The Last Letter of Genzai Toshi

[I used google translate for the names of the characters, I hope that no offense is given to the Japanese people for the crude use of their language]

The brush rises from the sealed envelope, leaving a black blooded wound on the paper. Soon, the tantou waiting in its sheath will do the same on his abdomen.

“Dear Atarashi, my son.

Every animal is born with the need to make their life as good as possible. We all strive for our survival, for our betterment and for our happiness; yet the mark of an honorable man is to extend this to the people around him.

There is no happiness in isolation, no survival in a world of ruins.

I thought I had lived an honorable life: I protected my people, I guided them to the best of my abilities, and loved those close to me, yet it all led us to this moment.

I am this present, and the past that came to it; and you are this present, and the future that will come of it.

I am Genzai Toshi, the old present, and you Genzai Atarashi, the new present.

I am each and every soldier that drew his sword to defend the weak, and each one that pointed his blade to an innocent. I am every parent crying for a lost child, and all of those raging and rioting in the streets.

I am as good as the worst of my people, my actions are those of each of them, and I have sullied my name in dishonor.

For you to bring a new light to the future, all of this has to end. The ties that bind the present to the past need to be severed, for your people to start anew.

As soon as I seal this letter I will perform seppuku, freeing you of the burden of my failings.

You will need to pick up my katana, and start your path from where I’ve left it; but, I beg you, find a new direction: free yourself of the cursed legacy that I’ll destroy today.

Carrying a sword is a burden. Be wary of those that handle it with pride or anger, be wary of those that want one for themselves. Find people that hate the sword, and only give it to them.

Maybe you will be able to create a world where soldiers are not needed, I don’t know if you will make it happen, but what you need to make happen is a world where there are no soldiers glad to take arms, where no soldier will ever take a life and feel emboldened by it.

And I see the outrage at everyday injustice. It is so rightful, yet why is it that those who suffer the most from it are the people themselves? How many stores were pillaged, how many girls raped in the commotion? Why is this fire, born of justice, now raging fueled by chaos and self interest?

It is my fault, and with me of all of those that failed to make a better place for you to thrive. I will soon see to it, I will die, and with my blood all the faults of our history will be washed away.

The words politician and policeman, share a common ancestor. Both mean man of the city: one is the ruler, the other is the protector. Just like you have to find a soldier that knows the sword is a burden, find yourself lieges that shy away from the throne.

Power should be kept away from those who seek it, because those who revel in it will use it when they can, whereas those who respect it will use it only when they need.

I did my best. I was a decent person, I tried to be kind even when life got hard. I never believed myself a deeply altruistic person, but I did what I could to be content, and then gave what I had to spare to help those around me. I thought that if everyone gave just a little of spark of their own light to the people close to them, the whole world would be lit like a shining star.

The older I grow, the more I see how wrong I was. The more I see of the world, the more it sinks in to me how anything that looks rightful and positive, always withers and rots into its worst possible outcome.

New machines that would make our life easier, drain our lives instead, making us more gullible and unsatisfied by the day; new people and ideas, that would open our world to a more colorful future, just lure in the monsters of fear and hate.

I was wrong, because I underestimated the shadows that this world carries. I will kill it today, so that when you will share your light to your neighbor, it finally will make the world a bright place.

How much is there to change, that we just thought there was time to address later? How many people have driven our eyes away from problems, to preserve their interest? And how many times were we blinded by grandiose words, carefully woven with the poison of hate and violence?

I say that the time to say no to all of this is now, and my blade will see the end of this all.

With this ritual I kill all that chose hate, I slay all that taught ignorance, I destroy all that waged wars, I smite all that took and never gave back.

And in this, new people will resurrect. New people who choose compassion, who cultivate culture, who practice peace, who share and renew.

I am now going to cleanse the present of the tumor of our past.

In hope of a better future, I leave it up to you”

The body of Genzai Toshi was found in his room several hours later. He had chosen to perform the ritual suicide without the traditional help of a kaishakunin. On his desk a letter was carefully placed in such a way it wouldn’t be dirtied with blood. It was addressed to Genzai Atarashi, and on the evenlope only six words were written:

“In hope of a better future”

[The seed of this story was sowed reading the news of the cold-blooded killing of 17 years old Nahel, in France. The most recent example of police forces around the world still populated with trigger-happy machos, that glorify ignorance and hate; far too eager to take a life, and far too shielded by the establishment.

Sorry if it came out too preachy]