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My Kind of Town Don Chapman |
Dharma the Dolphin (3)
» H-1, townbound
As they drove 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, he continued telling the story of Dharma the Dolphin to 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.
The happy, content life of the dolphins was shattered when the terrible devil Mara came to the sea on a big boat, the Mal de Mer, the Sea-sickness. He was a jealous, angry devil and hated to see any creature happy and content. Of all creatures, Dharma, prince of dolphins, was the happiest. On that day, Mara shot a harpoon from one of his two cannons and killed Dharma's mother, then shot a big net and captured Dharma's good friend Tara, the dolphin princess, and dragged her down to hell.
"In a growing rage, Mara chased Dharma," the lama said, "shooting the harpoon 100 times, the big net 100 times, and every time Dharma leaped out of the way, so nimble, so quick.
"'Ha ha, devil Mara, you cannot touch me! I am Dharma!' he called. 'So why don't you quit shooting and we'll be friends.'
"'Friends?!" Mara bellowed. "Ha! I'll destroy you, Dharma!'
"Faster and faster the devil pushed his big boat, paying attention only to capturing Dharma and dragging him back to hell.
"He was so busy shooting at Dharma, he didn't notice that Dharma was leading him closer and closer to shore. He didn't notice until he heard a loud crunch, felt his boat suddenly stop, saw water rushing through a hole in the hull, felt it begin to sink.
"That's when Mara remembered he couldn't swim.
"The boat had run into the reef. The waves were big that day, and soon the devil boat was breaking up. All Mara could do was grab hold of a piece of wood and float.
"But the waves were pushing him toward the rocky shore. Holding onto the piece of wood, he kicked hard, trying to get beyond the surge of the waves.
"But it was useless, Mara was no match for the cruel god of the sea, and every wave moved Mara closer to death and annihilation. He would return to hell not as the supreme ruler, but as just another tortured soul, punished every day.
"Surely the next wave, maybe the one after would drive him onto the rocks and crush him.
"'Help me, someone, please!' the devil cried out.
In his cry, Dharma heard the echo of his friend Tara as the devil dragged her to hell. "'Help me, Dharma, help me!'
"That's when Dharma realized there was still a way to save Tara."
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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