Fire & Ice Cocksuckers Ch. 03

Playing a Drinking Game

On Saturday, I was literally standing by the door for five minutes waiting for the clock to strike 9:00 pm. I opened the door exactly on time to find Mineko with a young 20-something woman waiting for me at the door. They were both wearing kimonos and the younger woman was in full Geisha garb -- including white makeup and hairdo.

For those unfamiliar with this tradition, a Maiko is an apprentice geisha. Maikos start studying in their late teens and spend about five years learning the basics of all the main required arts of geisha entertaining -- traditional singing, dancing and hostessing. And the instruction continues as long as you are a working geisha. Incidentally, "Geisha" translates to "woman of art" while "Maiko" translates to "dancing child."

A formal ceremony called erikae (which means "a turning of the collar") marks the official graduation from Maiko to Geisha. In old times, this was preceded by a practice known as mizuage (meaning rising waters), that allowed key clients of the teahouse to bid for the right to take the Maiko's virginity and initiate her rise into Geisha world. These women never received any of the money; it went to the Geisha house. This is no longer practiced. After Japan enacted its "Anti-Prostitution Law of 1956," the mizuage tradition was also technically outlawed.

I told myself Mineko could not possibly be thinking I would deflower this young Maiko in some reinterpretation of a mizuage ceremony? I certainly hoped not because I had no interest of doing that and would refuse it asked. Perhaps Mineko's planned instruction was something entirely innocent, like English language help. I was about to find out.

When Mineko and her apprentice entered, Mineko said "No whisky tonight. Please make tea for her, and will be drinking sake with you. But, I need it to be very cold. Do you have ice?"

I put the kettle on the stove and set the table with teacups, rocks glasses for the sake, and an ice bucket with tongs. The women kneeled on pillows seiza style. Seiza is the formal way of sitting in Japan. It requires a specific position and posture to convey respect for your host or just for the tea being served in ceremony.

I brought the steeping teapot and the sake, then seated myself formally across from the ladies. Mineko said, "You do not need to sit seiza if it is uncomfortable for you. She is in training, but you're in you home having fun with two lovely women. So get comfortable, relax."

I happily changed my seated position and made myself more comfortable. Mineko then began to direct the action, "We're going to teach her some drinking games that can only be played with men. What would you like to drink? Our whisky, or your sake?"

I said, "I will have sake since that is what you're drinking, but I don't want ice. I prefer good sake served at room temperature. It enhances the bouquet."

Mineko then ordered her apprentice to pour my drink. Mineko pulled a deck of hanafuda cards out of her kimono sleeve. I told her that she would have to teach me how to play that game, as I was familiar the beautiful graphic art images of nature and the seasons on hanafuda cards but not how to play.

We played for a bit and Mineko told me I was bad at this game so we moved on to some quick reaction and memory games designed to make the drunkest person at the table lose. Since Geisha often pretend to be drinking alcohol while actually drinking tea or water disguised as whisky and sake only customers got drunk. Geisha could then win or lose as suited the betting or stroking a customer's ego. I continued to win repeatedly so I wondered if they were throwing the games.

After I had had two or three glasses of sake (Mineko had yet to start drinking) she said we're now going to begin the Maiko's instruction in a game she will need to win once she is a Geisha. Curious!

Mineko's apprentice smiled and then bowed to me from her seiza position. She bowed so low her nose almost touched the tatami mat. When she rose, she spoke to me for the first time and said in Japanese, "Please excuse my inexperience sir," and then bowed again and waited for Mineko to tell her to rise.

I knew something was up. And if this was about to become a Mizuage ceremony I intended to stop it before it started. Before I could speak, Mineko could read my nervous concern and interrupted. Mineko said to me very seriously, "I am going to SHOW Maiko-san how to play the shakuhachi. Are you willing to help me? If so, please stand."

I nodded yes, both shocked and thrilled, when I realized that Mineko herself was planning to give me a blow job. This to teach Maiko-san the proper way to please a man. This was instruction I would definitely enjoy. I was so excited I felt my legs wobble as I stood up. Then Mineko told her apprentice to kneel in front of me and bow until you are invited to continue.

The Maiko bowed put both hands in front of her, flat on the tatami. Her spread index fingers and thumbs formed a triangle that looked almost like a heart shape. She bowed until her forehead was on the mat and her nose was in the middle of the triangle with her cheeks resting on the back of her hands so her nose did not touch the floor. I remembered my aikido sensei taught us this same pose. He said it was used by samurai bowing to an unknown opponent. If they were unscrupulous and planned to strike the back of the head to break the samurai's nose, his hand position protected him. Gestures borrowed from samurai to geisha -- for use from fighting to respect -- Japan is an amazing culture of subtle traditions.

With Maiko-chan frozen in this position of respect, Mineko casually explained the rules of the game we were about to play.

"Game!?!" I said incredulously.

"Yes," Mineko explained, "This is an old Geisha drinking game from the Edo era. It is called "fire and ice" and was played as a competition between two senior Geisha along with the house's most generous regular customer. But I intend to use it as pleasure instruction for my apprentice. Are you still willing to help me?"

I nodded a mock bow to Mineko and said "Yes, sensei". She did not smile at my irony.

Mineko continued, "The two Geisha take turns playing the shakuhachi. Each is trying to make the man have his "pleasure finish" in her mouth. The one who succeeds is declared the winner. In the Edo period the winner got a prize. In our game, if Maiko-san succeeds then I will recommend to her teahouse that she be promoted to Geisha. If I win, she must continue her study further. Okay?"

Now realizing I was about to get blowjobs from two beautiful women, I tried to stifle my trembling and nodded "yes" as I said "Hai!" in my best samurai imitation voice.

Mineko said, "Good. But there is one more element to this game. We will take turns of two minutes each. In the old times we burned short slicks of incense or small sandglasses to measure time. I will just guess. But, before we exchange turns, each geisha takes a drink. One is drinking hot sake, the other cold sake. That is why it's called fire and ice."