Book One In The Ahh-Ness Of Things Series: April & Donnie were once inseparable, but now almost six years have passed since she left NYC. What if April O'Neil could set the record straight, once & for all! The only girl down enough to chill with the...
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**"Some souls move in unison." The teacher spoke gently. "In shinto, you know that all life is interconnected. Musubi. A tree has knowledge of a rock. They can feel love, respect, even aversion to one another. A spirit can enter such things. The tree & the rock still retain their individual energy, but the presence of kami resides within it; even if only for a moment. Or many times, throughout many lives; returning to the same space. This is the presence of mitamashiro or shintai in nature."
Two young lovers sat facing their Master, listening attentively but their hearts racing. They both felt the vulnerability of such direct light being cast on them by his words & each had to restrain the urge to grab the other's hand. They kneeled side by side, palms down on their knees, halfway looking at the floor out of equal parts respect & the inability to keep their faces from revealing their fears. This was his Father & the girl's Guardian. He could put an immediate end to any future they fantasized.
"One is pure as they enter this world, but kami are neither positive nor negative. They are without singular form, nor gender, yet it always comes with a purpose. This is why we provide yorishiro & must purify our space & ourselves to welcome them. We create mitamashiro."
The girl looked up at the young kusunoki tree. The thick shimenawa rope tied firmly around it, the white shide twinkling as they spun in the gentle breeze. She could smell the medicinal mint fragrance & watched for a moment as the bunches of white flowers swayed under the weight of the dark clusters of berries.
Their Master continued; he was warming tea before them. The beautiful camphor tree rising behind him as he spoke, eyes lowered to his work. "We ourselves can become vessels of kami, becoming yorimashi. We are then kamikagari & we allow the kami to reside within ourselves rather than a rock or a tree. "
He looked up & paused in contemplation. He placed a bowl down in front of them, proceeding to pour the hot water for tea into it. He sat a small tokkuri in the hot water, warming it. The kamidana was adorned ceremoniously. This was more than a parental duty out of concern. He had been in meditation throughout the night. By the acrid, floral scent they now knew he was serving them saki & the mood quickly became more so formal if not serious.
"Just as there are four souls within kami, there are four within each of us." Now he looked up at them both. His eyes were full of love & they fell upon his son with with deep regard. The young girl looked to her companion, saddened by his pale complexion. He was not well & they all knew he was in danger of loosing even more strength every moment he was not resting. The immense pain he endured sitting there at attention, was masked by years of obedience. He had resilience enough to nod as their Master addressed them but she suddenly felt a dreadful pain streak down her spine & she leaned forward as if her abdomen could barely hold her insides together. It made the deep gashes down her outer thigh & calf seem like simple irritations. They both heaved simultaneously, holding themselves up on the floor, but the boy couldn't keep reserved & with an outstretched hand, held tight to her's. She could physically feel his pain.
Their Father placed his hands on their shoulders to lift them back up & he looked concerned, tenderly at them. He had to know that they were together, why else would he bring them there in this state to speak to them both so formally. He certainly must not approve, but he also had to know there was little stopping them. The only thing between them now was the fear of disapproval, the fear of others looking down on their decision. Would he tell them they shouldn't be together. Would he tell them now in the midst of just beginning to know how to be, that they were wrong.
"A kami can reside in two separate yorishiro, I suppose they could reside within two yorimashi. " He smiled & placed his hands over both of their hearts. He was referring to the two of them. "Just as two souls can move in unison. Forever connected, throughout many places & many lifetimes; they can take many forms but always together." He poured the warm saki into one single cup. "Two vessels, a 'spirit substitute' for its greater purpose. Just as kami are meant to challenge us, as they can bring blessings or destruction equally, two souls tied to the other are meant to lead each other to accomplish their purpose. They are meant to challenge one another." He handed his daughter the cup. She knew what it meant as her Master added thoughtfully; "Sometimes our human nature wants to see this connection as love. It is not always so. More often it is simply a deep need for the connection to your counterpart. To bind yourself to one another, there does not need to be a physical embodiment of love, only respect."
She took the cup & held it with one hand, lightly balancing it with the other, turning her eyes from her Guardian to the boy. His eyes deep warm brown, were shadowed by bruise like circles & red from sickness. His soft dark brown hair, a bushy mess, seemed almost black against his skin flushed with fever & he could barely hold himself upright, but he placed his hands around hers. The look on his face asking her to be certain; he needed her certainty more than anything now.
Their Father spoke again, more authoritatively than before; "I only wonder what your connection means as shinobi no mono; be it that you are one split in two, or perhaps kamigakari, what is that purpose to this family?"
She paused for only a moment on his question. He was letting them chose to learn for themselves what they wanted to be. She acknowledged her doubts, but she truly believed in & loved this boy. Perhaps it didn't have to be love. She didn't want to give up her freedom, if that was what it would mean to be bound to him. Weren't they already, though? She couldn't deny she could feel him & even hear him, & that it was not this way with everyone else. It must mean something. She didn't want to give up her strength in their family, she wanted to be equal. If being with him meant that she would be placed behind him, that would not serve her or their family.
The boy ran his finger across hers *That could never be, I put my life before yours. Take it again, I'd let you thousand times. I believe in you. It is always you.*
She looked back at him, their eyes locked & he knew she could hear him. She took a sip from the cup & passed it to him & their Master spoke once more as his son drank without hesitation.
"Purity, reverence of nature, & family; these are the most sacred in our beliefs. To full fill our purpose & honor our path among those we call Family."
He took the cup from the boy, taking the last sip himself, & looked at his children with acceptance for who they were. **
