Date: Sat, 02 Feb 2002 22:05:43 +1300
From: prime wordsmith <primewordsmith@hotmail.com>
Subject: Honor 01

Honor
primewordsmith@hotmail.com

01

My Grandfather said I should not insist on respect.  Since the Americans
took over our country we could no longer expect the respect we were given
before.  I could not understand this.  Respect for our family was always
paramount in the minds of people around us.  'Why did the Americans stop
that?' I asked Grandfather.  He said 'Just as the victors write the
histories however they like, so the victors can change the appearances of
the country they conquer.'  Grandfather expected me to think about that and
not ask any more questions until I knew what he meant.  Even if it took
years.

Down by the wharves I saw some American sailors walking about.  If I was to
understand Americans I thought I should get to know some individuals.
'Extrapolate the all from the some' as the new philosopher said centuries
ago.

They were strange loud creatures.  Tall, some very white, some very dark.
The dark ones joking with the light ones.  The light ones pushing the dark
ones. Such loud voices.  Such strange behavior.  It was rather exciting in
its indecorousness. They were actually touching and pushing each other in
public.  Rather like little children who had not yet learnt manners.  That's
when it first came to me that Americans really were just overgrown children.
  Or at least these ones.  They were overgrown in other ways too.

Grandfather said they thought we could not fly airplanes.  They thought that
our muscles were too weak to fight the air currents.  They thought our diet
would stop us from being able to think up high.  They thought our love of
our country, our earth would stop us from wanting to leave our earth and
stop us from wanting to enter the air.  Grandfather said he had read those
things in a leading American magazine just before the war. The Americans
were wrong.

I knew Grandfather was a scholar but I was surprised he knew how to read the
language of the dishonorable white bears.  I asked him about that and he
told me it was dishonorable to talk about their dishonor.  I was not to
demean myself with their dishonor.  I knew then not to talk about it except
obliquely and only to the most discerning and then only when necessary.
Never to the foreign invaders themselves.

They were leaving the dock.  Three of them.  I glided along behind them.
They were so uncaring.  They even pounded the earth as they walked.  Stomp,
stomp, stagger, stomp.  So big, so heavy, so clumsy.  How could they
possibly pilot planes and boats without losing them through their huge
clumsiness.  Our lower classes recognized them as victors and so respected
them for that.  I did not think any class respected them for their own
individual personalities.  They were so indelicate.  Like giants trampling
through a soya field, destroying the agricultural wealth without realizing
what they were doing.  Like they did with father's beloved Nagasaki.
Flattening the temples and dwellings into nothingness and vaporizing the
monks and inhabitants there too.

Grandfather said they did it to horrify and traumatize us just like we did
to the decadent ones in Nanking.   Both worked, grandfather said.  Tit for
tat too.

The sailors had walked - stomped - up the road and were looking about to see
where to go. I could not stop without them seeing me do so, so I kept
walking with my eyes averted.  One of them yelled out at me like one of
their drill sergeants would to an untrained raw recruit.

'Hey you!  Little boy!  Come here!'

'Jesus Jack don't you know any of the local lingo?'

'Stuff you, I've only been in the place 48 hours - just as long as you.  How
could I know any.  I've had no time to fraternize with the locals.'

'Youse two wanna be careful.  Youse know what they said about not touching
the females.'

'Yeah well where does that leave us then?'

'Probably where you wanna be left Joshie.  Makes no difference to youse does
it.'

"Fuck off Jimbo, go on, piss off, if you're gonna be like that.'

'Lay off you two, the kid's watching.  Probably doesn't know what the hell
you're on about but he can still see youse are griping.'

The second one, Joshie, squatted down so he could speak to the 'little boy'.
  I stood before him, watching, unblinking, waiting for him to know what he
was thinking.  He obviously was having difficulty,  but I thought he was
doing better than the other two would have.

Grandfather said I should always be tolerant of the underclasses and to
especially make allowances for the military. If they were stupid enough to
get themselves enlisted then they deserved our tolerance, even our sympathy.
At least that's what I thought Grandfather was saying. He could be a little
too obtuse at times, I thought.

What a strange being this Joshie was.  So tall.  His head was only just
under my head when he was squatting.  And such big muscles on his arms.  He
wore common thick naval clothing.  He looked rather like one of those
creatures Father showed me once at the Zoological Gardens.  Father said not
to touch that one, but there was another along further I was permitted to
touch.  I wondered if this one might bite me if I stroked it.

He allowed me to take a step closer and I held out my hand for him to sniff
it.  The other two got these incredulous looks on their faces and the one
named Jack said  'He must know you well Joshie, he thinks you're a dog."

I did not deign to bat an eyelid, just continued to move my upturned hand
towards Joshie's face. He didn't flinch, so I touched his face with the side
of my hand.  He still didn't move so I stroked his face, very carefully
watching his eyes to see that flicker which shows if he is about to bite.
He didn't bite so I stroked his nose and up into the stubble on top of his
head.  I stroked his stubble and moved a bit closer so I was only one step
away from his face.  He still didn't move so I gently brought my other hand
up to his head and stoked his stubble with both hands.

One of the others moved and said  'Right Joshie, looks like you're set for
the evening.  Do we leave you here?'

I just looked straight into this big creatures eyes and held them. Joshie
said nothing and the other two grunted and moved off.  'Jees he's gone, he's
really gone this time' said one.  The other grunted and they both moved off.

I was left with this big Joshie.  He really was rather like a huge puppy
dog.  Overgrown, floppy, not sure of his limbs and muscles, still learning,
needing to be trained.

Grandfather didn't mind me picking up stray dogs.  He let me bring them back
to whichever of our houses we were staying in at the time. I would train
them for a few days and feed them up until they were no longer hungry.
Grandfather would then give them to one or other of his friends.  They must
have taken them to their country domains because I never saw any of them
again.  I would ask about them and they would say the dogs were very good
and they would be most intrigued if I saw them again.  They said I was very
good and if I found another, they all said they had a home for it.  I made
lots of friends with my elders that way. Grandfather was pleased.

I didn't know how much feeding up this joshie needed so I carefully brought
my hands down from the top of his head to his shoulders and gently felt the
muscles there.  He blinked.  He must have got some dust in his eyes because
they started to water.  I stroked his shoulder muscles and moved on down his
arms to see how much flesh was there.  It was amazing.  The muscles on his
arms were bigger than any I had ever seen.  These Americans must be a
working breed I thought.  I wondered how their warrior class had been able
to breed such fine specimens.

I moved my hands back up his arms, along his shoulders and down his chest.
The muscles there were big too.  I never knew chest muscles could grow like
that.  I wondered how he was exercised to grow such firm flesh.  Then his
eyes flickered.  I had been too preoccupied thinking about his breeding and
exercising and had let my guard down a little.  He wrapped his great
forearms around my waist before I could leap away.  'Ahhh .. gotcha ..
hey-ya.' I was trapped.  Was this great joshie going to eat me?  I quivered
but did not let him smell my fear.  I looked down at his face.  He had a
hungry look on his face, but mixed with a lopsided grin.  I had never seen
an animal smiling at its prey in a friendly way before eating it.  Maybe he
wasn't going to consume me after all.

He lifted me off the ground and swung me over his shoulders.  I thought he
would take me to his lair.  But he passed me around the back of his neck and
around to the other side and brought me down again so my feet were touching
the ground.  He still had his forearms wrapped around me and he had the
biggest grin on his face.  I thought it safest to smile back at him.  He
ruffled my hair and stood up.  He took my hand in his hand and walked off
with me.  I had no idea where he was going.  I realized pretty soon that he
had no idea either.


02

Grandfather had said not to insist on respect.  That made it difficult.  I
did not know how to behave with these uncouth ones.  Obviously the old ways
would not work with them. But also you could not treat them with the respect
we paid to conquerors of our own culture.  The Americans were insensitive
and clumsy.  They had no elegance and did not appear to appreciate beauty
and the finer things of life.  When they ate they wolfed everything down as
fast as they could.  When they served food, it was not served.  It was
dolloped on a plate as if it was pig swill - or scraps for the horse dogs.
They had no finesse.  I was in a strange primitive world when I was with
them.  I decided that if they were going to be primitives then I was
absolved from the need to be refined in their presence.  They would not
understand me when I behaved properly.  So I decided to lower my standards
and behave like a lesser primitive in their presence.  If Grandfather asked,
I could say that the white bears expected it of me.

Grandfather had said the language of the sleeping giants would be the
language of the future.  They had inherited it from their ancestors before
they rose up in revolt against their forebears and excluded them from their
newly won territories.  Their forebears were great warriors before them and
had gone on to conquer many other peoples throughout the world afterwards.
Yes, the language of these white bears was the language of their forebears.
It would be the language of the future and now that future had come.

Father had taught me the language of their military.  Grandfather had taught
me the language of the scholars amongst their forebears. I used to go down
to the docks with one of my father's factors when he was dealing with their
merchants.  I learned to speak their language.  But Grandfather had said I
would hear much more if I did not let the white bears know I could
understand their language.

So when Joshie took my hand and walked up the cobbles away from the docks I
continued to look at him like a small heron regards a large fish, with its
head somewhat on one side wondering whether it could possibly swallow this
enormous exotic creature.  Joshie chattered to me as we walked, thinking I
couldn't understand the words, but I suppose, hoping I would be reassured by
his tone. Maybe he was chattering to reassure himself.

'You've got a great smile kid.  Real cute.  Mona Lisa style.  Sort of,
what's that word .. enigmatic, I think.  Yep that's it.  Enigmatic.  Just
like they say the East is.  For me you're just what the East is supposed to
be all about.'

'You're just great kid.  I bet you'd be full of excitement if you just knew
how. Your so cool, so calm.  Is it the calm before the storm or are you
always calm inside.  Looking at you, kid, I reckon I could summon up a storm
if I could work on it.  Hey kid, where are we going.  I don't know this town
kid.  Is it safe?  I mean it must be safe for you to just walk around.  But
is it safe for me?  Is it safe for us to be together?  Gees kid.  I don't
know.  Do they allow older men to walk around hand in hand with younger
kids?  And what about sailors?  What do they think of sailors?  Do they
think of them the same as at so many other ports? Do they always think the
worst?'

I just looked up at him and looked into his eyes.  He looked at me and
stopped.  I gave him that smile, which he called my enigmatic smile.  He
just stared.  I squeezed his hand and continued walking with him.  This time
I was leading.  I took him up to the main way leading to the center of our
city.  He seemed to accept that.  I was not taking him down some dark and
dingy alley, so perhaps he felt safe.  Or at least safer.  We walked for a
little while and he stopped gawking at me.  He started looking at the
buildings around us.

'Gees kid.  This is quite some town.  I don't know where we're going, but it
looks alright to me at the moment.  I've gotta get something to eat soon.  I
don't know how long I can last.  We shoulda got off the ship earlier but we
got held up.  Some friggin tie-up with the paperwork or something.  You'd
never know with the officers we've been lumbered with.  Makes you wonder.
Gees kid. These are real interesting buildings.  Can we look inside one of
them I wonder. Everyone seems ok here.  They're not real friendly like.
They seem to be mindin their own business.  But there hasn't been any nasty
stares. No one looks as if they're out to get you.'

We turned off the main avenue and down a street.  It was not as wide or as
grand as the other. But it was still presentable.  It was the street of
grandfather's town dwelling.  We walked down a bit.  Joshie kept up his
chatter as we walked.

'Gees kid.  You seem to know your way around here.  No one seems to mind.
Are all Japanese kids like you?  How come I haven't seen any other kids
around here.  Are you out of place here?  I can't get over how clean it is
here.  The buildings are incredible.  Why are we stopping here?  Oh, you
want to go to that one.  But I don't know the people here.  I don't know if
its all right kid.  You still want me to come along with you kid?  Alright I
hope you know what you're doing, cause I sure don't.'

So we came to Grandfather's door.  As we arrived, the street door opened and
Owah bowed low to me.  We entered the vestibule and I took Joshie to the
bench to sit down.  I sat next to him and Owah took off my clogs.  Then Owah
took off Joshie's shoes and socks.  Joshie was not sure what to do.  I
smiled at him and he shrugged his shoulders.  Just like a big floppy snow
dog.  He was even getting that infectious puppy dog grin again.  I could
almost imagine him wagging his behind like puppies do.  Owah washed my feet
and dried them, then washed Joshie's and dried them.  Joshie was looking at
me with his head on the side.  He obviously couldn't work out what was going
on. No one had spoken since before we entered Grandfather's dwelling.  I
smiled at him again and he ruffled my hair.  Owah looked up in alarm.  Poor
Owah had never seen such impertinence before. I inclined my head for Owah
who blushed a delicate shade of cherry blossom.

Owah then changed my outer street clothing for our dwelling clothing.
Obviously there was a problem with Joshie.  Owah had never come across such
strange habiliment before.  What to do with Joshie was obviously a problem.
I clapped once and Owah backed away, bowing.  I got up and removed the upper
garment from Joshie and that neckerchief thing that seemed to be designed
for choking men at close quarters, presumably if they misbehaved. I then
placed our dwelling garment over Joshie. It was not adequate.  It could not
be comfortable.  But what else can you do with such unpromising material.
Owah was trying very hard to hide the horror of this impropriety.  I had had
enough.  I clapped twice and Owah slid the door open for us to enter
further. We went inside with Joshie clutching my hand tightly.



03

When Grandfather said not to insist on respect, he was talking about
outside.  We had entered Grandfather's dwelling and I had to show my
respect.  It would have been a denial of my essential person if I could not
show Grandfather my respect for him. That was not a problem for me except
that I had been disrespectful in bringing this person into Grandfather's
dwelling without asking his permission or discussing it with him beforehand.
And worse still, this great shaggy puppy dog who was still holding my hand,
was wagging me as well whenever he wagged himself.  How could I have this
joshie show the respect Grandfather deserved when this joshie simply did not
know and could not be trained in time?  So I took the attitude that since
Grandfather had welcomed my untrained stray dogs before, I could introduce
this joshie as if he were just another stray dog.

The tea was brought in to us and I bowed my head to the floor.  When I
arose, Joshie was fumbling on the floor too.  I suddenly realized that he
was trying to bow to the dwelling spirits too without knowing what he was
doing.  I suppose the best dogs learn by imitation, so maybe there was hope
for my shaggy bear hound too.  I indicated the tea ceremony should be the
shortest and was rewarded with another flush of cherry blossom.  Joshie was
agape.  I could almost imagine a long tongue dangling out of his mouth and
drooling with wonder.  We finished the tea ceremony and waited.  Joshie
wiggled closer towards me and took my hand.  We sat there and waited with
him holding my hand.

I could hear slippers shuffling along the corridor and our door slid open.
Grandfather's Dahwa bowed and shuffled out. I arose lifting Joshie with me
and followed.  Joshie whispered 'Gees kid, I hope you know what you're
doing.  This is scary stuff. Fascinating, but still scary.' We were led to
Grandfather's study.  We entered and I prostrated.  I pulled Joshie down as
well.  Good Joshie.  He followed my lead and fumbled his way down too.  I
was amazed.  Grandfather was wearing the Shogun robe.  I had only seen him
wear that once before, when he entertained an Imperial emissary. He had been
forewarned as I expected, but this honor he was bestowing on Joshie was
unheard of.  I could not credit it.  I was obviously out of my depth here.
What was Grandfather going to do next?

Grandfather spoke in that deep melodious voice he used when speaking to the
most honored guests.  Except he spoke in the barbarian tongue.  'Welcome
aboard Chief Petty Officer.  My humble abode is now your abode.  Ask and it
will be given.  Want and it will be met.  Desire and it will be gratified.'
Grandfather paused.  I remained prostrate.  So did that great hair ball next
to me.  I jerked him up with my hand while trying to remain prostrate
myself.  It would not have been acceptable anywhere else.  But Grandfather
seemed to ignore my lapse.  My great snow hound seemed to get the message
and sat up on his haunches.  He took a deep breath and spoke his immortal
first words.

'Uh .. hi.   Um .. I mean .. how do you do, sir?'

Grandfather said  'You are not used to Japanese ways, Chief Petty Officer.
Is there some way we can make things more comfortable for you.  Speak.  Do
not be afraid.  You have entered my dwelling and are under my protection.
You are safe.  Safe from anything or anyone.  If you wanted to remain here,
not even your President could remove you, or even find you, for that matter.
  If you want to leave now, just say so and you will be escorted straight
away to your vessel or to wherever you want to go.  You may leave at any
time without delay.  I have people standing waiting to take you wherever you
wish to go at a moments notice, at any time.  But if you wish to stay, I
would be most honored to have you grace my humble dwelling.'

'Excuse me .. I'm not trying to be rude .. but can I sit on something
please.  My toes can't stand this stretching for much longer. And when does
your boy get to take his nose out of the mat?'

'Certainly Chief Petty Officer.  My dwelling is a mere hovel and not
furnished for people of your stature.  I have people seeking chairs now.
They will let me know when they have some set up.  In the meantime would you
consider sitting on the cushion beside you please?'

Joshie sat on the cushion and sort of tucked his long legs up against his
chest.  It could not have been comfortable.  Maybe that's why he wrapped his
arms around them. It looked decidedly unbalanced.

Grandfather clapped once.  There were no helpers in the room.  It could only
be meant for me.  I sat up.  Grandfather indicated for me to join him and
his guest on a cushion.  I took the one beside me and carefully arranged
myself on it.  When I was elegantly disposed and less of an eyesore for
Grandfather I lifted my head but kept my eyes downcast.  Out of my
sidevision I could see Joshie glancing at me.  He had that dumb duh.. look
on his face.

'Do you mind Chief Petty Officer if I ask my grandson how his day has been?'

'No.  No, of course not.  Has he done anything wrong?  It's my fault if he
has not behaved according to your way of things.'

'Not at all Chief Petty Officer.  I am well pleased with him. This day he
has become for me a man.  From this day he is a son to me.  He is my only
son now.'

I couldn't believe it.  Did Grandfather love me that much.  Since Father
died, Grandfather had been so sad.  We both were.  But I thought Grandfather
was caring for me out of regard for Father.  I did not realize he cared for
me personally. And now he was naming me his son and heir.  What had I done
to deserve this?  And Grandfather seemed to tie it in to today's events.
Waters were deep and the currents were running much faster than I
anticipated.  Where events would lead now I had no idea. Grandfather spoke
in our tongue.

'My son.  You are my son now.  We will speak more of that later.  Now we
will entertain our guest like the imperial envoy he is, or will become.  He
will act as an envoy for us with the American imperial powers.  They call
them Presidential authorities.  You have done well.  Do you wish to
entertain our guest, do you wish me to entertain our guest, or do you wish
both of us to entertain our guest?'

Grandfather put three possibilities.  I knew enough to always choose the
last possibility he presented. There was a shuffling outside and a few words
were spoken.  Grandfather stood and offered his hand to Joshie to help
Joshie rise.  I bowed to the floor again.  Grandfather told me to stand
also.  I did and removed my cushion and Joshie's.  He might have stepped
back on to it.  I was beginning to understand the problems of a newcomer to
our society, a newcomer to our way of doing things.  Grandfather led him
through the doorway and twitched his fingers to me to follow.  We went to
the third inner garden, the one with flagstones set amongst the shrubs.
Three chairs and a table had been set out there.  I noticed that one of the
flagstones had been shifted so the table could sit evenly between the three
chairs.  I had never heard of Grandfather allowing any of the flagging to be
moved in this garden before.  Great changes were being visited upon our
house this day.

Grandfather invited our guest to sit down and indicated I was to do so also.
I then noticed a second table beside the sliding screen.  Grandfather was
going to entertain Joshie out here and eat with him here to.  What next, I
wondered.  While various eating utensils and cloths were being brought to
our table, others were bringing hot food in for our meal.  What strange
things these were.  Grandfather had told me about table knives, forks and
spoons before, but I had never seen them in use.  I certainly had never used
them myself.  I was in for a most embarrassing time, I could see.  I looked
at Joshie.  He seemed to be in difficulty too.  He had a sickly smile on his
face.  I looked at Grandfather questioningly.  He smiled at me.  I moved my
chair closer to Joshie and slipped my hand into his hand.  He looked at me
with a rather startled look on his face.  I smiled and squeezed his hand.
Grandfather smiled at him too and then Joshie relaxed and smiled at both of
us.  But he still held my hand until the consomme was served.

We had a lengthy and relaxing meal.  Grandfather slipped a few words into
the conversation early on in Japanese and told me that he would be pleased
if I made a few dining mistakes.  It would help our guest a bit he said.  I
dropped the spoon thing in the consomme and splattered it over the white
cloth on the table and the little cloth over my front.  I don't think that
was exactly what Grandfather had in mind, but I was so startled by what
Grandfather said that I actually did drop the spoon by mistake.  Grandfather
told Joshie that we were having difficulty getting used to new ways and
would Joshie please excuse us for our ineptitude.  Joshie said 'of course'
and seemed to relax even more.  Grandfather was right again.

Joshie told Grandfather that his name was Joshua.  He had been in the
American navy for twelve years.  This was his first posting to Japan.  He
had previously served off the American Atlantic coast and in the Canadian
Atlantic too.  He had done two tours down South America and had sailed in a
capital ship around Cape Horn after Pearl Harbor.  He blushed then.
Grandfather affected not to notice this lapse.  Because Grandfather had
spoken to me in our tongue, I knew I was to listen politely to the
conversation in the snow bear's language but pretend not to understand it.
It was difficult not to blush when Joshie did.


[If you would like this story to be continued please email me, Yoshi
Torriati, at primewordsmith@hotmail.com  Positive feedback would be greatly
appreciated. Many thanks to David Spencer for editorial assistance.]