Nature has its own Laws von Jyll (Short Story Cycle) ================================================================================ Kapitel 3: How the blossoms of a fan revealed the true desire ------------------------------------------------------------- A youngling without a paramour is, so they say, like a wife without a husband; Yet with change of time the love between man and woman sank into darkness And marvelous as the day blew the love between boys. Ihara Saikaku Edo, 1687 Edo was a blooming empire and the centre of the country where the sun had its bassinet and was rising at this moment to alight the busy city in a fair red. Everyday people, citizens and foreigners surged over the big bridge, the intersection of Nippon. All the streets on which messengers, bearers and dogs cavorted all-around sooner or later led hither, Shogun Ieyasu had made a metropolis of power and fortune out of the small fisher village, had built channels, ramified like the roots of an orange tree. The houses were arranged like paddy fields, whose rice granary loomed against the sky on the shore of the wide and blue ribbon of the Sumida-River. Tagawa Kimpachi was a samurai of the most honorables. With earnings of 2000 koku rice, he lived near the inner circuit. However, the period of Edo was a peaceful time and Tagawa had no need to fight. At any rate, not if his honor did not demand it. So it happened that one day, on which the cherry blossom was in full bloom, Tagawa strolled through the narrow streets of the city; the stores’ entrances were concealed by heavy curtains, the merchants blatant and offering, traps and pushcarts jolted over the brickearth. One could buy everything in the salerooms: Knives and swords, paper fans, clothes out of cotton or silk, plates and bowls out of china, as well as cutlery out of dark wood. Glass and Buddhistic prayer utensils, living animals and tea, dried or pulverized. Everywhere there were little kitchens to order domestic food: grilled fish, sushi or soba, a soup with steamed vegetables. Rather than withdrawing, people rushed to the bridge. The sedans took most of the space, and dogs ran around one’s feet. When Tagawa passed the Nihon-Bashi he caught sight of a dainty youngling. His age could have been compared with the young cherry blossom tree next to the shrine of Shinto. The sleeves of his kimono were wide with slits, and his hair poured down his neck. He was of an intoxicant beauty. Priests and several young servants accompanied him, for thus he had to be the favorite of a daimyo. Spellbounded Tagawa followed the group over the bridge and deeper into town. The attractive young man seemed not to recognize him on their way into the heart of the city. The street became steeper, up to the castle of the shogun, but shortly before the youngling scurried in a white house. The entrance was ornate with sumptuous wood; two sculptures of dragons with golden scales flanked it. It revealed how wealthy the daimyo was. Several days were to pass before the samurai would see the youngling again, although Tagawa vi-sited the house every day. He decided to satisfy his desire meanwhile and boarded a cocki the same evening. The rower hauled the small boat off the shore and along the Sumida-River. The rice granaries looked bizarre in the darkness of the night. From a distance there was sweeping a thin melody through the tepid air, which grew with each stroke of the paddles until the red lights came in sight. Tagawa was set in quite before the intricate path lined with tea houses and leading to the huge gate, which represented the entrance to the fading world. It was not the first time that Tagawa passed the border between the city and the inner world, and thus he knew where he had to go. The main part was occupied by the large avenue of blossom trees. Lampions in all colors alighted the whole district and his secret houses. The ageya he had chosen was very vaunted for it’s one geisha, playing the shamisen adorably. When the samurai was waiting for the courtesan to come, he always eavesdropped this one male entertainer. The sake standing ready for the following conversation between suitor and his madam. What ought to happen in the nebulousness of the night, stays nebulous. The sun, which gave the country its name, already stood high up on the day when Tagawa finally saw a sedan held by two athletic men in front of the daimyo’s archway. He caught a short glimpse of the youth, fancily dressed ascending the vehicle. Then the whole entourage disappeared around the corner. Tagawa approached and asked the gate keeper. He learned that the young man was Inosuke Kakubê, favorite of the daimyo, who ruled over the domain Owari. Day and night Tagawa suffered from his craving and his covert love to Inosuke whom he was conti-nuously thinking of. Finally, driven by insatiable desire, Tagawa took the decision to write a letter and describe his pains and aspirations. The he sent his confidant to the servant of Inosuke to hand him the letter over. When Kakubê heard of the infatuation of Tagawa and noticed an enclosed fan, fondly painted with the tender contours of cherry blossoms, he immediately took Indian ink and paper and wrote his answer, in which he promised to release the samurai of his pains and establish ties with Tagawa regardless of his duty to the daimyo. The servant hurried to the samurai, and in the same night they walked on the path of love. Their bond had to stay secret, and for a year of time no one took notice of their alliance. When In-osuke commemorated his sixteenth autumn, another samurai fell in love with the favorite. The foreign samurai thus wrote many letters, but never received an answer of the loyal youngling. Eventually desperate he summoned Kakubê to fight. Inosuke, aware that he had deeply insulted this samurai, saw no other way and agreed to meet him at the grove of Divine Oaks in the night of the new moon. Tagawa accompanied him as one should in the bond of love. As it was their duty, the servants escorted them through the night. As soon as they caught sight of the enemy and his companions, they took up the arms and went into battle. Tagawa immediately beheaded two of them and Inosuke’s sword killed another one. They fought on for a while until six of them were dead and three wounded fled. Inosuke’s servant was dead and he himself had a deep cut on the shoulder. Tagawa had a scratch over his cheek and his sleeves were lacerated. They had won the battle luckily, but had become committers of another crime. The two lovers went to the temple nearby. They doffed their kimonos and kneeled down on the tatami mats in their white undergarment kimono. The faces and the dark hair were carefully done to preserve their beauty and therefor their honor forever. Inosuke drew his short sword and they changed a glance for the last time. Then he stroke out the blade and pushed it deep into his left abdomen. While he cut to the right side Kampachi watched him closely and with the incision to the navel his beloved beheaded him, so the pains would not distort Inosukes face. Thereafter he fol-lowed him on his path of Seppuku. Hosted by Animexx e.V. (http://www.animexx.de)