The tattoo

 

- Ken-ny! Ken-ny! Ken-ny! – the stadium was on fire. The tanned man was standing in the middle, releasing the tension in his knuckles, waiting for his enemy.

- I got you, honey. – As the darkness dropped from the face, Kenny could see that Kiara came forward from the shadow. His jaw dropped…

*

- Where are you heading to, honey? – Kiara was looking after Kenny as he quickly left their bedroom.

- I’ve got some business to do. – said the man in a hurry and Kiara could only hear the slamming of the door then. It was not the first, nor the last night when she cried herself to sleep. Her girlfriends had warned her that this could happen once they got married, but somehow, she forgot about the signs. It was all her naivety, thinking that she can tie down a traveler, thinking that after years of adventure, she could tame a lion and ease his hunger with only offering herself on a plate. She was sure that Kenny is cheating on her – she was sure it would happen sooner or later but didn’t think that it would happen so soon in their marriage. She could decide if she’s going on with that or not, but as she was always observant and a free spirit, she wanted to find out more by herself. She promised to herself that as long as her own feelings continue, she would not give up on Kenny.

*

Bangkok was stuffy and humid. When Kiara got her suitcases dropped off at the hotel, she suddenly felt the immediate tiredness. It was a long journey, a long-haul flight. But she wanted to be here. This was her dream. A yoga teacher position in the heart of Thailand! All the islands, the beauty and everything…! As soon as she arrived at her hotel room, she texted Kenny. “I’m here! But, I’m tired! Let’s meet up tomorrow instead?”. Kenny, her boyfriend had arrived some time before her. He was equally fond of the Asian cuisine, like Kiara, he was fond of the culture and what was most important: he loved the Thai tiger balm. He cultivated Muay Thai and occasionally gave merits at a Buddhist temple nearby. Actually, it was him who convinced Kiara to take up a yoga teacher position here. They knew each other for some time now: they knew well how independent each other was. Therefore, instead of restricting each other’s free space, their relationship’s philosophy was to give as much space to each other as they needed.

Kiara immediately passed out when she arrived at her hotel. Even she was surprised of that: she thought she would be rather excited to see her long-distance boyfriend again. But anyway, it would be two years, inseparable from each other from now on…! There is plenty of time for everything.

The next day, Kenny came to pick her up at 7 am and Kiara was now sure that she took the correct decision to rest well during her first night at the hotel. First, they visited a huge market where they bought a lot of spice and those typical Thai elephant-pants souvenirs, then Kenny dragged her out of a narrow alley, saying that he’s got a surprise for her. Kiara dreamily followed him. She remembered Kenny a bit less musculous as he was now, and she was also questioning him if he could speak fluent Thai before or not. Anyway, the smells, shops, humidity and all the new cultural encounters were so vivid for her that she couldn’t formulate the right questions yet. Soon, she found herself surrounded by monks in an isolated garden. The monks’ bald heads were shining in the sunshine. They were chanting something in Pali language, while walking in long, oval circles in the churchyard. They seemed not to notice the newcomers until their chant has finished. Kiara closed her eyes: yes, this is right. This is the good place for her to spend the coming two years, where incent’s smell is mixed with the scent of frangepanis, and culture goes hand in hand with modernity. As she breathed in the mixture of smell and culture, she automatically held Kenny’s hand. “I’m so happy to be here with you, finally.” – she sighed.

“Wait, until I’ll introduce you to the Ajarn.” -said Kenny.

The Ajarn was the oldest monk in the community. His orange robe was only hanging on him like a papercut clothe, he was so thin. However, when he spoke, his voice sounded terse but still vivid with life. He was all ambiguous in what he looked like and how he behaved.

“Ajarn Samai, let me introduce you my significant other” – said Kenny and bowed deeply in front of the monk.

“Welcome, dear Lady Kiara. We have heard about you for long time. You are just like my expectations were – if a monk could have one. And, if I’m not wrong, you’re an Ajarn, yourself, too, right?” – he smiled politely, but Kiara noticed that the monk probably knew more of her than she of him.

“Yes, Ajarn Samai” – said finally and bowed herself like she saw it from Kenny.

“Well, then. Do what should be done, and let it go what should be let go of. I am on my way now and I hope to see you soon.” – Ajarn Samai looked a tiny bit longer at Kenny’s eyes as mutual respect and politeness would have demanded, but it was hard to notice. Kiara did though and asked Kenny on their way out how come he is so tied up with these monks.

“I mean, you don’t mean us to be monks, at some point, do you?” – she laughed it off when the two were already snacking on some delicious padthai and drinking some blue pearl syrup aside. Kenny wasn’t laughing with her.

“It’s my community. Kiara, I want you to be part of my life, forever, my whole life, but please. Just understand me that this is my community and I can thank my life to them. Now, I need to serve them as well as return a favour.”

“Umm.. oh…” – she was chewing on some beansprout while thinking “what do you mean by thanking your life to them? What did they… or rather, what did you do since we last met?”

“I can’t tell. And you can’t ask….” Kenny looked at her with apologetic eyes. Kiara knew him too well so she thought it would be better not to ask.

*

When the next day she entered the house, the particular smell has touched her nose. It was the mixture of the incent what she could smell in the Buddhist temple, too. The shower was on, and as she got closer, she saw Kenny in it. He was the same – but still, somehow different. There was a huge patch of black ink on his back what he tried to cover up as soon as he stepped out of the shower, with less success. It was shaped as a triangle with beautiful ornaments on their sides. “Hmm, what? You’re here already?” – he seemed to be distracted. “I thought you have a class now.” Kiara got closer to her husband. “I’m here… and as I can see.. just in time.” She gave him a peck on his mouth but he rushed away, trying to save himself out of the situation: “Sorry, honey, it’s wrong timing now. I’m on my way to a business meeting. But, make yourself free for tonight. I’m taking you out to Genki’s Sushi Bar!” – he quickly added as he saw that there are clouds in his beloved’s eyes. She is right. She had to put up with a lot of things nowadays. I can’t blame her, it’s all my fault. I put her through it. Let’s hope the Ajarn will let me out for this one night. – then Kenny rushed away.

Kiara, without thinking, rushed to the street behind Kenny and grabbed the next taxi coming after Kenny had left: “Come on!” – she shouted – “Quick, quick!” “Khun krut pasa thai?” was the driver’s answer, waiting for more directions. Kiara was aggressively thumping on the windowpane with her fingers. “Go! Baipai! Follow! That taxi!” – she screamed on a high pitch when the taxi finally started. As the taxi was turning up and down on the narrow sois, Kiara recognized the route: it was directly going to the hidden gem of the Buddhist community. She was trembling in the car despite the stuffed heat, afraid of what might be waiting for her. She touched her driver’s shoulder, to wait a moment before she got out. She left and snuck after Kenny. The calm and peacefulness of the monks’ community was gone by this time of the day: it was taken away by heavy drums and martial music. What’s more, he suddenly heard a terrifying scream – she immediately knew it was coming from her husband. Upon sneaking in, she heard some whispers: it was Ajarn Samai. “You must fight Big Oak. Unless you find another enemy who can fight him back, you’ll be dead in no time.”

Kiara cautiously looked at him – or at the point where he was talking from. He saw the ajarn kneeling in front of his husband, holding a well-refined bamboo needle, which is used exquisitely for tattoo ceremonies. The burning of the incents have pushed away smell of the ink and the blood. She got so scared by the words and this scene that she didn’t pay attention and stepped on a root which was sticking out from the ground. To her unfortune, the Ajarn heard the sound and looked her straight in the eye.

“What… are you…. doing … here?” The monk was seeping through the words silently. He wasn’t able to move – if he did, the new pattern on Kenny’s back would have faded away before it had solidified. It was his traditional Sak Yant tattoo – like all the Muay Thai fighters had it. It all clicked for Kiara now. It all suddenly clicked for her and she knew what she had to do.