I just stopped by the telegraph office, to the same person who has handled police business with much discretion. I needed to send word to Chou, that we finally tracked that escapee Tanaka. Chou is the head warden in Hokkaido, a job that I turned down. Perhaps I shouldn’t have because it would’ve given me distance from that strange “wife” and I could’ve kept my eye on Tanaka and he’d never have known about my wife and child.
But he doesn’t know -now-. I’ve managed to move Hide and Makoto far away from Ito – even though I still regret taking them from that life. I would rather kill Tanaka now that I know where he is but I couldn’t make a move. I’m hopeful that Shindou will get Aioi out and then we can capture him. If I hold him in Hokkaido, I can interrogate him to my heart’s content. I’m sure Chou wouldn’t mind. But for now I told Chou to be ready, to make sure the high security encampment is just that. High security, away from the mainstream police and the military.
But even I know prison will hardly contain him. After all even with his brother Todoka dead in Kyoto – his primary reason for holding his grudge or so he says, Tanaka still managed to catch me off guard. Random assailants huh? That’s what the police investigation said. No one was able to capture those men and I was sent out of the country so the trail went cold. But it doesn’t matter, I remember one man with a pistol and the other a sabre. They were not random assailants.
“Sir, he is a beauty.”
I’m pulled out of my rumination and see the horse keeper.
“I noticed you were staring at him for such a long time.”
I touch the horses mane and grin a little.
“It’s been a while since I handled a horse.” I answer.
“These horses are trained to respond to a variety of riders.” In a lower tone of voice he says, “I trained them myself. I used to run stables for the samurai families and these horses are the best. They know their current masters, know to come when called, -always- stays calm, doesn’t get in the way…”
With a chuckle, I look at the horse’s eye.
“Well how about I take this one out for a ride. See if I can still manage.”
“Of course sir! Let me get a saddle for you.”
“Can you make sure that’s a double? I may have a companion.”
“Of course. You’ll find that horse won’t complain at all.”
I nod and look back at the black horse. Too bad it doesn’t have a white spot on the head. “So you were raised to be a Samurai’s horse huh?” Pulling on it’s bridle, I have it look straight at me. “You’ll be in good company.”
After a while the horse keeper comes back and I saddle up. I thank him and say I’ll return the horse soon before the sun sets. But for now I head straight to Futaba, to spend the afternoon with my Princess.
(OOC: This is the day before Saitou leaves for Aizu. He’ll be looking for Makoto at school – Makoto can post here later. Posting this in advance as this happens after Yuunosuke and Midori finishes.)
(Makoto)
Hm… no Tsutomu-niisan. I guess today he has to stay for practice? Kendo is cool and he’s cool because he’s so good at it, BUT it means he has to spend a lot of time on it! And soon kyudo will be over because it will be too cold and Futuba school hasn’t built and all-indoor space…
Ohh, but what if he -is- bringing cake to repay Midori-san? Hmmm… I wonder where the cake is? Hahaue said that it sounded like we had a good time and is sad she missed Midori-san but the baby was fussy. She said sometimes babies just get tummy trouble!
I look around for him or Yukiko-san… up on my tippy-toes. Even Kenji-kun’s mother has already picked him up!
(OOC – Makoto is waiting in front of the gates. Assuming the last thread closed and moved on?)
I get to the gates and get off the horse, hoping I’m not too late. I did tell Yukiko last night that I’d be picking up Makoto. And Tsutomu is now old enough to walk by himself, if he wanted to. One more year and he’ll truly be a young man at least that’s what it was in the old days.
Leading the horse inside the school grounds, some of the kids start looking at the horse. Some of them even goes up to it but I give the kids a somewhat stern look to keep them away. This horse after all is police property and any untoward incident to a civilian would be troublesome.
I spy Makoto looking around and I call out her name. “Makoto-chan! Over here!” I wave my hand slightly.
“Hey Mr. Police Officer, can I get a ride?”
I look at the boy and shake my head. I came here for my daughter…
“Sorry young man but I’m picking up my daughter.” Normally I’d not dare say such a thing, but she -is- my daughter and I do like others to know that she’s mine.
I wonder… if I’ve been forgotten? Now I know how Kenji-kun feels…
Then I hear children talking… and I turn and see…
Chichiue! There he is on a great big horse and he just looks so cool up there in his uniform! I feel so proud of him!
I run up to the side of the horse. There are other kids around but this is -my- Chichiue!
Sorry young man but I’m picking up my daughter.
“Hi! I’m right here!” I say
I shoo the other children away, mostly afraid that the little children crowding around a horse might spook it. But the horse keeper was true to his word and the horse remained calm.
“Hi! I’m right here!”
“Ah there you are.” I smile at Makoto-chan. “Did you have a good day?” I ask taking her hand and the horse’s reins while leading both of them outside. We’ll have an easier time outside I think.
“Have you ever ridden a horse before Makoto-chan?” Oh I don’t think she has. After all if she did, that would mean something else wouldn’t it?
He sees me, even with all of the other kids!
“I had a fun day!” I tell him. I don’t know how I did on the second chance I got on the history test…
Have you ever ridden a horse before Makoto-chan
“No, chichiue – I didn’t even ride in a carriage until we came to Tokyo!” Ito was so small that I don’t remember many horses?
I look up at the horse. It’s very very tall. “Chichiue how do we get up there?” Or maybe we’ll just walk around with the horse, like a dog on a leash?
“No, chichiue – I didn’t even ride in a carriage until we came to Tokyo!”
“Ah is that right.” Of course unlike her, I remember a -very- different carriage ride of hers that night. I blink but catch myself and grin.
“Chichiue how do we get up there?”
“Very simply!” I tell her and hoist her up on the horses back and of course I follow suit. I am rather tall so it has always been easy for me to get up on a mount. The horse is very calm even with two people on it’s back but Makoto doesn’t weight much.
“See that protruding thing in front of you Makoto? That’s called a horn, make sure to hold on to it.” I say and take the reins lightly, while I narrow my arms somewhat to make sure my daughter doesn’t fall. We start on a slow trot.
“It’s been a while since I rode a horse. I only did it for my princess.” I say as we turn the corner but not the usual route to our house.
Chichiue gets me up on the horse like I’m still little! I giggle. Hahaue can’t pick me up anymore…
It’s funny being all the way up here. I do like Chichiue told me and hold on – I can feel the horse moving! Oh, wait, he’s breathing!
Then we start moving and it’s bouncy but fun – “I can see everything, Chichiue!” This must be what it’s like to be tall!
It’s been a while since I rode a horse. I only did it for my princess
I look around. “I think you’re good at it, chichiue! Don’t you ride a horse for work?” I’ve seen some police on horses…
“I can see everything, Chichiue!”
It is nice I suppose. Certainly a leisurely ride through the city is much better than a harrassed one through the forest or through mortar shells. What are you thinking?
“I think you’re good at it, chichiue! Don’t you ride a horse for work?”
I can’t help but chuckle at that. “No princess. The best way for your father to do his work is to remain inconspicuous and forgettable.”
We trot along to the direction of the Keishikan. “I’ll be taking you outside the building where I work.” I tell her, “We need to pick up something for your mother.”
Sometimes Chichiue gets quiet… but I just look around. We mostly go between school and home and sometimes to shop. “I can’t wait for the baby to be able to go out and then we can go to the park. I still need to see the zoo… and there’s a pond where you can get a boat! I can show Ai-chan how to run and play!” I thought when Tsuyoshi-kun was here we’d get to see some places, but the most exciting part was going to -school- the one time!
I’ll be taking you outside the building where I work. We need to pick up something for your mother
I turn around and look at him. “Do we get to go inside?” I really want to see what goes on there, if it’s as exciting as Auntie Saya says it is…
“I can’t wait for the baby to be able to go out and then we can go to the park. I still need to see the zoo… and there’s a pond where you can get a boat! I can show Ai-chan how to run and play!”
“Well it will be a few years before the baby can run around and play.” I remind her, “You took a while too you know.” But of course I don’t know much about that. But then she talks about the zoo and I remember an old promise I told her.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to take you to the zoo. I’ve been very busy. I’ll try to arrange for you and Tomu to go.”
“Do we get to go inside?”
I shake my head as I now lead the horse to a light gallop. “No. Only those with business with the police should go inside…” I make a few more turns, “We’ll be going through the back.”
I stop across the river to give Makoto a view of the Keishikan. I’ve been in and out of that building so many times I forget sometimes how imposing it maybe to an outsider. “That’s the brown building to the right? What do you think?”
Well it will be a few years before the baby can run around and play.
“Then I’ll be ready!” I tell him. I’m going to show Tsutomu-niisan that I can be a good big sister like he’s such a good big brother!
I’m sorry I wasn’t able to take you to the zoo. I’ve been very busy. I’ll try to arrange for you and Tomu to go.
“Ooh, maybe Midori-san can come too!” Someone at school said that the new thing at the zoo was a “crepe” stand… she’d love that!
No. Only those with business with the police should go inside… We’ll be going through the back
Awww………. but then I look at the big building! I squeal a little. “Chichiue really that’s where you work? It’s like a London castle!” I don’t know much about castles but it’s -not- a Japanese one, so I guess it would be London England!
“What’s the white building?” Everything over here is very fancy and London-like!
“Ooh, maybe Midori-san can come too!”
“You mean the Nishino girl?” I guess I shouldn’t be surprised? Makoto seems to take a liking to her and of course that little adventure she and Yoshi had. “But wouldn’t your brother protest that?” She’s a girl and she’s not a cousin at that. I would think he’d be very against a stranger going with them as it takes him a long time to warm up to anybody.
“Chichiue really that’s where you work? It’s like a London castle!”
I groan a little. Where did she get the idea of a London castle? I hope it’s not from “our old space” – that would be a little troublesome. But perhaps from books? “Yes that’s where I work, at the second floor 3 windows from the left end.”
“What’s the white building?”
“It’s a theater where they hold plays and music.” I don’t particularly like the location of that theater but the bureacrats do and it certainly a stop of the higher officials after their fancy dinners in the area. “Sometimes they hold events there.” I frown and direct the horse to keep moving. Every year they hold an officers ball there and I always have to find a way to be scarce.
Finally we’re at the back and after showing my identification to the guard, he looks at Makoto and then up at me. I was about to tell him, it’s okay it’s my daughter. He just smiles at her. “Great afternoon to go riding a horse with your father little child.”
“Thanks.”
“Sure Supt. Fujita.” He gives us a salute, another sign from the west that we’ve adopted. I guess class and rank even with the death of the samurai class is still very much alive in the Meiji.
You mean the Nishino girl?” I guess I shouldn’t be surprised? Makoto seems to take a liking to her and of course that little adventure she and Yoshi had. “But wouldn’t your brother protest that?
“She came over the other day. Midori-san brought a cake and a present for the baby!” I tell him. “Tsutomu-kun ate so much of it that he had to promise to bring her a cake later!” I laugh. It was such a good afternoon.
Yes that’s where I work, at the second floor 3 windows from the left end
I count up and across. “So you can see everything from there?” I wonder what it’s like in there. “Can you take me sometime? Even if I don’t have business?”
“It’s a theater where they hold plays and music. Sometimes they hold events there
“Ooh the kind of music with a piano? And the man waving a stick at the people with horns and things?” We had an English lesson but the words are so -silly-… what is a trombononono?
Then we meet a guard!
Great afternoon to go riding a horse with your father little child
“Yes it is!” I tell the man. I’m with my father! This is the best part.
And then chichiue gets -saluted-. I sit up tall. Chichiue helps people and he’s a good police officer!
OOC: will reply tom
“She came over the other day. Midori-san brought a cake and a present for the baby!” I tell him. “Tsutomu-kun ate so much of it that he had to promise to bring her a cake later!”
“Hmm…” I watch her laugh and I smile. I suppose the girl easily found a way to get to the boy… I’ll have to ask Hide and besides I’d like to know what she thinks about certain aspects of our finances. After all Tsutomu lives with us now and since he’s no longer working at that beef hot pot place…
“So you can see everything from there?” I wonder what it’s like in there. “Can you take me sometime? Even if I don’t have business?”
“It has a good view of the street.” I tell her. “Your mother used to visit me back then and I would watch her from that window.” But as for taking my daughter, I’ll have to think about that.
“Ooh the kind of music with a piano? And the man waving a stick at the people with horns and things?”
“Yes. I guess they call that an orchestra? The old people seem to like dancing to it.” But I remember somewhere else very far away, she and I used to enjoy dancing.
Makoto sits up as she’s given a salute. I nod at the guard and we proceed further to the back where the various storehouse and warehouses are. Getting off the horse, I lead it to the side before helping Makoto down.
“This is where most of the supplies are kept.” I tell her. I show her the 3 warehouses. That one is for building materials, the one in the middle is for uh… “equipment” and the last one is a special storehouse where we keep “ice”.”
Of course I don’t tell my daughter that right behind is a connected building that is something a bit more macabre, at least to a normal person.
“Ah Fujita-san!” We get to the entrance of the ice house. “I’ve prepared what you asked for.” He motions to the side where there’s two hefty sacks. I go over to it and open it up. It’s full of straw and saw dust.
“It’s going to be used to help store milk. You sure the sawdust won’t be a problem?” I look at him a little doubtful.
“Well you’re not mixing the sawdust to the milk are you?” The old man laughs and motions around the room. “Look around you Superintendent. All the ice is covered in that stuff.”
I suppose I should listen to the man. I’ve never done this myself. “How long before it melts?”
“Well I broke them apart but not too small. The smaller, the faster they melt.” He looks up thoughtful, “I think that should last at least 2-3 days.”
I sigh, “That might not be long enough. Can you bring some to my house?”
“Fujita-san… I’m already making sure to put some to the side for you and now you want special delivery?” The guy starts to look doubtful and then looks at my daughter. “I don’t want to get in trouble. You know what we use those for and making ice here is a complicated process enough as it is… Ammonia isn’t exactly cheap.”
Chichiue sometimes answers my questions. Like about how far I can see, but not about me coming to see his office! Than I can see the whole “operations” as Auntie Saya called it…
Yes. I guess they call that an orchestra? The old people seem to like dancing to it.
“Some of the teachers sometimes plays a machine that makes music from these round things.” He talks about dancing. “But I’m not an old person and I like to dance!” If were weren’t on a horse I would show him. Besides, his work is probably -not- a dancing space.
He shows me around and the warehouses are more ordinary and not fancy. Then we go to the smallest one…. Ice!
It’s going to be used to help store milk
Milk? “We’re going to have milk at home again?” We used to… Hahaue had a secret place to keep it an everything but now she doesn’t? But it’s okay I get milk at school…
The man and Chichiue talk about getting more ice, and the man won’t bring it… I pull on his hand. “Chichiue! Could Tsutomu-niisan and I come here and get it? Even if we have to walk we’ll be very careful in traffic!”
I bet it’s milk for the baby. But huh… “the baby’s milk comes from Hahaue why does it need to be cold?” Maybe the baby is already being picky!
“Some of the teachers sometimes plays a machine that makes music from these round things.” He talks about dancing. “But I’m not an old person and I like to dance!”
“Of course. Your your mother’s daughter.” I laugh slightly, “She loves dancing.”
“We’re going to have milk at home again?”
“It’s a different type of milk.” I tell her but refrain from going further on that. Of course it’s not that big of a deal to say it’s breast milk but I just don’t like letting another man have the opportunity of envisioning how that goes.
“the baby’s milk comes from Hahaue why does it need to be cold?”
And of course, it’s my daughter who relays the vision for all of us to hear. I watch the other, older man closely but he just shrugs and I’m -glad-. Perhaps it’s just me being all…
“It will spoil easily if it’s not cooled. I’d take ice home every day but I’m leaving tomorrow for several days.”
“Chichiue! Could Tsutomu-niisan and I come here and get it? Even if we have to walk we’ll be very careful in traffic!”
“This is opposite your school and even Tsutomu hasn’t been here before.” I try to think.
“If you can’t spare a hand to deliver the ice, perhaps I can ask my other son… His name is Eiji.”
The man waves his hand, “Sure sure. Again, we’re really busy here but if you arrange to have it picked up, either by the little girl or your other son then there’s no problem.”
I look at my daughter, “Makoto, if you want you can -sometimes- go with Eiji. I shoujld be back by the end of the week.”
Whistling to the horse, I’m pleasantly suprised when it came near. I stroke its mane. “You’re a pretty good horse aren’t you? Too bad I don’t even know your name.” With that I start putting the two medium sized sacks on the horses back.
“Ready to go home little one?”
Of course. Your your mother’s daughter. She loves dancing.
I nod. “She’s very good at twirling.” I like to twirl, too, but not to just show off -clothes-!
It will spoil easily if it’s not cooled. I’d take ice home every day but I’m leaving tomorrow for several days.
“Oh is this because of the special thing that Auntie Hanako-san sent Hahaue? It looks so funny!” It has cups and when she told me where it goes…! Wow grown-ups are weird…
So he doesn’t say -no- to letting me and Tsutomu-kun come get it. But I -can- go with Eiji-san! “Oh that’s a good idea Chichieue!” I grin up at him. He talks about going away… I don’t want him to. I take his hand.
Then the horse is back. He’s a nice horse.
You’re a pretty good horse aren’t you? Too bad I don’t even know your name
“Hahaue says that you can’t name animals that you’re not going to keep,” I sigh. “This is a good horse. Chichiue can you teach me to ride a horse someday?” Maybe I can have a nice horse when I get bigger!
Ready to go home little one?
I nod. “I’m glad I got to see where you work!” Now I need to get inside….
“Oh is this because of the special thing that Auntie Hanako-san sent Hahaue? It looks so funny!”
I nod. Now my dear daughter don’t start describing the item in public. At least that’s what I try to tell her in my head.
She seems content about going with Eiji and I’m glad. I don’t want her nor Tsutomu going this far from the house. I’m surprised as she takes my hand but I wrap it in mine. Hers is so small.
“Hahaue says that you can’t name animals that you’re not going to keep,” I sigh. “This is a good horse.
“Although I think your mother is generally right, this one is a horse that I can borrow from time to time. He belongs to the Keishikan, so he belongs to all Police Officers as long as they have permission to take him.” I put her up on the saddle and indicate to the man that we are leaving and thank him for making the arrangements.
Chichiue can you teach me to ride a horse someday?”
We pass by the main gate and we get another customary bow. Once we’re out of earshot I tell her, “Of course Princess. When you’re a little taller. After all back then Princesses were taught many things including riding horses. Now hold on tight because we’re going to go a little faster this time..”
Now that the sun is almost out, I let the horse break into a gallop. I guess it’s true, one never forgets how to ride.
(OOC: You may close.)
“This must be like flying!!!” Being Chichiue’s princess is the best!
(OOC – close)