Chapter 8 Part3 (2/2)
”We've arrived at the station already? I almost slept past it!” The youth leapt down, looking innocently like he had just noticed that she had stood. ”Pretty big sister, you're getting off the train, too?”
Wen Han nodded.<>This is an UNAUTHORIZED copy, taken from hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com instead
Without saying any unnecessary words, the boy motioned with his hand for Wen Han to follow him.
There was no door on the train car. Before the train had come to a complete stop, pa.s.sengers who were getting on had already jumped up onto the car, cramming together with the travellers who were trying to get off and forming a confused mess. Within this chaos, the boy grabbed Wen Han's hand and tried to rush off the train. At the same time, a shriek rang out behind them. ”Where's my pa.s.sport?! Where is he? Where is that boy?”
Amid these screams, the girl's three male companions immediately charged up and pressed the boy onto the filthy floor.<>Copyright of Fanatical, hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com. Translated with the express permission of the author for hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com. If you are not reading this from hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com, the translation has been taken without consent of the translator.
Wen Han sat in a corner. A badly worn chain encircled the hands of the youth beside her and shackled him to a bench.
”Big sister”—the boy s.h.i.+fted his bottom—”do me a favour.”
Wen Han instantly sat up straight and listened attentively, waiting for him to tell her what should be done next.
”I have a packet of tissues in my pocket. Could I trouble you? I've got a runny nose…” With some embarra.s.sment, the boy asked for help.
Wen Han paused in surprise. Fis.h.i.+ng out that package of tissues from the boy's pants pocket, she pulled out one and stuffed it into his hand. Grinning, the boy brought his face up beside his own hands and began not the least bit self-consciously to wipe his nose.
Was he not worried?<>Please support the original translation at hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com instead
He had been accused for no reason of stealing someone's pa.s.sport?
Wen Han's nerves were still strung tight. She neither knew nor was able to guess what was going to happen next. She had already been acting according to the plan and about to get off the train, and then all of a sudden, she was being wrongly accused of being the youth's accomplice in thievery and was brought here—the police patrol office in a corner of the station's waiting hall.
And those five tourists were in a spot five steps away, describing to the Indian police officer stationed at the railway platform how their belongings had been ”stolen.”
”My pa.s.sport and wallet are both gone. My cash is still here.” The short-haired girl said, ”You must interrogate them both. They know each other for sure.” The girl pointed at Wen Han and the youth.
The Indian police officer's head was aching from the ruckus, and with a frown, he nodded.
Things getting s.n.a.t.c.hed or stolen was simply too commonplace in India. This was already the sixteenth statement this station police officer had taken today.
”Last night, there were a lot of monks and one lama in that train car. They're all monastics, so they didn't have much for luggage. It must have been for that reason that this thief decided to make us his target.”
”All right, I got it. I have written it all down already,” the Indian police officer griped in English that had a thick accent, waving the sheets of paper that were in his hand. ”Look. The statement is right here. If you are all done, let me ask those two people.”
The Indian police officer pointed at where Wen Han was.
……<>This is an UNAUTHORIZED copy, taken from hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com
Closing her eyes, Wen Han comforted herself, It's okay, it's okay, Wen Han. At least you're in a police station right now. It should be a little safer here.
Good thing he left first, she thought.<>Please read this at hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com instead
He's the real target these people are after.
Right when she was breathing out a light sigh of relief, someone pushed open the door from the outside. ”There's a lama here who heard about this theft incident. He says that he was on the train at the time and is willing to testify for all of you.”
Wen Han's eyes flew open.<>Please support the original translation at hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com instead
A tall, slender man, garbed in a red dhonka and a maroon zhen wrapped over it, calmly walked in. Her breath caught and her eyes widened—who was this?
”Who is this? I've never seen him before!” Shock covered the short-haired girl's face as well.
”This is the lama who rode in the same train car the entire way with you.” A train ticket was tossed onto the table. ”Here is his ticket. The time, his carriage number, and his seat all match yours.”
As if to oblige what this railway staff was saying, the lama held his palms together and, with a slight smile, addressed them, ”Everyone, we meet again. I am here to bear witness for these two young people.”
……<>This is an UNAUTHORIZED copy, taken from hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com
The five tourists looked at one another.<>Please read this at hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com instead
”He's not, he's not! Please believe what I'm saying! We've never seen this lama before,” the girl stammeringly tried to explain. ”He's an imposter.”
The Indian police officer ma.s.saged his temples. ”You just said in your statement that last night, there was a lama. Now that person has even brought his train ticket here with him, but you are saying you don't know him?”
The girl still wanted to argue.<>Please support the original translation at hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com
”Enough!” The Indian police officer was livid. ”Just to steal your one pa.s.sport, a fake lama has appeared out of thin air? You're really not here just to make trouble?”
In this country, everyone in the entire population practiced some sort of religion. Although lamas did not practice Hinduism, they were still respected.
Saying this venerable lama was an imposter was simply too blasphemous.
An elderly Indian police officer in the room next door, who had had to put up with this din for the entire morning, could stand it no more as well. ”In my opinion, those two young people there seem like they have been falsely accused. Do you think these people here took a fancy to the young lady but weren't able to get her, so they decided to frame her for stealing a pa.s.sport?”
The ability of speech had wholly left those five tourists. They did not even know what to say in defense of themselves.
That lama clearly was a fake; he clearly was using another person's items so that people would misconstrue his ident.i.ty…
But all of them, all five mouths, were unable to clearly explain this one fact.<>Copyright of Fanatical, hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com. Translated with the express permission of the author for hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com. If you are not reading this from hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com, the translation has been taken without consent of the translator.
The youth continued wiping his nose and could not even be bothered to lift his head.
Casting her eyes downward, Wen Han fixed them on the toes of her shoes and carried on pretending she did not really understand English.
She did not know him. That lama was truly a stranger to her.<>Copyright of Fanatical, hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com. Translated with the express permission of the author for hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com. If you are not reading this from hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com, the translation has been taken without consent of the translator.
[1] 阿弥陀佛. This is actually a chanting of the name of the Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of Infinite Radiance, who is an embodiment of love and compa.s.sion. In Buddhist teaching, this name is holy and is chanted with reverence as a way to meditate and have incorrect thoughts replaced by the perfect love and compa.s.sion of Amitabha Buddha. The Chinese p.r.o.nunciation of this name is ”Amituofo.” This ”chanting” that the boy is doing is done more tongue in cheek, after reminding Cheng Muyun to be kind and benevolent as monks who strive to be as Buddha should. (Note: I am unlearned in Buddhism, so please do not take this as proper Buddhist doctrine. This footnote is merely to facilitate understanding of the story and context.)
[2] 男女授受不亲. This is a common saying that expresses the conservative view where it is improper for men and women to have physical contact if they are not married.
[3] Referring to the tree at Kus.h.i.+nagar. Body relics, also called sarira, are referring to crystalline pieces as well as bone, teeth, etc. that are left behind after the cremation of a Buddhist spiritual master. After Buddha's death, he was cremated. The eight countries that made up ancient India all wanted to claim his body relics, and to avoid the conflict that had been foretold by Buddha, it was suggested that the body relics be divided equally between the countries. Kus.h.i.+nagar (also known as Kusinagar or Kusinara) is the site of Buddha's pa.s.sing, and the tree in Kus.h.i.+nagar is supposed to be the site of the dividing of the relics.
Site of the dividing of Buddha’s body relics in Kus.h.i.+nagar (image credit: Wikipedia)
<>Copyright of Fanatical, hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com. Translated with the express permission of the author for hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com. If you are not reading this from hui3r[dot]wordpress[dot]com, the translation has been taken without consent of the translator.
Completed:
1 of 1 Prologue
23 of 50 Chapter segments
0 of 1 Epilogue
<script>