The Geisha Way

Ch 17- Sadness.

“I went back to those graves not long afterward and found as I stood there that sadness was a very heavy thing. My body weighed twice what it had only a moment earlier, as if those graves were pulling me down toward them.”

“Mio-san; Mio-san!~” A little girls voice sung out in melodic tone. Miomomo opened her eyes slowly and squinted at the sun’s harsh rays seeping through the window; grazing her face. “Mio-san!” The small voice cheered. She groaned, rubbed her eyes and propped herself on her elbows. Big brown eyes blinked back her; she smiled.

“What is it now Loli-chan; did you have another bad dream?” Lolita shook her head, causing her white shoulder length long tresses to sway back in forth.

“Okasan wants to see you; she said it’s exciting news!” Miomomo yawned; the sleep was still fighting to take over.

“Okay, I’ll be there in a minute.” She said tiredly waving her off; Lolita nodded, and ran out the room.

“Hurry lazy-san!” She yelled on her way out. Miomomo fell back into the pillow with a heap; and smiled. The Okiya seemed brighter since she brought Lolita back with her. Lolita was a sixteen year old girl she found who had no recollection of her name or where she was from; Miomomo saw something special in her and decided to take her in and train her to become a geisha and ninja. She had the great idea of making the Okiya into the first of its kind where geisha and ninja live side by side. She named the girl Lolita because of her childlike demeanor.

Miomomo got out of bed and threw on her silk robe; eyeing the puppet and sculpted rose on her vanity. Smiling to herself she briefly thought of the happiness and good memories they both brought her.

“Well what is it Mio? I have been waiting for you to get home and open it since I brought it here.” Toph bombarded her as soon as she arrived home to open the gift Sasori left for her. She sat on the floor and carefully opened the box; inside was the most beautiful little puppet geisha that resembled her. Next to the puppet was a note:

‘I have made this for you, with the intent that if we shall ever meet again, that I would show you how to control it; since I know you truly can appreciate the art of puppetry. I anticipate our next encounter, my Eikyū no Utsukushī.’ Miomomo’s breath caught in her throat at the sheer beauty of the note and puppet; and she hoped one day Sasori would teach her how to make charka strings as well.

“I don’t get it, it’s just a puppet? How creepy.” Miomomo giggled as Toph shudder at the sight of it. “Oh yeah there was a note with this rose too.”

“What does it say?” Toph picked up the note and read it out loud.

“I’ll stop thinking about you when this rose dies.” She said in confusion. Miomomo chuckled; she could almost hear the nasal-like grunt at the end of that note. “I don’t get it; the rose is made of clay?”

“That’s the point Toph-chan.”

“Mio-san you’re taking forever.” Lolita’s voice called out to her.

“I’m up, I’m up!” she called back.

She entered Okasan’s office with Loli-chan trailing happily behind her. Okasan was shuffling papers on her desk, as if she was searching for something. Miomomo knocked on the already opened door, to alert Okasan of her arrival. The old woman looked up and adjusted her glasses.

“Ah, Mio; I have some big news!” She said excitedly; scrambling to find whatever she was looking for previously. “Here it is!” She grabbed her cane, and held up a paper.