(From the book "Memoirs of a Geisha") At the age of 9, Chiyo was sold
to Mother, the owner of a geisha house, where she worked as a servant.
Her grace and beauty aroused the hatred and jealousy of the head
geisha, the beautiful but evil Hatsumomo. Seeing great potential in
Chiyo, Hatsumomo's greatest rival, Mameha, took the young girl under her
wing and mentored her. Her name was changed to Sayuri, and she became
the most sought after geisha in the Gion district, fetching the highest
price ever paid for her mizuage, which enabled her to pay off her debt
to Mother. Despite her success, the love and happiness she so yearned
for could not be realized, due to the tabus and traditions of her
profession.