THE DUNG COLLECTION
“Wake up, Tara, wake up! It’s time to start work,” a familiar voice whispered, while the person behind the voice gently tapped Tara’s shoulders.
Tara woke up with groggy eyes and saw, to her astonishment, that it was Auntie Siew Lan who was speaking to her.
“Auntie Siew Lan! You are still alive?” exclaimed Tara, staring at Auntie Siew Lan’s round face, short curly hair with disbelief. She was convinced it was a dream or that she died and was in an afterlife.
Tara’s most recent memory of Auntie Siew Lan Tara was the Hair Combing Ceremony, one of the Chinese wedding traditions. Auntie Siew Lan combed Tara’s hair four times for four blessings: long-lasting union, harmonious union, abundance of children, as well as prosperity and longevity.
“Yes, most of us are still alive. We are now working in the Dung Department in the Dragon Kingdom,” said Auntie Siew Lan.
“Dung Department? Where is Prakash? Is he around?” Tara asked with anticipation of meeting Prakash.
“You are in the female servants’ quarters of the Dung Department. Prakash is not with us, but your father is around,” said Auntie Siew Lan with a gentle smile.
“Really?” Tara’s eyes lit up with hope.
“Yes. Your father is at the male servant’s quarters, together with Uncle Yong, Jun Yang, Kai Wen, Balakrishna, and Rashid.”
Tara heaved a sigh of relief knowing that her father was here. “That’s good, I miss my father very much.” Knowing that her father was still alive, Tara secretly made a resolution to love his father more. She must not miss the second chance of embracing her father for who he was. Yet, when she thought of Prakash, her heart became constricted. Where is Prakash now? Since he’s now here, he must not have survived.
“Dawn is going to break soon. We need to get ready for the day’s work. Our job is to collect dragon dung from every household and wheel it out of the city before noon. Here is your uniform, I will show you where the common washroom is.” Auntie Siew Lan handed Tara the grey uniform.
Located under the city, the servants’ quarters were damp, cold, and dimly lit, and the ventilation was poor. As she was guided towards the washroom, Tara noticed that many double-decker bunk beds were arranged in a row against the stone wall on the cobbled floor. It looked like a military camp in a dungeon.
Tara wore a long sleeved, y-shaped collar, khaki hemp outfit with trousers, and was ready for the day’s work. She was delighted to know that her best friend Mayreen was around.
“Mayreen, I missed you so much!” said Tara, hugging her best friend warmly.
“Tara, I missed you too,” said Mayreen, her brown, almond-shaped eyes were misty with tears.
“How have you been? I’m so glad you’re still alive!”
“I thought I was doomed for sure on that wedding day. Yet when I woke up, I found myself in this female servants’ quarter with Auntie Siew Lan, Roshni, Virginia, and Geetha,” said Mayreen with a slight choke. “Hush. Let’s talk later. It’s time to start work now.”
A stern-looking dragon-human guard opened the main dungeon gate for them to climb up a stone staircase and begin their task.
It was still dark outside; the dawn had yet to break. As Tara stepped out of the underground servants’ quarters, she was greeted by the chilly wind blowing towards her. She followed Auntie Siew Lan, Mayreen, and the rest to collect dragon dung at the back of the alleys of the traditional dragon residences. The houses were designed in a style that resembled Huizhou architecture from China. The roofs were covered with black tiles and the walls were white-washed. Each residence had its own little patio-style courtyard. The only difference was that on top of the main door of each house hung one of the five different types of nautical décor: a boat wheel, a lifebuoy, an anchor, a compass, or a lighthouse.
The dragon dung was unbearably foul and fetid. Not yet used to the odor, Tara threw up several times. Dizzy, disoriented and dehydrated, she almost wanted to faint.
“Just hang on. You will soon get used to it,” said Auntie Siew Lan, giving her hand a squeeze of encouragement before she secretly gave her a small wooden bottle of water. “Drink it before the guards notice.”
“Thank you, Auntie Siew Lan,” said Tara, taking a sip of water and feeling even more squeamish and nauseous.
Tara helped pull out buckets of dung from a small opening at the back alley and poured them onto a larger bucket on the wheel cart. It was tough work for her as she had never done such menial tasks that required physical labor.
Noon time was approaching, and the sun was blazing hot. Most of the carts had reached the main gate and were ready to be wheeled out. As the Tara’s group arrived at the main gate, Tara was delighted to spot her father Patrick and she ran over to him to give a warm hug. “Daddy, it’s me! I’m so thrilled to know that you are still alive!”
Patrick was surprised and elated to see his daughter again. “How did you get here, sweetie?”
“It’s a long story; we shall find another time to catch up again. Please do take care of yourself, I love you, daddy,” said Tara, holding his hands tenderly.
A prison guard saw Tara speaking to Patrick. “Hey you, shut up!” hollered the prison guard with a threatening voice. “You want me to cane you?”
As Tara slowly walked back to her cart, the petulant prison guard stormed over to a beefy man who accidentally tripped, causing buckets of dung to topple over from the wheel cart.
“Get up now!” hollered the prison guard, flogging the man with the long cane he carried. “Be careless one more time and you shall be punished, you lazy bum!”
Clenching her fist and pursing her lips, Tara tried her best to control her indignation at the guard’s attitude. Her pent-up rage was like a fiery volcano ready to erupt.
The prison guard was in a foul mood that day. He continued to flog a few innocent workers to vent his frustration. When she noticed the prison guard was displeased with her father for being so slow and inefficient, she had an uncanny sense that the prison guard was about to cane her elderly father. She quickly bolted to protect him from being caned.
“Aaah…” When the flog fell on her back, Tara let out a scream before passing out. The flog had such tremendous force that it tore open her outfit, leaving behind a red cane line and revealing a strange golden dragon tattoo on her bareback. The golden dragon tattoo was invisible to everyone- even Tara- except those with the imperial dragon lineage.
“Tara!” Auntie Siew Lan, Mayreen, and Patrick rushed over to her. “Are you alright? Can you hear me?”
It so happened that the Dragon King was in plainclothes conducting a ground survey of his common citizens. When he witnessed the golden dragon tattoo on Tara’s back - a veritable testament of her many lifetimes of royal dragon lineage - he was taken aback. Secretly casting a spell upon Tara to speed up the healing of her cane scar, he ordered his subordinates to take her to the Dragon Healing Sanctuary for immediate medical attention.
“After this lady is healed, transfer her to work at my Dragon Library,” the Dragon King secretly ordered his Minister of Dragon Affairs. He was deep in contemplation, wondering about the background of the lady with the golden dragon lineage.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” replied the Minister of Dragon Affairs.
“Bring me the Black Obsidian Crystal. I need to go to the Secret Garden at the Dragon Library and learn more about her background,” the Dragon King declared.
CHAPTER 13
THE BATH HOUSE
The morning sun peeked through a round window, which was strategically placed adjacent to a single bed. The natural floral scent in the air was uplifting and rejuvenating and the sunrays shed light upon the dancing dust particles in the spacious room.
Lying on the soft, comfortable bed, Tara dreamed of her childhood: in the dream, she saw a series of instances, including her father teaching her how to ride a bicycle, flying kites at the beach with her family, her mother teaching her the recitation of Tang poems, and playin
g swing and merry-go-round in the playground. Many other long-forgotten sweet childhood memories had resurfaced in her dreams.
She also saw herself sobbing incessantly as she sat beside her mother who was lying on the hospital bed, waiting to say her final goodbye.
“Tara, my child, my time is up. Don’t feel too upset because death is part of the natural cycle of life,” said Siew Lee. “Promise me three things: first, forgive your father, no matter how unfair you think his treatment toward me. Second, wear your jade pendant at all times; it will protect you from harm. Third, use all of my savings to establish a Cultural Harmony Foundation for the peace of humanity.”
The next moment, Tara opened her eyes, almost like she was woken up by the shock of seeing her mother up-close after eons. It was just a dream of my childhood memories, she thought. Her artistically inclined mother was the inspiration of her life. A Chinese teacher in one of the secondary schools in Malaysia, Tara’s mother was an expert in almost all aspects of the Chinese cultures.
“Good morning, Tara,” said a quinquagenarian elderly lady. “Glad that you have finally awakened. You slept for two days in a row.” Petite and plump, the granny was dressed in a y-shaped, cross-collar grey Hanfu[6].
“Two days? I don’t remember sleeping so long!” Tara gasped; her mind drifted back to the time when the long cane struck her. Her back seemed fine; there was no pain whatsoever. The room was so warm and bright, that it seemed like the perfect contrast to the chilly dungeon. Tara wondered if she was hallucinating this room, because of the impact of the cane.
“Where am I now?” asked Tara.
“You are in a Damsel Retreat,” said the elderly lady. “It has been assigned by the Dragon King for you to recuperate from your cane injury. After your recovery, you will be working in the Dragon Library.”
I have been transferred from the Dung Department to work in the Dragon Library. I wonder why! Did they transfer my daddy, too?
“Granny, do you know where my father is?” Tara gazed at the elderly granny with longingness.
“I’m sorry as I’m not too sure of your father’s whereabouts. You may call me Nai Nai. The Dragon King assigned me to support you in your daily needs.”
My daddy must still be at the Dung Department.
“It’s alright, thanks Nai Nai,” said Tara, her eyes caught sight of a pair of brown horns on granny’s head. She must be a dragon being.
“The Dragon Library is a sacred place. You need to be fresh and clean before you are allowed to enter the library,” Nai Nai continued, as she opened the elaborately carved wooden cupboard to get a Hanfu for Tara.
She looked around her bedroom. It was minimalist and small, perfect for one person. The entire room was made of bamboo and the furniture was made of wood.
“The bath is ready, please follow me.”
“Okay, Nai Nai.”
Tara walked with Nai Nai for ten minutes in the forest before they reached the bathhouse. They reached a cave that was just beside a gigantic Dragon Flower Tree. The front of the cave was made of real living bamboo that served as an effective wall. Nai Nai opened the bamboo door and entered a spacious cave that was partially al fresco at the back.
The cave was a natural bathhouse and Tara’s eyes fell on the small waterfall flowing into a small hot spring. At one corner was a dragon well. Another corner was a wooden shelving, a cabinet, and a stove used for boiling hot water. In the middle of the bathhouse was a large, round, wooden bathtub where the hot water was ready for Tara. A round side table was placed right next to the round bathtub.
“This bathhouse is for your exclusive use, so you don’t have to worry about sharing with anyone,” said Nai Nai. “There are some steps to follow during bathing to ensure you comply with the hygiene and cleanliness requirements. As this is the first time you are taking a proper bath, I will walk you through the steps.”
“Alright Nai Nai,” said Tara, giving a sudden uneasy squirm. She was confused as to why she was being treated so well, wondering if the Dragon King mistook her for someone else.
“Tara, you may remove your outfit now,” instructed Nai Nai. Tara took off her bamboo outfit and covered her chest with her arms, feeling slightly awkward to have someone help her take a bath.
Inside the round wooden bathtub were tiny, pinkish, five-petaled dragon flowers presumably plucked from the Dragon Flower Tree outside. Its scent resembled rose and Sakura with a slight hint of lavender.
“Taking a bath is an act of prayer to purify your life. Before you take a dip in the bath you have to set an intention with your palm pressed together, ‘May the dragon well water cleanse my impurities and heal my life.’”
“May the dragon well water cleanse my impurities and heal my life,” murmured Tara, closing her eyes and pressing her palms together. She did not understand why a bath, which was supposed to be relaxing, became a complex ritual.
“Good. Now you need to use the Dragon Flower soap and the bamboo charcoal sponge to scrub your body. Let me help you with that.” Nai Nai took the bamboo charcoal sponge to help Tara scrub her body.
“You are well-endowed, Tara,” chuckled Nai Nai when she saw the grand dragon tattoo on Tara’s back.
Well-endowed? Tara wondered if her not-so-enviable bosom and her slim body stature was “well-endowed.”
“Thank you for your compliment but I don’t quite understand.” Tara did not know Nai Nai was referring to her dragon tattoo on her back.
“You have the prerequisite to become a princess, or perhaps a future queen.”
“Oh?” Tara was still baffled. “May I know what the prerequisite is?”
“There is a golden dragon tattoo on your back, a mark of the royal dragon lineage within you.”
What? A golden dragon tattoo? Tara was speechless, astonished by the revelation. I am a human, not a dragon. How is it possible that I have a dragon tattoo on my back? Tara tried to crane her neck to catch a glimpse of her back. She looked around, trying to find a mirror but to no avail.
The water was warm, and the scent of the dragon flowers was delightfully soothing. It was a sublimely relaxing experience for Tara to take a bath in the wilderness.
“Before you get out of the bathtub, you need to express gratitude and share your merits of healing and purification to all living beings by saying, ‘Thank you Qibaota for the healing and purification. May this merit bring healing, happiness, and awakening to all living beings.’”
After Tara had expressed her gratitude and completed the transference of merit, she asked Nai Nai, “May I know what is Qibaota?”
“Qibaota is the Seven-jeweled Lighthouse in the dragon world; it’s a powerful crystallization of healing and awakening. All you need is to have absolute faith in Qibaota and aspire for Qibaota to enter Nirvana.”
“Oh, I see. That’s interesting.” For a moment, Tara’s imaginative mind tried to envision the shape and size of a Qibaota.
Once Tara got out of the round bathtub, she wrapped herself with a long white towel and anointed her whole body with the dragon flower essential oil.
At the same moment, a young man, riding a blue lion with a yellow mane, came charging into the bathhouse, crumbling the bamboo wall and door completely, toppling the bathtub, and soiling the fresh outfit laid out for Tara. Fortunately, Tara stepped forward towards Nai Nai, which saved her from being knocked down by the blue lion.
Tara let out a shriek. The towel that wrapped her body slightly slipped until it covered only her bottom, revealing her golden dragon tattoo yet again. She scrambled to pull up the towel to maintain her modesty.
Having seen the half-nude hour-glass body of a lady with a large golden dragon tattoo glowing on her back, this young man was electrified to the core of his being. For a while, he was paralyzed, and his heart was thumping wildly like an untamed horse, not knowing how to react to what he saw. She is a human with a golden dragon tattoo on her back.
“Oh dear! The outfits are all soiled!” cried Nai Nai, exasperated. “Tara,
let me return to get you another fresh outfit. In the meantime, you stay put with Prince Ao Chen. He is the 16th prince of the Dragon King. Rest assured, you will be in safe hands with him around.”
Before leaving, Nai Nai greeted Prince Ao Chen with a phoenix curtsy. She curled her left hand and clasped it with the right. Then she placed both hands above the left hip and did a small curtsy, bowing slightly with knees bent. “Auspicious greetings to Prince Ao Chen. Excuse me for a while to allow me to bring Tara a fresh outfit.” She then left the bathhouse hurriedly.
Tara swiveled her head and locked eyes with Prince Ao Chen who was staring at her with astonishment. Her gut gave a flip chancing upon such a bright, charming, and winsome young man of the dragon being.
Ivory-skinned, a pair of deep-set purple eyes, and a straight nose on a chiseled face, Prince Ao Chen had long, straight turquoise-blue hair tied up in a topknot with a tiny golden crown. There was a pair of ochre y-shaped dragon horns resembling short antlers on both sides of his head. Donning a white, y-collared traditional Hanfu and a sapphire blue cloak embroidered with a golden dragon motif, he looked gallant and dignified. There was an air of intelligence, light-heartedness, and yet sensuality in his very being.
Prince Ao Chen fell in love with Tara at first sight. He was so captivated by her porcelain skin, svelte figure, long ebony hair, and her bewitching green eyes set in an oval face that he kept watching her, agape.
“I’m terribly sorry, Tara. Singha, the blue lion, is my rider-attendant. He was distracted by a fly in his nose during his flight, resulting in this accident. If you don’t mind, please accept my outer robe and my cloak to keep you warm for the time being. Is that alright?” said Prince Ao Chen, taking off his outer coat and cloak. “You are beautiful, by the way,” he added, with a cheeky glint in his eyes.
“Okay, thank you. Please, just leave them on the table.” Tara was feverish with embarrassment.
“I’ll wait for you outside,” said Prince Ao Chen, walking out of the crumbled bathhouse. He signaled Singha to retreat so that he could have a private conversation with Tara later.
Tara Zenyora : and the Seven-Jeweled Lighthouse Page 9