Chapter 7 Chapter VII

Because I destroyed Mameha's kimono, I was locked in the art hall for fifty days and was not allowed to go out.And no longer let me go out to run errands.Although I wanted to find my sister very much, I could only wait for the fifty-day prison term to end. One night when I was staying up late waiting for Hatsumomo to come home, the phone rang and Yoko came out and handed me Hatsumomo's shamisen to take to the Mitsugi Tea House. Yoko obviously didn't know I was in solitary confinement, which was no surprise, she had been in the maid's room answering the phone.I took the shamisen from her and put on my shoes at the door, feeling a dull pain in my heart because of nervousness, for fear that someone would come to stop me from going out.Pumpkin and the maids and the three old women were asleep, and Yoko would be leaving in a few minutes.It seems that the opportunity to find my sister has finally come.

When I arrived at the Mitsugi Tea House, I hardly dared to step inside.Behind the small drapes hanging in the porch is a pastel orange wall with black wood accents.At the end of a path of polished stone stood a huge vase containing a twisting handful of maple branches laden with brilliant red frost leaves.Near the vase, the wide door opened to one side, and the floor inside was paved with lightly polished granite.I was stunned, because what I had seen so far was not the entrance of the tea house, but only the path leading to the entrance.The Mizuki tea house is extremely elegant. I didn't expect that the first time I went to a tea house, I was lucky enough to go to one of the most advanced tea houses in Japan.The tea house is not actually a place to drink tea, but a place where men find geisha for pleasure.

The maid there saw me, and without saying a word, just took the shamisen box I was carrying. "Miss," I said, "may I ask? . . . Could you tell me where the Miyagawa-cho district is?" "Why do you want to go there?" "I have to go get something." She gave me a strange look, but then told me to go straight along the river and pass the Minamiizu Theater to Miyagawa Town. I walked through the Tominaga district of Gion, and after a few blocks, I found myself in an area with no street lights and few people.Little did I know at the time that the streets were mostly empty due to the Great Depression, and that Miyagawa might have been busier than Gion at other times.The wooden appearance of the buildings here is similar to Gion, but there are no trees in this place, no lovely Shirakawa River, and no beautiful gates.The only light came from the light bulb in the open porch, under which a few old women sat on stools, and there were often two or three women who looked like geisha to me standing on the street beside them.They wear kimonos and hair accessories similar to those of geisha, but their obi are knotted in the front rather than the back.I've never seen a belt like this before and don't understand what it means, but it's actually a sign of a whore.If a woman has to undo and tie her waistband from time to time throughout the night, it is too much trouble to tie the knot in the back again and again.

I found Chen Yi Girl House in a dead end street.At the entrance of "Chenyi", an old woman was sitting on a stool chatting with a woman across the alley. I asked her very politely if there was a girl named Satsu here.After questioning me a few words, the old woman said, "She has a visitor. When he is finished, she will be called down." I don't know how long it has been, but I am more and more worried that someone in the art gallery will find that I am missing.Finally a man picking his teeth with a toothpick came out.The old woman stood up, bowed and thanked him for coming.Then, I heard the happiest voice since coming to Kyoto.

"Are you looking for me, madam?" It was Satsu's voice. I bounced off the ground and rushed to the porch where she was standing.Her skin was very pale, and her lips were painted with bright lipstick, just like the one her mother used.Her belt is also knotted in front of the body.I was greatly relieved when I saw her, and I was so excited that I couldn't help but rushed into her arms, and Satsu also cried, and then she covered her mouth with her hands. I followed Satsu into "Chenyi", standing in a small tatami room.In the dark, we hugged each other.I found that the only thing I could think about was how she got so skinny.The way she stroked my hair reminded me of my mother and it brought tears to my eyes.

"Be quiet, Chiyo," she whispered to me. "If the mistress finds you here, I'll get a spanking. Why did it take you so long to come?" "Oh, Satsu. I'm so sorry! I know you've been to my art gallery..." "A few months ago." "The woman talking to you there is a monster. She took so long to get your message to me." "I must escape, Chiyo. I can't stay in this place any longer." "I'll go with you!" "I hide a copy of the train timetable upstairs under the tatami mat. Whenever I get the chance, I steal a little money. I can't wait any longer! This is a horrible place. Never stay in a place like this, Chiyo ! You'd better go now. Mistress may be here any minute."

We finally agreed to meet across the river next Tuesday at one o'clock in the morning. "But, Satsu... what if I can't get away? Or what if we don't run into each other?" "Go there, Chiyo! I only have one chance. You must go now before the mistress comes back. If she catches you here, I may never be able to escape again." There were so many things I wanted to tell her, but she led me down the aisle and slammed the door shut behind us.I wanted to watch her go upstairs, but in an instant the old woman at the gate took me by the arm and dragged me into the dark street.

I ran back from Miyagawa, and was relieved to find that the art building was as calm as when I left.But at this moment, I saw the door of the maid's room opened a crack, and there was a rustling sound inside, I thought it was a mouse.As soon as I got to the door, I saw a head raised from a pile of fabrics, and Hatsumomo was staring straight at me. "What's outside the door?" I heard her boyfriend's voice. "Is anyone there?" "It's okay." Hatsumomo replied in a low voice. I have no doubt that Hatsumomo saw me.But she obviously doesn't want her boyfriend to know.I hurried back to the hall and knelt down, shaking violently, as if I was almost run over by a car just now.The noise in the maid's room continued for a while longer before it stopped.Finally, when Momo and her boyfriend walked out of the room and into the hallway, her boyfriend was staring at me.

"The girl in the hall," he said. "She wasn't there when I came in." "Oh, leave her alone." "Then someone was watching us there. Why are you lying to me?" "Kang Yijun." She said, "You are in a really bad mood tonight!" "You're not surprised to see her. You know she's been there all night." Hatsumomo's boyfriend strode out to the front hall, stopped at the front door and gave me an angry look.Hatsumomo hurried past me to help him put on his shoes.I heard her imploring him in a voice that was almost pleading. I had never heard her speak to anyone like that before.

"Please don't be angry with me, Kang Yijun. I don't know why you became like this! Tell me you will come again." "One day I won't come back," he said. After a while, Hatsumomo returned to the front hall and stood there staring blankly at the corridor.Finally, she turned to me and wiped her wet eyes. "Okay, Chiyo," she said, "You went to see your ugly sister, didn't you?" "Excuse me, Miss Hatsumomo," I said. "And then you came back here to peek at me again!" "Forgive me," I said, "I didn't know you were there!"

She watched me for a moment, then went upstairs to her own room.When she came downstairs again, she was clutching something in her hand. "You want to run away with your sister, don't you?" she said. "I think that's a good idea. The sooner you get out of the art house, the better for me." "Look," she said, spreading her palms.It turned out that she was holding several stacked banknotes in her hand-I have never seen so much money. "I brought these to you from the room. You don't need to thank me. Just take it. You repay me by leaving Kyoto, and I won't have to see you again." She reached into my gown and tucked the bills under my belt, and I stood there without moving.I feel her smooth nails brushing against my skin.She turned me around and refastened my belt so the money wouldn't slip out, and then she did the strangest thing.She turned me to face her again and started to run her hand over the side of my head, giving me an almost motherly look.Before I could figure out what she was doing, she ran her fingers through my hair again and touched my scalp; suddenly, gritting her teeth together in rage, she grabbed a handful of my hair and yanked it aside , I fell to my knees in pain and burst into tears.I couldn't comprehend what was going on; but Hatsumomo quickly pulled me up again and started dragging me upstairs by my hair.She yelled at me angrily and I screamed as loud as I could. Mom quickly opened the door, looking very angry. "What's the matter with you two!" she said. "My jewels!" Hatsumomo said, "You stupid girl!" And at this point, she started hitting me.I could only curl up on the floor and cry and beg her to stop, and finally my mother managed to stop her.At this time, the aunt also rushed to the stairs. "Oh, Mom." Hatsumomo said, "I was on my way back to the art hall tonight, and I thought I saw Chiyo talking to a man at the end of the alley. I didn't take it seriously because I thought it was impossible." It's her. She is not allowed to leave the art hall at all. But when I went upstairs and entered my room, I found my jewelry box was in a mess, and I rushed downstairs again, just in time to see Chiyo handing something to the man .She tried to run away, but I caught her." Mom stared at me without saying a word, silent for a long time. "The man got away," Hatsumomo continued, "but I think Chiyo might have sold some of my jewelry to raise money. She's trying to escape from the art museum, Mom, that's my opinion...but we've been treating her the same way." so good!" "Okay, Hatsumomo," Mom said, "that's enough. You and Auntie go to your room and find out what's missing." Once it was just me and mom, I knelt on the floor looking up at her and whispered, "Mom, that's not true... Hatsumomo was in the maid's room with her boyfriend just now. What happened to her Got mad and turned it on me. I didn't take anything from her!" Mom didn't speak.Soon Hatsumomo came out of the room to say that she was missing a pin that adorned the front of her belt. "My emerald brooch, mother!" she said over and over, and cried as she spoke, like a good actress. "She sold my emerald brooch to that dreadful man! It was my emerald brooch! Who does she think she is to steal such a thing from me!" "Search this girl," Mom said. I can't explain where the cash under my belt comes from.When she pulled out the money, her mother took the money from her and counted the amount. "That's what an emerald brooch sold for, you fool," she said to me, "and you're going to pay much more than that." She stuffed the money into her nightgown, and said to Hatsumomo: "You brought a boyfriend to the Art Museum tonight." This made Hatsumomo take a step back in shock, but she still denied it without hesitation. Mom said to aunt, "Hold her arm." Auntie took Hatsumomo's arm and hugged her from behind, while mother lifted the kimono from Hatsumomo's thigh.I thought Hatsumomo would resist, but she didn't.She just looked at me coldly as Mom opened her wrap, spread her knees apart and slipped her hands between her legs, her fingertips were wet when Mom took them out .She rubbed her fingers together for a moment, then sniffed them again.After that, she drew back her hand and slapped Hatsumomo across the face, leaving a wet mark on Hatsumomo's face.