime’s arms, it already seems a lifetime ago.
As I get the water ready to scrub her down, she looks at me, “are we going to be alright now? What about Yamaguchi-san, and Asuka-san?”
I’m quiet as I clean us up and change into fresh clothing. As she begins to drift off to sleep again as the sun rises above the ocean, I still don’t have an answer for her. At I stroke her hair, her hair that’s so much like her father’s, I say softly to her, “we’ll just have to see, Makoto-chan.”
“I hope they’ll be alright,” she murmurs, turning over.
Hope
Even in this dark day… she’s right. Hope may be the last grasp of a fool but I’d rather be a fool who hopes… than to be without it.
(OOC – Hide is awake, Makoto is asleep)
Hanafubuki Ryoken, Morning
11 thoughts on “Hanafubuki Ryoken, Morning”
Comments are closed.
I can’t get to that ryoken fast enough after the police cheif comes by.
There was a disturbance last night. Fujita-san and a woman are injured, and he’s had us take your sister and her daughter to Hanafubuki.
At first I don’t know what he speaks of with Fujita-san but that’s just another of Saitou-san’s names, the same one that’s on the card that Tamesaburou hides in his desk.
I’m impatient as the slow clerk asks a lot of questions. I have -no- idea what is going on, and I only know enough to be worried for my sister and niece.
I’m lead to the room… my sister, head leaned back against the wall, Makoto asleep in her lap.
“Oneesan?” I tap quietly on the frame of the open door.
I’m not surprised to see him, since I was told he would be told that I was going to be here.
Oneesan?
I look up. “Yuunosuke…” He looks slightly frazzled, and his shirt is buttoned askew.
“The police chief came for me this morning,” he comes in, sitting across from me. “What -happened-?”
I look down at Makoto before I begin. “Last night, late, men came into our home. They took Makoto…”
“Hajime came in time, though. He rescued Makoto and I, and he was shot. He took us back to the precinct, where we spent the rest of the night, he had to take care of Saya.”
“He’s injured, badly, as is she. They’re still being taken care of…” How I hated to leave him there…
“And Hajime sent us here, we’re waiting.”
I listen and I can’t believe she says these things so -calmly-. I look closely and hidden in her hair is a bandage on her head, and Makoto’s arms that are beginning to show the darkness of bruising.
I stand. “Oneesan, you and Makoto are coming with me on the first train back to Kyoto.” This can’t be what she wants for herself, and for Makoto.
He tells me he’s taking me home and for a moment I’m angry… but I know… I -know- he means it for the best.
“No, Yuunosuke. I’m going to stay here.”
I look at him, and wish he would sit back down.
“Okaasan… did she leave? Send us away?” He was little but he must remember. “Even after what happened with Serizawa, we all stayed, didn’t we?” Others thought we were crazy… even some of our neighbors left.
Okaasan… did she leave? Send us away?
“No, but…” I sit back down.
That night… Tamesaburou and I woke up to the wall crashing in. One of them… I’m not sure -now-, even, which one it was, in the darkness and confusion. The women screaming. My mother holding me. Hide watching, quiet. Her eyes serious.
There’s still a gash in the wall back home.
“It was different then.”
“Some things don’t change,” I tell him. Even if I didn’t take it as -duty- to stand by him, I will because I love him.
“And I,”
I pull Makoto-chan onto a futon, she stirs but does not wake, and I stand. I find a haori in closet, and put that on, and rip my yukata from last night, fashioning from the last of the clean material a scarf, and cover my head.
“I need to see to Hajime. He’s -not- doing well. Any discussion about -leaving-…” I look at him, “I appreciate it, but this is not the time.”
I can’t sit here knowing Hajime is down there. I cannot rest…
“Stay with Makoto,” I tell him. I can’t sit still, -resting-. Makoto is in the hands of someone I trust, who cares for her. I gave her some of the powders from the doctor, “she’ll sleep for a while. Tell her stories when she wakes up, and tell her I’ll be back.”
“I need to be there… and I’ll be back, soon.”
“Oneesan-” he starts, and stands between me and the door.
I blink back tears. I’m not going to start -yet-… “Please, Yuubo.” He steps out of my way.
(OOC – Hide has left the onsen)
I roll over, and open my eyes.
This isn’t my room… I can’t hear the ocean. Just papers being flipped around and a scratching sound.
Then I remember last night… those bad men. Okaasan. The carriage and Yamaguchi-san. Sitting in jail and the man with the nice smile the gave me manju. We’re at a Ryoken?
I sit up and turn around and it’s my uncle Yuunosuke, with books around him.
“Where’s Okaasan?” I stand up. “Where did she go?”
My little niece stirs and she looks so confused… I put down my work and move closer to her. If this was one of Tamesaburou’s girls I’d have no problem picking her up but I don’t want to scare her, after all she barely knows me.
“Your mother went to see to your…” I try to remember what she’s calling her father. “Yamaguchi-san. She’ll be back soon.”
Looking towards Makoto-chan, I smile for her. “Are you feeling better?” She yawns, raising her arms up, her sleeves sliding down to reveal bruises. Working around young boys I see all manner of scrapes and such but this is terrible to see…
“But when will she be back? Is Yamaguchi-san and Asuka-san alright?” I think I saw them last night but then all I can remember is that nice smile and being fed more manju.
Are you feeling better?
I nod slowly. Things are still fuzzy, like I think and I can’t remember everything.
“I’m not sure when she’ll be back, Makoto-chan, but hopefully not too long? I’m sure she just wanted to take care of your uncle.”
I pull forward a tray with little covered dishes on it. “The girl came by earlier and I ordered lunch. Do you ever have chinese food? These dumplings are really good.”
I should have thought and ordered shrimp for her, but she shows interest in the dumplings.
I push aside my papers and set out the plates. Eating, she looks more normal, some of the color back in her cheeks. Still not the happy, running, active little girl I met yesterday but I hope she’ll be alright… children are resilient, and she is her parent’s child.