I stared deep into my eyes looking back at me through the questioning waters of the village lake. Whether it was the water that questioned me or my own eyes is something I can’t tell with even the least bit of certainty. Perhaps the Soju from the last night’s celebration is still playing inside my brains.
Oh is it the last night already? Or is that something from just a few hours back? Either way, I am here alone near this famous lake on which our town has been standing since the last couple of centuries when the great King Ludian visited these mountains while travelling from the far South, and decided to build upon here a great city that would become the hub of all the trade activities as well as serve as an important centre according to their detailed defence plan against the enemies. The enemies have changed since then, and the great city is now just a small town. But the smell of trade in the air is still the same and I can feel myself being obsessed with this smell as I question the never answering waters.
What has this town done to me? My reflection replied to me at that time and it told me to go back to my own country and my people in the South. That this cursed town had nothing to offer me and that my quest will find no suitable turn here let alone its end. And I would have believed the evil reflection had I not been under the effect of that magical Soju which now it appeared to me had me under its spell since the last five days or so.
My feet lay submerged into the cold calm water and the darkness of the town was slashed by the peaceful arrows of the night light even though the Moon had left the stars alone in their fight. Little did the stars know about the casualty of Moon fighting against the dark clouds of despair! No sound came from the town, and even the roaming cats let go of their desire to catch and eat the sleeping mice.
The trees decided in unison to stop moving and told me secretly that no living man would ever see their movement again. I had smiled at them, trying to suppress my laughter. And now my reflection seemed to be doing the same to me.
I must stop here and tell you that I am not a madman talking under the effects of a drink. Neither I’m a hypnotizer trying to lure you for your time and money. I am a mere questioner, a traveller in search of the truth. You are more my friend than an enemy for you fight the same questions. True, you have been able to suppress those questions just as I had suppressed my laughter while the trees told me their little secret. But the need for truth is very strong and, Soju or not, I can assure you that in your little journey, whatever form the journey may take for you, it is inevitable for you to bump into these questions some time or the other. And when you do that, you would remember me, my friend. For I have chosen to fight the questions as I must on behalf of you, as the people of the North and the people of the South can tolerate only so much of the ignorance before the madness starts to reign in.
And with this renewed inspiration, and with perspiration on my brows and gradually relieving tension in my mind, I begin my journey again. I take out my golden dagger out of its silver sheath, the sheath that was presented to my mother by Dumas, the second son of King Ludian IV. This was just before the elder son had decided to end all the trade activities with this town and when Dumas decided to leave the royal family for ever and begin a normal man’s life with my mother. Alas, their time together was not long and I do wish at times if I were accompanied by the brilliance and courage of Dumas, I would not need to walk on this path.
I waited for some time, and kept looking at my reflection as it tried to threaten me with its clever eyes. I ensured to have my movement take very slow action as I raised the dagger up in the air, holding it strongly and firmly behind the vertical plane touching the tip of my nose. And as the killer reflection showed me the first signs of casualness, I struck it hard with the dagger, piercing it right between the eyes.
The water moved now and with it the clouds also started to disappear. The Moon shone brightly now and it seemed even the Soju was now losing its grip. I felt a large burden off my heart and found happiness in the murder of questions with the answers that were and have always been inside of me.