Prologue
The Acquaintance
and Separation
Year 1695…
In the city of Edo, lies in a vast
array of russet grasses the remote village
of the Meguro district. The withered trees
were the only shelter against the sultry
heat from the sun. The southwestern and
northern parts of which were of rice fields
of golden harvests, their greatest source
of income.
Townhouses were scattered
alongside the road. The remaining clear
area was tranquil against the passing
outlandish carriage maneuvered by black
horses. Most of the time, the carriage was
filled with prisoners probably from the
other near and distant districts. At that
time, it was maneuvered by a brown
horse; in it were adolescents and children
– all were male. Their innocent faces were
visible from a window of steel bars, their
only view to the outside world.
At night, the grand silvery sky was
illuminated by the ghostly moon. The
stars were gold dusts scattered in all its
vastness. But at this very minute, a
threatening unknown enveloped the
silvery sky; shunning the gold dusts one
by one.
The first droplet of rain was felt by
Gerrald on his nose. He touched it with his
bare finger. Indeed, rain was coming for it
felt wet. He stood up from the dry ground
and secured the roots of ginseng in his
pocket.
“What’s the matter?” wondered.
Luismaelle still seated along the open
plain.
1
He grabbed his cousin’s right arm
and hastily said, “We better go back
home.”
“I’m still enjoying the night. Come
on, don’t spoil it.” Luismaelle resisted. He
released his hand from his cousin’s grip
and spoke, “All we have back home is a
big and old wooden barrel to be filled with
potable water and that strict little old man
smoking his old dried and rolled tobacco
leaves everyday, sitting on that very old
wooden bench outside our old hut. What’s
new with it? It’s not a scene you want to
go home to.”
“The sky turned dark and the
stars are gone.” Gerrald explained as he
pointed above, “Luismaelle, sooner the
rain will fall and we need to get these
roots of ginseng to grandpa. He is strict.”
The rain did fall after he spoke
and so they both ran back enjoying the
rain. Like other kids, their hearts melted
under the cool drizzle of rain. Luismaelle
and Gerrald raised their arms sideward
and continued running in a zigzag like an
airplane.
The scenery of the yesterday’s
rain crested was picturesque. The dew of
the rainfall had lay on the sweet – scented
leaves of the Asagao in their backyard.
The morning glory was shaded by a tall
slender tree, its leaves were scarce but its
branches and twigs were in thriving to
proliferate. It was struggling for life.
The halt of the running horses
silenced the ground. It was the same
carriage as before, but only one boy was
held as its passenger. The new boy sat
there in taciturnity.
Inside the house, a golden –
furred cat, Shishi, jumped over the tall
table where the sakazuki half – filled with
Sake was placed. The cat was named
after a mythological lion, the animal
which was said to be the king of the
beasts. The cat had a taste of the rice
wine to fill its curiosity. With the pleasure,
Shishi continued to savor the drink.
Gerrald was asleep under the
table. When he awoke, he attempted to
sit but he hit his forehead. The cat jumped
over the window in quite surprise leaving
the wine cup of Sake tumbling down with
the drink spilling over Gerrald’s clothing
and finally on the floor. Gerrald moaned in
pain and stared the mess on the floor. His
attention was diverted to a whispered
conversation between his grandfather and
a stranger with a perfectly made hat of
expensive rice straws from Indonesia.
He crawled and silently lagged
behind the open window to peek and
listen. His eyes focused on the features of
the stranger but he wasn’t able to see his
face for it was hidden by his cone – shape
hat. His voice, although low was clear.
Their conversation was about money and
certain bidding.
“I’ll have it by ten ryô?” The
stranger made his first bid.
“Make it twenty ryô,” his
grandfather replied.
“That would be too much for
those two unripe fruits, how about eleven
ryô?”
“Fifteen,”
“Twelve,”
“Thirteen,”
“Okay, I’ll grab the hook.”
Unripe fruits? Since when did we
sell unripe fruits? All we have here are
sacks of rice and wooden barrels of Sake.
Thirteen ryô is too big for those two
unripe fruits whatever those fruits are. He
thought of it. He was astonished.
Their conversation continued.
Gerrald’s attention was taken by a
carriage parked along the side of the road
in front of their house. If he was not
mistaken it, it was the same carriage as
with yesterday. He was not sure of what
he saw in it, but as he looked steady
across the steel bars of the carriage’s
window, his mind was cleared with the
sensual scenery.
On the back of the carriage were
an older man and a male adolescent. The
older man was on his early thirties; he
persuaded the boy to take his top off as
2
he was unbuttoning his own shirt. Fifteen
years old, the male adolescent shook his
head in disagreement. On his virgin
stature, you could see him frightened. His
hands were trembling in fear and his eyes
were uneasy.
“Don’t worry for I’ll do no harm to
you.” The older man flung his shirt away
and took hold of the adolescent’s hands
on the floor. “Don’t be nervous,” he said.
Then, his eyes traced down the boy’s
physique and spoke, “I promise you no
pain.”
“Please, don’t do this to me.” He
pleaded as he brought his hands away.
“I don’t look good when I’m angry.
Do you know that?” the older man
responded with emphasis on every word.
Once again, he took the boy’s hand with a
firm grip. He placed those on his hairy
chest and directed it into a circular
motion. After which, he whispered on the
boy’s left ear, “Come on, feel my heating
flesh.”
The boy felt the disgust and
anxiety. He could not stand it but to push
the older man aback. He crawled in great
haste to a corner and continued to plead.
The older man pulled the pistol from the
holster and directed it at the boy for once.
He cleared his throat first and spoke,
“Now, get nude.”
“Please, no.”
“I said, off you clothes.” He rolled
the barrel with bullets on it and positioned
his finger on the trigger. “Don’t make it
hard for yourself.”
Anxiousness and dread
penetrated into the boy. A tear drop
trailed down his face as the mere
evidence. He took his shirt off. The older
man gestured him to come over. With no
choice but to obey, he did.
“Stick your tongue out,” the older
man instructed as he placed the other
end of the gun in contact with the boy’s
head.
More tears dropped from the
boy’s eyes as he shook his head away.
The older man hated waiting. He
pushed the gun into the boy’s head and
uttered the words again, “Tongue out.”
As the boy did, he fondled it with
his own tongue, taking it into pleasure
with every plane. Then, he moved it into a “Luismalle is the one sleeping on
circular motion leaving no area. He lightly the long timber chair.” He paused and
caressed his finger along the nipples of pointed his finger to the young child, “He
the boy’s pubescent chest, and with each is nine and that boy under the table by
tingling sensation, the boy resisted to feel the window is Gerrald, he is eight.” He
it. The adolescent showed no lustful pointed his finger to Gerrald as he spoke.
approval. His eyes
wandered far where
3
the sun rises and
where freedom
blossoms.
“Their parents left them when they were
Filling his satisfaction, the older
still very young. They should pay their
man fondled the boy’s necked flesh. His
debts by now.”
watery mouth hungered for the freshest
He grabbed his tobacco from the
taste of virginity. The next thing he did
ash tray on the corner table, and started
was trailing his brown lips down the boy’s
blowing out the smoke with his pursed
abdomen. He unzipped the boy’s short
lips.
pants and pulled it down in exhilaration.
“Very well then, I’ll be waiting for
“Don’t,” the boy cried in
them in my carriage.” He stepped out of
resistance as he closed his bare legs.
the room and then out of the house. He
The older man took hold of his
took off the hat from his head and rested
thighs and resumed caressing with his lips
it over his chest as he remained to walk
a little lower on the boy’s umbilicus.
calmly.
Finally, he separated the boy’s legs as he
Their grandfather took hold of the
moved his eager lips in between the boy’s
long bamboo stick and patted it on the
thighs. The older man grasped the real
wall over and over again to wake them
satisfaction with his mouth lubricating the
up. He took a blow of his tobacco and
elongation. As it went erected, the boy
yelled, “Wake up you tardy kids! The sun
couldn’t stop but to moan, yet in disgrace
had risen and you two are still asleep!”
and despondency. The older man moved
Gerrald allowed Luismaelle to
his mouth back and forth with a sucking
wake up first before he stretched his
action. Then, blood filled the vessels as it
extremities as if he had been sleeping all
lengthened. The older man could feel how
the while. Finally, they both kneeled down
firm and delectably hard it was now in his
on the floor and greeted their
mouth. To the boy’s last sound of delight,
grandfather.
it finally ended with the climax. The
“Now, both of you go out of the
semen squirted unto the older man’s face
house. Get inside that carriage parked
and then he lied aside with his sexual
along the road. We’ll be heading towards
desires fulfilled. The boy reconstituted
town.” he ordered in his firm voice and
into his plain face, and in his heart, he
cleared his throat.
would cry forever. He crossed his arm
Gerrald remained kneeling while
over his bent knees and rested his bare
Luismaelle rose up and asked, “Is there
chest on it. More tears dropped down his
any event in town?”
face and eventually on the floor.
“There’s a show you two shouldn’t
The short conversation between
miss, so hurry up.” Their grandfather
his grandfather and the stranger was
tossed their clothes inside the shoulder
done. Then, they headed into the kitchen
bag and grabbed their hands as they went
where Gerrald and Luismaelle slept. As his
out of the hut.
grandfather slid the fusuma halfway,
“Do we two really need to go?”
Gerrald jerked into a lying position
Gerrald asked as he stopped from
pretending to be asleep.
walking.
“How old are they?” the stranger
“We’ll be staying there just for a
inquired in a plain and soft voice.
night because I need to see a friend of
mine for dinner. He’s a good man and it
has been a long time since we haven’t
met so ask no more questions and walk
fast. We’ll be missing the performance of
the fancies.” he answered as they
continued to walk near the carriage.
Gerrald remained discontented of
the answer but Luismaelle seemed to be
keyed up for the awaited show. He
eagerly entered first when the door of the
carriage was unlocked by the stranger.
“I am really not interested to
watch a show,”
Gerrald spoke as he
looked back at the
hut, “I guess I and
Luismaelle can stay here to guard the
house. What do you think of it, grandpa?”
“You’re spoiling the day Gerrald.”
Luismaelle talked him over as he took a
sit.
“Go inside, now.” His grandfather
directed him with his clear words and in
all of a sudden, he flung their baggage
unto them. “Have a long vacation.” He
then slammed the door closing it and
finally shut the lock.
They both stared at each other in
puzzled expressions and staggered into
the steel barred window.
“Grandpa, don’t leave us here!”
Luismaelle pleaded but there was no
response.
The old man lit a new tobacco and
started to smoke as he turned his back
from them. Gerrald saw him now walking
back to the hut and after counting the
money he received, he placed it into his
pouch. He blew his tobacco and finally
went inside of his house.
The two strangers stayed in the
front seats. One of them commanded the
horse to move with a painful whip of the
lash. Luismaelle and Gerrald looked
outside the window expecting their
grandfather to come back but to no avail.
The carriage kept on moving until their
house wasn’t visible anymore. They
started to be hopeless. Gerrald took hold
of Luismaelle’s shoulders and pushed him
aback. “Now look what you’ve done!”
“You knew this would happen,
right?” he answered back with his voice
raised aloud.
“Of course not, not until this time.
Now what are we going to do? We don’t
even know where we are going or what
they’re going to do with us?” Gerrald
came nearer him.
Luismaelle looked down and said,
“I should have just listened to you.”
“Yes, you should have really
listened to me.” Gerrald responded with
his head nodding.
“I’m sorry but are you not happy
that we’ll stay in a new place?”
4
“He sold us for thirteen ryô with
those strangers in the front seats and you
expect that new place to be happy? We’ll
be more like slaves.”
“I’m sorry. I’m just saying.”
“You were always saying.”
“You two don’t know this, right?”
the other boy within the back of the
carriage interrupted. He was sitting by the
corner, his arms crossed over holding his
bent knees.
“What have they done to you?”
Gerrald replied as he turned to him.
“Let’s face it. We are all ill – fated
being in here. You two are luckier than
me. You still have a couple of years to
escape from your buyers. Me, I am pretty
sure that I’ll end up working more often in
the pleasure quarters, well guarded. I’ll
have to entertain people of higher rank.
Like others, I’ll be trained as one of the
many Kabuki dancers making money with
my self.” The boy added up instead of
answering Gerrald’s question. His face
remained plain as he was talking to them.
“A Kabuki?” Luismaelle asked.
That was the first time he did hear that
word. He was never been to school since
they lived with their grandfather when he
was five and as well as Gerrald who was
four at that time. He told them that it will
cost a lot of money and that their parents
didn’t leave anything for such matter.
“A dancer, and actor or what ever
they call it but they, still, are Yotaka
selling their flesh for money in return for
the entertainment they bring.” he spoke
with that same plain face.
 “What did they do to you?” These were rice cakes served with
Gerrald asked looking more seriously into flavorsome and sweet boiled beans inside.
the boy’s eyes masked with shame and “I’m sure you three had been very
dejection, but boy never dared to answer hungry so eat those.” he said and then
his questions as he tried to pursue the shut the window close.
same thought. The three boys paused for a short
moment and stared at each other. Finally,
Luismaelle took those plastics of food and
handed one to each of them as they
remained seated.
“What is your name? We never
Two days had passed… knew your name.” Gerrald asked at the
other boy nearby after he had the first
taste of the rice cake.
The night arrived and there was He swallowed his first bite of the
neither moon nor mighty stars to light the food and answered, “I am Oztalba
pathways of Asakusa,
a famous district in
5
Edo. Some of the few
street lights were on
by six thirty in the evening to guide not
Llianirujo.”
only the passing carriages with trade
“I’m Jagansumlachi Luismaelle,”
loads from other districts, but as well as
he mumbled with his mouth full with the
the drunken men along their way back
food.
home from Shinyoshiwara, a renowned
“I’m Ta Tzai Gerrald,” he then
pleasure quarter in Edo, first built in
introduced himself.
Nihonbashi Ningyôchô as Yoshiwara. It
As soon as Llianirujo was done
was burned by 1657 and was rebuilt now
eating, he begun to talk with them.
here.
“You can call me Llian. Everyone
The time did not dictate for
calls me Llian in our village.” he said.
silence. The place was surrounded with
They had finished eating the food
strident noises of merriment from the
given to them. However, Luismaelle
pleasure and entertainment quarters. The
appeared to be longing for more of the
scent of wine was everywhere. People had
delicious rice cake as he gazed by the
been busy enjoying the remaining hours
small window. He stayed for it to open
of their day after a long work.
once again but he guessed it would be the
Along their way, a Kairaishi was
most of the food they could have.
dancing with his well – crafted dolls on the
It was about nine in the evening.
side of the road. It was too bad that
Nevertheless, they did not permit
nobody had interest watching him. He
themselves to take a nap. The horse
stopped dancing and took a sigh. Then, he
halted and they had stopped by the
fixed his dolls back around his neck and
Shinyoshiwara. One of those two
walked towards the northern area of the
strangers went down and headed to the
district.
Ageya of that famous pleasure quarter.
The three boys woke up from a
An Ageya was a place where Geishas met
long sleep during their travel. They did
their customers. These pleasure quarters
not notice how fast time had gone and
were often used as well by most of the
they had no idea where they were now.
lesser famous Kabuki actors for their
One of the strangers slid the smaller
private business with their clients, that
window, the only opening from the front
was secondary to their being male
part to the back of the carriage. He
entertainers. On the other hand, the
lobbed them three plastics of Kanako
distinguished performers would rather
Mochi at the time it was fully opened.
have the same purpose, instead, by their
client’s quarter or in a rented private “What about the Kabuki you were
place. This was to protect their image and saying?” Gerrald questioned.
distinction of work. He sat back when that carriage
“Do you know him?” Gerrald finally moved away and not before long,
inquired to Llianirujo. Along the he replied, “He’s the male counterpart of
conversation of his grandfather with that a Geisha but once there were female
person, he never heard of his name. Kabuki dancers. Not since they were
From his silence, he responded, banned by the Shogunate because of
“He is Noll Fennuasa, a recruiter. He buys being too erotic on stage and for
male children and adolescents from the prostitution. They were called as Onna –
other districts of Edo and sells them upon kabuki but today, you can see them no
a request of a rich or a highly authorized more on stage or anywhere else.”
person. The reason why he wasn’t “He is back,” the two boys
imprisoned of these acts is that because mentioned as they turned unto Llianirujo.
he is well guarded by some of the greatly “And he’s with somebody.”
powered persons here in Edo.” Luismaelle said and afterwards, they two
“How about that other man in the sat beside Llianirujo with their mouths
front seat, who is he?” Luismaelle raised a shushed.
question. Noll Fennuasa headed to the
“He is his twin brother, Noll carriage with a wealthy Kabuki actor
Nnefausa.” he
answered as he
6
shifted his look to
him.
Then, a beautiful Geisha went out
named Rened Cañatxed. He was in a
of the kuruwa with his male costumer,
Furisode with an obi around his waist. The
and had caught the three boy’s attention.
classy kimono belt was a gift from his
From that same place, they could hear
high – ranking Samurai lover. Everyone in
the pleasing sound of a Biwa, a traditional
the district knew that he was the nephew
Japanese lute. It was accompanied with a
of the owner of this Shinyoshiwara. After
key instrument, a Shamisen and with the
Fennuasa took the key from his pocket,
patting sound of a hand drum, a Tsuzumi.
he unlocked the door at the back of the
A stylish carriage waited for them outside
carriage and spoke as he pointed his
of the pleasure quarter and soon the son
finger to Llianirujo, “You, get down here
of the chairman of an electric company
and meet your new master.”
went after the Geisha.
He went down and kneeled on the
The boys lurched forward as they
ground. Gerrald and Luismaelle remained
took a holding by the steel bars of the
their head bent down as they were
window and looked at her in amazement.
seated.
She gave the impression of elegance with
“He’s a very fine young man,
her admirably designed kimono. On it, the
quite good – looking. He deserves the
imitation of the flowers of the Sakura
high price.” the Kabuki actor uttered as
raised her being Geisha and akin to the
he touched the child’s face with his right
cherry tree flower, she was filled with
hand. Then, he ordered him, “Now, stand
vividness and life. Her eyes were lovely as
up.”
with the cerulean reflection of the sky on
So did Llianirujo with his head
the pure water running along the clear
bowed. Soon, two foot soldiers, an
rivers of Japan.
Ashigaru went by them and Cañatxed
“Who is she?” Luismaelle
commanded them to take him inside the
wondered as he was captivated.
horse-drawn carriage parked at the back
“She is a Geisha. Her name itself
of their Ageya. These Ashigaru worked
means art and you can’t deny her
under his Samurai lover. Thoughtful was
beauty.” Llianirujo uttered back with his
eyes in fixed gaze to her.
the Samurai sending them to serve the
Kabuki actor.
Fennuasa locked the door at the
rear side of their carriage. He went back
to the front seat and brought the horse
dragging the carriage to continue
traveling along the exit of the village.
Gerrald felt the very details of the
amulet Llianirujo left him. On it was an
engraved feature of a Saru. A monkey
that showed cleverness on making good
ways from the very least it had to survive
from its predicaments in life. He looked
through the steel bars of the window and
imagined Llianirujo’s presence on the
same ground where he kneeled and stood
up a moment ago. As they had gone far
from that road, certain words lingered into
his mind. Till we meet again my friend.
In their heading to another
northern district named Negishi, an
Edokko fish monger selling bonitos along
the entrance street of a village greeted
the strangers in the carriage. He was
hoping that they
would buy some of
the Katsuo from the
container he was
carrying along his back. While they travel
along, the Noll brothers halted the horse
seeing the rice dumpling sellers on the
stall. Nnefausa went down and bought a
serving for the two boys at the back. Later
then, he flung it to them through the steel
– barred window and went back in,
directing the horse to move.
Luismaelle and Gerrald remained
asleep when a black rodent came out
from a small hole on the corner of the
floor and headed to the food. When
Gerrald open his eyes, he slithered his
hand for a thick cloth at the other end in
the back of the carriage.
“That is our food,” he said to
himself as he attempted to capture the
mouse. He came plunging unto it but it
had escaped and ran back into the hole.
Then, Luismaelle woke up in
surprise. “What is that noise?”
“It was nothing, just a mouse
stealing our food.” he answered back in a
precise sarcasm.
“What? A mouse stealing our
food?” Luismaelle reeled side by side as if
hunting the tiny rodent but it was of no
use. He would hunt nothing at that very
moment.
This district was full of houses, tall
wooden establishments and
infrastructures. The essence of true soil
was gone. It was an exposed evidence of
a rich forest corrupted into a civilized
creation. Thick black smokes were
released above from small factories which
mixed with the dancing air they breathe.
This place was noisier than the district of
Asakusa at night.
Nnefausa settled the carriage in
place outside of a Chaya, a spot where
people enjoyed their freshest tea from
varieties of exclusive beneficial leaves.
There, an old man named Nalgeuge
Raiutsen lived and managed the business.
Previously, his tea house had even been
requested by a Feudal Lord to deliver him
some of his superbly prepared teas. It was
the greatest honor he had received.
Beside the tea house was a Sushiya,
7
selling slices of raw fish and shellfish on
small balls of cold rice.
“Oh, oh, oh, I’ve waited long for
my helpers.” The owner of the Chaya
headed to the carriage as soon as he
went out taking off his apron.
“Sorry to make you wait long.
We’ve traveled from Asakusa to deliver
one of my recruits to a Kabuki.” Nnefausa
explained as he accepted the payment
from the old man. Fennuasa went down
and bring the children out of the carriage
to Nalgeuge Raiutsen.
“Very good choice, they can
replace my son now.” The old man
nodded as he took the bag of the kids
from him.
“So he’s really a Kabuki now?”
said Fennuasa.
 “Yes, yes, yes, though it’s against
my will.”
“Don’t worry old man, I think he’ll
bring more money than your tea house,
what do you think?”
“Oh, whatever, for he can live
with his own now? Is that it?” he
answered and then transferred his look to
the two young boys. “You two are lucky to
be my helpers. You’ll get it free to go to
school as long as you work in here.”
“Really?” Luismaelle clarified in
his interest.
After a minute or so, the road of
the street was freed from obstacles as the
spear – bearers, the Yakko headed the
procession. The Dango – vendors moved
their carts aside and the people settled
along the side pathways to see the arrival
of the Daimyô on that road.
The old man pushed them aside
and said, “You two, go to the kitchen.”
Then, he directed them inside the tea
house.
“We better go.” The Noll brothers
were in a hurry ending up the
conservation.
“Have a taste of my tea here
some other time.” Raiutsen offered.
Finally, the Noll brothers went
back heading the carriage to its way to
the next village.
Now inside the Chaya, Gerrald
and Luismaelle don’t
even know where the
kitchen was. The tea
house was empty for
all of the people were on the pathways.
They were standing in their positions to
please the Feudal Lord’s presence. They
wandered around the place and this time,
they were in the kitchen. Luismaelle saw a
freshly baked pancake on the table. As he
was tempted, he grabbed a slice and
tasted it.
Seeing Luismaelle eating the food,
Gerrald drummed his cousin’s head with
his right hand. “Hey, what are you
doing?” He took the remaining slice from
Luismaelle’s hand and placed it back on
the plate.
“I just tasted it. I’m hungry.” his
friend muttered.
“You always do that,” Gerrald
replied.
“I’m sorry,”
Unaware of them, two young male
entered the kitchen as they continued
kissing. Their arms surrounded each
other’s body and their fingers played
much role to please their senses. Gerrald
immediately seized Luismaelle’s hand and
brought him to hide under the table. They
witnessed how they continued savoring
each other’s lips while the guy wearing an
apron elevated the owner’s son on the
makeshift table across them. They started
to remove one another’s top as their
fingers made a tingling impression on
each other’s flesh. With his eyebrows up,
Gerrald’s eyes turned big observing them
and his bare hands remained covering his
cousin’s eyes. The owner’s son paced his
lips down to the guy’s chest and fondled
his tongue on the guy’s nipples,
transferring it to the other from time to
time. Clearing everything away on that
same table, the guy then laid him down
while they remained caressing one
another’s neck. They transferred down
the floor with the cook over the owner’s
son. As the owner’s son transferred the
tilt of his head towards the other table, he
saw the two kids underneath it. He
pushed their family cook away and took
his clothes to cover his chest.
8
“What are you two doing in here?”
he raised his voice in great surprise.
Luismaelle and Gerrald looked at
each other for a quick time. As Luismaelle
signaled to three, they both ran away. He
ran after them out of the kitchen and
finally, cornered the two boys across the
table. He jumped over it but failed to grab
their hands as Luismaelle scampered on
the right side passing him while Gerrald
hastily crawled under it. The family cook
guarded the main door of the Chaya. As
their last resort, the two boys hurriedly
went back to the kitchen of the tea house
and ran through the back door. Out there
was great number of people along the
pathway. Not long enough, they headed a meticulous look at the two new boys
to a short bridge away from the crowd and said, “So, they are your new helpers.”
and paused to get some air. Nevertheless, he never heard any
Gerrald looked at his reflection on response from his father and so until they
the running water and spoke, “Huh, I were done with the morning meal. By
think we should take some rest here.” eight in the morning, Raijehll was out of
“I never anticipated that the the district to perform in another Kabuki
owner’s son is a she – male.” Luismaelle theatre for this whole day. He was a part
laughed out bringing himself seated on of a Tabi Shibai, a Kabuki troupe traveling
the ground. around the city of Edo to perform. Most of
Gerrald took the amulet out from their shows were asked by prestigious
his pocket and raised it against the light persons and authorities. His father usually
of the sun. He then smiled at Luismaelle. opened the tea house by that same time
“At least we have a new family here. while Luismaelle and Gerrald were off to
We’re lucky that the old man is going to school.
send us to school.” As they were on their way to
“I do hope Llian is lucky as well school, Gerrald and Luismaelle stopped by
with his new master.” his cousin uttered the same bridge they stayed at yesterday.
and by this time, he stood up and paced Gerrald took something from his pocket.
towards Gerrald’s side. He then placed his Instead of keeping the amulet Llianirujo
arm over his shoulder and drove him back gave him as a remembrance, he tossed it
to the Chaya. on the running water as he closed both of
his eyes for a prayer. Goddess of Mercy,
we thank you for giving us this new life to
live for. We hope that we will see him
again. Guide us always through our paths.
Never permit us to do bad things. Shower
Their day started very much early. us with your love.
The old man awakened Luismaelle and Luismaelle stood silently at his
Gerrald from the attic and brought them back.
to the kitchen to powder the tea leaves.
These were to be delivered by six. After
which, Luismaelle did the mopping of the
floor of the Chaya and Gerrald delivered
the pulverized tea leaves to the next
street. By six thirty, they had their first
breakfast with Mr.
Nalgeuge and his
9
adopted son or Yôshi,
Nnola Raijehll. The
first dish served by their family cook (who
had made love with the owner’s son
yesterday) was Kitsune Udon. On their
bowls were noodles served in hot shoyu
flavored dashi and was paired with deep
fried tofu to its golden brown color in the
outside and was amazingly white and soft
on the inside. The next he placed on the
table were steamed bonitos the Eddoko
fish monger delivered and to sweeten
their day, he finally dished up plates of
Dora – Yaki, small red bean pancakes.
They had a glance of each other’s
faces as they were eating. Raijehll did set