Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Inumittsu
*episode 8*

Three days have past since the visit of the high priest; and things have returned to as they once were. However, a sense of unease has come into young Inuyasha’s mind. His companion can see the burden he is suffering under, and eventually demands that he talk about it. The boy says, “There’s only a week left.” Konpon says, “Don’t worry little one, we will deal with the old fool’s threats when the time comes. But have no fear; I do not intend to cast you out.” “It’s not that. He said you were going to…” he trails off. She says, “Ah, I thought we might have to discuss this. Little one, you know I am old. I told you soon after we met that I had little time left. I know that the death of your mother and that servant she left you with are still fresh in your mind. I will stay with you as long as I can; but still, my end is not far off. But I suppose you know all that; and that just repeating it will do you very little good.” She stops and sits on a rock at the edge of a stream. She looks up at where, nearby, the river has eroded the earth from around the roots of a tree; leaving them bare. After a long moment, she says, “Little one, I’m going to try to explain something to you; something you may not be ready to understand. Look here,” she draws his attention to an ant, crawling along an offshoot of the tree roots. The boy comes over and gazes intently at the insect. The old woman tells him, “To this creature, the tree is only this root. All it sees, all it knows of the tree is right here. If it were to climb upward till it met a leaf, it would not see that as being the same as this piece here. But let us say that fate takes this little one away from its familiar root. For a time it will feel the loss; and this is right and fitting. But then later, it may meet the leaf and take joy in the new which is old. People too are like this; and while death can take them apart, in time, they may meet again, in another form. They may not even recognize each other then; but the feelings can endure. Do you understand any of this?” He shakes his head, a resounding no. She smiles at him and says, “Then never mind; perhaps when you are older you will.”
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