The Woman Of THREE CROWN PRINCES
The Geisha and Momiji Dream Part 1. Ososhiki Day
The funeral made me sick. I hate the yellow momiji's dark yellow color that's falling all around me. The sight of yellowing leaves always made me feel like I was in an endless nightmare.
I still remember the cold autumn stabs like it kept repeating before my eyes, My mother died of cancer in late autumn, the days of the last month were full of pain, listening to his groan was like endless, like you had to peel an onion layer by layer to survive, but in the end you still had no hope of surviving and could only let go of the last layer.
And the taste just passed two years ago, today the momiji leaf again fell on my feet. I was 17, just yesterday I finished my final exam and now I suddenly arrive at a house full of cops looking for me. My father died in a fight at a bar, unhelpful with a bottle smashed in his head.
He is just a shatei (their calling for a little brother), supervising some people to carry out the duties of a kyodai (big brother). What is small must always sacrifice their lives, as the mind I have. Dead silly with a bottle smashed into his head.
Ososhiki (burial) the second day after Sougi (funeral day one), distant family friends came to pay their respects, I was too tired to stoop now to receive guests. I sat on the outside of the funeral home contemplating the fate I was about to face.
I'm going to Gion, following my aunt. The only family that would accept me, Dad didn't leave a lot of money, just enough to survive a month, the little house we rented was almost out of tenure. What can I do.
He is a pretty successful Geiko. Art workers working in ancient Gion. Manager of an okiya (a place where Maiko/Geiko lives), unimaginable to work as a Geiko, I want to be able to go to college, but it seems impossible. Bibi said she would pay me a school to be Maiko, a Maiko trainee and maybe I could be like her, not lacking anything about money.
"What do you expect to be a sarariman (salaryman-office worker), working twelve hours a day tired of having nothing to be proud of." Actually office workers, especially entry level has a quite unpleasant connotation in Japan, working to death fatigue aka karoshi, something that is considered quite common in the world of Japanese sarariman. But it also means wide open career opportunities and a better life.
"Maybe not so much as Auntie..."
"No-no, a job like that just makes you end up like your dad. You're beautiful, you have the capital to follow my steps."
He decided for me. I have to follow him to Gion. And I feel like my life isn't in my hands anymore. This time I was the water that had to follow the direction of the stream forcing me to flow.
"Setsuko-san." Someone called out to me, I looked to the side, a young man, younger than Dad for sure. Maybe in his 30s.
I stood up to give a bow of respect. I don't know him, maybe Dad's friend.
"Can we sit down. I Know Your Father, He often told me about You. I'm sorry for your loss."
"You know my Dad? You're his brother?" Papa once told me a little if the person called kyodai (big brother) is the boss, maybe this person is a kyodai."