Chapter1TheButterfly

        Alargeimposingmansion,whichtookupanentiresquareblock,stoodloftyandmajesticundertheclearblueskies,itstwinpeaktowersseemingtoreachuptotheclouds.Thehuge,whitemarblepillars,extravagantsculpturesattestedtoitspastglory.Thisusedtobethegatheringplaceoftherichandfamous,wherepresidentsandsenatorsrubbedshoulderswithsuperstarsoffilm,musicandsportsaswellastheprincesoffinanceandtheeliteofsociety.Now,withthepassageoftime,thedazzlingwhitepillarshaveturnedyellowwithageandthesculpturesonthewallshavebecomediscoloredlikefadedflowers.Infact,thewholebuildinglookedshabbyandrundown,foritwasnowusedashousingfortheelderlyandthedisabledlivingongovernmentsubsidy.

        Thespacioushallwascrowded,foritwasthedaywhenthegovernmenthandedoutfoodtotheneedy.Thelong,disorderlyqueueinchedalongslowlyandDimitrimechanicallymovedwiththeline.Hislifestylehasgreatlyimprovedsincehebecameblind.Hewasgivenasmallapartment.Thoughitcomprisedofonlyoneroomandwasacornersuitewithwindowsfacingthestreetontwosides,hefinallyhadaplaceofhisownandthenoisefromthestreetsaddedanimationtohisquiet,lonelylife.Everymonth,hereceivedseveralhundreddollarsinSSI,whichenabledhimtohavethebasicnecessitiesofasimplelife.Movingslowlyalongamidthenoiseandthecrowd,Dimitriseemedobliviousofhissurroundings,forhewasagainimmersedinaworldofhisown,theworldofdreams.Suddenlyanenormouspeachblossomappearedbeforehiseyes,onlytovanishatthetwinklingofaneye.Dimitribegantofeelimpatient,longingforacigaretteandacupofhotcoffeetocompensatehimselfforthelongwaitwhichwasgettingonhisnerves.Heplannedtodojustthatassoonashegotbacktohisroom.Thistime,thebagoffoodhebroughtbackwasahugechunkofcheese,twoslabsofbutter,abottleofhoneyaswellaspowderedmilkandflour.

        Withthebagoffoodinhisarms,Dimitrileftthehall,walkedbrisklythroughthelongcorridorandturnedleft.Hisroom,#102,wasthelastoneofthatwing.Hesethisbagonthekitchencounterandpulledopentherefrigeratordoortoaddtheperishableitemstohishoardofeggs,hamandsausagesalreadyinthere.Hewashappybecauseallthisfoodshouldlasthimatleastaweekortwo,whichmeanthecouldroamfreelyinhislittlekingdomduringthatintervalwithouthavingtosetfootoutsidehisdoor.Dimitrilovedtoliveinhisownimaginativerealm,unencumberedbyirrelevantoutsideintrusion.Now,withtheprivacyofhisownroomandallthisfood,hecouldliveinaworldofhisown,freefromtheinterferenceofthemundaneworld.Hecouldliveassecludedalifeasthehermitwhobuildsashackinthedeepestvalleyofthemountainsinpursuitofthefeatoflongetivity.

        Withacupofpipinghotcoffeeinhishand,hewalkedintothelivingroomandsatdownonthesofabythewindow.Hethenlitacigaretteandenjoyedhissmokeinperfectcontentandutterrelaxation.Thiscornersuitefacedthestreetontwosides,andthenoiseandvoices,indirectcontrasttohisquietlife,wereornamentstohisloneliness.Occasionally,hewouldcallouttosomeoneheknewandexchangecasualwordsorbanter.Hissimplelifewentquietlyon,alternatingbetweensleepandwake.Justthen,thatenormousresplendentpeachblossomappearedagainbeforehiseyes,andthenvanishedasquicklywithoutatrace.Heinhaleddeeply,histhoughtsstillonthatfleetingglimpsehehadofthepinkpeachblossom.Someonepassedbyhisroom,bouncingabasketball.Dimitriwasdeepinthought.Whatwasthesignificanceofhislife,nowthathewasblind?Anotherboutofbouncingbasketball.Hesuddenlyrealized:Thatyoungmanbouncingthebasketball,couldjumpupandthrowitaccuratelyintothebasketfromanyangle.Thatgavehimasenseofaccomplishmentandhappiness.Actually,thefleshbodywaslikeatool,adaptatplayingontheimagination,withnospecificgoalorsignificance.Butitventuredintothedepthofthesoulandcontinuesonimagining,justliketheyoungmanbouncingthebasketball.ThatwasDimitri’sfavoritepastimeandthesignificanceofhisexistence.

        Thatenormouspeachblossomflickeringinandoutofhisconsciousness,nowappearing,nowvanishing,enticedDimitri’scuriosity.Hewaspuzzledastowhythatpeachblossompersistedinintrudingitselfonhismindandthenvanishingwithoutatrace.Perhapsitwantedtoleadhimintoastrangenewscenario.Whyyes!Perhapsthatwasmaterialforweavinganotherdream!So,hequicklystubbedoutthecigaretteinhishand.Whilethesmokewasstillpermeatingtheroom,Dimitrihadalreadyarrivedinhisdreamland.Inhisdream,Dimitriturnedintoamagnificentbutterfly,brilliantlystrippedandspotted,dancinglightlyandelegantlyinthesoftspringbreeze.Beforehimwasnolongerasinglepeachblossom,butmyriadsofthem,formingaseaofdancingflowers,withslimfiguresroamingfreelyintheirmidst.Thesewerenakedfemaleforms,somegatheredincasualgroupstalkingandlaughing,whileotherswereontheswings,rockingthemselvestoandfrotowhileawaythelazyspringday.

        AttheotherendofthegardenwasaChinesepalacelikebuilding,withglitteringencaustictilesandbrightredpillars,especiallyeye-catchingunderthesunlight.Thesplendoroftheluxuriousbuildingfullymanifestedtheopulenceofthemysteriouskingdom.Themagnificentbutterfly,ridingontheslightspringbreeze,flewhappilyamidthebloomingflowers.“Ah!”thoughthe,“IambackagaininthisbeautifulKingdom.Inthemundaneworld,Iambutablindmansequesteredinatinyroom,butinmydreamsIamamagnificentbutterfly,dancinginthisvastarrayofdazzlingspringcolors.”So,thebutterflyflutteredfreelyonitsemblazonedwings,revelinginthebeautiesofnature.Stickyshredsofsilkenfiber,tenaciouslyattachedtoitswings,incapacitatingthem,alerteditthatsomethingwasamiss.Alas,hehadinadvertentlybeencaughtinatrap,andaferociousblackspiderwasmakingitsway,closerandcloser,alongtheweb.Dimitrisighed,

        “Howunfortunate!MyfirstdaybackintheKingdomandIbecomefoodforthespider.”Justthen,delicatefingerslightlypickeditupbythewingsandcarefullypluckedawaytheremnantshredsofwebfromitsbody.Itwasthecharming,starry-eyedAsianbeauty,Yoko.Herever-presentsmilemadethedimplesinhercheekmoreenchantingthanever.Aftercleaningawayallremnantsofthespiderweb,sheletthebutterflygofree,saying,

        “Ah!Youbelongtothespringandtotheflowers.Go!Gowhereyoubelong.”Shewatchedasthemagnificentbutterfly,whichhadjustexperiencedsuchanarrowescapefromdeath,flyintothedepthoftheflowersinthegarden.

        Themagnificentbutterfly,soresplendentlystrippedandspotted,continuedtozigzagitswayleisurelythroughthespaciousgardenuntilitcametoahalfopenedwindow.Itflewinsideandsettledonapetalofanenormouspinkpeachblossom,notforthehoneyortosuckthefragrantflower,butbecausetiredafteritslongflight,itfelttheneedofatemporaryrespite.Itsdelicatewingscouldnolongerwithstandthefatigueoflengthyvoyage.Thepeachblossomwasplacedinasilvervase,inlaidwithemeraldgreenjade,intricatelysculpturedtogiveamostfascinatinglylife-likeportraitofabeautifulgirlinancientcostume.Herfeatureswereclearlydiscernableandherclothing,elegantandsophisticated.Sheseemedtohavejustawakenedfromspringslumberoneearlymorningandwaswalkinginthegarden,stillimmersedindreamyindolence,languorandlethargy,almosthypnotictotheviewer.

        Atthemoment,theflowervasewasplacedonthewindowsillofabeautifullargekitchen,wherenospeckofdustcouldbeseen,andthehardwoodfloorshonesobrightandcleanthatitmirroreditssurroundings.Anakedbeautywasworkingintentlybeforealargechoppingboard,herbeautifulfaceflushedwiththebloomofhealth,herlargedewyeyesconcentratedontheworkathand.ItwasthegentleLotus.Shewasslowlykneadingapieceofsoftdough,formingitintoalong,uniformrollbeforebreakingitintosmallpieces,eachthesameinsizeandweight.Sheplacedtheminaneatrowbeforeher,likeagroupofrigidly-trainedsoldierswaitingforhercommand.Shethentookafoot-longrollerandrolledthesmallpiecesofdoughintoround,thinwrappers,eachthesameincircumference,takingpainstospraydryflourontoeachbeforestackingthemintoapilesoastopreventthemfromstickingtogether.Hereverymovementwasslowbutorderlyandsystematic,goingfromonesegmenttoanotherstrictlyaccordingtoplan,withnowastedmotion,allcarriedoutinabsolutesilence.Afterfinishingthisdemandingpreparatorywork,herbackmusthavefelttiredbecauseshechangedherpositionandsatdownonaroundstooltorest.Howcouldherslender,willowywaistsustainherfigureforsolongaperiod?Then,shecontinuedtoworksilentlyon.Takingupawrapper,sheputitintoherleftpalm,scoopedupsomepre-preparedvegetablefillingfromthewhitechinaplateandputitinthemiddleofthewrapper.Dippingherfingerintoabowlofwater,shewettheedgesofthewrappertoenablethemtosticktogethermoreeasily.Nimblefingersworkedquicklyandgently;oneafteranotherarowofdumplingsemerged,readytobesteamed.Eachtastymorselartisticallyshaped,edgesstandingoutdistinctlyvisible.Shewaslikeasculptorplayingwithunmoldedclay,makingthemintoperfectspecimensofherowndesign.Soon,thirtywhitedumplingswereneatlyarrangedinthesteamer,eachtheproductofherexactingskill.

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