The Staff and The
Bodai Tree
Click-Click-Click-Click
“It
was a good luck present from my family when I left to begin my Ise Zumi studies
at Kyuden Togashi. My mother, and my two cousins presented it to me outside of
Shiro Mirumoto as I was leaving.” Udon said as he stared into the campfire.
There was a pause interrupted by faint clicking, “My eldest cousin, Mirumoto
Satsu made the actual presentation, if you could call it that.”
It was a cold autumn morning.
Togashi Kama led him away from his home, from his past in a comfortable
silence. The young Mirumoto Kudoni looked up at the smiling Ise Zumi. Kama
looked down at him with warm eyes and placed his hand on Kudoni’s shoulder.
Kama looked as if he was about to say something, but instead looked back down
the road they were walking on. Kudoni looked back and saw his mother, and two
of his cousins walking towards him.
“Greetings Togashi Kama-san.” Said
Satsu. “May we speak with young Master Kudoni for a moment?” He finished while
young Hitomi fidgeted at his side.
“Of course, Satsu, of course.”
Replied Kama. “We will arrive at our destination when we arrive, no worries.”
He smiled and gestured for Satsu to continue.
Satsu looked at Kudoni for a moment
with a proud smile. Then, from behind his back he produced a long black metal
bo staff. With two hands he presented it to Kudoni and said, “Here, Kudoni-san.
This staff is yours from the Mirumoto family. Good luck to you.” With a quick
glance at Togashi Kama, Satsu continued, “Don’t forget us when you’re a big bad
Ise Zumi, little cousin.”
Udon chuckled softly as he listened
to the soft clicking and watched the images of his past dance in the firelight.
The campfire was warm and welcoming. A cool night breeze flowed through the
forest around him. The clicking subsided once he continued. “Hitomi was with
Satsu and my mother. We were both young children. I was to train as an Ise Zumi
and Hitomi was going to start at the Mirumoto School in the following spring.
She wanted to be a great samurai, like her brother. Everything changed when
Satsu was killed in a duel with Hida Yakamo. Now Hitomi only walks the path of
revenge.” A lost look spread across Udon’s face for a moment, then he softly
said, “She has changed so much since her brothers death.”
Shaking himself free with a cough,
he started again, “Anyway, Satsu presented me this bo staff, right in the
middle of the road. No formality, no ritual, just a smile and a ‘Here,
Udon-san. This is for good luck from the Mirumoto family. Don’t forget us when you’re
a big bad Ise Zumi.’ Satsu said to me. So, of course, I said thank you and I
took it. My directness must have angered Hitomi, because she yelled at me after
I accepted the gift. She said that I was supposed to decline the gift, then
decline it again, and then accept it. I didn’t understand because in the end I
was going to accept it anyway. So why should I bother declining it the first
two times? I think that kind of set the tone for our adult relationship.”
Click-Click-Click-Click
“Of course I will show you. This is
a full size bo staff. It is heavy because it is made of metal. And I carried
this up my first climb of Togashi Mountain, even though an Ise Zumi hopeful is
supposed to bring nothing. I have trained with it almost every day and it has always
been near and dear to me.” He set the staff across his lap. “Like the Dragon
Clan, what you see is not always what is there.” The clicking sound mixed with
the crackling of the fire.
Suddenly,
Udon flicked a hidden latch at one end of the staff and a thin sharp blade
popped out and locked, turning the bo staff into a yari. He quickly released it
and the blade disappeared. Nimbly, he proceeded to unscrew 2 sections of the
staff. Once released, the bo staff turned into three sections connected by a chain,
a sanbon nunchaku. In practiced motions, Udon returned the three-sectioned
staff to a bo staff. He then held the staff in the center and with a swift
twist it came apart, separating into two smaller jo staffs. He spun them one in
each hand and snapped them to either side. Again, he flicked a hidden latch on
each jo staff and they released to become a pair of nunchakus.
Udon
methodically began to reform his bo staff. Through out the demonstration, the
clicking had grown quite loud. “Calm down, calm down. It’s not a toy.” He
laughed as he placed the bo staff behind him.
Click-Click-Click-Click Click-Click-Click-Click Click-Click-Click-Click
“I know I promised you a toy. I will
make one for you in a second. First I must tend to my Bodai tree. I have neglected
her today and must make amends.” Udon said as he took out his sapling and
placed it on the ground in front of him. The Bodai tree sapling was potted in a
red clay pot. A net was fitted around the pot, and a shoulder strap was
fashioned so that Udon could carry his Bodai Tree with him on his travels. He
took out his bamboo water container and began to water and clip the sapling.
Click-Click-Click-Click
“No, don’t know why I called it a
her. I suppose it could be a him, you’re correct.” Udon said.
“I suppose I
always thought of it as a friend from my past.” He said softly with a smile.
“Do you know the significance of the Bodai tree?” He paused, listening to the
silence answer him. “The Bodai tree symbolizes auspicious spiritual awakenings.
Buddha sat under the shelter of a bodai tree to meditate and achieved
enlightenment while underneath it. The bodai tree is also one of the trees that
Togashi sat under when he began his legendary fast on the words of Shinsei.
Originally it was not called a Bodai tree. In ancient times it was called a
pippala tree, but because Buddha awakened to enlightenment underneath it, the
tree is now called a Bodai. It has a heart shaped leaf and its seeds have
strong spiritual powers. It is a very important symbol to Buddhists and to Ise
Zumi alike.” Clicking broke the silence.
“After an Ise Zumi’s gempukku, he is
asked to walk down the mountain to spend some time with the people of the
empire. Then, when the Ise Zumi is ready, or has found what they were looking
for, he returns and ascends the mountain again. The lesson is that the Ise Zumi
must grow as a person, then he will be ready to continue his training.”
“Following my gempukku, I descended
the mountain, my path seemed clear and sure to everyone but me. Letting fate
decide, I ended up along the river, close to the Unicorn border just north of
Mura nisa Kawa Nemui (Village by the Sleeping River). It was spring and the
wildlife was awakening from the long winter. I spotted a young Unicorn
samurai-ko resting and letting her horse drink from the river.” Udon began his
story.
Feeling bold, Togashi Udon left the shadow of the
trees and approached the Unicorn samurai-ko. We seem close to the same age, he
thought, with gulp. Her beautiful horse looked up at his approach. “H-h-hi,”
Udon said sheepishly.
In a flash, the samurai-ko
whirled on him drawing her katana. She was startled from his silent approach.
Her quick blade stopped just short of his bare neck. “Who in the hells are you
and what are you doing here sneaking up on me!”
Caught completely off
guard by the whirling battle maiden and her cold steel pressed up against his
throat, all he could do was blink. He felt his face drain of color. “WELL!” she
screamed at him. He tried to smile, but it came awkwardly, like they usually do
when confronted by girls his own age. “H-hi.” He stammered. “My name is Togashi
Udon.”
“That’s when I met Otaku Jikata.”
Udon said softly. He stretched his arms over his head and readjusted his seated
position. The clicking continued. “She had just completed her gempukku and was
on her first mission as a Battle-Maiden. She had been sent to ride a prize
stallion back from Shiroi Kishi Mura (White Shore Village) and to keep it safe
from harm. It was a gift for her daiyamo from the village elder in thanks for
the Battle-Maidens clearing the northern entrance of bandits.” Udon, lost in
memories, let out a long sigh as he added another log to the fire. “By the
Kami’s Jikata was beautiful.”
“Do all Dragons stare as much as
you, Noodle? Or is it a tattooed man thing?” Jikata asked with a smile.
“Sorry, Jikata.” Udon
said with a laugh as he blushed. “I have never seen — you look so – your hair
is…I’m sorry.” He stuttered. “I am not
used to riding on horses with pretty girls.”
“My grandfather is a
gaijin.” She said, looking over her shoulder at him. “The red in my hair comes
from him. Does that make a difference to you?”
“No, not at all. I
think he has a beautiful and strong granddaughter.” Udon replied, gaining some
composure. “Why would it matter to me? Is he going to kill me for riding on a
horse with you?” He wrapped his arms a bit tighter around her waist.
She laughed and
caressed his hand. “I don’t know, he’s never seen me riding a horse with a cute
stuttering tattooed Dragon. I am curious about his reaction though. And I’d
like to see how fast you could run with that ankle.” She added with a giggle,
as Udon blushed yet again.
“After I
told her my name she screamed that I was spying on her. I tried to explain but
I ended up spraining my ankle from tripping on a rock as I backed away from her
sword. I must have looked quite silly because her opinion of me changed. I
guess I was no longer threatening. Before I knew it, we were sharing a horse
and chatting up a storm. I couldn’t walk, so she offered to take me with her
until I healed. I could have healed myself, but to be honest, I wanted to spend
time with her. She made me weak.”
“That really is an amazing horse.
He looks like a great distance runner and an amazing sprinter. The Dragon horses
are mostly good climbers or heavy war horses.” Udon said between bites of rice.
They were in a small clearing just off the river. Jikata had made a fire and
cooked a small lunch for them as her horse watered itself nearby.
“Quit changing the
subject, my little Noodle.” She said hiding a smile behind her cup of tea. She
was lounging back against a rock, waiting for his answer.
“We only met this
morning, and already you have made me forget what it feels like to be a monk. I
am not sure anyone else could do that, Jikata. No, I do not have a girlfriend.
There, happy? Now it’s my turn to ask a question.” Udon looked at her gleaming
eyes as she tried to hide her smile. He finished his last bite of rice and
asked, “Are you part of the puzzle or are you the answer I have been searching
for?”
“You still sound like
a monk. What a dumb question. I’m a woman. I am your puzzle and your answer all
in one, silly Noodle. Ok, now its my turn.” She put her teacup down on the rock
she was leaning on, stood up and walked over to him. He sat up as she knelt
down, hugging her legs to her chest. She looked into his eyes and asked, “Can I
kiss you?”
“I think we fell in love that day.
At least I think I did. There was something about that day; it was so perfect;
so terrible.” Udon stared into the fire with glassy eyes. The clicking died
down to a low whisper. A light night breeze blew through the forest. Udon began
to wipe each leaf of the sapling off with a damp cloth. There was one final
click, louder then the rest, breaking Udon’s trance. “Sorry. This part isn’t
easy for me.” Udon swallowed hard. “I always wondered if I could have stopped
what happened next, but I don’t think I will ever know.”
Udon and Jikata snuggled up
against a rock. They rested in each other’s arms atop a patch of moss. Udon’s
ankle still throbbed, but he ignored the discomfort. They had been resting in
this clearing for hours, talking about their families and friends. The fire had
died and the stallion was eating berries at the riverside. A small grizzly cub
walked into the clearing in search of food.
“Look. Isn’t he adorable?” breathed Jikata into
Udon’s ear. She sat up and startled the cub that hadn’t been aware of the
couple. It let out a frightened cry. Everything seemed to slow. In one long instant
a huge grizzly crashed into the clearing. Jikata looked back at Udon, their
eyes locked as a huge powerful paw crashed into her chest and sent her flying
across the clearing. The mother grizzly stood to full height, towering over
Udon. He tried to scream out to Jikata, he tried to stand, but nothing seemed
to work. He managed to get his hands into a defensive position just before a
huge paw ripped open his shoulder, throwing him to the other end of the
clearing, opposite of Jikata. The mother grizzly turned to him, going for the
kill. It reared up and roared again.
Jikata, unable to roll with the blow, landed with a
dull thud. Through blurred vision she watched as the giant grizzly attacked
Udon. Out of the corner of her eyes she spotted her sword on the ground near
the rock her teacup was on. With her chest on fire, she grabbed for her katana
and leapt at the grizzly’s back.
Udon couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t move his arm. He
was moments away from certain death and he didn’t care. He couldn’t see Jikata,
he couldn’t tell if she was okay and that was all he cared about in that
moment. The grizzly’s huge maw lunged at him. It stopped short and let out a
deafening roar and reared back. As it turned, Udon saw Jikata standing behind
the mother grizzly holding a bloody sword. Jikata’s chest was torn open and
bleeding freely. She could barely hold her katana up as the grizzly attacked.
Its paw gouged a deep gash down her arm and she fell back, dropping her sword.
With his good arm, Udon threw a rock at the mother
grizzly as it advanced on the prone Jikata. It struck the grizzly in the head,
distracting it. With an annoyed growl, it turned towards him. Suddenly its head
erupted as Jikata’s katana exploded through it. The grizzly took half a step
and collapsed dead.
Udon
struggled through his pain and managed to reach Jikata’s side. Her breath was
shallow; her chest was covered in blood. Her arm hung limp, almost torn from
her shoulder; her face was splattered with blood. He sat beside her and cradled
her head in his lap. With her other arm, she reached up, touched his face and
said, “I couldn’t let it eat my Noodle.”
“She died in my arms. I had only know her for little
more then half a day and I will love her for a lifetime.” Udon paused and tried
to regain his composure. The clicking continued in a constant rhythm.
“No, I felt no malice towards the mother grizzly.
She was protecting her cub, like a mother should.”
“But I’ll tell you what I learned. Jikata made me
weak, but she also made me stronger then I ever thought possible. Even though I
had a sprained ankle and a badly wounded shoulder, I managed to retrieve her
stallion. It took some time, but I gathered her things and got her body on the
horse. I set off to finish her mission for her. I didn’t heal myself. I
couldn’t find the will to pray. I arrived at Shiro Otaku Shojo (Battle Maiden
Castle) at dawn the following day. I told them that she saved my
life and died with honor. I paid my respects and turned to leave, but they bade
me to stay and to heal. They gave her a Battle-Maiden’s funeral. I stayed with
them for three days until I could not bare it any longer. It was over a week
before I was ready to pray again. Then I returned to Kyuden Togashi, where I
resumed my life as an Ise Zumi. My body was fully healed, but my spirit was
not.”
There was a new loud set of clicks and Udon said,
“Believe it or not, I am getting to what this has to do with my little Bodai
tree. My grandfather is the tattoo master of the Ise Zumi and he is the only
one I ever told about Jikata. Four years later I received a new tattoo from
him. It was my fourth, this one, the Bear. He placed it on my shoulder; over
the wound the mother grizzly had given me.” Udon motioned to the Bear tattoo
covering his right shoulder. It went from his back, over his shoulder to his
chest. Restless, the clicking went on.
“After I received it, I took a sojourn down the
mountain and went back to where I first met Jikata. It was spring again and not
much had changed. With mixed feelings I followed our path. I found my way to
the clearing we shared and the place where Jikata died. The remains of the
mother grizzly were gone. Off to the side where I cradled Jikata as she died
was a young and healthy Bodai tree. With a smile, I sat underneath it and
meditated. My meditation was interrupted when a seed fell from the tree and hit
me square in the head. From that seed, came my little Bodai tree.” Udon said
with a smile. The clicking sound elevated.
“I know, I know. I promised you all a toy.” Udon
reached into his pack and took out a thin inlayed box. He placed it on his lap
unlatched it. It squeaked open on its hinges. Udon removed a piece of flat
parchment from the velvet-lined interior and closed the box. Using the box as a
table, Udon began to intricately fold the parchment. He hummed low as he
worked. After many folds the paper began to take shape, subtly at first, but
then it began to take a definite shape. Finally, in a great flourish Udon leapt
into the air. He landed lightly on his feet balancing the box in the palm of
his left hand. Resting in the middle of the box was an origami frog.
Click-Click-Click-Click Click-Click-Click-Click Click-Click-Click-Click
“Here you go, little ones!” Udon
pressed down on the back of origami frog. Gleefully, it leapt into the air. The
monk’s laughter filled the nights air as he watched the seven small ghostly
forms of the pale zashiki warashi spirits play with the paper frog. Their small
bodies faded in and out, interrupting the clicking from their shaking bell like
heads. Udon watched with a smile as the spirits, fully entertained by their new
toy, slowly faded out for the final time.
All alone once again, Udon sat down next to his
staff and bodai tree to share the remainder of the night. With a heavy sigh he
half-heartedly poked at the campfire with a stick. As his mind wandered back to
Jikata, a lone tear rolled down his cheek.
She coughed blood. His hands
pressed at her chest as he tried to force her blood back into her body. He was
crying, clutching at her dying body, cursing the God’s, even his beloved
Togashi. With her remaining strength she pulled his head down to her and kissed
his cheek. “Our souls will always be together my little Noodle. You’ll see.
Somehow, I’ll always be with you.”
Lost in painful, bittersweet
memories, Udon cried freely until morning, clutching the Ki-Rin Tanto of the
Unicorn Clan. Clutching Jikata.
By
Paul Litch, Copyright 2003