Tiger's Curse

by Collen Houck

  He grinned widely, revealing a broken smile with several missing teeth. His eyes almost disappeared amid the deep brown wrinkles.

  “You want assist me? Yes, Kahl-see. Watch Phet…follow. You try.”

  He held the stem of a plant and pulled downward with his fingers until he had stripped off all of the leaves. He handed me a branch with tiny leaves, which looked like a type of rosemary. I plucked off the fragrant green leaves and piled them up on the table.

  We worked companionably together for a while. Apparently, he harvested the herbs for a living. He showed me the different plants that he’d collected and told me their names and what they were used for.

  He also had the dry collection, which was hanging from the ceiling, and he spent some time describing each one of those. Some of the names I was familiar with, but others I’d never heard of before.

  The more interesting ones were arjuna, the ground bark of a tree used medicinally to aid circulation and digestion; turmeric, good for circulation as well, but also provided aid to the respiratory system; and neem leaves, which did something to aid digestion. I didn’t ask any detailed questions about that one.

  Others were gotu kola, which smelled bitter and sweet. Phet said it gave long life and lots of energy.

  Brahmi leaves apparently helped you think better, and shatavari was a root good for women problems, apparently India’s answer for Midol.

  He stood on a little step stool, took down some of the dry plants, and replaced them with fresh ones, and then he got out a mortar and pestle. After teaching me how to crumble the herbs and grind them, he turned it over to me, and I ground several different types while he poured the ground herbs into jars and bottles, carefully labeling each one.

  He opened one jar that had thick, hard, golden drops of resin inside. I smelled it and exclaimed, “I remember that smell from the jungle. It’s that gummy stuff that drips from the tree, right?”

  “Very good Kahl-see. It name olibanum. Come from Boswellia tree, but maybe you call frankincense.”

  “Frankincense? I always wondered what that was.”

  He took out a small chip and handed it to me. “Here, Kahl-see, taste.”

  “You want me toeat that? I thought it was a perfume.”

  “Take, Kahl-see, you try.” He put a piece on his own tongue, and I followed suit.

  It smelled spicy, and its flavor was sweet and warm. Its texture was like sticky gum. Phet chewed with his few teeth and grinned at me.

  “Good taste, Kahl-see? Now breathe long.”

  “Breathe long?”

  He demonstrated by sucking in a deep breath, so I did too. He thumped me on the back, which would have caused me to spit out the gum if it wasn’t permanently stuck to my teeth. “You see? Good you stumack, good breathe, no worries.” He handed me the small jar of frankincense. “You keep, good value meant for you.”

  I thanked him. After placing the jar in my backpack, I returned to the mortar and pestle.

  He asked, “Kahl-see, you travel lengthy way, yes?”

  “Oh, yes, a very long way.” I told him about meeting Ren in Oregon and then journeying to India with Mr. Kadam. I also described the loss of the truck, our trek through the jungle, and ended with finding his home.

  He nodded his head and listened very intently. “And your tiger is not as always seeming tiger. Am I correct in this saying?”

  I looked at Ren. “Yes, you are correct.”

  “You wish to help the tiger?”

  “Yes, I wish to help him. I’m angry that he tricked me, but I understand why he did.” I ducked my head and shrugged my shoulders. “I just want him to be free.”

  At that moment, the little red bird burst into a lovely song and continued to sing for the next few minutes.

  Phet closed his eyes, listened with an expression of pure rapture, and hummed quietly along. When the bird stopped singing, he opened his eyes and looked at me with a delighted smile.

  “Kahl-see! You very special! Joyful is my feeling! Phet to perceive song of Durga!” He got up gleefully and began bustling away all the plants and jars. “At the present, you must respite. Important sunrise is tomorrow. Phet must pray in the dark hours, and you necessity sleep. Embark on tomorrow your traverse. It’s hard as difficult. In first light, Phet assist you in the company of tiger. Durga’s secret to unveil. Now go drowse.”

  “I just had a long nap, and I’m not sleepy yet. Can’t I stay with you and ask more questions?”

  “No. Phet go pray. Necessary express thanks Durga in favor of unforeseen blessing. You essential slumber. Phet assemble brew expand Kahl-see sleep.”

  He placed several leaves in a cup and poured steaming water over them. After a minute, he handed the cup to me and indicated that I should drink it. It smelled almost like a peppermint tea with a hint of spice similar to cloves. I sipped it and enjoyed the flavor. He shooed me over to the bed and sent Ren along with me. After dimming the lamp, he pulled a satchel over his shoulder, smiled at me, and left, closing the

  door quietly behind him.

  I lay down on the bed thinking that sleep would be impossible, but my warm insides helped me drift off into a slumber that was comfortable, gray, and dreamless.

  Early the next morning, Phet awakened me by coming in the door. He clapped his hands together loudly and said, “Hallo, Kahl-see and fateful Ren. Phet is pray even as you sleeping. As a consequence, Durga undertakes miracle. You must awaken! Compose yourself and we converse.”

  “Okay, Phet, I’ll hurry.”

  I pulled the curtain around me, got dressed, and set out for the outhouse. When I came back in, Phet and Ren had moved over to the table. Phet was cooking eggs and had already set a large plate of them on the floor for Ren. I washed my hands with the herbal soap and sat down at the table, pulled out my braid, and finger combed through my wavy hair.

  Ren stopped eating, gulped his mouthful of eggs, and watched me intently as I worked with my hair.

  “Ren, stop staring at me! Eat your eggs. You’re probably starving.”

  I tied my hair up in a ponytail, and he finally turned back to his food. Phet brought me a plate also. It had

  a small salad with a strange variety of mixed greens from his garden and a nice omelet. Then he sat down

  to talk to us.

  “Kahl-see, I am favorable man at present. Durga exclaim to me, shewill relief to you.”

  Phet looked at Ren, then back at me, “Kahl-see, numerous year in the past, Anik Kadam pursue remedy to comfort Ren. I advise him Durga be partial to tiger, but no can alleviate him. He ask me what can he do? That nighttime, Phet dream two tigers, one pale like moon, one black, night resembling.

  Durga speak softly my ear. She say only special girl can revive tiger. Phet know girl is Durga’s favored one. She struggle for tiger. I tell Anik, watch for goddess’ special girl. I give indication sign—girl alone, no family, girl is brown hair, dark eyes. She be devoted to tiger, and her utterance are powerful like goddess melody. Support tiger free will again. I tell Anik, discover Durga’s favored one, and fetch to me.”

  He placed his brown, crooked hands on the table and leaned closer to me. “Kahl-see, Phet perceiveyou are exceptional favored one of Durga.”

  “Phet, what do you mean that I’m a favored one of Durga?”

  “Signify Durga love you. You strong, beautiful warrior to be resembling Durga.”

  “Me? A strong, beautiful warrior? I think you have the wrong girl.”

  Ren growled low in his throat. Phet clicked his tongue. “No. Durga’s hatchling sing foryou . You are accurate girl! Do not thrust away destiny, toss away like weed! Is precious, costly flower. Must patience, wait time, bloom open.”

  “Okay, Phet, I’ll try my best. What do I have to do?”

  “Durga help you. You requisite pursue Durga’s words at Kanheri Cave. You be acquainted with this cave, Tiger?”

  Ren softly harrumphed. Phet continued to look at Ren.

  “Procure key to open unspecified
chamber.”

  “What is the key?” I asked.

  “Key is distinguished Mujulaain Empire Seal. Tiger be aware of this. Find undisclosed underground place in cave. Seal opens. Is key. Durga’s word go in front of you.”

  I started to shiver uncontrollably. This was too much to take in at once. Secret cave messages, being the favored one of an Indian goddess, and going off on an Indiana Jones adventure with a tiger…it was too much for me to accept. I felt overwhelmed. My mind kept screaming—Not possible! Not possible! How did I get trapped in this bizarre situation?Oh, yeah. I volunteered .

  Phet was watching me curiously. He put his hand on top of mine. It was warm and papery. It calmed me instantly.

  “Kahl-see, you duty faith self. You strong woman. Tiger help shield you.”

  I looked down at Ren, who was sitting on the bamboo floor watching me with a concerned expression.

  “Yes, I know he’ll watch out for me…I guess I’m committed to watch out for him too. I do want to help him get out of this. It’s just a little…daunting.”

  Phet squeezed my hand, and Ren lifted a paw to my knee. I swallowed my fear and pushed it to the back of my mind.

  “So, Phet, where do we go next? The cave?”

  “Tiger awareness where go. Go follow after tiger. Find seal. Must hasten depart in next to no time.

  Goddess assistance is fleeting time. Before you go, Kahl-see, Phet bestow you prayer and goddess mark.”

  He picked up a small arrangement of leaves we had picked through the night before. He waved them in the air around my head and down each of my arms while chanting softly, then he pulled out a small leaf and touched it to my eyes, nose, mouth, and forehead. He turned to Ren and went through the same process.

  Then he stood and brought over a small jar filled with brown liquid. He took a small twig that had been stripped of its leaves and lightly dipped it in the jar. Taking my right hand in his, he began to draw geometrical designs. The liquid had a pungent smell, and the pictures he drew reminded me of an advertisement I’d seen when I passed through Mumbai. I wondered if henna hand drawings were done in

  the same way Phet did it. When he was done, I turned my hand back and forth, admiring the skill it took to create the elaborate artwork. The patterns he drew covered my right hand, the back of it as well as the palm and fingertips.

  “What is this for?” I asked.

  “Durga help you now. Don’t be anxious. This mark hang about lots of days.”

  When he was finished, he gathered up all the leaves and twigs, threw them into the wooden stove, and stood over it for a moment to inhale the smoke.

  He turned back to me again. “Kahl-see, is now point in time you commencement departure.”

  He bowed to me and bowed to Ren. Ren turned and headed out the door. I bowed back to him and then hugged him briefly. “Thank you for everything you’ve done. I really appreciate your hospitality and

  your kindness.”

  He smiled at me warmly and squeezed my hand. I walked over to the bed, grabbed my two backpacks, and positioned one on my back and the other over my shoulder. Ducking under the doorframe, I followed Ren outside. Grinning, Phet came to the little door and waved at us until we could no longer see

  him.

  CHAPTER 10

  “Well, Ren, I guess that it’s back to the jungle for us, eh?” He didn’t turn around to acknowledge my comment but kept treading slowly on ahead. I trudged along behind, thinking about all the questions I would ask him when he changed back into a man again.

  After walking for a couple of hours, we came upon a small lake. I guessed that this was the Suki Lake Phet had been talking about. There were, indeed, many birds here. Ducks, geese, king-fishers, cranes, and sandpipers dotted the water and the sandbanks looking for food. I even spied larger birds, maybe eagles or hawks of some type, circling overhead.

  Our arrival disturbed a flock of herons, which took off in a brief frenzied flight and then settled themselves again in the water on the far side of the lake. Little birds darted around everywhere in colors of green, yellow, gray, blue, and black ones with red chests, but I didn’t see any of Phet’s special red birds, Durga’s hatchlings, he’d called them.

  Where the trees shaded the water, clusters of lily pads made good places for water frogs to perch and rest. They watched us with beady yellow eyes and jumped in the water with a plop as we passed by. I saw more frogs swimming and darting among the other flowering water plants near the lake’s shoreline.

  I spoke as much to myself as to Ren, “Do you think there are any alligators or crocodiles in the lake? I know one of those is indigenous to America, but I can never remember which one is which.”

  He started walking alongside me, and I wasn’t sure if that meant there were dangerous reptiles to watch out for or if he just wanted to keep me company. I let him walk alongside the lake just to be on the safe side.

  The air was hot, and the jungle drooped, sagging under the heat. The sky was bright, with not one monsoon cloud to provide shade. I was sweating hard. Ren led us through the shade of the trees as much as possible to keep us cool and help make the trip a bit more bearable, but it was still miserable. While skirting the edge of the lake, he kept up a slow and steady pace that I could follow easily. Even so, I could feel blisters forming on my heels. I pulled sunscreen out of the backpack and dabbed it on my face and arms. My compass indicated that we were traveling north this time.

  Later, when I opened my bag to pull out a bottle of water, I found that Phet had added a lunch for me.

  A large green leaf was wrapped around sticky white rice pressed into a ball and stuffed with a spicy meat

  and vegetable mixture on the inside. Ren stopped to drink at a small stream, so I sat on a fallen log and ate my lunch. It was bit too spicy for my taste, but the plain rice helped staunch the heat. Finding two more leaf wraps in the backpack, I tossed them to Ren, who showed off by leaping up and catching them in the air. He, of course, gulped them down whole.

  Hiking for about four more hours, we finally broke out of the jungle and onto a small paved road. I was happy to walk on the smooth road at first, at least until the road started burning my soles. The hot black tar cooked my feet, and I could have sworn that the rubber on the bottom of my shoe was melting. Ren stuck his nose in the air, turned right, and marched along-side the road for a half mile or so until we came

  upon a brand new glossy SUV, a metallic green Jeep Rubicon. The windows were tinted black. Instead of a canvas cover, there was a black hard top.

  Ren stopped next to the Jeep, sat down, and waited for me to do something. I panted and took a long swig of water and then wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. “What? What is it? What do you want me to do?”

  He just stared at me.

  “Is it the car? You want me to getin the car? Okay, I just hope the owner doesn’t get mad.”

  Pulling on the door handle, I found it unlocked. On the driver’s seat was a note from Mr. Kadam.

  Kelsey,

  Please forgive me. I wanted to tell you but…it doesn’t matter anymore.

  Here is a map with directions to Ren’s home.

  I will meet you there.

  The key is in the glove box. Don’t forget to drive on the left side of the road.

  His home is about an hour and a half away. I hope you are safe.

  Your friend,

  Anik Kadam

  I picked up the map Mr. Kadam had left me and placed it on the passenger seat. Opening up the back door, I threw in the two backpacks and pulled out another water bottle for the drive. Ren hopped up into the back seat, so I moved the backpacks to the floor, allowing him to stretch out.

  Swinging myself up in the driver’s seat, I adjusted it to my liking, then popped open the glove compartment and found a small ring of keys. The big one readJeep . I started the engine and smiled gratefully as a rush of cold air blew in from the air conditioner.

  Studying the map, I saw that we would be driving n
orth for almost an hour and then turn east. When I pulled out onto the small, vacant road, a little voice on a GPS device chirruped at me: “Drive fifty kilometers, turn left.”

  Staying on the left side of the road and gripping the wheel, I looked down at my hand. Despite sweating and wiping at my face constantly, the ink was still there, looking as permanent as a tattoo.

  I turned on the radio, found a station that played interesting music, and let it keep me company on the drive while Ren napped in the back.

  Mr. Kadam’s directions, in addition to the GPS unit, were easy to follow. There was almost no traffic along the route he had chosen, which was good, because every time a car passed me, I clutched the wheel nervously. After an hour, the directions said to turn off onto a dirt road. There was no name on the path, but the GPS beeped that we were at the right place, so I turned.

  We seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. The area was covered in deep jungle, but the road was maintained and easy to traverse in the Jeep. We drove about five more miles down this road. The sun was setting, and the sky was starting to get dark when the road opened up into a cobbled brightly lit drive that circled around a tall sparkling fountain. Flowers surrounded the fountain, and sitting behind it was the most gorgeous home I’d ever seen. I pulled up, stopped the car, then got out and opened the door for Ren.

  I exclaimed, “Ren, your home is amazing! I can’t believe youown this!”

  Grabbing my bags, I walked slowly up the paved stone walkway and admired the home. It looked like a multimillion dollar mansion that you might find in the tropics or perhaps sitting on the shores of Greece.

  I

  imagined the perfect place for it would be on the peak of an island overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

  A separate building appeared to be a four-car garage. I wondered what other types of vehicles were housed there. The house was three floors. The second floor had a covered, wraparound veranda with wrought iron balustrades, supported by cream-colored pillars. The upper floor featured tall, arched balconies while sparkling panoramic windows were the feature of the main floor. Beautiful tropical plants