Chinese Dragon
By skali1874
- 520 reads
Chinese Dragon
Long flowing fins. Iridescent scales. Glancing eyes. These are its
majestic moves as it maneuvers quietly in the shallow waters of the
pond. It swims slowly and gracefully, and its smooth easy turns in the
water give it a sense of royalty. Its deep ruby red and amber colors
glisten in the sun and reflect to the top of the water.
"Waipo, are you sure you want the Koi pond in the front yard and not
in the back?"
"Ben-wa, I am telling you many times now. If put fish in back yard,
they all die! Die! Nothing living in East, only good place to put
toilet."
Everyday it was the same thing. My grandmother would call me at the
office, and I would have to call her back unable to decipher the
messages she left with my secretary. I was not accustomed to designing
residential homes. The architectural firm I worked for was known for
constructing large modern buildings downtown, or remodeling labs at the
University. But my grandmother insisted that I was the only one who
could really understand all of her requests.
Where were all of these odd requests coming from? I always knew my
grandmother was a little superstitious, but while most people think
about the overall layout of the home my grandmother was only concerned
with detail and eight sectors. Her fist decision was where to put the
front door. After careful deliberation she decided to have the front
door face the West. Not because the West has a good clear view of the
Golden Gate Bridge, but because, "Front door in West very good for
vitality." The calls became more frequent and detailed.
"Ben, your grandmother called twice while you were at lunch. Here are
the messages."
Message 1: Do not forget, bedrooms face west and be in the front of the
house.
Message 2: Dining room must be on the South end- kitchen South East
corner.
"Waipo, this is probably a stupid question but why is the kitchen
going to be in the back? We already went over the layout of the rooms
with your bedroom in the South East corner."
"No, very bad. South East not good place for bedroom. How many times I
tell you? How I sleep with headaches and sick all the time. If I sleep
there your grandfather find new wife."
Over the thirteen month building process I was faced with all sorts of
odd requests. I spent many late nights with my grandmother, walking
through fog and a dirt lot to ensure my understanding of each sector.
With her flashlight in one hand and gripping my arm with the other she
led me to section one: Excellent, "All good things here", she told me,
"we put front door here, very good". Prosperity, "This best place for
money, you put grandfather's office here". We turned right and walked
about thirty feet, North corner: Disaster, "Must be very careful here.
Not good place for family gatherings, many quarrels and fights". Thirty
more feet: Longevity, "You put guest bedroom here, all who stay be very
happy". Again a sharp right and 30 feet: Death, "No bedrooms, no
goldfish tank, all accidents and misfortune here- you make good
decision what put here". More trouble as we got to the South East
corner and South end of the house: Spook and Irritation, "Here, people
rob me, I get sick, headaches. Kitchen good here, I don't care someone
steal some salt." Health: "This best place for my bedroom, good place
to stay young."
The 5,000 square foot home was large and modern, but slightly
imperfect and inconvenient for the average person. For instance, you
walk in the front door into a long hallway. Turning left or right will
take you to the front bedrooms while continuing straight ahead will
lead you through an open area atrium with large trees and plants. The
hallway continues through the atrium where, of course, you come to the
laundry room and a dead end. Where else could laundry be done without
feeling uneasy or ill?
The backyard was a combination of compromise and necessity. There were
three levels of gardens, both flower and rock. The rock garden was the
only request my grandfather had in the planning of the home. It was
only after weeks of persuasion that my grandmother agreed to the
flowers, "Flowers in East? Bad idea. They die. But I make grandfather
plant new ones. Punishment for rock garden."
One day I received another call, "Ben-wa, must show you something,"
she told me over the phone. What now?, I thought. We're already six
months into building? "You have time now, I come?"
"Sure. I'm not too busy right now. Come down here and I'll take you to
lunch." While we were at lunch my grandmother reached into her purse
and pulled out a folded, tightly creased piece of paper. She put it
down on the table and pushed it in my direction, "Here. Look." I opened
the piece of paper and overlooked her pencil sketches. It was a very
detailed design of the front yard and it's main focal point- the Koi
pond. The sketches were aesthetic and thoughtful, full of eraser
smudges and a few tears in the paper. It was complete with waterfalls,
bridges and tiny descriptions of plant names and colors.
"It's beautiful." I told her.
"You find someone make for me? Very important they do good job."
"Of course I will. This is a very good drawing, I'm sure it won't be
difficult to understand it."
"Only best home for Chinese Dragon, he very special," she said,
smiling.
"Yes, he is very special."
She had been working on the plans for this pond since they first
bought the lot twenty years ago. While living in their apartment my
grandmother kept a 400-gallon fish tank which she kept full of exotic
Koi she bought carefully; saving money for months until she could buy
the best fish, one at a time. Chinese Dragon was her first. He was at
least thirty years my senior, and at one point weighed twice as much as
I did.
It was close to the Chinese New Year when the home reached completion.
The yard was fresh and immaculate. The furniture in the house had all
been arranged according to the strict rules and same guidelines that
followed the building of the house. But Waipo was very happy and
pleased with her new home. "You do excellent job," she told me at her
housewarming.
Her friends were pleased as well. It has been almost ten years since
the home was completed, and in the course of this time I have built
many more homes in the same way for many of my grandmother's friends.
All constructed with the same strict rules. Although, some swear that a
home facing North or South is the best and only way possible- not West
like my grandmother's.
I watch my grandmother and my youngest son from an inside window. She
is sitting on the edge of a rock, her grandson on her knee. It is cold,
but they are sitting in the sun. Waipo has him bundled inside her
jacket. Together, they are watching the slow movements of the mystical
fish below them. The pond is old now, but is still fresh and thriving
from the plants and tender care she has given to it all these years.
"See this one?", she says, pointing. "This one Chinese Dragon." I can
see her breath in the cold air, making small and slow puffs on the back
of my sons neck. "Chinese Dragon very lucky. Bring fortune, wealth, and
strength. Why you think your father so smart, and me so lucky?"
1
- Log in to post comments