Lotus Blood

Lotus Blood Part 8

Chapter Six

Vanilla. I breathe in warm, milky vanilla and something soft's tickling my cheeks. I open my eyes and I'm lying face down in deep shag pile carpet. And yes it's blue, sky blue. The carpet rolls away between cream walls punctuated by dark wooden doors.

I'm barefoot and wearing some kind of pyjama set, silky soft on my skin and the same shade of blue as the carpet. And everywhere there's that deep vanilla aroma.

A dog's sitting next to me, wagging his tail, big brown eyes watching me.

"Hello, boy."

I ruffle his ears and he licks my face till I sit up then rolls over for me to tickle his tummy. There's a loud "Ping!" and the dog jumps up, whining.

Behind me the shag pile stops and cool white marble takes over, flowing out into a wide hall.

"Lifts," I whisper and breathe in some more of the vanilla aroma.

Three sets of giant, golden double doors with red pointy indicators above them stand waiting. The indicator above the middle lift is crawling clockwise. Finally it stops and another, "Ping!" bursts out. The doors split in the middle and hiss open. Pure white light bursts out.

I squint through my fingers at the small bald head that emerges out of the light. A young boy, swathed in white monk robes stares down at me.

"Hello," I say to the boy.

"What are you doing on the floor?" His voice is high and sweet. He crouches down and strokes the dog.

"I woke up here."

"Really? Oh that's not right. Not right at all." The dog's licking his face now.

"Oh, why?"

"You should be in one of our holding rooms. In your room," he tells me and pulls a small card from inside his robes and checks it. "Yes, room Seventeen A."

He turns it to me and I read the gold lettering; "Nam, Room 17A."

"Nam?"

"Yes that's you. Well that's what we'll call you for the moment. And, you should have been in Seventeen A."

"I'm sorry."

"Oh, no, no, no. I'm sorry, we're sorry. It's been crazy here today, but it's still no excuse." He's tickling the dog's tummy now. "And, it's so good to see you again, Bob."

"His name's Bob?" I ask and the boy smiles.

"Oh yes we're old friends. We go back a long, long way. Still grumpy in the mornings, Bob?"

Bob shakes himself and barks at the boy.

"Oh yes, the Address! I am so sorry, Nam. Please, please forgive me. I should have started with the Address."

He stands up straight, puts his hands together under his chin, takes a deep breath and smiles at me.

"Nam, child of us all, blood of us all, welcome to the Bardo, our place of waiting, our place of peace and tranquillity. I am Mink. I am your Holder and you are my Guest. I will hold you, guide you and keep you safe and calm as you move on in your cycle of lives. My well being, is as nothing to your needs and smooth passage into your next step on your path to enlightenment."

He finishes with a small bow.

"Thank you, Monk."

"No, no, no, Nam. I'm not a monk. I'm Mink, just Mink."