It was a rainy, dreary day. I woke up angry that day. Specifically, I woke up angry, because what woke me up was a fit of coughing that wouldn't stop. I had to hack up a gob of tar into a handkerchief, left on my bedstand by someone; someone whom I still today suspect to stand roundabout six-feet-tall and is still today trying to hide his limited physical influence without a medium. Damned helpful nice Guardian Spirit making me feel guilty.
The day progressively got worse, actually. I tried to fix breakfast for myself, Marion, and Matilda, and went to light up a cigarette first. I went to take one good, long drag, and found that I could not breathe. I nearly brained myself on the corner of the table, when Marion and Matilda - still in their bed clothes - found me. Matilda promptly decided to start screaming like a ninny, while Marion had the presence of mind to OverSoul Chuck into his doll, and use his help to get me outside. After a few terrifying minutes of wheezing and gasping and crying on the lawn, I managed to get my breath back. When I realized that Marion and Matilda were staring at me, uncomfortably, staring at me, the one who was supposed to be an unassailable rock of confidence crying, I tried to wipe my face off. My nose was running, too, good Lord - this was why I never cried, once I started, I couldn't stop.
By the time I stopped, I didn't feel like talking. I just picked a direction and stomped off. I was angry at myself, mostly. I didn't stop until I was far away from my lodgings, farther away from the Funbari Onsen proper, and just sat down. I wanted to light up, but I knew that I would just start to asphyxiate; and even if it was helped by this outside air, I didn't like the chances of, say, coughing up blood. So, I just sat at the side of a dirt road - covered in maple leaves, and bearing more animal tracks than signs of cars - and brooded. I spent a lot of my time brooding lately. Well, I always did a lot of brooding, but recently, more than ever.
That was when I heard twigs crunching behind me. My instincts told me it was a shaman, and apparently such a potent one that I got one of those demon possession-resemblant spasms. The ones that you get out of the blue, and make you contort your body a little bit. So, I stood up quickly, and spun around. There before me stood someone I recognized to be from Gandhara. He had a broad figure, tan skin, and jawlength, unruly hair. He also had the most gaudy, ugly shirt I had seen in a long time. "Okay," I breathed, trying not to get agitated into a whole new coughing spell, "are you a shaman, or are you a tourist that got lost?"
He got a good laugh out of that one. That pissed me off. He hopped up onto one foot, and spun around a few times. That really pissed me off. Then, I took notice of the fact that one of his arms was a stump. Couldn't say I had a right to be pissed off at that. Then, he stopped, and spoke to me. "Fellow shaman," he said brightly. "Please, do me a favor." I was ready to kick this guy in the sack if any of his favors entailed - "Turn your frown the other way around." Okay what the actual fuck was with Gandhara's Shaman? Is this what being a peacenik Buddhist did to you? I had a distinct sensation that this was not the case, and that this guy was either a stoner, a horse's ass, or both.
Then, he walked over, and stood by me. He calmly sighed, and closed his eyes. "Just close your eyes," he said, "and listen. Don't fret about what you've come from or where you're going. Just listen, and clear your mind." This was beginning to sound suspiciously like a scene from a stereotypical shonen manga, but I decided to bite. I closed my eyes, and listened. And then, all of my storming thoughts just began to quiet down. It was a...Strange feeling. I wasn't forcing my mind to silence its turmoil. It just did it, as I listened to my surroundings.
All around me, there were birds and frogs and still some crickets singing. The wind danced through the tree branches, and it almost felt as if I could hear every last leaf brushing against its brothers and sisters. I began to realize that perhaps this wasn't such a farfetched possibility for the situation. It took me, I'll admit, a hilariously long time to realize that the pain in my chest had long since subsided.
I opened my eyes, and didn't try to hide the smile on my face. "You know," I said to the man beside me, whose eyes still were closed, "the only thing bad about this is that I won't be able to come out here and relax, every day." I looked over.
The man said calmly, "I normally clear my mind in the early mornings, if possible. It makes the day to follow a fair bit easier." He proceeded to wave good bye, and make his way down the road.
When I got back to the Funbari Onsen, I got bitched out by Tamamura.
Strangely, it didn't bother me quite so much.