Again, my thrill-a-minute lifestyle is so incredibly amazing that I can hardly get my fingers to type what happened.
Here it is: I did laundry. I was watching my Trigun DVD while doing it, and had to pause it every few minutes because the washer is old and goes out of balance so easily. I also took a nap in the afternoon. I was watching something on TV and just fell asleep in the recliner for about a half-hour.
I found this picture in a shoebox a few weeks ago. I think it's really cool. It's part of the USS Constellation in Baltimore's Inner Harbor.
And since you've all been such good Otaku, here's another short shot of my story:
The sun was beginning to set on the day after Takeda found Hikaru’s spirit in the garden. He had spent much of the day going through papers in Master Yoshihiro’s quarters. Unfortunately he found himself too distracted to work on the business of the dojo.
The doctor has stopped by in the morning to check on Hikaru and was dismayed to find the boy still unconscious. Takeda never mentioned what he had discovered about Hikaru’s heritage. That was something he’d have to take care of on his own.
Takeda put away the last of the dojo’s account books. Although much of the day was spent in contemplation of Hikaru’s plight, he did discover that much money was owed to various merchants around Kamakura. Payment would have to be made, but he was unsure how it would be done. No decisions would be made until Hikaru was awake.
Outside in the garden, Hikaru was beginning to get restless. He followed Takeda as he moved from place to place around the garden during the day, and yet was unable to enter any rooms. He was getting bored waiting outside his father’s quarters and began to explore his confines. He wandered along the walkway around the garden trying each room again. The dojo’s main hall was blocked to him as well. The only place he had not tried was the guesthouse.
Cautiously, Hikaru approached the door to the guesthouse. He held out his hand as if to open in. His hand passed through as if nothing was there. This was the one place he could enter without encountering the barrier. He had found a place he could stay. He needed to tell Takeda, but had to wait until nightfall, as he could not be seen during daylight.
Hikaru spent the rest of the day resting in the guesthouse. He tried to come up with a way to communicate with Takeda. A plan to return to his body came to him in the late afternoon.
With the fall of night, Takeda went to the garden to look for Hikaru. He was not in his usual position on the bench. “Hikaru-kun,” Takeda called. “Are you still here?” A sudden fear that Hikaru’s spirit had gone gripped Takeda.
Hikaru came out of the guesthouse at Takeda’s call and went to the garden. He smiled at his teacher and pointed to the guesthouse. He moved toward it, gesturing for Takeda to follow.
“What is it? Something in the guest house?” Takeda asked as he followed. He watched Hikaru pass through the door and then opened it so he could also enter.
Hikaru was waiting inside pointing at the doorframe. He made a rectangular shape with his fingers and shook his head.
Takeda looked from the door to Hikaru. Slowly he realized what the boy was indicating. “Ah, I see. This place has no scroll to prevent you from entering.”
Hikaru nodded in agreement. He went to leave, again beckoning Takeda to follow. He led his teacher to his quarters. He pointed to his body and then at the guesthouse.
Takeda understood what Hikaru meant. “I see, if you body is moved to the guest house, you may be able to return to it. Are you sure of this?”
Hikaru shook his head and then shrugged. He was not sure if it would work, but it was worth the try. He pointed again.
“Yes, yes, I understand,” Takeda said. “It is the only thing that may work.” He went to Hikaru’s body and gently picked it up. The boy was lighter than he had expected. He placed the body on the floor in the guesthouse and waited.
Hikaru moved to his body and stood to the side. He stepped into the place where he lay and sat down. He could feel himself being pulled into his body as he lay down. One final pull told him he was whole. His eyes opened briefly and he whispered , “Thank you,” before falling asleep almost instantly.
Laters!
Monday is almost a memory.
