Page 137 of Blossoms of the Heart
“I don’t know shit when it comes to the work you guys do, but I was a lieutenant in the Marines. The Samurai was a soldier right, maybe I could help in some way. Even to bounce ideas off me. Plus I have the added bonus of going on all these adventures with Akito. I’m sure I could bring something to the table.”
It was so sweet of him to want to help. To want to help me.
I couldn’t help the feeling of warmth that rush over me.
“Thanks that means a lot.”
“Don’t thank me yet. But if I do help I can tell you how to thank me later.” He winked. “I can tell you now that I would like my thank you to include you in wearing that yellow set with the lace. Hair down and that glossy pink stuff on your lips now.”
He pointed at my mouth.
I laughed. I didn’t know how I managed to despite the turmoil that brewed within me but it came from a place that was me.
“Okay, noted.” I pulled in a breath unsure of how I was going to do this. How could I not be close to him. Closer.
And closer for us was happening by the hour, the minute, the second.
“Good. show me this thing you are stuck on.”
I held out the journal and showed him.
“This part I’ve done so far. It just talks about our samurai’s daily life from when he became a samurai and joined the army. There’s nothing wrong with this. But things change here.” I opened up the journal mid-way and handed it to Tai.
“Shit, Phoebe, I don’t know what the hell that says. Three different languages on the same page?” He brought his hand up to his chin and shook his head.
“This is exactly my worry and the reason why I’m stuck.”
“Read what it says to me?”
I took it back and started. “I beckoned the moon to give me light. It laughed and refused to shine. I couldn’t even question why. A hundred men had died tonight.”
“Poetry?” Tai asked when I took a break.
“Yes, but it’s weird. On the previous page he’s talking about going to the field with the general for training. But then look.” I showed him the Arabic symbol for the wordsstart here. Then the reformed Egyptian symbol for the wordsthe trusted box,and explained what it meant.
“So that last bit readsA hundred men had died tonight start here the trusted box?”
“Yes.”I sulked, slumping my shoulders.
He thought for a moment and scratched his chin. “It’s like that on the whole page.” He observed looking at the journal
I read on. Maybe it would make sense to him at some point. “Oh that the blossoms would give me life. They used to when I was a boy, when the sun would shine and smile on me and my family. Several moons have passed since.”When I finished, I pointed at the Arabic symbol for the wordsthis will guide, and the Egyptian symbol for the wordsis with me. Again, I explained this to him.
Tai thought again and stood up. He gazed out the window for a few seconds and then looked back to me. His gaze met mine and I wondered what he was thinking.
Suddenly he reached for the notepad on the desk and a pen.
“What did the first Arabic characters say?”
“Start here,” I replied.
“And the next?”
“This will guide you.”
He wrote that down as a full sentence.
“What do the Egyptian characters say? Give me the whole thing.”
