Right Livelihood
8-Fold Path
A lightness soon entered Chiemi’s life. Shortly after the defeat at Iwo Jima, a new patient was wheeled into the convalescence hospital. He could walk, albeit with some difficulty, but, according to Dr. Shima’s instructions, all patients must be assisted inside by wheelchair. Probably in case of a mishap, Chiemi surmised.
She was drawn to him and found he was a friendly man. She was happy to adjust his bedding, to bring his food, and to read to him. She soon conversed with him, tentatively at first and then more at ease with time.
Captain Inouye Shinobu was a handsome man, with strong facial features, a muscular body, and tall height. His skin was smooth, odd for a man who came from various battle zones. He was from Sendai in the north, a business family. Married with children, he had not seen them since the war started. He had been stationed in China when he fell victim to a sniper’s bullet in one of his legs.
The Japanese doctors in a hospital outside Nanking performed surgery, and he recuperated there for about four months. He was then transferred to Hong Kong before moving to the Shima Hospital in Hiroshima. Here he was to finish his recovery.
Chiemi insinuated her way into taking care of him, exclusively, even though she wasn’t a nurse. No one minded since there were so many patients.
Iku-chan was the first to tease her.
“How is Capt. Inouye coming along?” she asked in her innocent voice.
“How would I know?” Chiemi said incredulously.
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe it’s the way you’re constantly fussing over him. Always around his bed. Always first to help him with…with everything!”
“Nonsense. I take care of Shinobu-san just as much as any other patient.”
“Shinobu-san? You’re on a first name basis?”
Caught in a trap, Chiemi tried to extricate herself. “That’s his name, isn’t it?”
“Yes, I suppose it is,” she said with a coy smile.
“Oh, stop it!”
She continued in the lunchroom with Eiko and Fumiko joining the fray.
“You know, he’s married?” Eiko informed.
“Yes, I know,” Chiemi confirmed, more than a bit irritated at Iku-chan. “How do you know?”
“I checked the hospital records.”
“Eiko-chan! How could you?”
“Just looking after you.”
“And he has two children,” Fumiko added.
“You too?”
“That’s what friends do,” Fumiko said with a smile.
“Honestly, you three!” Was she in high school again?
***
The captain’s soft tone of voice and the mellifluous quality of it told Chiemi he was a man of compassion, a kind man. Her spine tingled with the nearness of him.
“Excuse me. May I have a drink of water?”
She stood frozen to the spot. She stared at him for what seemed like an eternity.
“Hello?” he said again.
She suddenly awoke, aware of the situation. Awkwardly and with a stumble, she moved to fulfill the request. She returned with a broad smile as she handed the glass to him.
The captain smiled in return but made no comment.
The long hours of conversation between the two continued throughout the days ahead.
Capt. Inouye had first been stationed in China, near Nanking as it was. He was charged with investigating incidents in the city that involved Japanese soldiers. In most cases, he found that Chinese dissidents were at fault in assaulting or killing infantry men or committing terrorist acts upon military facilities. He was often involved with the arresting of the perpetrators. He said no more about their fates.
He himself fell victim to an ambush. Late one night in December 1940, he was on his way to an Ian-jo (a brothel) to probe the circumstances of a murder of an infantry man. He didn’t mind confessing that his orders were to keep the whole incident under wraps.
As he turned onto a dark street that led to the establishment, a shot rang out. He felt the sting of something hitting his leg and he collapsed. The winter air made it hurt even more as he related later. His subordinate took care of him while the other men of the patrol tried to ferret out the sniper.
“My time in hospital was painful yet boring,” he offered. “Then again, if this hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have met you.”
Chiemi blushed. Saying nothing, she adjusted his pillow and generally fussed with the bedsheets. She hoped the moment would pass.
She called him “Captain” ever since she misspoke to her friends. “Shinobu” was just too intimate to say in public. Despite Chiemi’s discretion, her friends continued to take notice.
“Chiemi-chan, do you know what you’re doing?” asked Fumiko.
“No, what?”
Eiko jumped in. “Don’t be so coy. You shouldn’t spend so much time with Inouye-san.”
“What are you talking about? You mean with the captain?”
“The way you hover around his bed. It is getting noticed. Aren’t you embarrassed?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She turned away only to be confronted by Iku-chan, her innocent eyes bent with concern.
“I heard the Head Nurse talking to some doctors about you.”
“Look,” Chiemi said in an angry tone to all three, “mind your own business. There’s nothing going on. So what if I pay attention to one patient more than another. As for the Head Nurse, she can fire me if she wants.”
“I think it’ll be more than that!” Fumiko said. “You’ll be disciplined. Transferred somewhere else.”
“What if this comes back on Dr. Shima?” Eiko added. “The shame he’ll have to endure. Could be the ruin of him.”
That gave Chiemi pause. Such an honourable man. She also thought of her family. Her poor mother. Everywhere she went, Okaasan would hear whispers.
***
The following late afternoon, Chiemi stood beside the captain. The sun streamed in through the windows and bathed his body with a brilliant and expansive embrace. He was asleep but soon awoke to look up at her.
“Oh, you-ka?” he said smoothly.
“Inouye-san, I must talk to you,” she began. “I can no longer take care of you.”
“Why not?” he asked.
“Because…because …,” she said hesitantly. “Because people are starting to talk.”
He pondered as he weighed the significance of what she was saying. “Oh,” he said finally.
“I can’t let my ‘diligence’ harm Dr. Shima’s reputation.” She didn’t mention her family.
“I understand.”
“So you see, I can’t—”
“I said, I understand.” He was firm in his conviction.
Chiemi fell silent and turned to go. Just then she heard the captain’s voice.
“Perhaps…perhaps we could meet for an afternoon tea? Somewhere. I’m due to be discharged sometime this week. I’ll leave a note for you. Discreetly, of course.”
Chiemi did not face him but closed her eyes and nodded as she moved away.