Chapter 21 Chapter 21

A week later in the afternoon, Mameha came to me between rehearsals, as if something very exciting had happened.The day before, the Baron had mentioned to her that the following weekend he was throwing a banquet for an expert kimono maker named Arano.Baron is one of the most famous kimono collectors in all of Japan.Most of his collection is antiques, but he also regularly buys exquisite kimono pieces from living artists. "I know Arano," Mameha said to me, "and he's one of Nobu's best friends! I'll have the baron invite both Nobu and the doctor to this small party. They certainly don't like each other. When When your 'Shui Yang' starts to bid, they must know that the prize will be taken away by the other party, and they will definitely not sit still."

At around three o'clock on the day of the party, Mameha and I hailed a rickshaw and headed to the baron's mansion.Instead of going through the gate to the pavilion where the tea ceremony usually takes place, we went straight to the pond and boarded a small boat.The boat is about the size of a narrow house.There are wooden chairs all around, only a small pavilion stands at one end, and under the eaves is a platform covered with tatami mats.The pavilion is surrounded by a circle of paper screens, which are opened for ventilation.In the center of the pavilion was a square wooden bucket filled with sand, in which bean leaves were used to light charcoal cakes and heat water in an elegant iron teapot.She turned to me and said:

"Sayuri, you're a smart girl. I don't need to tell you what your future will look like if Dr. Crab or Nobu lose interest in you. You must never let any of them think you have a soft spot for the other. Of course, proper jealousy is not a bad thing. I believe you can handle it well." Half an hour later, the baron and ten guests came out of the building. Mameha had made tea, and I distributed the tea bowls to each guest.Afterwards, we took a walk in the garden with our guests to a wooden platform suspended over the water.I found a place to kneel next to Dr. Crab, and just wanted to say something, but he turned to me first.

"Has the wound on your leg healed yet?" he asked. You know, I hurt my leg in November, and it's March now.In the past few months, I have met him more times than I can count, and I don't understand why he asked me at this time, and in front of so many people.Fortunately, I thought no one else heard, so I lowered my voice and said, "Thank you, doctor. Thanks to your help, I'm all right now." "Hopefully the wound doesn't leave too much of a scar," he said. "Oh no, just a small lump, really." I was about to pour him a drink or change the subject, but I happened to see him slipping his thumb into the ring of his other hand.Doctors are the kind of people who never do meaningless actions.If he's sticking his thumb in like this while thinking about my thigh... Hey, I'd be a fool to change the subject.

I continued, "Sometimes I feel it in the shower...it's really just a little bag. That's about it." I felt the remark was utterly unreasonable, but now that I knew what Dr. Crab was really interested in, I was both disgusted and excited.The doctor cleared his throat and came to me. "Hmm... have you practiced?" "Practice what?" "You hurt because you lost your balance in...well, you know what I mean. You don't want to do it again. So I thought you were going to practice. But how did you practice?" After finishing speaking, he retracted his body and closed his eyes.I knew in my heart that he wanted more than just a few words from me.

"Well, you're going to think me stupid, every night I..." I started, then paused to think.We were silent, but the doctor never opened his eyes.He looked to me like a chick just waiting to be fed by its mother bird. "Every night," I went on, "before I go into the bathroom, I practice balancing in various positions. Sometimes the cold wind blows on my bare skin and I'm literally shivering, but I do this for five to ten minutes. minute." The doctor cleared his throat, which I thought was a good sign. "I try to stand on one foot first, then switch to the other. But the trouble is..."

The baron had been talking to the other guests on the other side of the terrace, but now he had finished and what I said next sounded quite distinct. "...I don't have any clothes on..." I covered my mouth with one hand, and when I didn't know what to do, the Baron spoke. "My God!" he said, "what are you talking about there? It must sound more interesting than what we just said!" The guests laughed.The doctor kindly explained. "Miss Sayuri hurt her leg at the end of last year and came to me for medical treatment," he said. "She hurt it when she fell down. So I suggest that she practice more on how to keep her balance."

"She's been practicing hard," Mameha added, "but this dress is more in the way than it looks." "Then let's take her off!" said one guest.Of course, it was just a joke, and everyone laughed out loud. "Well, I agree!" said the Baron. "I have never understood why women go to such lengths to wear kimonos. There is nothing better than naked women." I don't know what to say, this delay does a good thing.He put his glass on the platform, stood up and said he was going to leave, "Sorry, Baron, but I don't know how to get to the toilet." He was implying, of course, that I was going with him.

I don't know how to get to the toilet either, but I wouldn't pass up the chance to get away from this group.When I stood up, a maid offered to lead me the way, and Nobu followed. When we got back to the water, Mameha and I had a nice dinner in the servants' room as the feast was about to end.There are paper-thin raw sea bream fillets, fanned out in leaf-shaped porcelain plates and drizzled with citrus soy sauce.But Mameha was in a bad mood, she only ate a few mouthfuls of sashimi, and then sat and stared at the dusk outside the window. They were halfway through eating when we got to the Baron's side.Only Mr. Arashino, Nobu and Dr. Crab are still there.The baron drank so much that his eyes were dangling in their sockets.

Soon, the conversation turned to kimonos.We all went downstairs to the Baron's underground museum.Huge panels on the walls were open, with kimonos hanging from sliding rods inside.Mameha leads us on a tour of the collection.We all think that the most wonderful one is the one with the scenery of Kobe embroidered on it. The city is leaning against the steep mountain, the mountain is next to the sea, the blue sky and white clouds are embroidered on the shoulders, the knees are the hillside, and the hem of the robe is a blue sea, beautiful golden A little sail on the waves. "Mameha," said the Baron, "I think you should wear this to my hanami-viewing party in Hakone next week. It's sure to be interesting, isn't it?"

"Of course I'd like to go," Mameha replied, "but I happen to have an appointment with the hospital, so I'm afraid I won't be able to attend the party." I saw that the baron was upset, and he frowned, as if closing two windows.He suddenly seemed to remember something, nodded and said, "Alright then, but you have to send Sayuri to replace you." Mameha said that I was rehearsing a dance, the baron got angry and reprimanded Mameha in a rough voice, so she had no choice but to agree. I feel so sorry for Mameha.But when I thought about going to the baron's banquet, I couldn't even describe my excitement because the president would also attend.On the way back to Gion in a rickshaw, my ears felt hot every time I thought about it.I was terribly afraid that Mameha would find out, but she just looked outside without saying a word.After getting out of the car, she turned to me and said, "Sayuri, you should be more careful in Hakone." "Yes, miss. I will," I replied. "Remember, an apprentice who is about to 'water up' is like a meal on the table. If a man hears that someone has already taken a bite, he won't want to eat it again." After she said this, I barely looked her in the eye.But I knew very well that she meant the Baron.