272 6.66 Goodbye Hiko-sama, It Has Been A Pleasure Being With You... (2/2)

Everyone clapped wildly when Tokugawa Iemochi announces the matrimonial oath that will be made in sequence and when they announced my name, the crowd went ecstatic.

”*Ahem*... ”Tokugawa Iemochi cleared his throat and everyone's claps and cheers slowly subsided before he continues...”Here is to the groom with a bride so fair, and here is to a bride with a groom who is so rare.” before offering a toast to Inuyasha and Kikyo in which they returned their toast to him.

”Even before this day, I have seen Sango and Miroku fall in love over and over many times. That is the recipe for a successful and happy marriage. A toast to you both, I know I speak for everyone here when I say that we all wish you a long, healthy, and happy life together.” Tokugawa Iemochi raised his glass to Miroku and Sango and every resident cheered for them.

”And last but not least, to my dear friend who had taught others to be humble and respectful even to this day, Himura Kenshin...would you have anything to say before I make the toast to you?”

I slowly stood up and looked at Izumi as she sat there with a thin veil across her face. I looked to my left and saw Inuyasha was giving me a thumbs up and on the right, Miroku was putting his hand to his chest as a kind of salute. I saw Tokugawa Iemochi and he gestured me to move ahead and reach for the microphone as I would be making my speech that would reach every corner of New Kitakata Town.

”I would like to have Sensei, Hiko Seijuro up in the stage with me...” and when I said that some residents were ushering him up and up he went and stood beside me, a towering figure with a permanently frown face, a jar of yumeshu and a cup in his hand.

”Hahahahaha... As expected by my Sensei... Hiko-sama who would not leave his jar and cup by his side.” when u made this statement, the residents can't help but laughed since it was normal for Hiko-sama to be drinking most of the time and not getting drunk.

”Ladies and gentlemen, kind residents of New Kitakata Town, here stood before you a fine Samurai that had brought new light and hope to this New Kitakata Town and without him on a cold, wintery afternoon, he would not have found me half-buried and half froze with my face in the snow.”

”Without him and the rest of his Comrades, Hide-sama, Toshi-sama, Miroku-sama and Kami-sama... I would not have existed to this day. Without his Comrades, I would not even have the chance to earn the first silver coin in my life.”

”I remember the time when I was working as a housekeeper, going through his Comrades houses one day at a time, cleaning their houses, doing their laundry, cleaning the furnaces and rocket stoves and also cleaning their floors... Each of these jobs, I had fulfilled it with my heart and full of determination.”

”That's right, ladies and gentlemen... I started off as a humble and lowly housekeeper just to earn something and support myself at that time. Even if that period of time, I was looked down upon by some people here, but I never bear a grudge for I knew where I come from.”

”To conclude all this, without my Sensei here, I would not have lived if he hadn't found me and brought me into his household, adopting me as his son and I, respectfully look up to him as my Father.”

Somewhere between the crowd, I saw someone holding up a rather cumbersome camera and a flashbulb on the other hand and he was peering behind the black cloth of the camera. When he looked up he gave me a big smile and my emotions suddenly get choked up.

”Father...” when I said these words, the choked feelings suddenly raced to my throat and I seemed to have lost my voice and tears began to jerk at the corners of my eyes.

”I present to you, Dragon Scales Kodachi as my parting gift as I enter the passage of my adulthood. Please raise your hands, your left palm over your right, please....”

Hiko-sama was doing what I had instructed and he looked at me with a more frowned look as tears start to stream down my face like a burst pipe and Izumi was standing beside me and was clutching my arm. We stood in the centre of the stage, facing each other when I said ”Bow” and we bowed each other.

I went close to him and presented the Dragon Scale Kodachi and placed it in his left hand. My face seemed to have melted and I was literally sobbing on stage as the rest of the residents watched the scene unfold.

”This is for you, Father... Thank you for taking care of me and watching over me like your own son... I never had a father like you and I appreciate all the things you had done for me. Remember to wind your pocket watch daily and keep it close to your heart... ”

The residents who watched the extremely emotional scene were taking out their handkerchiefs and blowing their snot in them and used their sleeves of the kimono to wipe away their tears.

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I stood a few paces back and said 'Bow' and both of us bowed deeply to each other. 'About turn' I said and we faced Tokugawa Iemochi and 'About turn' I instructed once more and we both faced the crowd and bowed deeply to them.

Tokugawa Iemochi took the cue and cleared his throat, for he was equally affected by this moving scene.

”To love, laughter, and happily ever after. To Himura and Izumi, your fairy tale is only beginning.” Tokugawa Iemochi made the closing speech and raised his glass to the three of us.

I turned to Hiko-sama and said in a jittery voice, ”Goodbye Hiko-sama... It has been a pleasure being with you all these months... Father...”

The moment I mentioned this, Hiko-sama placed the Dragon Scale Kodachi on the floor and rushed at me and embraced me while he was kneeling on the floor. I looked at the cameraman and he raised his thumbs up and clicked the camera and the light bulb burst into blue dazzling light.

”Take care, Father...”I said as I felt myself slowly disintegrating into the familiar dazzling blue light. I can feel Izumi embracing me from behind as I fall to my knees, embraced for the first time by Hiko Seijuro and that was the last thing I felt.

”Swwwwooooooossshhhhh........”