Words On Canvas

The road that he walked was empty; with the likeliness of the bottomless pit that he felt in his breast. There was no one to accompany him on this journey, neither should there be anyone. His feet were moving automatically, with the rustiness of a forgotten katana, to be discarded along with its owner. His heart was made of stone, and his thoughts were cloudy, unable to comprehend the implications of his decision, only that it had to be carried out. After all, a samurai who had failed in his duty was damned for all eternity, in the eyes of his family, the community, the emperor and The Buddha himself. He felt a great sense of despair, one that he had never before encountered. Even the ten days that he had to spend alone in the wilderness as a part of his training had not been as tortuous. Back then he had known why he had to live, for his honor, family and pride. But this time the tables were turned on him. “Even old men have new things to learn “thought Ishida.

The grass in the meadow was a lush green, extending in all directions unto infinity. The contours of the plane gave one the feeling of infinite freedom, of a primordial potential where a man feels as a child, the whole world for him to conquer, a feeling of unlimited power that only a close commune with nature could provide. But Ishida was beyond that age. He saw nature differently. He saw her as man’s friend, a constant in spite of all of man’s murder, killing and pillaging. Emperors would change, and many a man’s blood may be spilled, but the birds would never stop singing nor would the sun cease to shine. He lay down gently on the grass, feeling it prick his old skin. But the experience of a man who had nature as a friend had taught him that the sharp grass would soon form a soft bed for him within a few minutes. He lay on the grass, letting the hours pass.

Ishida Yamagato was born in the year 1257 A.D. in the Kamakura period. His father, like the previous eight generations of his family was a Samurai, dedicated to the protection of the emperor and the motherland. At the tender age of 7, Ishida was sent to the prestigious Shiyasin dojo for his primary education in the martial arts. His focus and dedication won him the favour of the head Senpai and was sent for special training with the famed Shaolin monks. Young Ishida was destined to be a great samurai just like his father; the 9^th generation of Samurai is his family. But little did anyone guess the heights to which Ishida would rise. Due to various circumstances that favoured him, he had become the personal bodyguard of the young Princess Kagome.

He remembered that fateful day when his world was turned upside down. A couple of years back Ishida had become a royal guard in the household of the Emperor of Japan. His duty was to guard the princess at all costs. Every morning he would take over form the nighttime guard and wait diligently outside the princess’s chambers all day, guarding the princess with his life, not indorsing anybody inside without a known person to accompany him. He was also instructed to not allow the princess out at any cost. The job was most unfitting for a samurai of his training and reputation.

But Ishida had been elated by this new assignment. He was getting old and his skills as a swordsman were not as sharp as before. This assignment allowed him to be close to his family as well as perform his duty effectively. He was contended with life. He thanked his karma and The Lord Buddha every day for giving him such a fulfilling life. Ishida was a happy old man indeed.

It was the 2^nd day after the new moon. The sun was shining brightly in the hot summer afternoon. Ishida performed the afternoon rituals as prescribed in the Zen tradition and paid homage to all the 5 elements - the earth, fire, wind, water and the sky. He then ate his mid-day meal with complete mindfulness, savoring every grain of rice as he ate, aware of the great cycle of life that it was a part of. He kept in mind that the rice would give him life and vitality and was thankful to it for that. On finishing his meal Ishida sat down outside the gate of the royal chambers. He slowly adjusted himself so that he had a full view of Mt. Fujiyama in the distance. The royal palace was built alongside a lake. On the other side of it lay the city of Kyoto, the largest city in the whole of Japan, the city of Ishida’s childhood. As he stared idly into the lake he could see the sun’s reflection creating a whirlpool of light emanating from it. He remembered telling his son that a dragon was hiding in the lake and that the only force the dragon was afraid of was the sun. That was why it hid in the lake during the day, and the bright lights coming out of the lake where the dragon’s flamey breathe. He told his son that the dragon would eat little children who did not eat their porridge on time!!! Ishida chuckled to himself as he remembered this. Memories always bring back a feeling of warmth for the old, be them good or bad. It always reminds them of their youth and the good times that they had. Ishida’s son was all grown up now, a high ranking officer in the military and a proud father of two beautiful daughters. Rumour had it that he had far exceeded his father in valour and had proved his mettle in battle. Ishida reached over for the water jug that was placed nearby, and took a couple of sips; the sun was really getting to him. “Guess I’m not as strong as before……” His eyes slowly closed as his hand slid limply to his side. Anyone who saw him could have mistaken him for dead.

Ishida was dirty, torn and bleeding. He was near the great stone barrier of Hakata Bay in the Kyushu province. The long dreaded Mongol ships were within eyesight. Covering the entire horizon they were like a black tapestry over the otherwise blue horizon, waiting to burn Japan to the ground, all 4,400 of them. Ishida saw Kururugi nearby, definitely in pain, but proud. They both had stuck to the code of Joei Shikimoku and had not betrayed the royal family. The rest of his regiment had fled to the mountains, for fear of the Mongols. Overwhelmed by the strength of the Mongols, many of the Samurai Lords had abandoned the emperor and the shogun. They no longer had faith in the glory of Japan or the protection of the Lord Buddha. The squabbling cowards had built settlements high up in the mountains and had taken their men with them. Their plan was to ally with the invading Mongols and gain their favour by aiding them in the overthrow of the Japanese monarchy and the Kamakura Shogunate. “Those bastards….” thought Ishida. But he was not one of them. He along with Kururugi and a few other like minded warriors from the other clans had abandoned their masters. They organized themselves under the leader ship of the legendary Yagami and had sworn to fight for the emperor till the very end. They were proud men indeed and like all samurai they were willing to defend their homeland till the very last drop of their blood.

The ships grew larger in the horizon, engulfing the sun from below. They had chosen to attack from the west as the suns rays would blind the Japanese, not allowing them to have a clear view of the ships. But the Japanese knew the fate that awaited them, one of death, destruction and most all…..Shame. Ishida and Kururugi were the first line of defense against the arriving army. They had traveled three days and nights continuously so as to reach the shoreline. They were short of food and water and their men were wounded. But they were prepared to die for the emperor, as the Joei Shikimoku commanded.

The ships grew ever bigger, growing at a faster rate with every wave conquered. The Japanses were tense, their weapons drawn, ready to meet the oncoming deluge of death, blood and murder. But then something happened. There was lightning, sparks of light that fell out of the sky and struck the ships with all their fury. One by one the ships were destroyed. The deluge that followed from the heavens was mirrored by the fury of the sea. Her waves swallowed the ships by the dozen, like a monster unable to control her hunger and consuming everything that dare come in contact with her. The Gods had spoken.

The few ships that did make it to the mainland did not have the adequate number of soldiers to occupy Japan.

Ishida drove his sword into the Mongol soldier. The sound of flesh tearing brought joy to him. He felt his muscles tense as his sword pierced the armour and came out from the other end. He had to draw the sword out quickly so that he could defend himself from the onslaught of the Mongol soldier whom he could see charging him. Ishida kicked the limp body with all his might and got the sword out. Within a flash he was on his knees, taking the Mongol by surprise as his sword slit his stomach. The splash of warm blood on his face and the adrenaline rush that he was experiencing was so great that Ishida let out a roar of victory. The feeling, the moment, that single moment of infinite glory that a warrior goes through when he sees his enemies slain, his years of training bearing fruit, his honour upheld………

Ishida suddenly found himself on the floor with three royal guards staring down at him angrily, their swords drawn and blood stained. Ishida was quick to realize that he had done something terrible. Terror gripped his old heart. He realized that something must have happened when he was asleep. He realized the truth behind his wife’s wise words when she asked him to start taking kendo classes at the city dojo rather than work directly for the emperor.

Ishida was down on his knees, his legs opening backwards, in the classic seiza posture. His katana lay by his side, his head bowed down in shame. He was in the inner chambers of the emperor himself. The great lord sat but a few meters away however Ishida was unable to see him, a paper screen was blocking his vision. He was however able to make out the shadow of the man who was the saviour of Japan, the man who had united the various warring tribes and had ushered in a new era of peace and prosperity for Japan. Ishida remembered the last time he was in this great hall, the hall where the emperor gave audience too all those who sought his help and advice. Ishida was being honoured for his brave deeds in the war against the Mongols. His heart had been filled with joy and loyalty to the motherland as well as towards the emperor, but this time it was filled with sadness and shame. He who had slain at least 50 Mongol soldiers was unable to complete the simplest tasks assigned to him, to guard the chamber of Princess Kagome. The law was that the royal family should not be seen by the common man unless they themselves wished so. But when Ishida had faltered, the little Princess had snuck out and was roaming the palace grounds, where she was found by the royal gardner. The innocent man had brought the princess back to her chambers, where he was discovered by the other Samurai guards. He was executed on the spot, the screams of the princess coming to no avail. Ishida was spared an immediate execution due to his impeccable record as a Samurai and his personal favour with the empereor.

Ishida had the privilege of hearing the voice that few had heard. The voice was that of a kind man, a benevolent ruler who understood humanity and was completely in love with it, in spite of its many shortcomings. The voice that had pardoned the various lords for deserting the emperor, the voice that gave them back their lands, the voice that had made the strongest of men weep with joy and shame and begging for forgiveness. Thus spoke the emperor “Ishida, your actions have not been fitting for that of a Samurai of your rank. Due to your incompetence, there has been a great breach in the security of the royal family. I have many enemies Ishida, powerful men who want to see me dead. The emperor and his family are not immortal you know. The gardener had to be executed as per the law, but in your case I am making an exception. I grieve greatly in ordering the execution of Japan’s worthy sons…. Thus I bade you be gone!! Set not foot in this land again, you have you life” The light behind the screen was put out. The emperor would talk no more. Ishida sat in seiza for a few seconds, bowed low with his head touching the ground and stood up; he had made up his mind.

He lay on the grass, letting the hours pass. Ishida took a deep breathe and felt the morning air cooling his chest and lungs from the inside. The sun would rise soon, sincerely doing its duty and bringing light upon humanity and to all the creatures that sought its radiance and warmth. Ishida remembered that day he had sought his warmth too, the day he had met Sakura. She seemed like a thousand cherry blossoms as the orange rays of the sun struck her flowing long hair. As he approached the field he had seen her from a distance, like a goddess with the morning sun forming a halo around her. He stopped a few meters behind her, unsure of what to do. But as if the sun had told her that he was behind her, she turned around and looked at him. She looked deep into his eyes; it was their eyes that made the pact, the pact of spending their lives together, forever. She smiled at him and walked away. They were married a month later. Ishida had many happy memories of this field. He would bring his son and daughter to this very field where they would play for hours together. He would tell them stories of dragons and maidens, of gods and emperors, of samurais and ninjas. This was a happy place indeed.

Ishida saw the first rays of the sun piercing through the clouds. They warmed his closed eyes and the orange glow in them slowly grew in strength. It was time. Ishida stood up slowly and paid homage to the Gods, to the emperor and the motherland. His sword would be his final companion…. He lay on the grass dead, his sword sticking out of his stomach like a third appendage….seppuku.