Kaori was now nine years of age and had been doing these walks with her grandmother for over three years. This occurred most mornings. On some mornings the entire family joined them.
“I feel very good here and enjoy playing with the little animals in this place,” said Kaori.
“This child has a natural ability to find friends everywhere. She has found a rabbit that seems to just come to her each morning. That hawk above comes into the meadows and lands on the high branches each time we arrive here. It seems to keep an eye on Kaori and sometimes comes closer to her. There is something developing between them that I am just watching. I have no understanding of what is really happening,” said Ibuki to Kaori’s father.
“Kaori is leading a life that any child would treasure. I know there is a dark area that she will encounter. It sometimes worries me that she may endure such a tough period, but I must only pray that she push through that darkness that is to come.”
“I am pleased that you have taken the greater task with Kaori of being her personal teacher,” said the father.
“Please continue doing this and let me know of any new developments that you feel are substantial.”