I was right in my last post when I thought Hatsumomo would come back. Sayuri goes into her room only to find her holding the handkerchief the Chairman gave to her over a flame. Sayuri tackles her, knocking the flame over. They fight for a few minutes until they realize the fire has started to spread. Auntie and Mother run in to try and stop the fire. Hatsumomo, watching them, takes another oil lamp and cracks it in front of the doorway, spreading the oil and fire. She is banned from the okiya and is never heard from again. Sayuri wondered if she was looking into her own future. Hatsumomo loved her boyfriend, which wasn't allowed, and Sayuri loves the Chairman. Mameha explains that geishas can't love, and they become geisha because they have no other choice.
They stop the fire and the okiya is back into business but just in time for the war. Americans are everywhere and anyone with a kimono could call themselves a geisha. All of the women residents of Kyoto are to be taken to a safe camp. Nobu and the Chairman help Sayuri, Mameha, Mother, and Auntie get away to a safe, secluded place. While there, Sayuri works for a kimono maker. She's there for three years until her old life seems like a dream. Then Nobu comes and tells her it's safe to go back.
Once back, she talks with Mameha who is simply a much lesser person. Pumpkin has been in Kyoto entertaining Americans for a while. She's more of a prostitute than a geisha by now though. Sayuri, Mameha, Pumpkin, the Chairman, Nobu, and an American Minister go to an island called Amami. When there Nobu tries to get Sayuri to sleep with the Minister so that he'll help Nobu and the Chairman rebuild there empire. Sayuri doesn't know this and refuses. Nobu is angry and tells her that after that he wanted to be her danna. So, Sayuri has Pumpkin tell the Minister to go to her room at a certain time and not tell anyone. Pumpkin had told Sayuri earlier that she wasn't mad about Sayuri being adopted over her. But a few minutes after the Minister gets there, Pumpkin leads Chairman to the room. They are caught in the act and Chairman walks away. Sayuri is mortified and asks Pumpkin why. She says the a long time ago she took away the one thing she ever truly wanted, now Sayuri knows how that feels.
Later, Sayuri and the Chairman talk. She apologizes, but Chairman stops her. He tells her he never wanted to go against Nobu, his business partner, but he's always wanted the girl he cheered up all those years ago. He calls her by Chiyo and they kiss. Chairman becomes her danna.
This was a great book and a heart-warming ending.
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