Zenji let his gaze linger on the snow until its brightness made his eyes hurt. Today was sunny and the whole field was filling up with children rolling in the freshly piled white crystals. Their joyful screams were interfering with his thoughts. He longed for peace to put his thoughts in order. Wrapped in his white winter clothes, he felt at one with the surrounding. Haruido was coming alive. It was late morning. He made for the woods where he knew he could be alone. His boots were sinking deep in the snowdrifts. Fresh air caressed his cheeks and they reddened. He walked through the trees, enjoying their subtle earthy scent that felt sharp in his nostrils. Rays of sunshine were breaking through the thick trunks and branches like loud voices in dead silence. To Zenji, this was Isle of the Blessed^[1]. He was taking deep breaths, letting them fill up with all the winter cold aromas. The season manifested in masculine ways with its harshness, sharpness and sense of danger that its phenomena offered. But it also had calm softness and purity that reminded Zenji of someone…

He reached a clearing surrounded by evergreen trees. In the snow, he could see a single trail of rabbit paws. Zenji sat beneath one tree and gazed ahead. Silence. Peace. Only the occasional gust of cold wind ruffled his black hair and whispered in his ears. He was all alone. Finally, he could let his thoughts roam free. He closed his eyes but strangely couldn’t concentrate to evoke the image he was looking for. He half-opened his eyelids. And like a mirage, the snow turned into a white face that had been keeping the young teacher awake at night. It was her. Lady Miyasai.

                                                  *********

“We should be taking down the pine decorations soon,” said Okuda while slipping into the hot water. Ishibashi was already in the bath and had started to feel sleepy, just as it always happened – the hot water was calming him down.

Okuda made himself comfortable and for a while they sat in silence, soaking in.

Then Okuda opened one of his eyes and cast a sneaky look at his friend.

“Have you started moving?,” he asked.

Ishibashi didn’t open his eyes but replied.

“Yes, it’s all on. We had a smooth start. Let’s see what happens next.”

“Is he in on it?”

“Not on everything. But he knows the basics.”

“Can things go wrong?”

“They may. I tend to believe i have created good conditions, though.”

“Try not to be too clever, Ishibashi…”

The jizamurai opened his eyes and looked at his friend across the veil of steam. Okuda was smiling, with a hint of jest in his eyes. Ishibashi didn’t find that amusing.

“Not sure what you mean…”

“I think you do. It’s not the first time you’ve tried to interfere in matters of the heart. But be careful. You experienced first hand how this could have a devastating effect…”

“If you are talking about the incident we were involved in our youth, you needn’t worry,” said Ishibashi firmly and stood up. “I learned my lesson, that’s why I’m treading carefully now.”

The jizamurai wrapped up and walked away – his way to say that the he considered the conversation over. But Okuda remained silent and still. Something had stirred his soul. It was like ripples, like the ringing of a bell inside him. Was it a warning or awakening? He couldn’t say.

“The yokai^[2] must be at play tonight…,” he thought.

                                                                      *******

The snow is almost blue at dusk, Ishibashi thought while sipping on a cup of green tea. Okuda was beside him, also with a cup in hand but he hadn’t tasted the subtle bitter potion yet. He was staring at the sky where clouds were weighing heavy, devouring the last feeble rays of sun. It was cold and peaceful on the engawa, with only distant laughter and cries coming from inside the house where Okuda’s little daughters were playing battledore and shuttlecock^[3].

Soft steps coming from the bottom of the garden disturbed the silence and the two friends could see a figure approaching the engawa. But they were not surprised. Zenji had been invited to visit Okuda’s family earlier – an honour that he could not decline, especially with his uncle there as well. The young man would have preferred spending more time in the forest, as he usually did in winter but he could not show disrespect. Besides, he liked Okuda’s family and the old man himself.

Zenji stopped in front of the engawa and bowed deeply.

“Okuda san, offering my greetings for the new year.”

“Thank you, teacher,” Okuda replied with a bow as well. “Your students may want to wish you well, too. Fumiko, Eri”.

He called out his daughters name and at ones the little girls rushed outside.

“Teacher!,” they exclaimed and bowed to Zenji. He smiled and gave them a slight bow as well.

“Zenji sensei, in the new year, will you teach me to write prettier than Fumiko?”

“You calligraphy will never be better than mine in a million years!”

The two started quarrelling but their father interrupted them quickly.

“Instead of fighting like cats, why don’t you offer your teacher some hot rose hip tea to warm up? Or do you prefer to behave like monkeys and embarrass yourselves?”

The girls brought a new pot and a cup for Zenji and clumsily poured him tea.

“You’ll have to excuse them, teacher. They’re just excited for the lion dance^[4]

I’m taking them to see tomorrow,” Okuda explained.

“That sounds appealing even to me,” said Zenji

“I actually hope you are somewhat free tomorrow, nephew,” Ishibashi said pouring himself one last cup of tea for the day.

Zenji tried to conceal the excitement on his face by adopting a look of surprise. He already knew where this was going but decided not to show it. Ishibashi answered his silent question.

“Tomorrow is a good day to pay another visit to The Red House,” he took a large gup of tea and slightly winced at the rich taste – he had let it brew for too long.

Zenji’s corner smile would be invisible to anyone who did not know him but his uncle did not miss it. He wondered what would the effect of his remark be.

“Of course, Taira san will join us. Him meeting Lady Miyasai is the main reason for our visit.”

Okuda’s eyes widened and he opened his mouth to express his surprise but Zenji quickly bowed and simply replied “Of course”.

A cold draft swept across the trees and blew out one of the candles on the engawa.

“Oh, I better get a lantern to see you off before it gets too late,” Okuda said and hurried up to fetch one from the inside.

But this time it was him who did not miss to notice that Zenji had remained bowed – perhaps a little longer than necessary…

                    *****

NOTES:

[1]  A Chinese mythological equivalent for the Western Elysian Fields

[2] Strange, supernatural creatures and phenomena from Japanese folklore

[3] A girls’ game traditionally played at New Year’s

[4] A ritual pageant