Modern Day Geisha
1986 had been an interesting year until then. The Chernobyl disaster in
April, Argentina winning the football world cup in June and Halley's
comet making its pass through the Solar System.
On American Independence Day, July 4th, 1986, in the US military base in Okinawa Lt. Corporal Lance Webber wasn't thinking about the past year; he was thinking about the upcoming months. He was to return home at the end of July to Amherst, Massachusetts to marry his high school sweetheart. In all his time abroad he had been faithful to her, the picture of the two of them in his wallet reminding him to keep on the straight and narrow and earning him the unfortunate nickname "Mama's Boy".
Today was different though. A few glasses of sake in him, Lance was having a great time with the evening's entertainment - a troupe of dancing girls from a nearby club. The girl he gravitated to was quieter than the rest, petite and seemed to be of mixed Japanese and European ethnicity. She carried herself with a certain dignity that seemed absent in the others.
The fireworks went off on the base and many a drunken rendition of the Star Spangled Banner could be heard echoing across the halls and balcony. Lance stood with his escort, arms around her shoulder enjoying the fireworks. After the last one sputtered and died, they wordlessly walked up to his room with a single cot and made love. Before falling asleep in her arms Lance looked a the serene face with the distant look in her eyes and a hint of smile playing on her lips. That was the last memory he had of her. When he woke up, she was gone.
*---------------*
Chiyoko was born on April 2nd, 1987. Her mother thought the name that meant "Child of a thousand generations" was appropriate for her beautiful baby girl given her mixed Euro-American-Japanese heritage. Because of her looks Chiyoko was always perceived as a little bit of an outsider by her friends as she grew up. She used her spare time keeping to herself and immersing herself in books. She had a penchant for learning languages and was fluent not only in Japanese and English that were taught at school but soon picked up on Spanish, Portugese and Arabic. The languages she picked up were from places she yearned to visit and imagined that one day she would be able to.
Her mother was everything to Chioyoko. She was curious about her father but did not press her mother too much on the subject. Once when she had probed her mother on the subject she gave Chiyoko a replica, cheap plastic sea shell that said "Boston Harbor" at the back. Chiyoko kept it with her as she knew that this was the only connection she would ever have with her father. Her mother seldom talked about him and all she knew was that he was American and probably from the military. As her mother's health started deteriorating, it fell to a fifteen year old Chiyoko to take care of the both of them. Her plans of going to University in one of the bigger cities never did materialise and while she sometimes wondered about what could have been, she didn't regret at all spending all her time taking care of her ailing mother.
As the meagre savings began to dry up Chiyoko knew she had to find work. The Geisha lifestyle had always fascinated Chiyoko and in the days that she was dreaming of studying and going abroad she had never thought of becoming one herself. Now, she knew it was something she could be good at without trying very hard. Also she was hoping to vicariously live her imagined life abroad through her diverse international clientele.
Chiyoko was taken in by Ayameko so that she could learn the art of becoming a Geisha from an experienced Geisha girl. Ayameko took Chiyoko in as a younger sister and did not ask for expenses, only asking Chiyoko to repay her once she was an independent Geisha.
Chiyoko's natural grace and beauty allowed her to learn quickly and often guests at Ayameko's would prefer the company of the younger Chiyoko who seemed to be able to hold a conversation with her guests on a variety of topics in a number of different languages. Spanish speaking businessmen would often visit Ayameko and Chiyoko would use these opportunities to practice her Spanish. Soon, she could distinguish between the Latin American and European Spanish speakers and would effortlessly change her accent depending on the guest. Her Arabic also improved but she did not like interacting with Sheikh's from the Middle East who always seemed to expect more from a Geisha than just good sake and conversation.
By the time she was eighteen Chiyoko had a place of her own with a room for her mother so that she could keep a constant eye on her. She also had a steady stream of clientele, some new and some choosing to visit her again and again. Her non traditional looks that had made her an outcast as a child were now what drew her clients in. Her reputation quickly spread and her exotic features and flair for languages made her one of the most sought after Geishas. By her twenty fourth birthday on April 2, 2011, she was routinely turning down clients.
*---------------*
Lt. Corporal Lance Webber's life hadn't quite panned out as he had expected. When he got back from Japan he found that while he had been faithful to his girlfriend save for that one night in Okinawa, she had moved on and in with someone else. A couple of unsuccessful marriages later Lance was still searching for some semblance of calm and balance in his life. He often though back to that beautiful face on Independence Day in Okinawa all those years ago. He knew in his heart of hearts that one day he would go back there - maybe just to experience the absolute bliss and calm he had felt for a few moments that night in Okinawa that he hadn't felt since.
Lance sat in the room sipping his drink, very relaxed. All he wanted today was some companionship and he thought it funny that he had to cross an ocean to find it. As the Geisha entered he smiled and for a moment there was a glimmer of recognition in his eyes.
Chiyoko entered, her light make up accentuating the high cheekbones, her hair perfectly parted in the middle, the bright red lipstick contrasting the fair skin and calling attention to her exquisite nose and the cleft above her lips. She adjusted the plastic shell in her hair that she'd worn since the first day she had started training as a Geisha and with her eyes wide and unblinking Chiyoko saw her father for the first time.
*---------------------*
On American Independence Day, July 4th, 1986, in the US military base in Okinawa Lt. Corporal Lance Webber wasn't thinking about the past year; he was thinking about the upcoming months. He was to return home at the end of July to Amherst, Massachusetts to marry his high school sweetheart. In all his time abroad he had been faithful to her, the picture of the two of them in his wallet reminding him to keep on the straight and narrow and earning him the unfortunate nickname "Mama's Boy".
Today was different though. A few glasses of sake in him, Lance was having a great time with the evening's entertainment - a troupe of dancing girls from a nearby club. The girl he gravitated to was quieter than the rest, petite and seemed to be of mixed Japanese and European ethnicity. She carried herself with a certain dignity that seemed absent in the others.
The fireworks went off on the base and many a drunken rendition of the Star Spangled Banner could be heard echoing across the halls and balcony. Lance stood with his escort, arms around her shoulder enjoying the fireworks. After the last one sputtered and died, they wordlessly walked up to his room with a single cot and made love. Before falling asleep in her arms Lance looked a the serene face with the distant look in her eyes and a hint of smile playing on her lips. That was the last memory he had of her. When he woke up, she was gone.
*---------------*
Chiyoko was born on April 2nd, 1987. Her mother thought the name that meant "Child of a thousand generations" was appropriate for her beautiful baby girl given her mixed Euro-American-Japanese heritage. Because of her looks Chiyoko was always perceived as a little bit of an outsider by her friends as she grew up. She used her spare time keeping to herself and immersing herself in books. She had a penchant for learning languages and was fluent not only in Japanese and English that were taught at school but soon picked up on Spanish, Portugese and Arabic. The languages she picked up were from places she yearned to visit and imagined that one day she would be able to.
Her mother was everything to Chioyoko. She was curious about her father but did not press her mother too much on the subject. Once when she had probed her mother on the subject she gave Chiyoko a replica, cheap plastic sea shell that said "Boston Harbor" at the back. Chiyoko kept it with her as she knew that this was the only connection she would ever have with her father. Her mother seldom talked about him and all she knew was that he was American and probably from the military. As her mother's health started deteriorating, it fell to a fifteen year old Chiyoko to take care of the both of them. Her plans of going to University in one of the bigger cities never did materialise and while she sometimes wondered about what could have been, she didn't regret at all spending all her time taking care of her ailing mother.
As the meagre savings began to dry up Chiyoko knew she had to find work. The Geisha lifestyle had always fascinated Chiyoko and in the days that she was dreaming of studying and going abroad she had never thought of becoming one herself. Now, she knew it was something she could be good at without trying very hard. Also she was hoping to vicariously live her imagined life abroad through her diverse international clientele.
Chiyoko was taken in by Ayameko so that she could learn the art of becoming a Geisha from an experienced Geisha girl. Ayameko took Chiyoko in as a younger sister and did not ask for expenses, only asking Chiyoko to repay her once she was an independent Geisha.
Chiyoko's natural grace and beauty allowed her to learn quickly and often guests at Ayameko's would prefer the company of the younger Chiyoko who seemed to be able to hold a conversation with her guests on a variety of topics in a number of different languages. Spanish speaking businessmen would often visit Ayameko and Chiyoko would use these opportunities to practice her Spanish. Soon, she could distinguish between the Latin American and European Spanish speakers and would effortlessly change her accent depending on the guest. Her Arabic also improved but she did not like interacting with Sheikh's from the Middle East who always seemed to expect more from a Geisha than just good sake and conversation.
By the time she was eighteen Chiyoko had a place of her own with a room for her mother so that she could keep a constant eye on her. She also had a steady stream of clientele, some new and some choosing to visit her again and again. Her non traditional looks that had made her an outcast as a child were now what drew her clients in. Her reputation quickly spread and her exotic features and flair for languages made her one of the most sought after Geishas. By her twenty fourth birthday on April 2, 2011, she was routinely turning down clients.
*---------------*
Lt. Corporal Lance Webber's life hadn't quite panned out as he had expected. When he got back from Japan he found that while he had been faithful to his girlfriend save for that one night in Okinawa, she had moved on and in with someone else. A couple of unsuccessful marriages later Lance was still searching for some semblance of calm and balance in his life. He often though back to that beautiful face on Independence Day in Okinawa all those years ago. He knew in his heart of hearts that one day he would go back there - maybe just to experience the absolute bliss and calm he had felt for a few moments that night in Okinawa that he hadn't felt since.
Lance sat in the room sipping his drink, very relaxed. All he wanted today was some companionship and he thought it funny that he had to cross an ocean to find it. As the Geisha entered he smiled and for a moment there was a glimmer of recognition in his eyes.
Chiyoko entered, her light make up accentuating the high cheekbones, her hair perfectly parted in the middle, the bright red lipstick contrasting the fair skin and calling attention to her exquisite nose and the cleft above her lips. She adjusted the plastic shell in her hair that she'd worn since the first day she had started training as a Geisha and with her eyes wide and unblinking Chiyoko saw her father for the first time.
*---------------------*
