“Hello.” I said staring at her; but remembering my manners
I quickly bowed my best. “I am Ayaka Kobayashi, daughter of
Akito Kobayashi. I am ten years old and very pleased to meet you.”
She smiled a sad sort of smile at me, then said, “Hello
Ayaka-chan. I am called Kozue. It is my pleasure to make your
acquaintance.” After this, she turned back to father and began
talking with him, seeming to ignore me standing there beside them.
‘Mayhap geisha are not fond of children’ I thought,
as I watched her speak with father. But perhaps I was seeing things,
for it seemed that she kept glancing at me out of the corner of her eye,
as if she wanted to speak more with me. It made me wonder further if
I knew her from somewhere, for she looked familiar to me as I tried
to think about where I might have seen her. Of course, that didn’t
make any sense. I had never met a geisha such as her before. The
more I thought about it, the more certain I was that I had never
encountered her until today.
I watched Kozue intently, taking in every detail of her
wardrobe. She was truly a magnificent work of art that matched the
day, the cherry blossoms and the loveliness of the other geisha
wandering about, perfectly. The colors of her kimono and accessories
all mingled together so well, making her a part of the landscape itself
and thus a part of the artistry that was my world.
It seemed barely a minute later when their conversation
ended. “I really must go Akito-sama. I have an engagement I must
soon attend.”
My father’s face darkened briefly with a troubled look, but
returned to its smiling, cheerfulness almost immediately. I had never
seen such a look on his face before and it made me wonder why it
should be there at all.
91