Body Rainbow.docx
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BodyRainbow
BodyRainbow
ChapterFourteen
PhubuwasinapolicecartravelingtoLhasa.
Sittinginthebackseat，Phubuwassickwithnerves.HewasafraidthatZhangwoulddetecttheunusualsmellofthesackandfindoutthatitcontainedPhumo’sbody.ToPhubu，thesecopshadalmostmagicalpowersandhedidnotknowhowZhangwouldreactifheknewPhubu’ssecret…maybeZhangwouldkickhimoutandconfiscatethesack.
ButPhubu’sfearsturnedouttobemisplaced.Exceptforacoupleofphonecalls，Zhangdidnotsayawordalongtheway，letalonepayanyattentiontoPhubu.TheyweretravellingrapidlyintothegatheringduskandbeforelongtheyenteredLhasa.Thestreetlightshadjustcomeonsothecitywasasbrightasday.Itwasmuchmorecrowdedthansixmonthsago.Zhangmaneuveredhiswayskillfullyamongthetricycles，electricscooters，andpedestrianswhoallhadnoregardfortrafficrules.SoontheywereinthewesternsuburbsofLhasa.ZhangdrovepastthecrossingtotheGreatHallofthePeopleandLhasaHotel…thenhepulledthecarover.“Hey，isthistheplace？
”Heasked.
“Weareherealready？
”Phubuwasnotcompletelysoberyet.“Hurryupandgetout.”Zhangordered.Phubufumbledtograbhissackandsaid，“Thankyou，comradeofficer，thankyou！
”
Zhangwaveddismissively；“don’tthankme，thankourchief.”
“Thankyou，Chief！
”Phubushoutedintothethinair.Zhangshookhisheadandlaughedbitterly.“Listen，whenyoureachyourrelative，stayhere.Don’trunaround.Tomorrowwillbetheendoftheworld！
”
“TheEndoftheworld？
”Phubustoodhere，totallybewilderedasZhangdroveawayquickly.Standingontheroadcurbunderthestreetlight，Phubuwasstillabitwoozy.Theendoftheworldmeantlittletohim，butthistriptoLhasawasprovedveryimportanttohim.ThemannerwithwhichheenteredLhasawastoocasualwithoutevenaglimpseofthePotalaPalace.HelookedaroundandsawtheironfenceoftheLhasaHotel.HerealizedthatitwasveryclosetoGyatso’shome.Heenteredadarkalleywithnostreetlightsandstoppedinfrontofabiggate.Inthepast，thisgatewasalwayswideopen，butnowitwasclosed.“Anybodythere？
”Phubucalled.Afterquiteawhileauniformedguardsteppedouttoask“Whoareyoulookingfor？
”
“Gyatso.”
“Gyatso...”Theguardscratchedhishead，“Theantiquedealer.”Phubuadded.
TheguardopenedthesmalldoorandhandedPhubuasmallnotebook，“Signuphere！
” “Ican’twrite.”saidPhubu.“Really？
ThenshowmeyourID！
”
PhubuhandedoverhisID.Theguardtookalook，said“Waithere！
”andwentinsidetomakeaphonecall.Ittookhimquiteawhiletocomeback；“Yourtownsfolkarehugetroublemakers.Wehavebeengivenenoughheadaches.”
Phubuthankedtheguard，andtookhisIDbackwithsometrepidation，asifhehimselfhaddonesomethingwrong.“Goahead.”Theguardsaid，“Anddon’tforgettoreporttomewhenyouleave.”
“Yes.”Phubunodded.HewenttoGyatso’scourtyard.Justwhenhewasabouttoknock，thedoorsuddenlyopened，Gyatsopeekedfrombehindthedoor，thendraggedPhubuin.
“It’sbeenagessinceIlastsawyou.Haveyoubeeninjail？
”Gyatsoasked.
“Jail？
Whatareyoutalkingabout？
Iwentbackhome.”Phubugavearathervagueanswer.
“Isee.Youdorunfast！
”Gyatsosaid.LookingatthesackonPhubu’sback，heasked，“Whatdidyoubringmethistime？
”
“Gyatso，Icameasapilgrim.Idon’thaveanythingwithme.”Phubusaid.
“You？
Apilgrim？
”GyatsolookedatPhubuindisbelief.ThenhesawPhubu’sfoxfurhat，“Nicehat.Letmehavealook！
”
“It’sagiftfromafriendinKongpo.”PhubutookoffthehatandhandedittoGyatso.“It’shardtocomebysuchfinefurnowadays.”Gyatsolookedatthehat，“Howmuch？
”
“It’sagift.Iwon’tsellit.Ifyoulikeit，youcanhaveit.”Phubusaid.
“Forfree？
”Gyatsodidn’tbelievehisears，“Areyouserious？
”
“Gyatso，Ijustgothere.CanIstayonenightinyourplace？
”
“Iknewit！
Iknewyoumustbeuptosomething.”Gyatsosaid.
“No.Don’tgetmewrong.”Phubuwavedhishands，“Itookmywifeonthispilgrimage.Shefellillandpassedaway.SheaskedmetotakehertoLhasa.I’mfulfillingherwish.Ijustneedsomewhereclean.”
“What？
Explainyourself.Youarecarryingyourwife？
Whereisshe？
”Gyatsowasalert.
“Notmywife，justherclothes.”Phubupointedtohissack.
Gyatsobreathedasighofrelief，andquicklyadded，“Youcan’tstayhere.Thisapartmentcomplexhasanewpolicy：
Noguestistostayovernight.”
“Comeon，justthisonetime.Weareoldfriends，aren’twe？
It’snotlikeyoudon’tknowme！
WherecanIgoatthishour？
”WhendealingwithGyatso，Phubuseemedtobeawholedifferentperson，articulateandpersuasive，probablybecauseheknewGyatsotoowell.“Well...”Gyatsowasswayed，butthephoneringinginsideinterruptedtheirconversation.Itwastheguardcallingtoconfirm.Acoupleofminuteslater，Gyatsocameoutandsaid，“Yousee？
There’snothingIcando.” “YoucansaythatI’marelativeofyours，andI’llleavetomorrowmorning.”Phubuwaspatientanddetermined.“Butmyroomissofullandmessy...”Gyatsosaid.
“Noproblem.Icanstayinthecourtyard.Ihavemyownluggage.”Phubusaid.
“Allright.”Gyatsodraggedathickmattressfrominside.Hegrabbedthefoxfurhatinhishands，“thankyouforthis.”
“Pleasekeepit！
”Phubusaid.Phubusleptverywellthatnightinadeep，dreamlesssleep.Thenextmorninghewokeupearly，tookouttherollofclothesenclosingPhumo’sbody，putitintoasmallerwoolenbag，andlefteverythingelseinacornerofthecourtyard.Thegatewashalfopen.Withoutwakingtheguard，hewentoutontothemainstreet.
Itwasveryquietonthestreet.Theonlysoundwasfromthesanitationworkerssweepingthestreets.Phubulikedthatsound.ItalwaysremindedhimofthecitylifeofLhasa.ThedaughterofPhubu’slandlordinLhasawasasanitationworkerandhehelpedhersweepthestreetsonce.Tohim，thesoundwassymbolicofthecity.
Todaywassupposedtobetheworld’send！
PhubusuddenlyrememberedwhatthecopZhangtoldhimthedaybefore.Whatwastheworld’send？
Phubulookedaroundonthestreet，tryingtofindsomeonereliabletoaskaboutit.Buttherewasnobodythereexceptforseveralsanitationworkers.Itwasearlysothestreetlightswerestillon.Phubuthought，“Idon’tcareiftheworldendstoday，I’mtakingPhumotothePotalaPlace，theBarkorStreet，andtheJokhangTemple，andIwillfindafinalrestingplaceforher.
ChapterFifteen
Intheearlylightofdawn，PhubuwalkedalongBeijingMiddleRoadtowardsthePotalaPalace.AlotofpeoplewereonthePotalaPalaceSquare，asthoughtherewassomekindoffairtakingplace.Thereweresomeelderpeoplechantingsutras，butmostofthemwereyoungpeople，somelocal，othersfromthehinterlandandalljoyousandexcited，asiftheywerecelebratingafestival.
OnthepilgrimpathcirclingthePotalaPalace，Phubustoppedapeasantwearingredtasselsonhisheadandaskedhim，“Whatholidayisittoday？
”
“Holiday？
”ThemangavePhubuastrangelook.“It’stheendoftheworld.Don’tyouknowthat？
”
“Whatdoesthatmean？
”
“Earthisgoingtodie，andit’stakingusallwithit！
”Themansaidimpatiently.
Phubuwasevenmoreconfused.Hehadneverheardofsuchathing.Besides，ifitwastheendoftheworld，whywaseveryonesohappy？
SeeingPhubu’spuzzlement，themanhurriedtojointheotherpilgrimsheadingforward.
Amongthesoundofthepeddlersplyingtheirwaresbytheroadside，Phubufollowedthepilgrimcrowdwhilerecitingthesix-syllabledSanskritmantra，whichheknewbest.Today，thecrowdofferingincensewasunusuallybig.OnthepilgrimpathnorthofthePotalaPalace，Phubucarefullytookoutsomecypressbranchesfromhissack，andputthemintheincenseburner.Afterhehadcircumnavigatedthepalaceseveraltimes，Phubucouldhardlyfeeltheweightonhisback.Thenoisycriesofthepeddlers，theincreasinglyloudercarhorns，andsutrachantinginallkindsofdialects…allseemedtocometoahalt.Therewasabsolutelynonoiseinhishead，onlythechantingofPhumoechoedaroundinhisears.
“Hey！
”AheavyslapontheshoulderswokePhubuup.Helookedup，andsawaChinesegirllookingathimwithexcitement，“Youarefast！
Where’syourwife？
”
Phubulookedatherinpuzzlement.Hecouldnotrememberwhereandwhenhehadmether.Thegirlmadesomehandgestures，“Imetyourwife，driedapricots，chocolates，remember？
”Phuburecalledhervoice，andhersweet-soundingMandarinChinese.Henodded.Thegirlgrabbedhisshoulderstopreventthembeingseparatedbythewavesofpeople，andaskedhim，“Where’syourwife？
Whyareyoubyyourself？
”
Phubuputhishandsonhissacktoshieldit，andsqueezedtotheroadsidewiththegirl.“She’sgonetoHeaven.”Phubupointedtothesky.Thegirllookedup，“Heaven？
”Shesuddenlyunderstoodandhereyeswidenedinshock.Phubunoddedvehemently.Thegirldraggedhimasideandfiredquestionsathim，“When？
Where？
Why？
”
“Shewasalreadyinpoorhealthwhenwesetout.Itwasallmyfault，mydealingswiththeBuddhastatues...andShekowtowedinthesnowlikeastupidmovie...”PhubutriedhisbestwithhislimitedChinesevocabulary.Whenhewasfinished，thegirl’seyeswerefilledwithtears.“Haveyoutakenherwithyou？
CanIseeherforthelasttime？
”Thegirlasked.
“That’sherclothesonmyback.”Phubutoldher.
Shewipedhertears，“Letmewalkwithyou.Youknowtodayistheworld’send.MybuddiesandIhavedecidedthatifwecanmakeitthroughtheday，we’llsellourbicyclestofundatriptoNgari.”
“Wherearethey？
”Phubuasked.
“Allgotdrunklastnight.T
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