Détruisez le mal

Chapitre 58

The boatmen whispered about it; the "little white guy" didn't seem to have noticed them yet, and they had to get closer to him quickly. Who were the people with him? Were they his entourage? A moment later, they approached Walter and beat the other boatmen waiting for tourists to a bargain price.

At first, I was confused. The boatmen were so excited and agitated. Who was this reincarnated person? Had they already discovered my existence?

Since I became a ghost, I've accepted many new ideas, but I've never thought about my next life. Will I be a woman or a man? A horse or a dog? If I unfortunately become a dog, I hope that Berhali can train me. Perhaps he will discover that this dog was his good friend in his past life.

Perhaps they believed that this boy was a god who could save them, or at least that he could perform magic tricks.

Three boats carrying my twelve friends and their guide, Walter, glided across the mirror-like surface of Lake Bodhi. I sat on the bow mast of the lead boat, out of sight of it. If it weren't for the chilly air and the hum of the engine, the voyage would have been quite pleasant. My friends were all very happy, laughing heartily in the wind.

The first boatman was a handsome young man, wrapped in a mushroom-colored checkered loincloth, and he was also the leader on the dock. People called him "Black Spot"—a nickname derived from the birthmark on his hand.

Like the Chinese, giving such an unpleasant nickname is a way to prevent the child from dying young, hoping that the child will be as easy to raise as a puppy or kitten. But in the Kingdom of Lanna, children can have other nicknames when they grow up. "Black Spot's" two companions, one is the skinny "Fishbone," and the other is the witty "Old Hand," who are piloting two other boats.

Black Dot sat at the stern, one hand on the helm, his mind preoccupied with his sick daughter at home. She was only three, yet she could already discern good from evil. He imagined her dark eyes, gleaming with an eerie light in the face of sudden terror, her body trembling as she tried to rid herself of the demon within her. Then, as if dying, she stared at the ceiling, letting out painful groans.

He was forced to leave while his daughter was sick, and his companions insisted he return to town. The old man and the fishbone kept assuring him that the child would get better. The twins' grandmother had thrown chicken bones, checked the feathers, sprinkled blessed rice, and told Black Spot—that was his mother—that she had accidentally walked into the little girl's bed at night and entered her sleeping soul, but that it wouldn't have harmed the child.

The experienced man comforted Black Dot: "Don't worry, your mother loves her granddaughter the most. The sorcerer has tied the child's wrists, binding her to the mortal realm. He has cast a spell to drive away your mother's ghost. Your wife has already given your daughter the medicine, once every hour. Everything will be fine."

Bodhi Lake (2)

Black Spot's youngest daughter and wife lived in the mountains, in an unnamed place. He only went back to visit when it rained or during wartime, when there were no planes or cars to take tourists to Bodhi Lake, and of course, no guests to take taxis.

At this point, Black Spot and his friends went to see his cousin, Oily. He worked at a tour bus repair shop.

"Hey bro, can you take me up the mountain?"

Youzi never refused him, because Heidian would also bring him things—pickled shrimp paste, noodles, peanuts, spices, all kinds of food that couldn't be found elsewhere.

The sly one would also drive a repaired car, traverse a rugged road, and arrive at a secret entrance overgrown with bushes, to secretly send the black dot back.

They drove into a dense forest and stopped beside a gray rock crater. The black dot leaped out and crossed the valley, reaching a mysterious, nameless place.

No one in town would know that it was the home of three boatmen and a mechanic. The people of the lowlands called those who lived up there “people of the jungle,” who might be isolated tribes, bandits, or survivors of guerrilla warfare.

Tomorrow, Blackspot and his companions will go home, and may never return. Because their eldest brother has come; when he last appeared in the world, he promised to save them.

He could keep the tribe hidden, allowing them to leave that nameless land and migrate to the promised land to grow the food they needed. There they lived peacefully, without conflict, in harmony with the land, the water, and the spirits.

Yes, my brother is back, and everything is about to come true.

Bodhi Fisherman (1)

As the boat sailed on the lake, the tourists began to feel cold.

At the bow of my boat, Murphy's ponytail slapped against Mr. Marseille's face; Beryl and Jumarin huddled together, knees bent, Beryl's coat covering their upper bodies. Rupert and Walter faced the stern, he like a god against the wind, completely unaware of the great changes about to happen to him. On another boat, Esme and Benny huddled together, the dog between them. Wyatt and Wendy held conical hats to shield themselves from the wind.

The three boats seemed to be racing each other. "Hey!" Vera shouted to us as her boat sped up. The others turned to look at her from their boats, just in time for her to take pictures, and everyone pulled out their cameras as well.