I enter the tent to begin my vision quest and can feel the disdain from those watching. Hey, this was not my idea! I want to yell at them but it is not my place. Besides, Osamu told me he would deny it if I told anyone it was his idea. It was his idea and he was the one who convinced the elders to allow me to perform the vision quest. It was Osamu who sat in the tent with the elders during the Inipi. It was Osamu who was standing along with the elders now looking like a drunk grandpa.
“We will return on the fourth day and lead you back to the village. You will come with us no matter what. If you have had a vision or not,” said the chief elder.
“I understand,” I said.
He turned and walked away without another word. I entered the dark, hot, humid tent. A low fire sat in the middle with a small bucket of water and a ladle. The air felt damp, clammy. The smoke from the fire left from the top of the tent yet the scent lingered like I was the visitor and I was impeding on its hospitality. I sat on the ground cross legged and waited. I was supposed to be meditating. Inviting the spirits to show me what secrets they wished. Instead I sat bored and wondering for the umpteenth time why and how I had gotten here.
In winter seeds sleep
During the spring they waken
In autumn they yawn
“Wake up!”
I startle awake.
“Sleeping at such a time! Hmph!”
“Wha.. Who?” I asked. My sight was a little blurry.
“I am why you are here. I have come to give you the knowledge you need.”
My vision cleared enough for me to see a 8 foot dragon in front of me.
“A dragon? Really?”
“What? I should be a bear or a bunny or maybe an owl like fuking Harry Potter?”
“I just thought a Native sweat lodge tent and all …”
“Oh so the black guy on a vision quest at the reserve wants to talk about cultural appropriation? Brah. I could come out looking like Godzilla in a pink tutu and it wouldn’t mean shit. Listen to the words I am speaking to you. Forget the packaging.”
“Cool, cool. I got it. Sheesh. Who stole your golden cup?”
“Oooo a Hobbit reference. + 1 for you. Now shut up and listen. We don’t have much time.”
“Relax, I’ve got four days.”
“You’ve been asleep for almost three days. And if you say one more thing I’m poofing out of here like a bad magician.”
“….”
“Good. You need to go to Mt. Fuji. You’re not going to be able to go directly, just trust me. But when you get there. Take the tour with the fat white guy as a guide -”
“Th-”
“One. More. Word. Poof!”
I held up my hands.
“You’ll know which one when you get there. At the shrine, leave the group and go through the jade gate.”
I waited. He said nothing. I waited some more. Still nothing. I pointed towards my mouth with my eyebrows up.
“You can talk now.”
“What??? I thought vision quests gave you these vision dreamlike flying eagle type thing. This is like mission impossible Google maps type stuff. What is going on here? And why me?”
“Why not you? And-”
“Cause I don’t want to!”
“Too bad. It’s you. And this isn’t your vision quest, this is literally like Charlie’s Angels type instructions but I ain’t self destructing. You want a vision quest you speak to your own ancestors.”
He continued saying something but off to the side behind him I saw like a washed out movie the picture of Br’er Rabbit and a briar patch. The more I tried to strain to see the more it washed out but if I relaxed it got clearer and then suddenly I was standing next to him in the briar patch.
“Well how do! What you doin’ in this briar patch?” said Br’er.
“Boy, I say Boy! If you don’t get yo ass back outta this here briar patch!”
Foghorn Leghorn? What? My vision quest is old time cartoon reruns?
“Yo! Come back to me! Here you go. Come on. Come on.”
It was the dragon again. Oh man. Whatever kind of sage stuff they put in here was grade A prime.
“Okay I see I have to make this quick. Last thing. Don’t trust Osamu within an inch of your life but he will be the reason you live.”
Like I needed that warning. I already don’t trust Osamu.
“Times up!” POOF!
“Wait! I didn’t say anything!”
Sunlight flooded into the tent blinding my eyes.
“Time is up. Your four days are over.”
I shield my eyes and look at the tent entrance. Through the watering of my eyes I see the chief elder.
“Time’s up?” I croak out.
My throat is suddenly dry and I struggle to stand up. He watches me, impassive as a boulder, as I stumble into the light. There the village elders stand, faces like worn stone and beside them, Osamu.
As we walk back to the village where apparently there is a party waiting, courtesy of Osamu, he ask me if I had seen anything.
“We have to go to Japan. Mount Fuji.”
“No go. I’ve been banned.”
“Then I’ll go without you.”
“You did say ‘we’”
I had. And apparently, according to the dragon, I do need him to stay alive.
“We’ll find a way.”
“Stewie!! Baby!”
Patty. Fifties, hair up, always hair up, blonde with red streaks or red with blonde streaks. I never knew which was her original color. The curtains always matched the carpet if you know what I mean, and sadly yes I’ve checked … a number of times.
“I’m coming with you,” she says.
“What? How do you know we’re, er, I’m, going anywhere?” I ask.
“You throw a party like this? You’re going somewhere.”
“You brought her here?” I ask, looking at Osamu.
He shrugs and walks into the school gym where the party is.
“What should I pack?”
God help me if I make this out alive. Whatever this is. And as I walk arm in arm into the gym I see out of the corner of my eye a hare run into a field. Is that a briar patch?
The eyes see only
When open. The heart sees all
The mind see nothing
This is for a dVerse prompt: Write a haibun that alludes to vision. I hope you enjoy! 😊
