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Shikishima’s breath dissipated into the cold air as he held his coat closer, rolling his motorcycle beside him.
He walked the bustling streets of the Asakusa Nakamise Shōtengai, which had been rebuilt quickly from the ashes of war not long after it ended - albeit as a black market, which it still showed strong colors of in places - strangers passing him by. Some murmured if he was the same person from the headlines. He paid them no heed, as he was not wishing for attention at the moment.
The Asakusa streets were too populous for and not built for Christmas trees, unlike the spaces in front of Tokyo Station or the department stores of Ginza. However, as if to take up the mantle of those locales that were supposed to keep the only just rekindling flame of Christmas cheer alive while they recovered, even Asakusa had become decorated with red and green and silver as well.
Those wandering these streets today were mostly like him, certainly, fortunate enough to have money to spare as they searched for gifts to their loved ones and especially children.
Christmas was a holiday with a short history in Japan. Yet, its return heralded a return of peace for all. Christmas was a symbol of the west, of abundance, of generosity for the individual. All things that had been thought necessary to be quashed merely two years ago.
…Even if this was still a tumultuous time, between the temporary relocation of the capital and US Occupation Forces General Headquarters to Osaka - a city air raid and earthquake stricken but still not as destroyed - as both continued to attempt to rebuild the country, the relocation of the Imperial family to their traditional home in Kyoto, and the continued grieving of many Tokyoites who had lost their loved ones in Godzilla’s rampage as the primary hub of the former capital attempted to once again rise from the ashes. Holidays gave them much respite, and even with the chaos of current events, many remained cautiously hopeful, if at least for the prospect that things could not possibly get worse.
He remembered innocent childhood days, growing up before the military machine devoured the nation. How gifts said to be crafted by Santa Claus himself would be waiting for him after he returned from school. His father went out drinking on Christmas nights, at whatever Christmas party was nearby, as he happily opened the gifts with his mother.
This year’s Christmas was his first as Akiko’s true father.
He had to make this special.
Unlike what was typical then, he was going to spend it with his new family.
Shikishima looked into a store stall, peering at the toys inside.
He stood there, glued onto the items on sale. On display were, among other items, an assortment of celluloid dolls, stuffed animals, wooden block sets, and most notably, many miniature tin items - cars, cooking utensils, horses, people, even some trains - unthinkable during the war.
Such toys would have been confiscated and melted to mold into bullets then. Whatever use that would have had.
“Say there, nii-san! Looking to make a purchase today?”
Someone patted him on the back. He turned to him. It was a man in his thirties, appearing to be an employee, wearing an apron with “Nakayama Toys” stitched onto it.
“Ah, yes, if you please. I'm hoping to find something special for my daughter.”
“Well, you've come to the right place! Right this way!”
Shikishima exited the store moments later with a fresh new celluloid doll and tin cooking set in his bag, the clerk and owner waving him off with a cheerful call of “Merry Christmas!”
He had bought the finest ones they had; it was slightly amusing seeing the shocked look on the clerk's face, and how the owner had looked at him with a very pleased expression saying “Well now, nii-san! Must be quite the job you've got! Though I reckon I should've figured, what with that fine motorcycle of yours!”
He could not help but buy both; Akiko had always watched her mother intently as she cooked, and surely, the girl wished to experience it as well. But he could not get the picture out of his mind of Noriko sewing little clothing items together for the doll - she missed sewing him new clothing, she had told him - and Akiko playing pretend as she dressed up the doll with those pieces. She could “cook” food for the doll using the cooking set as well.
He could not help himself from smiling as he pictured it. The two most important people in his life, sharing a carefree, peaceful pastime.
He continued to walk. He was not sure why, just to take the peace in, he supposed.
Here he was, presents in his bag for his daughter, after he had denied her the fatherhood she needed for so long. It still felt surreal at times. At times, he was still attacked by thoughts that he did not deserve them. That they were simply illusions conjured up by the mind of a dying man. But by the day, those thoughts became less and less common.
It was after several minutes of walking, when he was at the very edge of the market, that another store caught his eye.
The building was new, much like the others. However, it had a distinctively, noticeably western build, its front covered in glass, and was virtually empty, unlike most of the other fronts.
He looked up to the sign. It read “Kaneko Jewelers”, “Main Store” in smaller text under it; a closer look revealed those words had been patched over whatever had been originally there.
The original main store must have been in…
Shikishima decided to push that thought out of his mind.
He walked a few more steps to the display. In said display were indeed pieces of jewelry.
More specifically, rings.
The rings on display were not numerous. After all, resources were still scarce. And surely, they weren’t made of the best quality metals possible. Yet, they shined dazzlingly to his eyes.
A certain anecdote, one from just about this time last year, crossed his mind…
———————————-
“Kō-san... I don't believe I've ever told you about my parents?”
Shikishima faced Noriko.
She was right; she hadn’t spoken much about her parents. Understandably so, perhaps.
“No... can't say you have. Though I understand if it's too painful to speak of.”
Noriko shook her head.
“It is hard sometimes, I admit. They loved my sisters and me so very much. But... we've been living together all this time now, and I think it's important we know more about each other. And I... I don't want them to be forgotten.”
Shikishima continued to look at her.
She felt safe to share this with him, it seemed.
“My father was quite a peculiar man. He came into much fortune just before he wed my mother, and provided us with a comfortable life.”
She chuckled.
“And speaking of peculiar... would you like to hear how he told her he wanted to marry her?”
“Say, what did he do?”
“Well, when the families had their formal meeting, he found himself completely taken with her. More than any other bride they were considering. So while his parents were still thinking it over, he went behind their backs and... oh, you won't believe what he did!”
“What happened?”
“He presented himself at her house, asked for her specifically, and when she came out to meet him... he knelt down right there and presented her with a ring!”
Shikishima looked at her, perplexed.
“A ring? Well, I've heard tell of wedding rings in Christian ceremonies, but... before the wedding?”
She nodded.
“Yes! It's apparently quite common in the West - when a man asks for a woman's hand in marriage, he presents her with a ring as a promise of his dedication.”
She sighed.
“Isn't it wonderful? Father loved the ceremonial, the finer things such as that. His parents were terribly cross with him, but they chose her in the end anyway, and her family chose him. Father loved to say it was the ring that forced their hand.”
Her expression turned bittersweet.
“Even as the war demanded more and more from us... Father made Mother hide the ring away. He was determined to protect that precious band, and he knew it wouldn't help the war effort. He kept it safe until... until the very end...”
She looked down to her lap, her expression dimming.
“…It was lost in the fires, like everything else we held dear.”
After a few moments, Noriko returned her look to him, rather apologetic.
“Oh... I've made things rather sad, haven't I?”
He shook his head.
“Hey now, don't fret. That was... well, that was quite something. Thank you for sharing it.”
Akiko started to fuss in Noriko’s arms. Noriko’s attention was soon turned to the toddler, and she stood up.
“Oh, Aki-chan! I'm sorry, Kō-san, but I think the rest of my stories will have to wait.”
Shikishima sat there, staring at her beautiful form, as she moved to the other room to calm the child down.
—————————————
“Hey! You there!”
A broad voice shot in from beside him. He jumped.
He turned to see a tall, burly man with sharp, piercing eyes staring him down.
“What's your business, staring like that?”
Shikishima stammered.
“Oh... my apologies! No ill intentions, I assure you. Just... admiring the pieces in the window, that's all.”
“Now, Kuroda-san, this fellow's no thief. Leave him be.”
Both men turned to see a man, perhaps in his late forties or early fifties, dressed in a suit, exit the store. He turned to Shikishima, his smile warm.
“Might you be interested in one of our rings, young man?”
Shikishima stared at the store owner, before he nodded.
“Well, yes, I suppose I am.”
“Splendid! We don't see many customers these days—times being what they are. But please, do come in.”
As he entered the shop, he observed the prices of the items. Some had gemstones mounted on them - no overly rare ones, but valuable nonetheless - while others shined with simple metallic beauty.
Quite pricey. But not so much that he couldn’t afford most of them.
He listened intently to the owner as he explained the qualities of each piece.
——————————
As Akiko opened the box on Christmas morning, the normally quiet girl was ecstatic, bouncing with joy, giddy with excitement as she took out her gifts.
“Look! Okaa-chan! Akiko can cook too! Akiko has baby too!”
Her parents couldn’t help but smile at the adorable display as she immediately started trying to “cook” something, cradling the doll in her free arm.
It had taken long for Akiko to call Noriko “okaa-chan” again - for whatever reason she appeared somewhat scared of her during visits to her in the hospital and after her initial return - but now it came naturally to the girl like it did before.
Yes, she was her mother, once more.
And he, her father.
They were her mother and father.
It did not take Noriko long to notice Shikishima’s uneasiness.
“Kō-san?”
Shikishima tensed. He turned to her. She looked at him, her expression colored with confusion.
Now was his time.
His heart roared in his ears.
Why was he this nervous? He knew this day was coming.
But now, facing this exact scenario, in front of him…
“Noriko-san… I have a Christmas present for you too.”
He took a deep breath.
He kneeled.
He took out the box from his pocket.
He heard her gasp as he opened the box with trembling hands, revealing a ring; a band forged from an alloy of mostly silver and small parts tin, mounted with small, milky pearls.
“Would you... Heavens, Noriko-san… W-would you be my wife?”
She covered her mouth, her face red, staring at the ring, then him. He, likewise, felt the heat creeping up strongly on his face, but fought to keep his voice even.
“Now that I've brought presents for Akiko... now that she's truly my daughter... Well, seems only right, doesn't it? That we become a proper family.”
He shook his head, reorganizing his scattered thoughts.
“That story about your father... when you told me that, you were trying to tell me something, weren't you? About taking your hand. Heaven help me, I knew, but I couldn't face it then. I'm sorry it's taken so long, even after my war finally ended, even after getting you back from the hospital, but...”
He put his head down sharply.
“Please marry me! …M-Merry Christmas!”
The speech was awkward, not what he had planned at all. His face was burning. His breath was heavy.
But yet, Noriko smiled, her smile bright as the sun itself. She took the ring into her hand, handling it delicately.
He looked up at her, observing as the ring took its rightful place on her finger.
She admired it, seeing how it shimmered in the warm light from above.
“Oh, Kō-san… this is…”
He stood.
“Maybe it's not quite like the one your father gave your mother, but...”
Her smile only became wider.
“It’s absolutely perfect, Kō-san!”
She threw her arms around him, and he froze. But as he reached his bearings again, he returned the embrace. She was warm, soft, as always; he could melt into her grasp.
“Yes, yes of course! I would love nothing more than to be your wife!”
Joy bubbled up from within him, as did so many pleasant feelings he could barely name. They had stayed in the embrace for several moments, basking in the warmth of the other, when Shikishima realized the presence of their daughter next to them. How long had she been there, he was not sure, but she was looking up at them, quizzical, but also with excitement.
“Happy?”
Kōichi broke the embrace, and once more bent down to the girl’s level. He was sure he was beaming like an absolute clod, but he did not care.
“That's right, Akiko! We're going to be a real family now!”
Akiko looked at him, still confused, but soon her smile brightened, and she clapped her tiny hands.
“Otō-chan! Okaa-chan! Otō-chan and okaa-chan are family! Akiko too!”
Kōichi took Akiko into his arms, twirling her around and laughing as he did so.
“We’re a family! We’re a family, Akiko!”
He didn’t know why he was so excited. He expected to be joyful, yes, but not this, not how elation filled his every cell, as if this were an unexpected event. He knew this day was going to come. Perhaps deep down, somewhere within, he had still expected this little fairytale to fall apart any minute.
But it had not, and here he was. Embracing his daughter, his love with a ring of engagement on her finger.
“Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!”
He shouted, delirious from joy. Noriko once again threw her arms around both of them, and warm laughter filled the house.
This day, millennia ago, had been the day a certain Jesus Christ was born in a stable in Bethlehem.
While Christianity had little significance to Kōichi himself, to him this day would be the true birth of his new life. A new beginning. A fresh new start, with his very own family.
He could not be happier.