Hiroshima Sunset

by John Kelly

Amanda looked into the eyes of the old man sitting across the room. He had a light frame, white hair and strong facial lines. His smile was genuine and his eyes welcoming. He sat on a Tatami mat pouring two cups of tea. Thinking back to the time she had been reading the journal she had developed a mental picture of what she thought the young Tokuo might look like. Now she was looking at the same person sixty years later and try as she might, she could find nothing in him that remotely resembled the man she had imagined.

  'I welcome you to Japan, Blackburn san. I hope you have pleasant time while you are here.'

  Tokuo ushered Amanda into the main reception room in his small traditional house. Around the room, delicate pottery stood proudly here and there, as well as a photo or two but otherwise the home was modestly furnished.

  'Please, call me Amanda,' she said gently, surprised at the fluency of his English.

  'Arigato,' he replied slipping into his native Japanese. 'You have come a long way,' he added.

  'A long way for me, yes,' she replied. 'This is all very exciting, but I must not let my feelings get in the way of my assignment. I take it you know why I am here?' she replied.

  'I know why you think you are here. I know why the son of my friend sent you. I am not sure however that his reasons are well founded,' he cautioned.

  'What do you mean?' Amanda asked.

  'I do not wish to complicate matters, so I will let you talk to me as if I were an advisor. I think that would be the best way to help you. You should ask me whatever questions you wish and I will give you the proper guidance with my answers. Does that sound comfortable for you?'

  Tokuo spoke confidently, but with a strong emphasis on words he struggled to pronounce. It prompted Amanda to pause for a moment. There was something in Tokuo's voice that told her to listen carefully to him, that he might be of great assistance to her. If he had worked for Derek Avers albeit in a clandestine roll, she quickly surmised that he was in a better position than Masako to advise her, as he would have been with all the people involved in the events of 1946.

  'Yes, I think so,' she responded. 'Perhaps you can explain something at the outset. I went to the Bank of Japan today to retrieve what I thought would be a Meijji artefact. But when I opened the safe deposit box there was nothing in it. Can you help explain that?'

  Tokuo grinned mischievously.

  'Yes. The artefact is a family heirloom. It was removed some time ago. I have it here,' he said, pointing to a charming blue vase sitting on a table. 'It is of no consequence anymore. Avers san thought to stash some money it in at one time and I can only guess that in recent dying state, his mind play tricks on him and he think the money still there.'

  'But Masako also thought it was there,' Amanda claimed.

  'She is silly woman. Her mind going strange,' he answered.

  'So what happened to the money that he put there?'

  'You know that the girl Shigeko had a child?'

  'Yes.'

  'It was Avers' san wish that the child be looked after. He left money for her mother Shigeko to take care of her. Her mother was to have whatever she wanted. That was what the money was for.'

  'Where is Shigeko now?' Amanda asked.

  'She lives in the home of her parents on Miyajima. They left it to her when they passed away.'

  'Then she was reconciled with them?'

  'Yes, once they saw the child and realized that we were married, they no longer felt ashamed.'

  'Married?' Amanda gasped. 'You and Shigeko were married?'

  'Yes.'

  'I'm sorry. I didn't realize,' Amanda stumbled out, unable to conceal her surprise. 'Something like that never crossed my mind,' she said, apprehensively.

  Tokuo handed her a cup of tea.

  'Do not be troubled,' he said, reassuring her. 'When I brought Shigeko back from Tokyo I took her to Dr. Kano's medical centre at Kaitaichi. Avers san had a good relationship with the doctor. He stored some of the goods we received from the Americans. He had lots of space and no one suspected him. When Avers san learned of the accident he asked Dr. Kano to take care of Shigeko. He asked the doctor to make sure the baby was delivered safely, give the two of them somewhere to live and in return, Shigeko would work for him in whatever capacity she could.'

  'Accident! What accident,' Amanda interrupted.

  'I'm sorry. I thought you knew,' he answered.

  Amanda shook her head. Tokuo explained.

  'While I was driving Shigeko back to Kaitaichi, Ned Kelly san, the father of the baby, travelled back to Hiroshima by military train. There was an accident. Train smashed into truck at a level crossing. The train ran off the rails and turned over. Many people were killed. It was terrible mess. Ned Kelly san was badly injured. Apart from cuts, bruises and a few broken bones, he struck his head very solidly on some part of train and lost memory. Amnesia! He was many weeks in military hospital at Eta Jima and then sent home to Australia.'

  Amanda gasped once more.

  'You mean he never saw Shigeko after she returned to Kaitaichi?'

  'No. She went to see him but he did not even recognize her. He did not know her. She was devastated. She thought that they were going to be man and wife. Instead he was sent home and she was left on her own. I feel great sorrow for her and tell my sister Masako that Shigeko was pregnant and I was the father. She went to ask Avers san to help her. Avers san went to see Shigeko and recognized her from the Repatriation centre at Ujina. He asked Dr. Kano to care for her.'

  'What did she do for Dr. Kano?'

  'She spoke excellent English, she even taught me. She was very helpful in negotiating supplies from the Australian camp and she helped nurse some of the girls Dr. Kano was treating.'

  'Which girls were these?' Amanda asked.

  'Hibakusha.' Tokuo replied. 'You know 'Hibakusha?'

  'Bomb-affected people.' Amanda replied, nodding her head.

  'Yes. Terrible injuries, burns, keloids, radiation sickness,' Tokuo said, dropping his head as if the very words he used to describe the injuries to civilians sent a pain of sadness through his heart. 'Dr. Kano treated them as best he could. He was dedicated to helping them. Avers san always made sure he got whatever medical supplies he needed. Dr. Kano was happy to help care for Shigeko and give her place to stay. While she was there I saw her many times. I like her very much and I propose marriage to her. She did not love me but she was in difficult position. She wanted to make things right with her parents. Marriage to a Japanese boy would make everything right with parents. When baby girl born, baby looked very Japanese, so Shigeko say yes to marriage proposal. We stayed together for ten years, but it not happy. She missed Ned Kelly san too much. We drift apart, but I help raise baby girl. We very close even now.

  'Where is your step-daughter now?'

  'You meet her in Tokyo first day.'

  Amanda was once again taken by surprise. The only person she met in Tokyo was Yoshiko, the woman at the Rykoban.

  'How did you know that? The only person I spoke to was Yoshiko? Is it Yoshiko?' she asked.

  'Yes. Yoshiko is my step-daughter.'

  'Quentin Avers arranged for me to stay there. Yoshiko was the first one I was to make contact with; the first to give me instructions. Quentin must have known she was Shigeko's daughter.'

  'No, he didn't. He was in touch with me and was looking for a place for you to stay. I suggested Rimi Rykoban where my step-daughter work. It is cheap compared to hotel. He was happy to take my advice.'

  'How did he know to contact you?'

  'Over many years, Avers san and I keep in touch. Avers san keen to know how I was faring.'

  'Then I still don't understand why his son Quentin has sent me on this journey.'

  'You have read journal?' Tokuo asked, surprised.

  'Part of the journal Quentin gave me is missing. Someone took it on the plane. What does it say in the journal?'

  'Ned Kelly san thinks that there is money stashed away from our dealings on the black-market. There is no money,' he said bl
untly. 'It was all spent on the little girl; raising her, giving her a good education, making sure she had everything she needed, food, clothes all that sort of thing. If you have children Blackburn san you will know what I mean. Ned Kelly san does not realize this. He is disconnected. He has clearly regained most of his memory over the years, but he still doesn't realize we helped both him and Shigeko. If we are able to contact him directly we can explain this.'

  'Then why do you think Quentin Avers sent me here? He told me he wanted to clear his father's name, but from what you tell me, there is nothing to clear. Surely he can't be all that obsessed with his father's reputation?'

  'He is after the gold.'

  'What gold?' Amanda asked, now more confused than ever.

  'The gold Avers san left with Shigeko when he was finally sent home. He told her to keep it safe. It was like insurance for her and baby in case the money ran out. Shigeko is only one who knows where it is.'

  How did Derek Avers come to have gold?'

  'He had plenty money at his disposal. Black market very profitable. He left some money for Shigeko and had the rest converted to gold. A good investment for the future.'

  'But if Ned Kelly, I mean Michael, had been sent home, how would he know about the gold to make mention of it in the journal?'

  'Not sure. I think someone tell him after he return home, someone he knew when he was in Hiroshima; another soldier I suspect. I think his memories gradually come back and he remembers some things. He seeks out past army friends and perhaps they tell him.'

  'So as his memory starts to return, he contacts someone he was close to, who was also involved in the smuggled goods and learns what happened after he was sent home,' Amanda says, trying to fill in the missing pieces.'

  'Most likely! But he has not yet learned about his daughter. If he had, he would not be trying to cause trouble.'

  'And Quentin is trying to claim the gold for himself. Derek Avers must have told him about the gold when he first received his copy of the journal,' Amanda surmised.

  'Perhaps! He maybe believes that someone else is also after the gold. He thinks that Ned Kelly san is playing one off against the other. That is why you have been sent; to speak with Shigeko. Ned Kelly san sends copies of journal to others involved and that maybe why the son of my friend thinks everyone chasing gold.'

  'Does anyone besides Shigeko know where the gold is?'

  'The gold is deposited somewhere at Kamakura. Shigeko took it there for safe keeping many years ago. It is in one of the monastery's in the forest.'

  'Was that mentioned in the journal?'

  'No, Ned Kelly san would not know this. There are many monastery's in the forest near Kamakura. Only Shigeko knows the exact location.'

  'Wouldn't she be likely to hand it over to the son of Derek Avers?'

  'Perhaps! But she doesn't know that Avers san has died.'

  For Amanda all the pieces were starting to fall into place.

  'So Quentin thinks that I will be able to convince her to give him the gold,' she said, and added, 'how cunning of him. He gets me to do the dirty work. Shigeko gives me the gold, I deposit it with a bank here in his name, the bank converts it to cash and transfers the proceeds back to his account in Australia.'

  'And what do you get?' Tokuo asked.

  'I get the story,' she answered. 'At least that part of the deal seems to be straight-forward. You said that someone else might be after the gold. Do you know who?'

  'I can think of a few. Maclean san, Patterson, Kelty, they were all part of it. Perhaps they suddenly get greedy after all this time,' Tokuo chuckled.

  'Or perhaps it is their children who are the greedy ones,' Amanda suggested. Tokuo chuckled once more.

  'You seem to be enjoying all this,' Amanda said to him, 'as if it was some sort of game.'

  Tokuo chuckled even more. 'They are silly,' he began. 'Shigeko is loyal to one person only, and that is Avers san. Now that he has died, she has no responsibility to anyone. She will decide what to do with the gold. I suspect she will donate it to some cause. She is devout Buddhist. Money means nothing to her. It is only means to an end, and during most of her life Yoshiko has been all that mattered.'

  'Has she ever tried to find Michael?'

  'Ned Kelly san?'

  'Yes,' Amanda replied.

  'Very hard for her to do that. She and I were married. All the time she look after Yoshiko, she expect Ned Kelly san to come looking for her, so she stay at Miyajima. But he not come. Very hard for me, and very hard for our marriage. After we separate, she make enquiries but they lead her nowhere. In the end she stopped trying and get on with her life.'

  'Was your separation amicable?'

  'Amicable?'

  'Friendly.'

  'I would say, pleasant. There was no big argument. I was offered work here in Nara and it seemed right time to re-assess our relationship. It may sound strange, but we are still close. We share common memories and we both love Yoshiko as our own. Shigeko still seeks my advice on money matters and tells me what Yoshiko is doing. I keep in touch with Yoshiko as well and Yoshiko rings me every week.'

  'Does Shigeko know Ned Kelly's real name?' Amanda asked.

  'Yes, of course.'

  'Do you?' Amanda pressed.

  'Yes, but not my place to tell,' he laughed, 'I no tell.'

  'Then what surname did she give Yoshiko?'

  'Mine,' Tokuo answered. 'She is Yoshiko Yamada, he said very proudly.

  Amanda felt certain that if she could meet with Shigeko and learn the true identity of Michael, the author of the journal, she would be able to join all the pieces together and unravel the remaining mysteries surrounding this fascinating story.

  'Would Shigeko meet with me?' she asked Tokuo.

  'I can ask her. But if it is only to help the son of my friend then I don't think she will want to help you.'

  'Do you think that she would tell me Ned Kelly san's real name?'

  'I don't think so.'

  'Why not?'

  'Because Ned Kelly san holds a special place in her heart and to reveal his identity for little more than temporal gain would disturb the special nature of her relationship with him. In her heart she has attained a special state of mind, a kind of nirvana, a purity of thought, a golden time, born of pain and suffering, and she would not dare do anything to interfere with that. It would for her, be a huge betrayal,' Tokuo answered.

  'Even if she knew that he was now trying to stir up trouble?'

  'We don't know why he does this? Perhaps if he knew current circumstance, he would act differently. Also, we don't know how much he remembers.'

  'He remembered that he had made her pregnant?'

  'Yes. Perhaps that is all and he feels anger in his heart. Perhaps he look for someone to blame after so long.'

  'What would it take then, do you think, for Shigeko to reveal his name?'

  'Only, if it were to compliment the memory of what they were together.'

  'You are a Buddhist aren't you?' she asked Tokuo. He nodded devoutly, clapped his hands together and bowed his head.

  'Can you help me understand these things better?'

  Tokuo was taken by surprise. He remained silent as he searched deep into Amanda's eyes as if expecting to see the answer he should give her. What he saw was conflict, passion, and desire. What he saw was determination, drive, competitiveness, all the things he had seen during those years spent with the Australian and American soldiers, all the things that rendered the mind fruitless, a desert where unhappy souls wander in search of answers they cannot find, of anything to save them from death.

  'You must allow understanding to come to you. Not by learning but by clearing your mind of all that blocks out the pathway to enlightenment. This cannot be found. You must allow it to find you.'

  'How do I allow it to find me?'

  'Through meditation,' he answered. 'It is not easy. It is not like sitting in church and listening to priest preaching, or reading from a holy book. It is to be open
to the gentleness of the mind, to expel the forces of hate and retribution, of craving for material comforts. You must free your mind of all that prevents you respecting all living things and thus to embrace the beauty of every living thing.'

  'I'd like to try,' she asked of him.

  Again, he looked deeply into her eyes, and Amanda felt he was searching for her soul. Then he rose, offered his hand to help her up and said, 'come, we go to the temple and you tell me what you feel.'

  'What temple?'

  'Todai-ji Temple. Most famous in all Japan! Come we go.'

  'What, right now?'

  'Yes, it is not far. Come I show you.'

  From Tokuo's house, the couple headed up the road, past Nara Park and the small lake where tourists and local residents rested after the long walk up the hill from Nara railway station. They cut across the gardens brimming with pink and white blossom, passed Kofuku-ji Temple and its eye-catching pagodas and followed what seemed a pilgrimage of believers and non-believers all pressing onward, come to view the world famous heritage listed structure. Along the way, much to Amanda's astonishment, deer roamed freely, unafraid, permitting tourists the luxury of touching and feeding. Souvenir shops plagued the final avenue leading to the middle gate, the final passageway to the great wooden temple wherein the giant Daibutsu made of gold and copper rested, its hands reaching out, sitting, meditating; the symbol of enlightenment of thought.

  The very size alone staggered Amanda. 'It is the largest wooden structure in the world,' Tokuo told her. 'It has been destroyed by fire twice since first built in the eighth century C.E. and the present structure is only two thirds its original size,' he added proudly.

  'It is stunning,' Amanda said as she walked alongside Tokuo toward the temple.

  'Christians have their cathedrals. We have our temples,' Tokuo replied calmly. As they reached the top of the steps leading to the Great Buddha, crowds came and went, cameras clicking furiously. Children in school groups listened intently as their teachers gave them instruction, elderly Japanese stood in silent prayer.

  'These people who pray here, are they enlightened?' Amanda asked Tokuo quietly.

  'They seek enlightenment. No one person would be so audacious as to claim enlightenment. It is received, not claimed; and only after much time and meditation. While Christians seek an external god, we seek the god within us,' he explained. 'In truth, none achieve what they seek. It comes through progressive stages and in different forms.'

  'You mean re-incarnation?' Amanda asked.

  'Hmm,' Tokuo thought, 'it is complicated and requires much understanding from you before I can answer your question. Today we simply seek to be aware of our consciousness and its depth.'

  'Well, I have to say I am inexpressibly impressed,' Amanda conceded.

  'It is easy to be impressed with such a magnificent shrine, but those who come here to pray see well beyond the monument. They come in search of the way to their inner being. This vast building like all cathedrals is a means to an end. The real journey only begins here. If I can make analogy with your journey: you could go to Shigeko and ask that she give the gold to the son of my friend. But would it not be better, to ask how you can help preserve the special relationship she enjoys with Ned Kelly san.'

  'Would it not be better still if we could reunite them both?' Amanda asked.

  'Yes, indeed, but surely Ned Kelly san could have done that himself, rather than write a hurtful journal,' Tokuo suggested.

  'Perhaps he is unable. Perhaps he is frightened. Perhaps the journal was his way of drawing others together to show him the way. Who knows! He might even be married himself and unable to reveal to those around him the pain he now feels.'

  'Now you are speaking as one who is receiving enlightenment Amanda san.'

  Amanda blushed as she realized at that moment her focus had shifted from her own desire to a deeper, more meaningful concern for someone else, and true to Tokuo's words, she did not seek it?it came to her. At that moment she realized too, the materialistic nature of Quentin Avers mission in sending her to Japan. Surely, she thought, the story required a deeper, more fulfilling outcome. And that outcome was not hers to manipulate; it was for Shigeko to decide.

  'Let me go to her,' Amanda pleaded. 'I will leave it entirely to her. I will not ask for the gold, I will ask her to reveal what her wishes are, and I will do my best to help her. If you would trust me Tokuo, I promise I will not disappoint you.'

  Tokuo had no difficulty trusting that Amanda would keep her word. He did not however, trust Quentin Avers, the son of his friend.

  'Come let us return to my house and I will give you that part of the journal you have not yet seen. I know how it was removed from your belongings.'

  'How?' Amanda asked as they descended the steps of the Todai-ji Temple and began making their way out amid the hoard of tourists and schoolgirls surrounding them.

  'I had another visitor yesterday. He knew you were coming.'

  'Who?' Amanda asked, quite stunned.

  'His name was Andrew Patterson. Do you know him?'

  'No,' Amanda said instinctively.

  'He claimed he spoke with you yesterday at Hiroshima station.'

  'Him!' Amanda said, recalling the brief encounter with the Australia man. 'He was so helpful to me. Who is he?'

  'He claimed to be the son of Len Patterson san, a former soldier and associate of mine who, it seems, is also on the trail of the gold.'

  'Oh my God, I had no idea. I was quite taken with him. He gave me his card and also his address in Tokyo. He suggested I contact him when I returned there. What did he want from you?'

  'He visit me as mark of respect for his father,' Tokuo chuckled. 'He funny man. His father funny man.'

  'How on earth did he know who I was?'

  'I would suggest Amanda san that he was on the same flight as you, that he has been following you, and that he has been sent here by someone who wants to keep a close eye on you.'

  'Who?' Amanda asked, 'and why?'

  'Come, perhaps when you have the opportunity to read the remaining part of the journal, the answer might become clear to you.'

  Amanda suddenly remembered the occasion with Quentin Avers at their first meeting. She recalled his warning that she would be delving into some shady areas, and some people may try to warn her off, even threaten her. Things had not yet reached that stage but an eerie chill crept up behind her and for the very first time since arriving in Japan, she felt uneasy. As Tokuo escorted her back to his house the image of Andrew Patterson haunted her. He must have followed her from the hotel to the station. Perhaps he was staying there. Who had hired him to keep watch? What was she doing that would be of such interest to anyone except Quentin Avers?

  When she arrived back at Tokuo's house, she felt slightly more relaxed. Tokuo handed her his copy of the journal and offered more tea. Amanda thanked him, opened the journal to the part she last remembered reading. She decided to refresh her memory by re-reading a few pages first?.

  'But you will come back for me, Michael?' she asked, her eyes filled with hope. I could not bring myself to say no. I saw deep within her an expectation that she was about to leave, that she had concluded some likelihood we would be together from this moment on.

  'In a few days,' I said, without thinking. It was all I could offer her.

  'We are having a baby,' she said, and it was then I knew I could not desert her, but I had no idea how to overcome the difficulties that would confront us. There was a strict non-fraternization policy and I had broken that already. How was I to manage this predicament?

  'I need some time to work things out,' I said to her. 'I have to get help from our people.' While I said 'our people', I didn't know who 'our people' were. Then in a moment of calm I resigned myself to be adopted by the black marketeers, for if they could not help, surely there was no one else. After all, she was having our baby, and somehow that took priority. Whatever I could do, would be driven by that fundamental reality.

  'Are
you being looked after here all right?' I asked.

  She nodded. 'The woman who let you in is my aunty and she agreed to allow you in when a soldier came asking for me. In return, he offered food. Food is so scarce. People are starving. Housing is limited, the bombing, the incendiary bombing. Anyone who still has a house is very fortunate. My aunty will most likely write to my parents though and tell them you have come,' Shigeko said.

  'Don't worry. I will find a way for you to leave here soon. Trust me. Be ready to go at a minute's notice. The next time I come, I will take you with me, I promise.'

  My words helped her calm down, her body once tense and frightened, relaxed and rested in my arms. I had made her a promise and she trusted me, although at that point I had no idea how I would keep my word.

  I left her there with a promise to return and the only person I thought could help was Len Patterson. As I walked briskly back to the waiting truck, my fifteen minutes up, my mind focussed on him. Clearly, there was something about him and his activities that, in my naivety, I was missing. But right now, he was the man, the only man, and having seen Shigeko, and aware of the circumstances she had been forced to accept, I was prepared to do anything he wanted, if he could secure her safety.

  This was the point she reached previously. Now, she sat back on a comfortable armchair and began the final pages of the journal?.

  I climbed aboard the truck, my mind totally concentrating on Shigeko. We continued on in the darkness, through the desolate streets of Tokyo until we came to a stop once more. There, several men, both Japanese and Caucasian, waited alongside a civilian transport vehicle. With customary military efficiency, we began unloading our supplies, transferring them from one vehicle to the other. As we made the transfer I looked more closely at one of the Japanese men because even in the darkness I thought I recognized him. It was Tokuo Yamada, the brother of Masako. I was taken by surprise and tried to attract his attention, but he would have none of it, his mind totally committed to what he was doing. When loading was completed, Len signalled for us to climb back into our vehicle. I took another look across to where Tokuo waited. This time he was more receptive. Our eyes met and he nodded to me, almost a traditional Japanese bow. But no words passed between us. He pointed to the vehicle now carrying the supplies we had unloaded as if to inform me he was going with them. I nodded back to show I understood and climbed aboard our truck. There was some private discussion between Len Patterson and the men from the other vehicle, and then it was all over. The other vehicle departed, and we headed back to our barracks. On the return journey, I sat with Len. I said nothing about Tokuo, rather I explained the position concerning Shigeko and what I wanted to do. He sat quietly, listening to everything I said, nodding gently from time to time, and indicating that he understood all the circumstances. He sat there quietly for a few moments and then explained what he could do.

  'There's a doctor in Kaitaichi. Dr. Kano,' he started.

  'Yes, I know of him,' I replied.

  'He is one of us,' he said.

  'What do you mean, us?' I asked.

  'He works with us. I don't want to go into the detail, and frankly, it is better that you don't know. But he needs help at his medical centre. He could use someone who can be trusted, and he could provide a place for your girl-friend to stay until she has the baby,' he explained. Does she speak any English?'

  'Yes,' I replied, 'she speaks it very well.'

  He paused for a few moments.

  'Would she be ready to move in 48 hours?' he asked.

  'Yes,' I said, holding back my eagerness which was about to burst out of my brain.

  'Let me see what I can arrange. In the meantime, I will need your help again tomorrow night. Then we have to return to Kaitaichi on Saturday with the battalion. If we can help your girlfriend, she will need to go before then.'

  'She'll be ready,' I said.

  I joined the truck crew again the following night and the same procedure took place, moving supplies from the US base into the truck, driving some distance through Tokyo's desolate streets and once again transferring the supplies to a civilian truck. This time Tokuo was not among the civilian crew. When we were returning to base, Len Patterson spoke to me about Shigeko.

  'We are arranging for your girl-friend to travel by truck to Hiroshima tomorrow. She will be escorted by one of our civilian locals. His name is Tokuo Yamada. He will look after her and see that she gets to Kaitaichi and Dr. Kano's medical centre where she will stay. You will be able to see her when we return to base at the end of the week.'

  I felt like offering to spit-polish Len's boots for the remainder of the week such was the relief and joy I felt at the news he had given me.

  'I don't know what to say,' I said gratefully.

  'No need to say anything. In fact don't mention anything about this again.'

  I suppose it's a stupid question to ask what we are doing here with all this?'

  He looked at me. It was a look that said, 'if you haven't worked it out by now, telling you won't make any difference.'

  I said no more on the matter.

  The following Saturday we were to head back to Hiroshima. Guard duty at the Imperial Palace was over for us and a new unit had arrived and taken over. I was happy to leave Tokyo; happier moreover knowing that I would see Shigeko again and we could make plans. It was a depressing site looking at the incredible destruction we witnessed in the suburbs, and even more depressing to see the population trying to re-establish themselves, their homes, and their lives. Some had begun growing vegetables on tiny plots that would barely feed a family for a day when they were ready to pick; others just stared aimlessly as we passed by, the faces telling the same story of hopelessness I had seen the first day I arrived in Japan. It wasn't just Tokyo; in Yokohama the same story unfolded. It was only in the countryside that any real degree of normality returned. Here, farmers seemed more determined, more productive, with lush green fields full of crops near-ready for market. I wondered who would be their first port-of-call. Would the starving of Tokyo and Yokohama receive desperately needed food or would the black marketeers get their greedy hands on the supplies first and demand exorbitant prices for the most basic of human needs? Truly, I thought, the country was a shambles and it would take extraordinary resolve to overcome their present circumstances.

  Sadly, that is as much as I recall with any clarity, except to say that I know something is missing. Forty years passed before my memory began to return. I have since sought answers but it is such a long and difficult process. I have tracked down those who were part of the scheme and have learnt of the wealth they amassed. Doubtless they have profited greatly. That is not as much my concern or interest now, as it is to learn what happened afterwards. I am told by one former member that I was involved in a train derailment and lost my memory. I recall nothing of that. The same member tells me that Sergeant Avers amassed so much money he could not take it with him when he came home. I am not surprised. I am told there is gold bullion buried in the forest at Kamakura.

  Such greed carried out in the face of such suffering and starvation is strange to me. I am told that Masako holds the key to the location of this gold. I am told Ronnie Maclean was present and knows the precise location. Doubtless Sergeant Avers knows too, but he is sick and will never see the fruits of his crimes. If I have one wish it is to know what happened to Shigeko and if her baby was born safely. All these years I have been married to my Elaine and as memories of Shigeko have returned gradually, I have wondered what became of her. Elaine knows but says nothing. Perhaps I have spoken in my sleep, I don't know, but she has said nothing. Our relationship has been strained for these reasons and now she is not well. My son is my only hope now; he, and his emissary who searches for answers. But know this: Those who seek to claim what is not theirs will fail, and I give you solemn warning that it is within my sphere of influence to have this entire matter brought to the attention, not just of the Department of Defence, but of the broader community.

&nb
sp; Let all who read this take heed.

  Amanda let the journal rest on her knees as she considered the claims made.

  'He says that his son is his only hope. His son and his son's emissary! Do we conclude from that remark that someone is already here searching on his behalf? Is he here following me, hoping that I will lead him to the gold bullion, or lead him to Shigeko?'

  Tokuo looked toward her and with the wisdom of the years spoke softly, but emphatically.

  'Those who seek riches for riches' sake will fail. That is all I have to say.'

  Amanda placed the journal down and pleaded with Tokuo.

  'Please let me go to see Shigeko. I will not ask anything of her. I just want to meet her and listen to what she can tell me. I want to learn from her.'

  Tokuo paused in thought, and then eventually nodded his head. 'I will speak with her tonight. It is for her to decide. Come and see me in the morning and I will give you her answer.'

  Next morning, Amanda did not have to wait long for Shigeko's answer.

  'Yes, Shigeko would be pleased to meet with you,' Tokuo told her when she returned to his house shortly after breakfast.

  'That's wonderful,' Amanda said, delighted at the news.

  'I will give you her contact details and you can call her when you return to Hiroshima.'

  Amanda clasped her hands together in anticipation. Tokuo smiled approvingly at her eagerness.

  'As you have come this far, it would be unfortunate not to meet her. I am pleased for you. I am still doubtful however, that she will be willing to help the son of my friend if all he seeks is the gold,' Tokuo cautioned.

  'The son of your friend will have to be very honest with me as well,' Amanda said. 'I have no intention of being a mule here.'

  'A mule?'

  'It's a term used to describe a drug runner,' Amanda replied. 'If anything, I am more interested in re-uniting Shigeko with the father of her daughter than helping Quentin Avers.'

  'If that is your intention, then I wish you well,' he replied.

  'The young woman who met me at Hiroshima, Mieko, would she be able to come with me do you think?'

  'It has been arranged. If you return to your hotel in Hiroshima today, she will contact you tomorrow morning.'

  'Oh that's wonderful. Thank you very much.'

  Then, sensing that this might be a final parting, Amanda paused. 'Will I see you again?' she asked.

  'Let us leave that to our respective destinies,' he answered.

  Amanda nodded, and the two of them shook hands.

  'Goodbye for the time being,' she said.

  'Goodbye Amanda san.'

  He watched her walk away, down the narrow street toward the station and felt a sense of fulfilment. Amanda, he realized, was not a puppet of Quentin Avers. She was a person of integrity and would not allow herself to be used by anybody. His only reservation was that in his experience, people of integrity expend so much effort concentrating on the right path that they lose sight of their objective.

  23.