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My Kind of Town Don Chapman |
Dharma the Dolphin
>> Likelike Highway
They'd just entered the Wilson Tunnel, heading back to town, where the second Lama Jey Tsong Khapa would resume the very dangerous role of being himself in public, switching places with his stand-in, Michael Tenzin Campbell.
"Do you know any other stories, Lama Jey?" said 9-year-old Elizabeth Resurreccion, who moments ago had attained her Buddhahood on the accelerated path virtual reality program the lama and his brother Joe Kharma created. Earlier, he told her the story of the bulls Lightning Bolt and Lotus Blossom.
They shared the back seat of the teal BMW coupe, Lily Ah Sun at the wheel, her maid/friend Rosalita, Elizabeth's mother, in the passenger seat. He understood her query. One of the qualities all lamas share is a never-ending thirst for knowledge and truth.
"Do you have a favorite animal?" the lama said.
"You ask hard questions."
"Only because I know you can answer."
"I love all animals, but if I had to chose one ... dolphins!"
"Ah, then let me tell you about Dharma the Dolphin.
"Dharma and all the dolphins were exquisitely happy living in the sea, singing all the time, jumping and leaping, having races, even surfing! Dharma and his friend Tara especially liked to surf and ride the wake of boats.
"They were happy until one day an incarnation of the terrible devil Mara came to the sea on a big boat. The Mal de Mer, he called it, Sea-sickness. He was a jealous, angry devil and hated to see any creature happy and content. Of all creatures, Dharma, prince of the dolphins, was the happiest.
"On that day, Dharma, his mother and his friend the dolphin princess Tara were surfing on the boat's perfect wake -- they could have followed it forever -- when suddenly there was a loud boom from the boat.
"It startled Dharma and Tara. 'What's that?'
"Dharma's mother remembered the stories of old, and her sonar picked up the flight of a razor-sharp harpoon. It was heading directly at her beloved Dharma.
"At the last moment, Dharma's mother leaped and a sharp harpoon struck her, piercing her all the way through."
"Oh no!"
"Oh yes. And attached to the harpoon was a long rope. With it Mara dragged Dharma's mother back to the boat.
"Dharma and Tara frantically followed, trying to find some way to save her. But there was none, she was mortally wounded.
"'No, Dharma, swim away fast!' she whispered. 'I'm happy that he shot me, not you. Now go and tell others of the danger of following this devil!'
"They did, they swam away fast to tell the other dolphins.
"But Mara followed, and the devil boat was very fast. Then they heard another boom from the ship. This time the cannon shot a huge net."
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Don Chapman is editor of MidWeek. His serialized novel runs daily in the Star-Bulletin. He can be e-mailed at dchapman@midweek.com