Hidden Monastery

by Gabrielle Wang

  ‘Is she better? She didn’t eat dinner last night so I brought her a biscuit.’

  ‘She’s very sick, Mai,’ said Jax, quietly. ‘I don’t think she can eat anything.’

  ‘We have to take her to the vet, then.’ Mai put the biscuit close to Ruby’s nose.

  ‘I wish we could but we don’t have any money.’

  ‘I’ve got ten dollars. It’s my birthday present from Uncle Len. Oh, Jax, she’s not going to die, is she?’

  ‘It’ll cost much more than ten dollars, Mai.’ Jax’s eyes suddenly filled with tears. He felt so helpless. He stared down at his little dog. There must be some way I can get the money, he thought. Maybe I could ask Buzzy. No, Buzzy has his own problems.

  Just at that moment, the sun came out from behind a cloud making golden sparks dance across the leaves of the foxtail palm. An idea ignited inside Jax’s head and he could see it all very clearly. He crossed the room and closed the bedroom door gently. Then he turned to Mai.

  ‘I know where I can get the money, but you can’t tell anyone.’

  Mai leant forward, her brown eyes fixed intently on his, waiting for him to continue.

  ‘You know Ma’s…’ Jax paused a moment wondering if he should tell her, then said, ‘You know Ma’s gold necklace?’

  ‘You mean the one Mama told us about? The one she brought from China?’

  ‘Yes. Well I was thinking I could take it and pawn it.’

  ‘What does pawn mean?’ Mai took a bite of the biscuit she had brought in for Ruby.

  ‘It’s like we lend the necklace to the shop and they give us money for it. Then, when we want the necklace back, we go and buy it. Buzzy does it all the time to raise money for his triathlons.’

  Mai bit her lip. ‘But that’s… like stealing… isn’t it? And how do we buy it back? We don’t have any money.’

  ‘Look, you want to save Ruby, don’t you?’ Jax said, impatiently.

  Mai burst into tears.

  ‘Please don’t cry, Mai. I’m sorry. I wish I could think of another way but I can’t, okay?’

  Mai nodded and sniffed.

  ‘I want you to go to school like normal.’

  ‘But that’s not fair…’ Mai exploded, wiping her tears.

  ‘Shhhh… keep your voice down.’

  Then in a whisper, Mai said, ‘Ruby’s my dog, too.’

  ‘I know she is. But think, if we both don’t show up at school, the principal will ring Ba then we’ll be in big trouble. I need you to cover for me. Do you understand?’

  Mai sighed, still teary. ‘Then you have to promise to meet me at lunchtime, okay?’ she said.

  ‘I promise. Now you better go, otherwise you’ll be late.’

  Mai bent down and hugged Ruby. ‘I love you, little girl,’ she whispered then ran out of the room.

  Jax lay down on the pillow beside Ruby. ‘The vet will get you better,’ he said, stroking her gently. ‘Everything will be all right, I promise.’

  When Jax heard Mai leave the house, he tiptoed across the hall to his parents’ room.

  Snnnaaaa… snnaaaaa. As long as Ba is snoring, I’m safe, he thought, listening at the door. He turned the knob and inched the door open. He knew how it could squeal like a frightened guinea pig if he was too impatient. A slab of light fell across Ba’s face. Jax quickly slipped into the room and closed the door. He waited a few seconds before switching on his mini-torch. Ma’s chest of drawers stood in the corner.

  As he eased the top drawer open, he held his breath. First one side, then the other. Lift and pull, lift and pull. It was old, and coaxing it out quietly was like pulling teeth without an anaesthetic. It grunted and groaned. At last he had it open.

  Jax reached down through the tangle of stockings, T-shirts and pyjamas until his hand touched a silk purse. He drew it out and, with the same gentle coaxing, pushed the drawer closed then quietly left the room.

  Jax opened the top of the purse and turned it upside down. The gold necklace fell onto his bed. Ten gold squares, each a centimetre and a half in diameter, were linked together with the finest chains. And in the middle of each square was engraved a mythical bird with a tiny emerald eye. It was the most beautiful thing Jax had ever seen. He stared down at it feeling sick with guilt. It was Ma’s most precious possession, how could he take it?

  Jax lay beside Ruby and let the necklace dangle between his fingers. As it swung from side to side, he could see the foxtail palm through the window above his head, waving its fronds as if it was saying… ‘Yes, yes, take it, Jax, take the gold, go on. It’s just an object. As beautiful and as precious as it might be, it’s not alive like you or I – or Ruby.’

  ‘You’re right,’ Jax said, getting up from the bed. ‘Ruby is worth more than all the gold in the world.’

  He placed the necklace in his backpack, tucked Ruby inside his jumper and left the house.

  Dr Rainwild

  The pawn shop was two suburbs away from Jax’s house. He had been there once before with Buzzy when he needed money. But when Jax reached the shop, all he found was an empty shell. Leaves, letters and junk mail lay piled up against the front door.

  Feeling sick with grief, Jax walked slowly up the road. A sudden gust of wind knocked over a wooden sandwich board. It fell with a clatter then skidded along the footpath towards him and into the gutter. Jax wiped his eyes and read the sign:

  Veterinary Clinic.

  NO appointment necessary.

  Small and exotic pets a specialty.

  He looked down at Ruby. Her breathing came in short, sharp bursts. There was no time to find another pawn shop.

  The heavy smell of disinfectant and wet dog hair met Jax as he opened the door into the clinic. A nurse, wearing a blue badge with the word Carla printed on it, sat behind a high counter. She looked up from her computer. ‘Can I help you?’ she asked.

  ‘My dog is sick,’ Jax said, weakly.

  ‘Have you been here before?’

  Jax shook his head.

  ‘I’ll need to open a new file then.’ The nurse turned back to the computer. ‘What’s your name?’

  Jax didn’t want to give his real name. ‘It’s um… um… ahh… Buzzy,’ he blurted out. He was surprised at how easily Buzzy’s name came to his lips. He felt his face flush with embarrassment and looked down, hoping the nurse wouldn’t notice. ‘It’s Buzzy Alvarez.’ This time he said it with more confidence. Jax had never realised that using another person’s name could make you feel so different.

  The nurse typed the words into her computer. ‘And your dog’s name is… ?’

  ‘Ruby.’

  ‘And how old is Ruby?’

  ‘I don’t know exactly ’cos I found her.’

  ‘All right, then. And last of all, what’s your address and telephone number?’

  Jax quickly made up a false one. He was again surprised at how rapidly his mind was working.

  Carla looked up and smiled. ‘Take a seat, Buzzy. Dr Rainwild shouldn’t be too long.’

  Jax sat down in front of the window next to a man in a blue singlet. A doberman lay at his feet, whining.

  ‘It’ll be all right, mate,’ the man said, reaching down to pat the dog.

  Just then one of the doors by the counter opened and Dr Rainwild stepped out. He was short, with hairy arms, and wore a crisp pale-blue clinic coat. He searched the room with his eyes. They fell on a lady holding a small cage covered with a cloth.

  ‘Come in, please, Mrs Entwhistle,’ he said.

  The lady gathered up her things and followed Dr Rainwild into the surgery. A few minutes later, Jax could hear loud squawking coming from the room.

  Through a small window in the door, he saw the parrot flying frantically around. It looked like one of those mechanical birds in the shopping mall. Then there was silence.

  Ruby whimpered. ‘It’s okay, girl,’ Jax whispered, putting his cheek against the top of Ruby’s head. He wished the vet would hurry up.

  The lady emerged, followed by Dr Rai
nwild whose crisp, pale-blue clinic coat was now stained with ugly green spots.

  ‘You can bring Brutus in,’ he said to the man in the singlet.

  The dog obediently followed his master, his tail between his legs.

  ‘Nearly our turn, Ruby girl,’ Jax whispered. ‘The vet will fix you and then we’ll go to the park. Would you like that?’ His voice cracked as tears welled in his eyes. He breathed deeply, wishing them away.

  Jax felt as if he had been sitting there for ages when the door opened again. The Doberman came out, leaping and dancing and looking up at his owner, his tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth as if to say I did good in there, didn’t I. Can we go now?

  ‘Your turn, young man,’ Dr Rainwild said to Jax.

  The room was small, with a high metal table, a hand-basin and a cupboard on the wall. Another door led to a bigger room where Jax could see a row of empty cages.

  ‘Put Ruby down on the table,’ Dr Rainwild said.

  Jax gently pulled Ruby out from under his jumper. The table looked cold and hard. ‘Can I just hold her?’ he asked.

  ‘Yes, that’s fine. Now, what seems to be the matter?’

  ‘She’s really sick and she’s not breathing properly,’ Jax replied.

  ‘Give her to me. Come on, girl.’ Dr Rainwild took Ruby from Jax. ‘There, now, what seems to be the matter?’

  Jax was glad Dr Rainwild was gentle.

  The vet listened to Ruby’s heart with his stethoscope and took her temperature, then checked inside her mouth.

  All of a sudden, Dr Rainwild looked up, startled. ‘How old do you think Ruby is?’

  ‘I don’t know.’

  ‘Well, Ruby is incredibly old. In fact, I’ve never seen a dog of this age before.’ Dr Rainwild shook his head in disbelief.

  ‘But… but… I don’t understand,’ said Jax.

  ‘The simple fact of the matter is, she’s dying of old age.’ Dr Rainwild put his hand on Jax’s shoulder. ‘The kindest thing to do, Buzzy, would be to put her to sleep. That way she won’t suffer.’

  ‘No! No!’ Jax was shocked. ‘I’ve got money if she needs an operation or medicine or something.’ He bent down, unzipped his backpack and pulled out the necklace. ‘This belongs to my mum. She said I could take it and pawn it for money, but the pawnshop was closed. It’s very valuable. Look.’ He thrust the necklace into Dr Rainwild’s hand.

  ‘I’m afraid an operation won’t do any good,’ said Dr Rainwild, putting Ruby gently back into Jax’s arms. ‘She is very, very old, like I said before. Here, take your mum’s necklace back. I won’t charge you anything. Putting her to sleep is the kindest thing you can do for her.’

  As Jax reached for the necklace, Ruby suddenly jumped out of his arms. She landed on her feet and dashed out through the opposite door into the interior of the clinic. Dr Rainwild was stunned.

  ‘Ruby! Stop!’ Jax shouted. He grabbed his backpack and chased her down a passage and out into the backyard where he saw her squeezing through a gap in the cyclone fence. Jax scrambled up and over the wire and raced down the alley, all the while calling her name. But the little dog was strangely disobedient.

  Ruby ran across a stone bridge and down a flight of steps to a small track along the riverbank. Jax could see that she was tiring, but she ran another fifty metres, then finally stopped and turned around to look at Jax, panting furiously.

  ‘You naughty girl,’ Jax said when he reached Ruby. He picked her up and held her close with her head tucked under his chin the way she liked to be held. Ruby’s little heart was beating so fast it felt as if it was going to burst as she gasped for air. Then, all of a sudden, the beating stopped. Her body went limp.

  ‘Ruby, Ruby,’ Jax called, hoping she had just fallen asleep. But he could no longer feel any movement under his fingertips.

  He sank to the ground as a stifling silence closed in around him.

  The Deep Sea Storm

  Peng was awakened by sudden violent tremors that shook the seabed. It began as a soft moaning, like the earth was yawning and stretching. But then the moaning turned into a deep rumble. Columns of poisonous gases began to rise up from the canyons of the Black Abyss, scorching the great trees of kelp. The cities of coral crumbled as if they were made of soft clay. And up above, the sea opened its mouth like a giant Venus flytrap and swallowed five fishing boats in one day.

  As Peng was still not fully grown, he did not have the strength to withstand such a storm. The poisonous gases began to sting his eyes and bite into his skin. Then a giant wave of water swept around the cave walls, flushing him out into the open water. In desperation, as the wave threatened to take him away, Peng reached out with his front paws and grabbed the boulder outside his cave. He dug his claws into the hard surface, clinging on with all his might as a great rushing river, carrying frightened fish, giant squid, sharks and other sea creatures, pulled and tugged at him.

  Beneath the boulder, the little coral snake was hiding, curled tight in his small crevice. Every time the boulder moved, the water surged through the gap and pressed him hard up against the rough surface of stone. His skin was soon cut and bruised. He wondered where Peng was. If only he could be with his friend, then he would be safe. No power is greater than Peng, he thought. He did not know that Peng was just above him, trying to save his own life.

  Looking around, Peng saw a craggy rock sticking out from another ledge off to the side. He knew that if he held on to the boulder much longer, his great weight would topple it over, leaving the little coral snake exposed and in danger. Peng’s plan was to let the current carry him, then, as he was passing, reach out and grab onto the other rock. But just as he was about to let go, a huge gush of water surged up from below. Peng lost his grip and was carried away in the great underwater storm.

  Whispering Cloud

  Jax didn’t know how long he had sat on the track by the river cradling Ruby, but it was well past midday when he suddenly thought of Mai. She would have waited by the classroom, wondering why I hadn’t come, he thought. How can I tell her that Ruby is dead?

  Jax stood up slowly, wiping away his tears. He stared down at the little body. I can’t take her home and let Mai see her like this, he thought. I have to find a place to bury her.

  Jax looked around. Behind him stood a pair of rusty gates swinging gently on their hinges. Above the gates were the words Whispering Cloud twisted out of wrought iron and forming an archway that led into a huge rainforest park. There was something mysterious about the park. Even though it looked deserted, Jax could hear a soft whispering. He hesitated, but then a breath of wind brushed past his ear, enticing him in.

  Inside the park, the wind strengthened, whipping the branches, running its invisible fingers through balls of leaves first on one tree, then on another. Under the tall canopy of green, Jax felt an eerie silence. Plants climbed on top of each other searching for light, while vines hung down like living beaded curtains.

  Suddenly, up ahead, a large fox crossed the path. The animal stopped and turned to look at Jax. Its yellow eyes glinted. Thrusting its nose in the air, it made a high barking sound, thumped its bushy tail on the ground, and loped off into the bushes leaving what looked like a trail of sparks. Jax stared after it. How strange, he thought. A fox making sparks? He rubbed his eyes. Maybe he had imagined it. But when he reached the spot where the fox had disappeared, he saw that some dry leaves and twigs had caught on fire. He quickly stamped them out then hurried down the path, with a creeping feeling that he was being watched chilling the back of his neck.

  Up ahead, the path branched off in two directions. Jax stood for a moment wondering which way he should go. One of the arrows on the signpost pointed to Rotunda, the other to Lake and Ancient Banyan Tree. He decided to head for the lake. At least there he would be out of the darkness of the rainforest. And he might find a nice, dry place to bury Ruby.

  The path snaked through a dense bamboo grove, then opened out as it climbed a hill. Without the shelter of the trees, the h
eat from the midday sun made Jax sweat. But then, as he came over the rise, he was greeted by a refreshingly cool breeze. From where he stood he could see a large expanse of water, and on the shore the outline of an enormous tree, like a dark green umbrella against the sky. Jax headed towards it.

  When he came to the lake’s edge, he saw that much of it was covered with water lilies. In between the boat-like leaves, pink lotus flowers rose up like graceful hands.

  Jax stood under the massive tree. Its trunk was so thick, it would take twelve people standing hand in hand to circle its girth. Long aerial roots hung down from the thick branches above, like ropes on an old sailing ship. At Jax’s feet was a wooden plaque that read:

  Weeping Chinese Banyan

  (Ficus benjamina)

  600 years old

  Legend has it that this tree was planted by

  Admiral Zheng He

  whose fleet came to Australia from China in the 15th century

  Jax wondered how anything could live to be that old. Then he thought about Ruby. The vet said she was the oldest dog he had ever seen. How old was she? Where did she come from? Who had owned her before? These were questions Jax thought he would never find the answers to.

  Jax gently laid Ruby’s body beside him on the ground. Then he realised he was still clutching Ma’s gold necklace in his hand. He had been holding it so tightly, his palm was bleeding from the metal squares that had cut into his birthmark. He draped the necklace over a large tree root, and licked the blood. It tasted salty and metallic but he didn’t care. He was tired and numb to everything. Jax put down his backpack and started to dig with his bare hands. If only he could dig out the emptiness he was feeling inside.

  When the grave was deep enough, Jax gathered dry leaves and laid them down to make a soft bed for Ruby to lie on. Then he sat back on his heels and whispered…

  Black earth falling on white fur,

  Cold against a body still warm.

  Ruby sleeps.