Memories of Fumie

Chapter 1

A nice fine day for two men to be out for a hunt. Well, some might argue that the recent statement is false, that it is not actually two men out for hunt. Rather, one man and one boy, out for a hunt. The boy is 14 years old, so the first statement in most people eyes has now been proven wrong. While the farther is a man at the prime age of 58. So the second statement that was devised seems to make sense with the truth of age. Nerveless, in the eye of the boy, he is a man.

They are in a densely rooted forest in Southern Russia. Insects croaking and birds singing, as they carefully, but swiftly, walk over roots, twigs, weeds and bumps. As anyone can clearly tell the man and the boy are experienced in these kind of tedious flouring. Which to the man’s surprise the boy is much faster, and smoother, than him.

“Wow son” he said, “Don’t leave your old pa behind. Didn’t know you had such a good footing”.

“Mum always used to take me to the Shrine at the Kobe mountains every weekend to pray to our ancestors” the son replied. “She could have used a clearer road that led direct to the shrine. But she always took the forest. She would say “there is no clear rout in life, you must strive and thrive with your surroundings, and once you master it, that is when you will have true control of your destiny.’”

The Farther eyes saddened, but then a proud smile appeared at a memory of his lover, “ahh. Yes I see. So the hazardous flour represents the obstacles in life. And once you know how to walk through them, life itself becomes easy.  That is one of the things that made me love your mother. She was such a philosopher”-

“You’re totally wrong”. Shinji said then stopped his track, scratching his eye with his right arm while the left scratched the arm scratching his eye. “The surroundings itself is not the obstacle.” He paused to see his right arm “But you.” He began scratching his right arm again which now began scratching his eye a little harder. “The roots and knocks on the ground represent you, while you yourself are the obstacle.” He bended down wiping his fingers against a leaf, “so when you, a twig of a branch or a hard round stone, sees you, the obstacle. It is your responsibility not to tangle and trip yourself, the obstacle, up. That’s what she meant”.

A tear dropped from the Farther. He took a deep breath of the sweat air and sensed a hint of chocolate from the boy. Giving him dreadful cravings, he ignored it with all his might till he had a clear mind again and said solemnly, “Fumie was amazing.”

He looked at the boy, who now was fully weeping; blood trickling down his eye to the blood drenched leaf he used to wipe his finger. The farther was never good with people with sad emotions, even if that sad emotion came from his son. “Oh! Son. Come, we nearly reaching the clearing. Then I’ll put new freezing gel on you wounds.

This small conversation that led to something emotional for the both, and also uncomfortable for the farther. Kept them silent as they continued to the designated clearing. Probably reminiscing his mother, and the other, his lover.

 The boy didn’t leave his mother in good terms. For the first 14 years of his life, before him and his farther ever knew of each other, he always observed odd looking Japanese businessmen. Every time he came across these businessmen, when walking out of town with the hunting pack or doing an errand at a trading spot, he would always scan their faces.  The reason why these odd looking business man use to steel his attention so much, was the sole fact he wasn’t your average looking Japanese either, or average Japanese. He had grey eyes with double eyelids, his lips were plumed, and although he was short he was naturally masculine, which is rare for a Japanese boy living off plane rice. He lived at an okiya, a geisha house. In this particular geisha house everybody spoke English, indoors and out, as this okiya mostly entertained business men’s who deal with the US who did not want to lose their…..what did they call it….ahhh..”The sophisticated English tongue”.