When the peonies bloom.

Late Autumn Part 1

"Greatly appreciated." Hyosaku said and popped a small cube in her mouth and closed her eyes to savour the sugary sweetness. Her ears honed in to the muffled sounds of loud out of tune jolly singing and music from beneath them. She could feel her eyebrows gather in the middle of her forehead as the jealousy she tried to suppress was beginning to bubble. Hyosaku tried to feign the uncaring exterior whenever the rival courtesans beneath her were successful in clawing in other rich and influential clients.

In her mind, miss loud mouth Fujie courting mr zealous son of a magistrate in this pleasure house was more than unsettling for her. All this time she had been paying him hush money to keep his policemen out of this house in pursuit of her bodyguard and now knowing of his physical presence was downstairs felt like he was breathing down her throat.

"Are you in pain? Are you alright?" Tomomi's worried shrill voice cut through her anxious train of thoughts. Only then did she notice how tight her bodyguard's hand hand gripped over her clenched fist. In a moment of unconscious response, Hyosaku pulled her hand away.

"Oh I should have known to ask if you were incompatible with anything. Stupid me." Tomo cussed at herself as she got up.

"Help madam Hyosaku to bed. She isn't feeling well."

Hyosaku opened her eyes and batted away Tomo's arms around her.

"I'm fine. I mean it's not the tea you gave me. It's just I need some time to myself. I have things on my mind that need quiet thought."

"Are you sure you're alright?" Tomo knelt down beside her.

"Yes. I'm quite sure."

Tomo nodded and gave her mistress a concerned smile like she needed absolute validation from her mistress that she was feeling like herself. In that moment it felt like an unspoken lock and key moment as a great urge grew within Hyosaku to soothe her bodyguard's concern.

"The worried look doesn't suit your face. I really appreciate your help. You've been my saviour today, Tomomi."

Hyosaku had so much to say but none arose to words that felt comfortable saying. Instead she ended her words with a sad yet hopeful smile. Hoping there would be a better time to express the intentions in her mind.

Watching her lips stretch into that smile made Tomo's insides flip and she felt flustered. The feeling of her mistress' soft fingers stroking her left cheek created this warm tingling sensation in the area. Her momentary flight response was to get away from this alien sensation. Though in this moment Tomomi exhaled and allowed herself to drop the heavy barrier she had been carrying in her mind that had kept her cautious and distant all the time she had been away from the family home. Time fleetingly seemed to stretch as Tomo could feel the warm tingling sensation radiate, washing over her scalp and to her toes. The sensation made her eyes close in full acceptance. It felt nice, was subtle and comforting, nothing more or less. Like a water seeping back into a long forgotten water hole.

The sound and shadow of people walking along the corridor outside broke their trance.

Suddenly a wave of embarrassment for enjoying the warm tingling sensation promptly sent Tomomi back onto her feet. She quickly collected the empty bowl and saucer from her mistress' table in one swoop back in the basket and backed away from the table.

"I-I better get going." Tomo stammered as she rubbed an itch on the back of her neck.

Hyosaku nodded in a way that Tomo knew her mistress knew her true feelings inside.

"Please ask Ms Oten to come back in. These hair pieces and kimonos have no lover to bedazzle tonight." Hyosaku in a dismissive tone with a tinge of tiredness.

Tomo hastily bowed and left for the cook house to tell Kametaro that no one at the flea market was interested in his unspectacular wares. Hyosaku smiled as she rose to her feet when Ms Oten returned. It was time to shed the layers of glamour in the absence of a lover.

"Aren't they having a jolly good time down stairs." Ms Oten said with a nervous laugh.

Hyosaku gave a small smile but remained silent.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to."

"Every courtesan has her day when the crest of the wave rises before the wave breaks and recedes and another wave rolls through to replace it."

Ms Oten nodded in agreement, only to think how ominous the courtesan's sentence ended."

Hyosaku felt like she could breath a little easier when the great obi was undone and dropped from her.

She looked at herself dead straight in the mirror observing every inch of her body and face. Even though her eyes were staring straight at her own reflection, her mind was like a theatre full of chatter before a show started, clouding her focus, unable to see the true self standing infront of her.

Hopefully she would be able to ponder about things that troubled her when she knew Hana and Aimi were fast asleep.