Memoir of a Samurai

Many years ago I was well known for protecting my people and sacrificing my life for theirs,

but ended up losing it all after Perry and his other dirty army intruded our land.

Opening our doors to the West. Lost, cold, hungry, I stand tall on the coast where it all began.

On the coast of the ocean, I felt a light breeze, as light shone on the crystal like shore with orange and yellow,

I saw two black ships, all from the enemies from the west or so they call it back then,

coming on shore, caring their goods and weapons with them.

Once they arrived on the shore,

they had a certain look that told me they meant business;

taking their weapons with them they march to our master in charge.

They started a conversation, but not a friendly one. Standing there, I could tell this was not going to end well.

Sitting beside me, I try to comfort him and looked at me with grief, as if I was doing a bad job comforting him.

'Yuel, I'm afraid, it's time to open the doors.' He sighed.

Astonished, I just couldn't see what made him give up on this so easily.

For so many years of following his lead, I never saw him in such a mood:

all stressed and unhappy. I just couldn't bear it.

'Why don't we fight back and watch them flee out of our land?' I questioned,

trying to get his strength back.

'You saw what they did to the Chinese; with their advanced weapons and high tech stuff,

they opened the trade within seconds, so we don't have a chance against them no matter how hard we fight!'

my master shouted back. Speechless, I turned my back towards him and left.

********

Days pass and more and more ships came to our shore; still, in the same position,

we kept our doors closed from them.

'Boom!' went the first fire as our ships collided with theirs. It was horrible.

Setting it to a blaze it sank to the ocean floor.

Another bomb was fired and this time it was heading toward our village.

Running to safety I fled. Shrieks of terror filled the air.

Looking back at my village

all I could see was a conflagration as it burned my village into ash before my very eyes.

Soldiers were charging out of the boat, as they made their way to our land.

With all my force I ran. 'Bang!' went a bullet shot through the air, making a whooshing sound as it passed me,

hitting a samurai behind me.

I could tell this was going to end badly, with our metal spears and swords we don't stand a chance.

Fleeing I left the battlegrounds and to my master's office to spread the news about Perry's arrival.

'Come quick, master, Perry has arrived.' I panted.

'I know.' he spoke in a quiet tone as he felled to his knees crying.

'Wave the flag!' he ordered. 'But...' paused one of his messengers.

'Do as you're told!' he shouted back.

Standing there, I saw my team as they were being lifted up and taken away in front of my eyes. It was torture.

'Will everyone be alright?' turning around I saw a little girl tugging my hand.

Knowing that I should answer nicely I bit my tongue, I crouched down, to the same level as the girl and whispered,

'Everything will be just fine just wait and see.' Leaving a pool of blood in my mouth,

I spat it out. Who am I kidding, this is horrible!

********

Kneeling on my legs our team waited as the fire burned on our backs, causing me burn some of my skin holding in that position I watched as shadowy figures move side to side.

Watching this made me feel uneasy.

Within seconds I saw one of the samurais in our group got up and headed straight to the door.

'Bang!' as a bullet flared out of the automatic weapon,

hitting the samurai in the back as blood gushed out, leaving a trail of blood on the ground.

This made me felt very angry but, I had to let it be; as my master would say.

Opening the doors, I saw my master bow down to Perry and his crew and left.

Bowing too, I felt this will be the last time we will ever be samurai again.

********

Sitting there drinking tea, I let the steam moist my face.

'So what do we do now?' I questioned my right-hand partner.

'Well so far I know that life won't be the same after we follow the Western ways and we will be...'

pausing, a trickle of tears fell out of his eyes whipping it quickly from his face,

he turned and left the table, without looking back.

'Kwangmin!' I shouted back as he left the room,

leaving an echo of darkness in the room. I watched as he left the room with a big bang as the slides closed.

Feeling a thousand eyes on me,

I pretend not to notice their gaze and continued drinking my tea trying hard not to choke.

I never really saw him again till that day.

By the time I start noticing his disappearance,

I realized that not much people were paying much attention to me as much as they use to,

I'm also starting to notice the cone shaped buildings around my neighborhood.

As stood there to gaze them I saw not only the houses have changed,

but the people have changed also with their fancy dresses and trench coats, and as for I,

I felt out of the group.

What's this device?

As I pushed through the crowd, smoke rose into the blue sky leaving a trail behind it as it went.

It was disgusting, but it was fast, as it glided through the crowd.

Why have we forgotten, the ways of our ancestors?

Why aren't we fighting back?

This is our home our life, our childhood and you just throw it away like a piece of junk.

Taking a last look of my home town in which I grew up in,

the way everyone never questions about our ways,

and the way in which we lost through western influence.

I will never know when this madness will be over,

but all I can say is that I'm just a person in a samurai costume.