.A day to remember.

Prologue.

‘I know that you are watching.’

 

I can feel the sting of your eyeshot in the wind, on my lips; even though yours are sealed shut. You do not have to speak, to let me know your mind.

There is a world to see in the footsteps of a running man. The echoes of all the yesterdays past and a mere thought of all the principles one’s left behind to walk on an unknown road. A fading memory.

There is a lifetime to see and yet there is nothing at all.

‘How keen is your eye?’

 

If you are to be my hunter, I might as well be your prey. I only expect that you would find no disappointment when I go down with a sword.

But it must not happen yet, I have to reach the border.

 

The forest seems endless in its idyllic rhythm of green merged with white. I feel I am not far by the falling night.

I sit down my weary legs and take a bite of the snow, filling the dryness of my throat with the ever pure forming water.

‘Let me reach home.’  I harshly say to the watchful wind and I close my eyes.

 

The days were passing and the next every morning came as the one before; in a pleasing silence.

I am grateful but I am still not alone. I continued my walk and at once, as if the scenery has changed I knew that I have reached my destination. I plainly knew, as I remember my name, as I know that I have unwanted companion.

Like every stray dog can find its way home, I have found mine.

Bamboo was greener once.

 

‘Indeed it was, my ronin friend.’  Speaks the silence,

‘At least for the both of us.’

 

My hand is already gripping the handle of my sword while I calmly search for the piece that doesn’t fit.

 

‘But that is not the reason of your return.’ It speaks again in its soft voice and it allows me to see. Dark figurine clutching to a bamboo three even though its muscles seem relaxed.

‘Nor it is the reason for your stalk.’ I say.

‘True enough.’

It comes down with ease and leaves a few feathers behind, blending them with the composition. It doesn’t have wings and around his waist he carries a red big-nosed mask.

‘Are you to be my judge?’ I watch the soul of his eyes.

‘I am to be judged as well.’ It says with a smirk of a vanishing smile and it sits down watching me in awe.

 

‘Who are you?’ I ask, not loosing my guard. It took a few moments until it gave me an answer.

‘I am your brother.’ It paused,

‘And together we make the perfect echo of all the yesterdays past; as you would put it. We are the cry and a very soul of the passing era, since, my brother, we are the last of our kind.’

‘I am not a samurai I once was.’ I say with hatred in my eyes keeping the calm tone of my voice.

‘And yet you return as one.’ I feel the mocking in its voice even if I know it was not intended. I turn my back to it and speak back to the naked forest.

‘No. The time of the samurai is long gone. It is but a shadow of my former self.’

‘It may be a shadow, but one that will never leave your side. It is your curse and your anchor. Without it you do not exist.’

‘I carry an even heavier curse.’

It smirks again.

 

‘If you did not come to revive the old tales, why did you return?’ It asks plainly.

‘There is no other place to die.’ I say.

‘This soil gave me life and I will honor it with my passing.’

‘Spoken like a true samurai.’ It gave me a loud laugh when I shot it with my grim face. It is not a laughing matter. It kindly looks at me with an honest smile and softly says,

‘Today is a good day to die.’

‘As it is a good day for a warm cup of conversation.’ I sympathetically add and it nods with a smile.

 

‘I see a question in your mind my ronin. You may speak freely; I have no use of tricks today.’

‘What are you wonderer?’ I naively ask.

‘You do not need me to tell you in order for you to know. It is as you remembered your name, as you knew that you had unwanted companion. You know what I am.’ It claps its mask with the tips of its fingers.

‘Tengu?’

‘You said it with such a conviction that even I began to doubt my existence.’ It hides its face in the grab of its hand, and finally says,

‘I am, or I was; your heavenly dog.’

‘But you are not wearing your mask.’ I say.

‘Nor you have your master. The times are over us brother. I have no use of wearing it anymore.’

 

I let a whisper reach the cold.

‘What happened to the other tengu?’

‘Westerners brought new weaponry, new clothes, new religion… We walked on the old way that began to crumble. They are all lost now, dead; and I am soon to join them. I feel the path is closing in on me.’ He looks at me.

‘People are bowing to Jesus now and children are not as easily scared. I have lost my appetite.’

‘So it is true.’ I say.

‘The ancient road is being rapidly rebuilt by the modern thoughts.’

‘But you have seen it all, haven’t you?’ It asks, eagerly waiting for my answer.

‘And so I have.’ I look over my shoulder.

‘I have walked their earth, I have spoken their languages; I have seen honor, I have seen filth. I have witnessed people dying for Christ… I have been dressed in their clothes; I have tasted their breads and I have drunk their wines. I have seen the wonders of the new world.’

‘What are these wines?’ I shake my head by the stream of its thought and I give it an answer.

‘It is a kind of French sake; but instead of rice, they are using grapes.’  I reach to my backpack,

‘You should try it.’ I hand him the bottle.

‘There are but a few droplets left to satisfy your thirst.’ I look at him as he inhales the sour and sweet. For a moment now he looks as a child inspecting the unknown substance.

‘What if this is not enough to satisfy me?’ It closely looks to the inward of the bottle, shaking it.

‘You do not thirst for wine stranger.’ I say. 

It takes a sip.

 

‘Delicious.’ It says without uttering a word.

I am satisfied.

‘Are you sure you have only this?’ I watch it as it packs the empty bottle in its stash.

‘Greed is the dynamiter of relationship, not its constructer.’

‘So you are to be my friend?’ It franticly asks.

‘Only for a day.’ I answer.

‘Then, let us make it worth remembering.’

 

Author's Note

English is not my native tongue, if you find any mistakes I would appreciate to know.
All comments and critiques are warmly welcome.
Thank you.

(Ronin is a fallen samurai. Tengu are a class of supernatural creatures found in Japanese folklore.)