Yumeko heard the deafening voice and woke up in an instant. She was totally speechless. Her eyes never blinked as she looked around. Her eyesight was fuzzy and gradually saw things clearly. 

“Ehhhh?!” she said in a high-pitched voice then slightly pinched her pinkish cheeks.

“Ouch,” she softly uttered.

“My lady, are you okay? I was waiting outside your room for about thirty minutes but there were no signs of you waking up. Are you sick? Hungry? Do you have a headache? Heartache? Toothache?” her maid worriedly asked. 

“What else ends with –ache?” she whispered to herself. “Anyway, please tell me what’s wrong, Lady Yumeko!” 

Yumeko looked at her but she could not recognize her no matter how hard she tried to recall. Everything that surrounded her was unfamiliar. 

The walls were painted in white with varnished pillars. The windows were made of wooden frame and covered with translucent white paper. Everything was new to her as if she was an outlander.

Yumeko realized that she felt strange. She had lost all her memories without knowing the reason, yet she never mentioned it. She was completely clueless. Good thing she learned her name by hearing it this morning.

“I’m…I’m okay. I have backache. Something hurts on my back,” she stuttered as she touched her aching back.

“Ahh…backache, that’s another word with ‘ache’,” the maid muttered seriously.

She checked Yumeko’s bed and saw an old looking book. The maid, knowing only a little reading, could not recognize the kanji that were embossed on the cover. She wondered why Yumeko had a book on her bed when she always read in her study room. She knew everything about her for they grew up together. She was always with her since childhood. She thought she read the whole night causing her to wake up late and that she slept with the book placed under her back that caused the pain when she woke up.

“Lady Yumeko, when did you start reading books on your bed? You have a large study room made by your father especially for you,” she curiously asked.

“Ahh, that book is...is…old you can put it in the storage room if we have—or just throw it.” She slightly looked at it and bluntly answered as she did not remember a thing. 

“…Okay, my lady,” the maid said after a pause.

Then a loud knock was heard.

“Yumeko!” 

It was a manly and an intimidating voice. He forcefully opened the door.

“Do you know what time it is? You will be late for school! Hurry up and get ready!” said by a tall, well fitted old man in military uniform with a slightly shaved beard covering his jaw and upper cheeks. 

It was a face she had seen for the first time.

“It’s your father Lady Yumeko,” the maid whispered in a rush. 

Yumeko, who was still in a state of shock, answered in a polite manner, “Yes F..Fa..Father. My apologies. I will prepare now.”  

“You have to be responsible with everything, my daughter, so you will be a woman worthy for a noble husband.” It was a reminder by a concerned father. 

He looked at the maid before leaving. 

“Koharu, I hope this will not happen again. You have to look after my daughter carefully. That’s my greatest task for you.” 

She bowed. “I beg your pardon, master. This will not happen again,” she sincerely replied. 

And he left straight away.

“Oh, that’s her name,” Yumeko whispered. 

“Ko...Koharu...It was my mistake. I am sorry.” 

“My lady, please don’t feel bad. There’s nothing for you to be sorry about. It was my fault for not waking you up early. Please let’s go back into your room and get changed.” She then gave the clothes to Yumeko and helped her dress. 

Yumeko wore a pink kimono with chrysanthemum flower pattern that just went along with a red hakama topped with a yellow obi around her waist. She twirled with joy. Her long black silky hair went along with her. For the final touch, Koharu combed her hair half up and put a red bow on top. She looked absolutely charming for someone attending a women’s school. Yumeko showed so much liking to her kimono. 

“I love this design!” She put on a big pleasant smile.

“It’s your favorite kimono, after all, my lady. Here’s your lunch.” Koharu handed her a rectangular shaped box covered in a pink flower patterned cloth.

Yumeko accepted it and then she left. “Bye, Koharu. I owe you one.”

When she was about to go down the stairs, she heard someone calling her.

“Lady Yumeko, you forgot to put this on your hair!”

It was a hair pin with zinnia flower design on it. It was a gift from her mother, who passed away from tuberculosis.

“It was your first time to forget this hair pin given by your late mother. Please wear it, my lady,” said Koharu, who also felt strange about the happenings this morning. “Also, let me remind you that your class starts at nine.”

“Oh..yes..I am sorry. Thank you!”

Yumeko gently pinned it—and the zinnia hair pin fit on her long black hair perfectly. She continued running down their wooden antique stairs. As soon as she got out, Yumeko saw a bicycle with a front basket—her name engraved on its down tube. It was hers to use for school. Though she seemed lost her memories, her body had not forgotten the skills she had.

As she looked back, she learned that she lived in a huge traditional house. 

Yumeko rode on her bicycle comfortably. She passed by the traditional houses along a historic village located slightly in between Houn-ji and Tobokuji temples in Tokyo. She saw people in traditional clothes selling random goods along the street. Crowded rickshaws were seen busy looking for customers to serve—it was a two-wheeled vehicle drawn by a man in the middle of two shafts. 

Yumeko started humming and feeling the fresh air given by the abundant trees behind the village. She was very relaxed as if she was not in a hurry. 

She suddenly stopped that caused her to almost fall down. She was panicking.

“Oh no! I don’t know where my school is! I completely forgot everything! I am very late. This day is very frustrating!” she cried in a helpless tone. 

A cat crossed the street.

“…I just want to be a cat.” 

Seeing the trouble-free animal along her path, she felt even more helpless.

Yumeko then decided to ask some passersby, “Excuse me, do you have a minute? I am lost and looking for my school. Do you know where it is? I forgot its name,” she asked the old couple.

“There are only two schools in this village, a men’s and a women’s school. Your school is located two blocks away from here, then turn left by the dango shop. You will see it directly from there,” the old woman answered.

“Thank you very much. You saved my day,” she said and left.

“Isn’t four months passed since the school started? How can she be lost?” asked by the confused old man.

“Maybe she’s a transfer student? But how can she forget her school name?” the old woman added.

“It’s okay. I felt younger after she asked. Maybe we aren’t that old. We still have sharper memory than her,” said happily by the old man.

“That’s the best thing I’ve heard from you, darling. Who said we are old? Fufufu.” 

They continued walking on their way contentedly…hands intertwined. 

Meanwhile, the carefree young heart Yumeko safely arrived at her school.

“Yosh! I found it! This must be my school. It is so big.” Her eyes sparkled with excitement but at the same time she was greatly anxious.

On August 11^th 1921, Taisho 10,  Thursday, 9:05 o’clock in the morning, Yumeko was late for the very first time.

To be continued.

End Notes

Kanji - one of Japan’s writing systems using characters similar to Chinese

Kimono - traditional Japanese clothing, national costume of Japan

Obi - a sash used to secure a kimono and keep it close

Hakama - skirt like pants worn over a kimono