Chapter 164: Song of the Himyas
Women who brought the foodid out on the tables on both sides of the central table began kneeling and bringing the food in front of Geon and Chaeeun. As the food piled up on the table, Chaeeun''s face filled with smiles. While Geon and Chaeeun’s faces brightened, Yeongseok''s face crumpled.
Geon, noticing Yeongseok’s disgusted expression, said as if amused, “Brother, were you expecting us to starve? What now? It’s rude not to eat what’s given. Guess we have no choice but to eat.”
Chaeeun, with a mischievous smile, chimed in, “Exactly. The vige chief prepared all this for us, not eating would be really rude. Let''s eat quickly!”
Chaeeun, holding a spoon and checking for Timo''s cue, saw him signal with a smile to start eating. Chaeeun then brought her hands together, bowed her head slightly, and began eating. Sheughed continuously, tasting this and that, and urged Geon to try the food as well.
“Geon, try this. Is this goat meat? It’s really tender and tasty. Wow, this is the first time I’m eating something other than the bread given by the Sherpa uncle we met this morning. Maybe it’s because I’m hungry, but it’s really delicious!”
As Chaeeun fed Geon, sheughed. Geon, tasting the food offered by Chaeeun, eventually found himself burying his face in the bowl and scooping up the food to eat. Timo, seeing the two of them, continued to order more food to be brought out, then started instructing the staff to serve food as well. The first woman to approach Yeongseok with a te of various foods offered it to him. After Yeongseok put his hands together and bowed to ept the te, several women approached with the same te, offering food to all the staff.
The staff, who had only been filming Geon and Chaeeun eating, began to eat voraciously, perhaps due to hunger, upon Yeongseok’s cue.
“Eat, we’re all starving here. Let’s eat and then continue. Just make sure to handle the handheld camera well.”
Once Yeongseok gave his permission, the staff began to devour the food as if possessed. However, being professionals, they continued to monitor the situation even while eating, especially checking the camera monitors whenever Chaeeun and Geon had a conversation.After filling his stomach, Geon supported his body with his arms, leaned back, and looked satisfied though bloated, unlike Chaeeun. Despite her small stature, it was dubious how much food she could ingest, as she ate a lot and for a long time. Geon, watching Chaeeun with a smile, approached the musicians who had been ying throughout the meal.
The musicians, having been instructed by Timo beforehand, did not stop ying as Geon approached. Geon stood in front of them, listening to their performance, then turning to Timo, who hade up beside him, asked, “Could I see their sheet music?”
Timo nodded and replied, “Yes, you can.”
Geon, with a bright smile, asked, “Could I borrow some paper and a pen?”
Timo immediately instructed a servant nearby, “Bring paper and a pen.”
As soon as the words were uttered, a servant darted into the house and quickly returned, presenting Timo with a few sheets of paper and a pen. Timo courteously handed them to Geon, who received them with both hands politely. Geon then casually sat down on the carpet where the musicians were seated. The musicians nced at him but did not stop their performance.
Seeing Geon start to write something, the camera director crammed the remaining rice into his mouth and ran over with the ENG camera. Seeing this, Yeongseok quickly brought a bowl to his mouth and started shoveling food in. The staff also quickened their pace of eating.
Geon, crouching down, began to write down the sheet music, then pondered deeply. Eventually, hey on the carpet, writing down the music as everyone watched. The musicians, continuing to y, asionally nced curiously at the sheet music Geon was sketching. After a while, Geon, holding three sheets of music, asked Timo, “Could you ask if there are any notes on this sheet music that can’t be yed with a bansuri or a sarangi?”
Timo nodded and ryed to the musicians, “The Deva asks if there are notes that cannot be yed on your instruments.”
The musicians hastily stopped ying, kneeled, and after scrutinizing the sheet music while lying prostrate, shook their heads. Timo, after observing them, told Geon, “They say it can be yed.”
Geon, with a bright expression, handed the sheet music to the musicians, saying, “Could you please y this?”
The musicians, receiving the sheet music with respect, looked to Timo, who said, “The Deva requests you to y.”
The musicians, touched, kneeled before Geon and quietly brought their hands together, bowing. They ced a sheet of music on the floor and began to memorize it. Seeing this, Geon went to get the J 200 he had left beside Chaeeun. Chaeeun, still greasy-lipped from eating, asked, “Why? Are you going to y? Do you know these instruments?”
Geon, taking the J 200 out of its case, smiled, “No, I don’t know much. Just what I heard them y earlier.”
“And you drew a sheet music for them? What for? Is it an existing piece?”
“No, just something that came to mind while I was here, listening to the sounds of those instruments.”
As Geon moved towards the musicians with the guitar, Chaeeun, holding a goat leg, muttered in a daze, “You came up with sheet music just by hearing those instruments for the first time today?”
Geon sat quietly on a low stone ledge, softly plucking the strings of his J-200 as the musicians memorized their scores. Observing Geon lost in thought with his eyes closed, Timo ced a finger to his lips amidst the bustling servants still serving food, instantly quieting the surroundings. Feeling the sudden shift in atmosphere, the camera directors rose to gather around Geon, beginning their shoot.
Yeongseok, looking down at Geon envisioning the scene, thought, "This show is going to be a hit. It’s not going exactly as nned, but just the trailer will cause a stir. Geon, mistaken for a god in Nepal, will definitely please the boss."
Soon, the musicians stood, each taking their instrument to start rehearsing. As the first beautiful notes of the bansuri flute filled the air, the working women''s eyes widened. Sarangi joined midway, as if sneaking into the performance, followed by the entrance of the dhamphu. After two practices, the skilled musicians looked towards Geon, awaiting his direction as if ready.
Geon, watching them, smiled and took off his shoes to sit in the middle of the carpet. Though they didn''t speak the samenguage, their shared love for music united them, sharing smiles. When Geon gestured to the bansuri yer to begin, a mournful yet beautiful melody flowed from the flute.
As the exquisite sound yed, vigers, who had gathered one by one at Timo’s house from the start of the rehearsal, began to close their eyes and feel the music. The bansuri’s sound was aspassionate and gentle as Brahma''smenting gaze over the Himyas, witnessing the sorrows of the human world. The mournful melody felt like their deity shedding tears over them, prompting the vigers to sit and pray.
Then, the sarangi entered with a melody resembling a blend of violin and cello, evoking sadness. It soared over the calm beat of the dhamphu, sounding like Brahma’s voice speaking to humanity. Timo, too, seemed intoxicated by the spiritual enlightenment of the music, standing still with his eyes closed and head tilted skyward.
A guitar’s arpeggio then seamlessly joined over the traditional instruments, harmonizing with the bansuri’s melody but in a chord three steps lower, echoing across the night sky. More vigers knelt at the front gate of Timo’s house, their numbers growing as they prayed.
More people climbed the hill outside Timo''s house, kneeling and praying together.
Yeongseok, startled, tapped the shoulders of two camera directors, directing them to film the people praying at the gate and on the hill. Chaeun dropped the food she was holding, her eyes wide and trembling slightly.
Geon, with his eyes closed, began to sing.
"From the vige Deurali, atop the world''s roof,
Thank you, God, for daily bread and afortable bed."
Geon''s voice wasn''t gentle as the morning; it resonated deeply, nearly reaching the lowest tones a human could produce, akin to a Tibetan monk''s chant. The hands of those praying trembled, and Timo, still looking skyward, knelt to the ground, tears forming in his eyes.
"Deurali, Deurali, may blessings of love and courtesy converge in this vige.
Deurali, Deurali, may blessings of love and courtesy converge in this vige."
As Geon''s voice echoed again, those kneeling bowed to touch their foreheads to the ground. Unseen by Geon, thest lyrics he sung were:
"May blessingse to this beautiful vige, touching the sky."
Though the song ended, the performance continued. Suddenly, the vigers lying on the ground began to chant in a low tone, as if praying, harmoniously blending with the musicians. They murmured the same words throughout the ongoing performance.
Yeongseok, eyes wide in astonishment, turned to Simba, shaking slightly, and asked, "What are the people saying?"
Simba, gazing at Geon and then back at the people, replied in a trembling voice, "‘May blessingse to this beautiful vige, touching the sky.’ They''re repeating his words. Even those who don’t speak English are following along. How is this possible..."
>
Unlock exclusive early ess to more than 100 Chapters before anyone else by bing a valued member of my <b>Patreon</b>munity.
As a cherished member of our <b>Patreon</b>munity, here is what you''ll get:
<b>For just $5:</b><ul><li>Early ess to 100s of chapters before they go public. (You can find all the novels I''m tranting <b>HERE</b>.)</li><li>Your name will be prominently featured on the "<b>Wall of Gratitude</b>".</li><li>The power to vote on which novel I trante next.</li><li>You Get Ad-free Chapters.</li></ul>
<b>For</b><b> $10:</b><ul><li>You get to suggest a Novel for me to trante.</li><li>Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in <b>gold</b>).</li></ul>
<b>For </b><b>$20:</b><ul><li>You get to rmend an abandoned Novel and I will immediately start tranting it.</li><li>Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in <b>blue)</b>.</li></ul>
Don''t let this amazing opportunity slip through your fingers!