《Is the Druk Dying?》 The Druk Dance Festival Dechhen had been practising her steps for several months now. It was all about the feet, Ajyang had said. Left foot back, right foot follows, then left foot forward; repeat eight times. Right foot back, left foot follows, then right foot forward; repeat eight times. Once you got that down, the hand movements were easy. For most of the dance, your arms were linked to other dancers anyway. Even though she had demonstrated her steps to her parents and convinced them she was ready, Dechhen felt extremely nervous. What if she was not ready? What if she messes up, and the Druk does not present themself? She had to get in some last-minute practice. Left foot back, right foot follows, then left foot forward; repeat eight times. ''Time to go, Dechhen!'' Aama called out from outside. ''Coming, Aama!'' Dechhen yelled back as she ran out the house where her parents were waiting, dressed in their finest attire. Aama was wearing a deep purple bakkhu with intricate gold embroidery and a gold blouse. Her large gold earrings matched the gold in her outfit, and around her neck she wore a necklace of turquoise and red coral. She was carrying baby Phurba, who was fast asleep on her back, held in place by a brown scarf wrapped tightly around Phurba and around Aama''s waist. ''Are you excited, Dechhen?'' Papa said, smiling. He was wearing a red bakkhu trimmed with a black border; intricate gold dragons jumping atop gold clouds were embroidered on his bakkhu. Underneath he wore a white blouse and black trousers with a strip of red going down the front, gold dragons jumping atop gold clouds on them. His dramnyen slung carelessly over his left shoulder. His hat, with a black woollen ridge and intricate gold patterns on top of red cloth, was a little askew. In his hands he was carrying a pair of small black fur boots. Dechhen nodded without saying a word. ''Of course she is! Look at her, she is so excited she cannot speak!'' Aama said, grinning. ''Come now, let''s put on your boots,'' Papa said, getting down on one of his knees. Dechhen leaned on her father''s shoulder as he lifted her feet one at a time and fastened the boots on. ''I want to be carried like Phurba!'' Dechhen said. ''Come on Dechhen, you are five now. You are too big to be carried,'' Aama said, holding her hand and striding forward. The little family made their way out of their small front yard and onto the stone-laid streets of Lulongla. It was fairly early in the morning; the cold was still just a little too sharp against Dechhen''s cheeks that had turned bright red, and her nose was just a little runny. A thin mist clung to the air but was fast dissipating as the sun grew stronger. Dechhen balled her free hand into a loose fist and blew hot air into it; her hot breath soothed her stiff cold fingers. Across the street, Aani Sonam was sweeping her front yard, dressed in a plain brown bakkhu that had been pulled up and tucked into her waist. ''Good morning Aani Sonam!'' Dechhen called out, waving. ''Sonamla, you are not even dressed yet!'' Aama exclaimed. Aani Sonam looked up at the family and waved back. ''All of you look so lovely!'' she exclaimed. ''Dechhenla, you look so cute!'' ''Thank you Aani!'' Dechhen said, grinning. She knew she looked very nice, even if her bakkhu was a little too big for her; Aama said she would grow into it soon enough. Her dark blue bakkhu was adorned with light blue and silver embroidery that formed beautiful birds with intricate wings and feathers who were each carrying a sprig of delicate small flowers in their claws. Her blouse was white with silver clouds and floating flowers embroidered in silver thread. ''Why are you sweeping now? You should be leaving; you are going to be late!'' Papa said. ''Just doing some quick chores Chocho; I will be leaving in 30 minutes! You lot go ahead!'' Aani Sonam said, gesturing at them to keep going. Papa shook his head as the family continued walking. ''This girl has no sense of time,'' he said. ''Like brother like sister,'' Aama quipped. ''What do you mean? I was ready before you were today!'' Papa said indignantly. ''What about when you are herding the yaks and lose track of time, or when you are with your friends, or when you start talking to someone you meet on the streets...'' Aama said. Papa grunted, a little annoyed, but said nothing. ''Is Aamgaga going to meet us at the bottom of the steps?'' Dechhen asked her mother. ''She has a lot to do, Dechhen, she will be at the Gumba,'' Aama said. ''What about Ajyang?'' Dechhen said. ''Ajyang will also probably be at the Gumba,'' Aama said. ''And Gaga Denji?'' asked Dechhen. ''Everybody will be at the Gumba.'' Aama said. ''How come they won''t come to meet us?'' Dechhen asked. ''They have a lot to do, Dechhen, and we can get there on our own,'' Aama said. ''Even Ajyang won¡¯t come to see us?'' Dechhen asked. Aama sighed. ''This girl and her questions. We are going to see them at the Gumba anyway, Dechhen, Ajyang does not need to come to see us,'' she said. The streets were starting to get livelier; other families dressed in bright crimson, green, orange, and purple bakkhus were also heading towards the Gumba. Children were running around, yelling and laughing. A few of them waved at Dechhen and her family, and they waved back. As they approached the steps that led to the Gumba, Dechhen saw Ajyang sitting on the stone steps, his dark red bakkhu already unkempt, falling off of his shoulders and tied around his waist. The gold blouse he wore underneath had specks of mud in them. He grinned ear to ear and waved at them. ''Ajyang!'' exclaimed Dechhen, running towards her uncle. ''Careful! You will trip on your bakkhu!'' Aama exclaimed as she ran. ''My my, Dechhenla, you look good when you don''t have snot running down your nose all the time, don''t you?'' Ajyang said, grinning. ''I never have snot running down my nose!'' Dechhen said indignantly. ''Aama said you would be at the Gumba!'' she added. ''I said he probably is at the Gumba,'' Aama corrected her. ''You have already gotten your bakkhu dirty, Tashi, Aama will not be happy,'' she said to Ajyang. Ajyang looked down at his blouse, and hastily tried to rub off the mud spots. ''She won''t see it once I wear my bakkhu properly,'' he said. ''Ajyang, carry me please!'' Dechhen exclaimed, stretching her arms out to him. Her uncle quickly bent down so she could climb up his back. ''See you all at the Gumba!'' he said as he started running up the steps. ''Hey, be careful! Don''t run so fast!'' yelled Papa, but Ajyang ran, and Dechhen clung onto her uncle as he swiftly scrambled up the very steep steps. She was very glad that Ajyang had come to meet them at the base of the steps. Dechhen hated having to walk up the steps to the Gumba just as much as she loved running down the steps. When she ran down as fast as she could, it only took her ten minutes to get to the village centre. But no matter how fast she was, it always took her at least forty minutes to get to the Gumba, and she was always tired and out of breath. Even Ajyang couldn¡¯t keep running up the steps, especially with Dechhen on his back; within ten minutes he was out of breath. He stopped to put Dechhen down. clutching his sides and panting, he peered down the steps to see how far they had come. Dechhen looked back; she could barely see her parents, who were now small figures moving at a leisurely pace up the Kumche hill. Dechhen waved at them, but they didn¡¯t seem to notice her. ''Come, let''s go! We can''t let your Aama and Papa catch up to us!'' Ajyang said, beckoning at Dechhen. Dechhen stretched her arms as Ajyang scooped her up on his back again. As Ajyang walked up the steps, Dechhen looked at her parents getting smaller and further away again. The closer they got to the Gumba, the more nervous Dechhen felt. Everybody would be watching, even Aamgaga. She did not want to mess up the dance. Left foot back, right foot follows, then left foot forward, she repeated to herself. Left foot back, right foot follows, then left foot forward. ''What are you whispering?'' asked Ajyang, peering back to look at Dechhen. ''Nothing,'' Dechhen said. ''Are you nervous about the dance?'' Ajyang asked. Dechhen nodded. ''You will be all right, Dechhenla. I trained you myself! You are ready, and I wouldn''t say you are ready if you were not!'' Ajyang said. ''Were you nervous during your first dance, Ajyang?'' Dechhen asked. ''Of course!'' Ajyang said, ''I was so nervous, I couldn''t sleep the whole night before the festival! But once the dance began, all the nervousness left me.'' ''How come?'' asked Dechhen. ''Because I realized it wasn''t just me! Everybody was dancing, Aama, Papa, your Aama, my Ajyang, all my friends, the whole village was dancing as well! It made me realize it was okay if I miss a step or two, because they would all make up for it.'' Ajyang said. ''So even if I miss a step, the Druk will show up?'' Dechhen asked. ''Of course! The Druk doesn''t care if you know your steps perfectly, only that you dance with them!'' Ajyang said. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Dechhen felt much better. The sun had climbed up in the sky and the morning cold was all but gone. Dechhen and Ajyang reached the giant red and gold gates of the Gumba, perched atop Kumche hill. The gates guarded an even more imposing red and yellow building majestically overlooking the village of Lulongla. Ajyang put Dechhen down and the two children looked back to see if the adults were behind them; they were nowhere to be seen. The entire village spread at the foot of the hill, its white and brown houses and grey stone streets looking small and distant from where they stood. The Gumba gates were wide open; tens of people were walking in and out, chattering amongst themselves. Dechhen and Ajyang walked through the giant gates and into a massive brick courtyard. The courtyard was bustling with people, some setting up food stalls, incense stalls and toy stalls around the courtyard, others greeting friends and acquaintances they hadn¡¯t met in a while. Dechhen saw Aamgaga talking to a few people at the far-right corner of the Gumba; she was dressed in a crimson bakkhu with gold dragon embroidery that shone brilliantly in the sun. Ajyang hastily sorted his bakkhu, making sure to cover all the mud spots. ''Aamgaga!'' Dechhen shouted, running towards her grandmother. Her grandmother turned around just in time to grab Dechhen as she jumped up into her arms. ''Dechhenla! Look at you, you look so pretty!'' Aamgaga said, putting Dechhen down. ''Tashi Delek, Aamgaga!'' Dechhen bowed to her grandmother, suddenly remembering her manners. ''Tashi Delek, Tashi Delek. This is your grand uncle Lakpa and your grand aunt Doma Tsering, greet them as well.'' Aamgaga said, gesturing towards the man and woman she was talking to. ''Tashi Delek, Gaga,'' Dechhen said demurely, bowing to them both. ''Tashi Delek! Is this Tsering Dolma''s daughter?'' Gaga Lakpa asked, peering at Dechhen. Dechhen smiled shyly. ''Yes, she is! And that is my son. Greet your uncle and aunt, Tashi,'' Aamgaga said, pointing at Ajyang who was walking towards them. ''Tashi Delek!'' Ajyang said, bowing to them. ''Where are your sister and brother-in-law?'' asked Aamgaga. ''They are on their way, Aama,'' replied Ajyang. ''Aamgaga, when does the dance begin?'' Dechhen asked, tugging at her grandmother''s bakkhu. ''Soon, Dechhenla,'' Aamgaga said. ''But right now Aamgaga has a lot of work to do, so why don''t you and your Ajyang go find other kids and play for a bit? Tashi, look after your niece, okay?'' ''Okay!'' Dechhen and Ajyang said in unison. ''Do you want to go check out the toy stall?'' Ajyang asked Dechhen. ''Yes! Yes!'' Dechhen said enthusiastically. Ajyang grabbed her hand, and both children ran towards the toy stall. The stall was surrounded by children. Dechhen would have never made it through the crowd; but Ajyang was the biggest kid in the group. Holding Dechhen''s hand tightly, he pushed through the crowd until they were right up to the counter. Several colourful kites hung up behind the counter. Toy yaks, mountain goats, and wolves; cloth dolls dressed in red and black bakkhus were in another corner. But none of these caught Dechhen''s attention; her eyes were locked on the wooden snow leopard in the stall keeper''s hands. ''Do you want to see the snow leopard leap?'' the stall keeper asked the children. ''Yes! Yes!'' said the children breathlessly. The stall keeper flipped the snow leopard upside down, wound up a key in its belly, then put it on the counter. The wooden toy came to life; it lifted its front paws, its tail twitched, then the toy somersaulted and landed back on its hind legs. With a clacking sound its front paws came down and it returned to its sitting position. The children clapped and cheered. ''Three tangkas for this beautiful toy! Who wants it?'' the stall keeper asked. No child stepped forward. ''We don''t have three tangkas, Chocho! Can you give us a better price?'' said Ajyang. ''I can''t do better than that, kid. It takes me several days to make one of these.'' the stall keeper said. ''Do you have any money, Dechhen?'' Ajyang asked. Dechhen shook her head no. ''Aama does not let me keep money!'' she said. Ajyang sighed. He took Dechhen''s hand and walked a little further away from the stall. ''Aama will never give me that much money,'' he said, ''But she would give you that money if you ask her.'' ''I don''t want to ask Aamgaga; Aama would get mad at me.'' Dechhen said. ''Don''t tell your Aama you asked her for money. Who would tell her? I wouldn''t. Your Aamgaga wouldn''t either.'' Ajyang said. Dechhen said nothing. ''Come on, don''t you want that beautiful snow leopard? We would become the centre of everybody''s envy!'' Ajyang said, ''Look, we will wait till after the Druk dance is completed. Nobody is going to buy that toy; it is too expensive. When Aamgaga sees you participate in the Druk dance, she is going to be so proud she will give you anything you ask.'' Dechhen wasn''t sure; but she nodded. ''Great!'' Ajyang said, ''Now let''s check out the other stalls.'' The smell of food permeated through the air. One stall offered red, green, and brown khapse biscuits shaped as flowers, stars, lamps, and butterflies; in another stall, yak and mountain goat momos were cooking in large bamboo steamers. Yet another stall displayed chhurpi cheese of all shapes and kinds - white as snow, soft and sweet; dark like wood, hard and creamy; yellow, crunchy and sour. Ajyang bought Dechhen several red and green khapse biscuits. ''There you are!'' Dechhen heard Aama''s voice call out. She and Ajyang turned to see Aama walking towards them, baby Phurba in her arms, who was now awake and sucking on his thumb. ''I have been looking for you two! The ceremony is starting soon, come on!'' Aama beckoned at them both. Dechhen and Ajyang followed her. Just as they reached the other side of the courtyard, several people including Papa emerged from the Gumba, some of them carrying three long redwood benches. All of them were dressed in identical red bakkhus with gold dragon embroidery. Others carried six large dungchen horns that they mounted against the benches. Six people positioned themselves behind the horns. The remaining went back in the Gumba and emerged with various other musical instruments; dhyangro drums, tingsha cymbals, and dramnyens. One person nodded at the dungchen musicians, signalling them to begin. A deep, piercing wail reverberated through the Gumba and hung in the air as the musicians blew into the dungchen horns. As the sound of the horns rang through the Gumba courtyard, all the villagers stopped whatever they were doing and formed a large semi-circle around the courtyard. There was complete silence. Papa and the other dramnyen musicians started playing their instrument. In contrast to the deep rumbling of the dungchen, the sweet, lilting music of the dramnyens floated gently through the air. A slow rhythmic thud from the dhyangro drums punctuated the music. A woman emerged from within the Gumba, dressed in a crimson and gold bakkhu, wearing a large, red and gold headdress. In her hands she carried a ceremonial silk scarf, gold with red and green markings etched onto it. Her footsteps coincided with the rhythmic thud of the dhyangro drums; it was as if the woman''s footsteps thudded heavily on the ground, sending vibrations across the Gumba floor. ''Aamgaga!'' Dechhen exclaimed, excitedly pointing at the woman. ''Shhh!'' Aama shushed Dechhen, grabbing her hand and pulling her closer to her. Aamgaga walked to the centre of the courtyard with slow, measured steps that gradually got faster. The dhyangro followed the rhythm of her footsteps. As she reached the centre, she started running in a wide circle; the dhyangro followed her pace with an urgency, soon drowning the lilting dramnyen music. She ran around and around, faster and faster, until she dropped on the ground on her knees; the dramnyen and the dhyangro stopped; the sharp, piercing clangs of tingsha cymbals punctuated the air. Silence again. The dramnyen and dhyangro musicians resumed playing. The music changed pace; rhythmic, fast, and purposeful. More people emerged from the Gumba, dressed in bakkhus of all colours: blue, green, purple, orange. They formed a circle around Aamgaga, who was still on the ground, her head bowed down and her body heaving in rhythm with the drums. They began dancing around her, moving in a circle that kept expanding. Dechhen''s heart started beating faster. It was time. The people dancing around Aamgaga moved further and further away from her, until they reached the crowd of villagers standing around the edges of the courtyard. One dancer danced right in front of Dechhen as her heart pounded. ''Ready?'' Ajyang asked Dechhen, gently squeezing her hand. She had not realized until then that she was holding his hand tightly. Dechhen looked at the dancer, then looked up at Ajyang. She shook her head no. The dancers started moving closer to the centre, tightening the circle in which they danced. As they moved inwards, the villagers moved in with them, joining the dance. Dechhen and Ajyang moved away, retreating further into the edges of the courtyard. The people standing around Dechhen nudged forward, towards the centre. Their feet followed the rhythm of the drums: one-two-three, one-two-three. Their arms swayed like tree branches in a gentle breeze. More villagers joined in; as the first dancers reached close to the centre, where Aamgaga still lay heaving, they linked their arms and formed a closed circle. The villagers linked arms and formed more circles around the dancers, until Aamgaga was surrounded by several concentric circles. They danced around her, their arms linked, the music playing with the same purposeful rhythm. Very few villagers remained around the edges; old people sat on chairs looking on, and parents of toddlers held on to their children. Dechhen felt afraid and ashamed. The outermost circle was only a few steps away from where she stood; it would have been very easy for her to quickly move in and join them. Nobody would have batted an eye. But she felt a heavy pit in her stomach that anchored her on the spot. She could not move; just as the voice within her urged her to step forward and join the villagers, her body stood resolute, unmoving. ''Look!'' Ajyang pointed to the sky. Dechhen looked up. A magnificent red and gold creature was gliding towards the Gumba, their skin glinting in the bright sunlight. The Druk''s long, sleek body moved like a ribbon rippling through the air. As it approached the Gumba, the music grew louder. Aamgaga got up on her feet, her head still bowed, raising the scarf above her head. The Druk flew over the Gumba, their huge body almost blocking out the sun entirely. Dechhen turned her head as high up as she could. Even though she had seen the Druk several times before, they still filled her with awe every time. The Druk circled around the Gumba, mimicking the circles of villagers. Aamgaga began dancing at the same time. The dungchen horns wailed; the tingsha cymbals clanged. The villagers'' danced even faster; their rapid steps raised a layer of dust from the ground. The Druk shook their great head, their silver moustache flowing. Then in a thud, they landed on the road outside the gate, too large to sit within the courtyard. The music stopped. Aamgaga stopped dancing; so did the villagers. The Druk curled their body in a ball and laid their head low, peering through the Gumba gates with one piercing green eye. The villagers turned to look at the Druk, then at Aamgaga. Mimicking the Druk, she lay on the ground, resting her head against the floor and peering into the Druk''s eye. A single musician started beating their dhyangro; in the silence, it sounded louder than a hundred dungchen horns. Others followed suit; the dhyangro beat in a slow, measured rhythm, the tingsha cymbals clanged and rang through the still air in unison. The dramnyen musicians started playing as well. The villagers began dancing again. ''Come on, we have to join them!'' Ajyang said. Dechhen looked at Ajyang uncertainly. ''They need us, Dechhen, let''s join them!'' Ajyang repeated. Dechhen nodded. She took a deep breath, then she and Ajyang squirrelled their way into the outermost circle. The villagers quickly made room for them, linking their arms with the two children''s. Left foot back, Right foot follows, then left foot forward. Dechhen repeated to herself, trying to count her steps carefully. But as the music grew louder and faster, she lost count. Her body moved in rhythm with the other villagers and in rhythm with the music. Her uncle was right; she need not have worried about missing a step or two. In fact, she could not tell if she was dancing correctly or not. It did not matter; she was no longer one dancer among hundreds, but part of a single creature dancing. The Druk raised their head and slowly unfurled their body; Aamgaga got up at the same time. The Druk rose in the air, swaying with the music, then began circling the Gumba yet again. Aamgaga swayed her body as well, her arms raised above her head, holding the ceremonial scarf. The Druk flew high above the Gumba, still circling the courtyard. Around and around they flew, climbing higher up in the air, each round a smaller circle than the last. Suddenly, they dove down the centre. Aamgaga jumped up in the air at the same time. She flung the ceremonial scarf as high as she could at the Druk, who caught the scarf in one of their horns; it wrapped itself around the horn as if through magic. The Druk flew back up, high above the Gumba, circling faster and faster. As the Druk circled faster and faster, dark clouds began gathering in the sky. Within seconds the sky was overcast, except for the space above the Gumba, where a patch of clear blue still remained. The clouds thundered and rumbled as they thickened and spread over the village. It began to rain. The villagers stopped dancing and began clapping and cheering. ''Thank you, Druk, for bringing rain to us!'' Aamgaga shouted at the top of her voice, looking up. The musicians stopped playing. Several of them went back into the Gumba. A few minutes later, they carried a massive phemmaar cake taller than Aamgaga and five times as wide, shaped like a mountain and decorated in white icing with the image of the Druk dancing atop clouds. Tottering under the weight of the cake, they gingerly placed it at the centre of the courtyard. The villagers all retreated to the edges; Dechhen and Ajyang followed suit. ''Please accept our gratitude, for you have saved our village yet again!'' Aamgaga shouted, looking at the Druk. The Druk dived down and landed next to the cake. Dechhen felt a powerful gust of wind push her back as the Druk landed. Nobody spoke as the Druk sniffed the cake, shook their great head, and took a bite, eating the top half of the cake in one gulp. They shook their head again, and with one mighty leap they flew high up through the patch of blue sky above the Gumba, over the dark clouds. ''Looks like the Druk didn''t like the phemmaar this year,'' Ajyang said. An argument in the family ''This village is under my protection. Leave, or face my wrath.'' The Druk said menacingly. ''Never!'' said the Uttari commander. ''We will take this village, and we will force you to become our Druk!'' The Druk snarled and slithered quickly over the cliff, jumping with all their force on top of the commander.... Dechhen''s new toy snow leopard fell with a clack on the floor. She picked it up and put it back on top of her bed. She moved her toy yak, that was at the foot of the bed, to where the snow leopard had fallen. This time, maybe the snow leopard would land on top of the toy yak as she intended. ''Dechhen! Time for dinner!'' Aama called out to her from the kitchen. Dechhen quickly picked up her snow leopard and ran to the kitchen. Aama was stirring over a pot of thenthuk soup. Baby Phurba was cooing in his crib next to them. ''Where is Papa?'' Dechhen asked. ''Put your toy back, Dechhen, we are going to be eating now, not playing,'' Aama said. Dechhen stuffed the snow leopard into one of her pockets. ''Are we not going to wait for Papa?'' Dechhen asked. ''Your Papa is late; he can eat later. Now go wash your hands and we will sit down to eat,'' Aama said. Dechhen went outside the house to wash her hands at the tap. It was a full moon night; the moon was so bright it bathed everything in a pale, white glow. Dechhen glanced at the house to see if anyone was looking, then scrambled to the back of the house, where the yak shed was. The shed was empty; it looked like Papa had not come back with the yaks yet. She returned to the front of the house and washed her hands. ''Dechhen!'' Aama called out. Dechhen ran back into the house. Her mother was already sitting down with her dinner. She sat down as well. ''How come Papa is late?'' Dechhen asked. ''He probably went exploring for new pastures with the yaks. Don''t worry, Dechhen, he will be back soon; now eat your dinner,'' Aama said. Dechhen and Aama ate together in silence. It was not usual for them to eat without Papa. Dechhen wanted to ask more questions, but she knew Aama wouldn''t answer them. She ate quietly, picking out the thin slices of radish from the thenthuk soup and eating them first. She hated radishes. This way, they were out of the way, and she could enjoy the rich meaty broth better. ''How was study time with Aamgaga, Dechhen?'' Aama asked. ''It was okay,'' Dechhen said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. ''Aamgaga said my handwriting is getting better every day while Ajyang''s is getting worse. Ajyang got annoyed and said it is because Aamgaga makes him write so much his hand is always in pain, and that none of his friends'' parents make them write half as much. Aamgaga then got mad at Ajyang and said if his hand hurts from writing then maybe he should be chopping firewood with Gaga Denji instead, and then he shut up and didn''t say anything.'' Aama laughed. ''Tashi is lucky Aama has mellowed since she became a grandmother. If I had said something like that to her when I was young, she would have whacked the back of my head.'' ''Why did Aamgaga mellow since she became a grandmother?'' Dechhen asked. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ''Because you are so cute it always puts her in a good mood when you are around,'' Aama said, pulling her cheeks with her hands. Dechhen groaned and pushed her away. Aama laughed again. She gulped down the last of her thenthuk, put her bowl aside, then got up and picked baby Phurba up from the crib. ''I am going to feed Phurba and put him to sleep,'' she said, ''Dechhen, make sure you wash all the bowls then go to bed, okay?'' ''Isn''t Papa going to be lonely eating alone?'' Dechhen asked. ''Don''t worry Dechhen, I will sit with him when he eats,'' Aama said. ''Can I stay up and wait for him as well?'' Dechhen asked again. ''No no, we don''t know how late it might be. Just do what I said, then go to bed, okay?'' Aama said. Dechhen nodded dejectedly. After her mother left and she was finished with her meal, she collected the bowls and went outside to wash them. She washed them as slowly as possible without it being suspicious, constantly glancing at the street the house; there was no sign of either Papa or the yaks. Sighing, she went back in the house. As she lay in bed in the dark, she tried hard not to fall asleep until Papa was back. all she had to do was keep her eyes open, she said to herself. If she relaxed her eyes and stared into the dark, she could see little specks of light swirling in the air. The specks moved wherever she moved her eyes, like tiny insects flying in a swarm. Maybe they were magical insects, invisible to the eye unless you looked carefully, she thought. She wondered if anybody else could see them, or if it was only her. Maybe only children can see them, because only children would take the time to look for them, she thought. Despite her best efforts, it wasn¡¯t long before Dechhen drifted off into sleep, dreaming of yaks grazing on pastures and swarms of magical insects flying over them all. One of the yaks turned to Dechhen and said, ''How could you be so reckless?'' Dechhen woke up with a start. With half-open eyes, she saw through the crack on the door that the kitchen lamp was lit. ''Be quiet. You will wake the kids,'' Dechhen heard Papa''s voice in the kitchen. ''I can''t believe you! You could have gotten yourself killed!'' Dechhen heard Aama hiss angrily in a quieter voice. She was now wide awake. ''Don''t exaggerate now, I am fine, aren''t I? Nobody saw me.'' Papa was saying. ''You had no reason to go there. If they saw you, they would have killed you without hesitation!'' Aama said. ''You are completely missing the point! I am trying to tell you that they are moving closer; they are clearly planning an attack! We must alert others and begin preparations!'' Papa sounded earnest. ''They are not going to attack us; and if you tell my mother that you went sneaking around their camp, she will be furious,'' Aama said. ''And what do you mean by preparations anyway? What do you expect us to do, make weapons and learn to fight?'' she snorted. ''Yes, fight!'' Papa said emphatically, ''Tsering Dolma, I saw them training. They are clearly preparing for a battle. And there were thousands of them!'' ''You are out of your mind!'' Aama said, her voice getting louder. ''Quiet, the kids!'' Papa hissed. ''They are not going to attack,'' Aama said in a quieter voice, ''The Druk would destroy them, just like the last time the Uttaris were foolish enough to try.'' ''That was almost a hundred years ago. The Druk is growing older and weaker; you know this, you saw they could barely finish the dance during the festival -,'' Papa said. ''This again!'' Aama interrupted. ''The Druk is growing older and weaker, and we need to accept that before it is too late!'' Papa said. ''The Druk is an immortal being! Aama said the Druk was probably just tired or something, you are reading too much into it!'' Aama said. ''This denial is not going to help us! I don''t understand why you and your mother refused to believe me when I told you that I saw Uttaris during the festival, and still refuse to accept that something might be going on with the Druk! Shouldn''t we at least be considering this possibility when the Uttaris could potentially wipe our village from existence?'' Papa said forcibly. ''You are saying my mother is wrong? My mother, the village elder, who has a direct spiritual connection with the Druk, is wrong about the Druk''s well-being and you are right?'' Aama said angrily. ''Your mother does not have a direct spiritual connection with the Druk, come on, you know that is just yak crap she tells herself and the villagers!'' Papa said. ''I am done with this. I am going to bed.'' Aama said. Dechhen quickly closed her eyes and pretended to fall asleep. Footsteps approached the door that stood between the kitchen and Dechhen''s room, and with a quiet creak, Aama opened the door. She closed the door quietly, then walked across the room, up the stairs in the corner that led to her bedroom. Dechhen kept her eyes closed for another minute. Dechhen tried to stay up as long as possible, keeping her ears strained to hear Papa come in. But she did not hear any more footsteps; instead, she drifted off to sleep, thinking about the Druk, the Uttaris, and her grandmother dancing. No Lessons Today Dechhen carefully attached four little bits of tsampa dough onto a ball of tsampa. ''Aama look, I made a dog!'' She said, showing her mother the misshapen tsampa ball with four little stubs. ''Come on Dechhen, don''t play with your food, eat!'' Aama said, pouring tea into her own bowl of tsampa. ''Woah, it does look like a dog! You are an artist!'' Papa said, grinning at her. Dechhen looked at her sculpture critically. ''I just need to figure out how to make the ears,'' she said. ''Eat, Dechhen, we need to be going soon,'' Papa said. He had already finished most of his breakfast; he poured more tea into his mostly empty bowl, swirled the bowl around, and gulped down the tea. ''Why are you in such a hurry?'' Aama said, looking at Papa suspiciously. ''Just want to get to the pastures before the sun gets too hot,'' Papa said. ''I see.'' Aama said. ''Are you going to be home in time for dinner today?'' she asked, still looking at him suspiciously. ''I will be back before sundown,'' he said, then abruptly got up. ''All right Dechhen, better eat quickly, we are leaving in ten minutes!'' he said. Dechhen took a large bite out of her tsampa sculpture and nodded in agreement. After breakfast, she grabbed her toy snow leopard, said goodbye to Aama, and went outside the house, where Papa was already waiting. He had not brought the yaks out. ''Where are the yaks, Papa?'' Dechhen asked. ''They are going to be staying home today, Dechhenla. Your Papa has other errands to run. Now let''s go!'' Papa said, holding out his hand for Dechhen. She took Papa''s hand as they walked on the cobbled streets outside their home. ''What errands do you have?'' she asked. ''Grown-up errands.'' Papa said. Dechhen had more follow-up questions, but she did not ask them. She had long learned that when adults said something was ''grown-up'', they meant she was not to ask more questions. She tried to wiggle her hand out of her father''s hand. Normally, Papa had his hands full trying to get the yaks to walk in a straight line and not bump into one another. Dechhen would run ahead of them; she only needed to make sure that she was within Papa''s eyesight. This time, without the yaks, Papa held Dechhen''s hand in a sweaty grip that she did not enjoy. ''Your hand is too sweaty, Papa!'' she complained. Papa let go of her hand; Dechhen immediately raced ahead, skipping over the stone slabs on the street. ''Dechhen, stop! This is why I have to hold your hand!'' Papa said. Dechhen stopped and pouted. ''You walk so slow! I like to skip over the stones and make sure I don¡¯t step on the lines!'' she said. Papa caught up to Dechhen, held her hand again as they walked through the village centre. It was still fairly early in the morning; few people were out and about. Papa and Dechhen passed a tea shop where a group of old people sat together drinking tea and chatting. ''Tashi Delek, Phuri! No yaks today?'' an old lady called out. ''Tashi Delek, Aani! No, I have other errands to do!'' Papa replied as they continued to make their way. When they reached the steps to the Gumba, Papa lifted Dechhen up onto his shoulders. This made Dechhen very happy; grasping Papa¡¯s hands tightly, she giggled as Papa climbed up the steps, feeling very tall. The Gumba was quiet and empty; a faint scent of sandalwood, pine, and myrrh wafted through the air. Without the bustle of hundreds of people in the courtyard, the massive red and yellow building looked almost lost. Papa gently put Dechhen down, who dashed across the courtyard and ran behind the Gumba. There was a small yellow house at the backyard with a large apple tree next to it. Dechhen ran up to the front door of the house; a long green curtain with the images of the three deities - the Druk, the Wind Horse, and the Garuda embroidered in colourful threads hung over it. A shoe rack with neatly stacked boots and house slippers stood against the wall next to the door. Dechhen impatiently kicked her boots off one by one. ''Aamgaga! Ajyang!'' she called out. Ajyang poked his head out of the door. ''You are here early today! We are just having breakfast!'' he said. Papa walked around the corner of the Gumba at the same time. ''Tashi Delek, Chhau Phuri! Would you like to come in for tea?'' Ajyang said. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ''Tashi Delek! Yes, I will come in in a minute.'' Papa said as he approached the door and took off his boots. Ajyang popped back into the house and Dechhen followed him in. They walked into a large-ish kitchen; one of the walls was adorned with copper plates, bowls, and pots mounted on a wooden cupboard. A firewood stove dug into the earth had a large kettle over it. On another side of the kitchen, there was a small cot covered in a crimson duvet. Aamgaga and Gaga Denji were sitting down on floor mats, eating ting-momo with potato soup. Ajyang sat down as well, next to his own plate of food. ''Tashi Delek, Aamgaga! Tashi Delek, Gaga Denji!'' Dechhen said as she sat down next to her grandmother. ''Tashi Delek! You are here early today!'' Gaga Denji said with a genial smile and a mouth full of ting-momo. ''Have you had your breakfast yet?'' Aamgaga asked. ''Yes, I have!'' Dechhen said. Papa came in through the door at the same time. ''Tashi Delek Ibi, Mhem!'' he said. ''Tashi Delek! Please, sit, would you like eat with us?'' Gaga Denji asked. ''Dechhen and I have both had breakfast, thank you.'' Papa said, sitting down. ''Tea, then! Tashi, get your Chhau some tea!'' Gaga Denji said. Ajyang immediately got up to get a small bowl from the cupboard. ''Where are the yaks, Phuri? Have you left them at the courtyard?'' Aamgaga asked. ''I didn''t bring them today, Ibi. I had some other things I needed to do.'' Papa said. ''Oh? What things?'' Aamgaga asked. ''I shall explain later. I wouldn''t want to intrude upon your breakfast with serious matters.'' Papa said. Gaga Denji and Aamgaga exchanged looks. Ajyang poured some tea into a bowl from a kettle and handed it to Papa. He sat down to finish his meal. ''Of course! Let''s finish breakfast, and then we can talk.'' Aamgaga said. Ajyang looked at Papa and his parents, then looked at Dechhen with a questioning look. Dechhen scooted over to him, and from her pocket pulled out the snow leopard toy. ''You brought it! Great! I get to keep it today, right?'' Ajyang said. Dechhen nodded. Ajyang stretched his hand out to Dechhen, and she placed the toy on his palm. He flipped the toy over, turned the key at its belly, and quickly placed on the ground. The snow leopard raised its front paws, did a quick backflip, and landed back on its hind legs. Ajyang gleefully clapped. ''Finish your meal, Tashi! You can play with your niece later!'' Aamgaga said. Ajyang turned back to his plate and started wolfing down his food. ''We should try to get it to do the backflip from a height, like maybe my bed,'' Ajyang said, with his mouth full of food. ''See if it still lands on its feet.'' ''I have tried it at home,'' Dechhen said. ''It sometimes does, but mostly it just falls on its side.'' ''Shhh, kids, we are trying to talk here,'' Aamgaga said. Gaga Denji was finished with his meal. ''Is this conversation something I need to be here for as well or is this only for Yangzom?'' he asked. ''Of course you can stay for the conversation as well, but if you need to head to work, then that is also fine, Mhem.'' Papa said. ''Well in that case, I shall leave you. I would like to finish chopping wood before midday; the sun really burns my neck.'' Gaga Denji said, picking up his plate and getting up. ''Dechhenla, I shall see you at lunch, okay?'' he said. ''See you later, Gaga!'' Dechhen said. ''Let me take your plate, Pala!'' Ajyang said, as he hurriedly mopped the last bit of potato soup with the remaining ting-momo and stuffed it in his mouth. He then got up and took both his plate and his father''s. ''Here, Tashi, you may take mine as well,'' Aamgaga said, passing her plate to him. ''Take Dechhen with you and play with her for a bit while I chat with Chhau Phuri, okay? Don''t worry about doing the dishes, just leave them by the tap.'' Ajyang nodded. ''Come Dechhen, let''s go!'' he said, and Dechhen followed him out the door. Ajyang and Dechhen went out of the house, put on some slippers from the shoe rack, and walked to a water tap next to the house. Ajyang''s father left soon after them with an axe slung over his shoulder. ''Bye Gaga!'' Dechhen called out, waving. Gaga Denji looked back at them and waved. They watched him as he walked around the Gumba. ''What does your Papa want to talk to my Aama about?'' Ajyang asked Dechhen as he placed the copper plates and bowls by water tap. Dechhen shrugged. ''I don''t know,'' she said. ''Did he not say anything to you?'' he asked. ''Nope,'' she said, ''Do you want to play here, or at the courtyard?'' ''In a minute,'' Ajyang said. Without warning, Ajyang ran back towards the house. Dechhen followed him, a little confused. He pressed his forefinger against his lips, gesturing at Dechhen to be quiet. Slowly, he walked to the front door and pressed his ear against it; Dechhen watched him quietly, some distance away. If either Aamgaga or her Papa stepped out, she was well positioned to run away and feign innocence. From where she stood, Dechhen could hear snippets of the adults'' conversations. ''Ibi, why I went there is not important, please listen to what I am trying to say -'' Papa''s voice carried through the closed door. ''.... incredibly disappointed.....someone with two children....'' Aamgaga was saying. ''.....worse than I thought!..... not your decision!'' Papa was saying. Suddenly, Ajyang lunged towards Dechhen. Frightened, she ran blindly to the opposite direction; Ajyang followed behind her. They stopped underneath the apple tree. Papa stepped out of the front door, looking upset. He looked at the two children standing by the tree, nodded at them, and swiftly walked away. ¡®Are you leaving, Papa?¡¯ Dechhen called out. Papa did not respond, or even turn back. Dechhen and Ajyang watched him walk around the Gumba and leave. ''Tashi! Dechhen!'' Aamgaga called out. The children turned back to see Aamgaga walking towards them. `''What are you two up to?'' she asked. ''Nothing.'' Dechhen said. ''Just playing.'' Ajyang said. ''I see.'' Aamgaga said. She slowly walked towards them, next to the apple tree, then looked up at the tree. ''Looks like we will have a big harvest next month.'' she said. ''Papa left without saying goodbye.'' Dechhen said. ''He has a lot on his mind, don¡¯t worry about it,'' Aamgaga replied. ¡®Did you do the dishes, Tashi?¡¯ ''What?'' Ajyang asked. ''The dishes, I asked you to do them,'' Aamgaga said. ''But you said just leave them outside!'' Ajyang said indignantly. ''Well, do them now, okay?'' Aamgaga said. Ajyang grumbled and kicked at a stone on the ground. ¡®What was that?¡¯ Aamgaga said sharply. ¡®Nothing.¡¯ Ajyang mumbled. Aamgaga looked at Ajyang sternly for a second then looked away. ''Listen, I can''t give you two any lessons today, okay? I need to go somewhere right now.'' she said. ''Where are you going, Aama?'' Ajyang asked. ''Don''t worry about that. I will be back in time for lunch, but in case I am not, Tashi, boil enough potatoes for three and make some garlic-chilli dip; don''t give any of the dip to Dechhen though, give her butter instead, okay?'' Aamgaga said. ''Okay Aama,'' Ajyang said. ''Don''t leave the Gumba, either of you, okay? Tashi, you are in-charge, look after Dechhen, okay?'' she said. ''Yes, Aama,'' Ajyang said. ''Be good, you two.'' Aamgaga said, and she walked back into the house. Aama is angry Dechhen was not a big fan of boiled potatoes. Peeling them was a hassle; they were always too hot and too sticky, and sometimes bits of potato skin would get stuck under her fingernails. Sometimes the potato skin would get stuck so far in her nails it would hurt for days. When Aamgaga was around, she would always peel the potatoes for her; but Ajyang did not. He put the boiled potatoes in a bowl in front of them and placed a small bowl of butter and another small bowl of garlic-chilli paste next to the potatoes. Dechhen looked at the food and then at Ajyang expectantly. ''Go on, help yourself,'' Ajyang said, as he sat down next to Dechhen and grabbed a potato. ''Shouldn''t we wait for Gaga Denji?'' Dechhen asked. ''I am hungry, he won''t mind if we eat,'' Ajyang said, holding the hot potato gingerly between his fingers and peeling them with swiftness and skill. Dechhen picked a potato gingerly and immediately dropped it onto her plate. It was too hot; she blew on her fingers, then crouched low to blow onto the potato. Just then, Dechhen heard the sound of heavy footsteps approaching the door outside. ''Gaga Denji!'' Dechhen exclaimed, and she scrambled up on to her feet and stuck her head out the kitchen door. ''I smell potatoes!'' Gaga Denji said, as he took off his boots and placed them on the shoe rack. ''Ajyang made them,'' Dechhen said. ''Is Aamgaga not home?'' Gaga Denji asked. Dechhen shook her head to say no. Gaga Denji walked into the kitchen and lay his axe next to the door. ''Where is your mother?'' he asked Ajyang. With his mouth full of potatoes, Ajyang shrugged his shoulders. ''She didn''t say where she''s going,'' he said, flecks of food flying from his mouth as he spoke. Gaga Denji frowned and climbed up the stairs next to the door. Dechhen sat down, picked her potato gingerly between her fingers, blew onto it, and put it down again. Maybe Gaga Denji would peel it for her. Gaga Denji returned, having taken off his heavy jacket and rolled his sleeves up. Ajyang leaped to his feet, grabbed a plate for his father, and gave it to him just as Gaga Denji sat down next to Dechhen. ''When did Aama leave?'' Gaga Denji asked, picking up Dechhen''s potato from her plate and peeling it for her. Dechhen felt relieved. ''After Chhau Phuri left.'' Ajyang said. ''Was Chhau here for long?'' Gaga Denji asked again. Ajyang shook his head to say no. ''He left maybe ten minutes after you left,'' he said. ''Aamgaga and Papa were arguing!'' Dechhen said. Ajyang glared at Dechhen, but she didn''t notice. ''They were arguing? What about?'' Gaga Denji asked, placing a peeled potato on Dechhen''s plate, and picking up another. ''I don''t know, I didn''t hear anything,'' Ajyang said, not looking up from his meal. ''I think it was about the Druk.'' Dechhen said. ''Did you hear them talk about the Druk?'' Gaga Denji asked Dechhen. Dechhen looked at Ajyang, who was now glaring at his plate. ''Uhm, no...'' Dechhen said, looking at Ajyang uncertainly. ''We weren''t listening in on Aamgaga and Papa''s conversation,'' she said. ''Then why do you think it was about the Druk?'' Gaga Denji asked. ''Because my parents were arguing about the Druk last night.'' Dechhen said. ''What were they saying?'' Gaga Denji asked again. Dechhen looked at Ajyang again. He did not lift his head as he dipped a peeled potato into the garlic-chilli paste. ''It''s okay, Dechhenla, you are not in trouble.'' Gaga Denji said gently. Dechhen picked up the potato on her plate, which was by now cool to touch. She broke it in half and dipped it into the butter. ''Papa said the Druk is old and dying,'' Dechhen said, ''Is it true?'' ''Of course not! The Druk is immortal, everybody knows that!'' Ajyang said. ''I see,'' Gaga Denji said. ''Did you hear anything else?'' ''Papa also said the Uttaris are going to attack and kill us all and the Druk cannot save us,'' Dechhen said. ''No wonder Aama was mad at Chhau Phuri. He is a liar!'' Ajyang said. ''Nobody can defeat the Druk, the Druk is the most powerful being in the world!'' ''My Papa doesn''t lie!'' Dechhen said angrily, punching Ajyang on his arm with all her might. ''Oww! Pala!'' Ajyang exclaimed. ''Dechhen, don''t hit your uncle!'' Gaga Denji said. ''But he said my Papa is a liar!'' Dechhen said angrily. ''Doesn''t mean you can hit your uncle. And Tashi, don''t talk about your Chhau like that.'' Gaga Denji said. ''But he is lying!'' Ajyang said pouting. ''It doesn''t matter. You must respect your elders and trust that they will resolve any problems they have. Do you both understand?'' Gaga Denji said. Dechhen and Ajyang nodded sullenly. ''Did Aama say when she is getting to back?'' Gaga Denji asked, dipping a peeled potato onto the garlic-chilli paste. ''She said maybe she would be here by lunchtime, but she isn''t here yet,'' Ajyang said sullenly. ''Well maybe she will here soon then. Now finish your lunch, you two, and no more arguing, okay?'' Gaga Denji said. ''Okay,'' Ajyang said. Dechhen nodded. The rest of the lunch was quiet. Dechhen was still angry at Ajyang, but she couldn''t say anything while Gaga Denji was there. She was also angry at Gaga Denji, and in fact a little angry at all adults. Grown-ups always said she had to shut up and listen to her elders even if they were wrong. But everybody was older than her; it wasn''t fair. Except for baby Phurba, who was a baby, so everybody took his side even when he was being annoying. It really was unfair. After lunch, Ajyang collected all the plates and utensils and took them to the water tap outside. Dechhen did not follow him; instead, she pulled out the toy snow leopard from her pocket and played with it on her own. Gaga Denji sat next to Dechhen and put his arm around her. ''Are you angry, Dechhen?'' Gaga Denji asked. Dechhen shook her head to say no but did not look at him. ''Dechhenla, you know that it is not good to hit your elders, don''t you?'' Gaga Denji said. ''But he was calling my Papa a liar! He was not respecting his elders!'' Dechhen said indignantly. Gaga Denji sighed. ''You know, sometimes your elders say and do stupid things. Even though they are your elders, they can make mistakes too.'' ''Then why do I have to respect them and listen to them always?'' Dechhen interjected. ''Because they have more experience than you and have learned so much more about the world. Your elders only want to teach you what they have learned, and they only want the best for you. You know that don''t you?'' Dechhen nodded. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ''You know that Ajyang loves you and wants the best for you, don''t you?'' Dechhen nodded again. ''Sometimes, Ajyang makes mistakes, but you must remember all that he does for you every day, and let it go, okay? Respect his love for you, his experience, and give him the space to sometimes make mistakes, okay?'' Gaga Denji said. ''And what if he never learns?'' Dechhen said. ''Of course he will. But you have to at least give him that chance. Don''t just punch him, or anyone for the matter; if he says or does something wrong, look away. He will figure it out on his own, he has earned that right by having lived longer and having cared for you. Don''t you see?'' Gaga Denji said. ''I guess.'' Dechhen said. Gaga Denji planted a kiss on Dechhen''s head and got up on his feet. ''Why don''t we go down together and say sorry to Ajyang? After all, he did look after you while Aamgaga was away and made you lunch, didn''t he?'' ''Okay, Gaga.'' Dechhen said and got up on her feet. The two walked out of the house to the water tap. Ajyang was crouching down as he washed the dishes, his hands black with clay. As Dechhen and Gaga Denji approached him, he turned around to look at them. ''Are you going to the workshop now, Pala?'' Ajyang asked, pointedly not looking at Dechhen. ''Yes; Dechhen has something to say to you. Don''t you, Dechhen?'' Gaga Denji said, looking at Dechhen. Dechhen looked at her feet. ''I am sorry for punching you Ajyang,'' Dechhen said. ''That''s okay.'' Ajyang said, turning back to the dishes. ''Good! I am off to work now, Tashi, look after Dechhen until your sister comes to pick her up, all right?'' Gaga Denji said. ''Okay.'' Ajyang said. ''Dechhenla, I will see you tomorrow then, okay?'' Gaga Denji said, ruffling her hair. ''Bye Gaga Denji!'' Dechhen said. Gaga Denji walked away several steps, stopped to look back at the two children by the water tap, and then left. Dechhen stood awkwardly for a few seconds, watching Ajyang silently scrub a big copper pot with black clay. She wanted to ask Ajyang what they would be doing after he was finished with the dishes, but she wasn''t sure if he was still annoyed at her. Ajyang glanced at Dechhen. ''Do you want a pet frog?'' he asked. Dechhen immediately felt excited. ''Yes! Do you have a frog?'' she asked. ''Pala gave me a nice wooden box yesterday; we should collect some soil and grass, lay them on the box and then later today we can go to the river to catch one. It shouldn''t be too difficult.'' Ajyang said. ''But Aamgaga said we shouldn''t leave the Gumba.'' Dechhen said. ''We will only go after Aama returns, for now let''s just make a nice home for the frog. What say?'' Ajyang said, looking at Dechhen with a big grin in his face. Dechhen clapped, jumped up and down, and nodded excitedly, ''Yes! Let''s do it!'' Grinning, Ajyang put all the clean dishes on a large wooden tub and left them out in the sun to dry. He ran back into the house and returned a few minutes later with a small plain wooden box. ''We need to make holes on the top of the box so the frog can breathe,'' he said, showing the box to Dechhen. ''How are we going to make the holes?'' Dechhen asked. ''I will ask Pala later to do it for me; for now, let''s just collect some soil and grass,'' Ajyang said. The Gumba¡¯s backyard had been largely left to its own devices; the ground was hard and mostly barren, covered in tiny pebbles and a few tufts of grass scattered here and there. Dechhen found a fairly sharp stone and began using it to dig the ground. It was hard work; she gathered small handfuls of soil and put them in the box. Ajyang used a small trowel he found to carefully pull the grass out with their roots intact. The two children were so engrossed in their little project that they did not hear or notice their mothers approach them. ''Dechhen, what are you doing?'' Aama said. Dechhen looked up from her endeavours; her mother, who was carrying baby Phurba, and her grandmother stood by the Gumba. Her mother looked livid. She got up, scared. ''We are just playing,'' she said, glancing at Ajyang, who had stopped digging as well and was now on his feet looking at the two women. ''We are leaving now, Dechhen, let''s go,'' Aama said. ''Now?'' Dechhen said, scared and confused. She looked at Aamgaga, at Ajyang, and then at Aama. ''Maybe you should leave Dechhen and Phurba with me for now, Tsering Dolma,'' Aamgaga said. ''Don''t waste my time Dechhen, we need to go,'' Aama said with a steely voice, still looking at Dechhen. Dechhen looked at Ajyang, who looked at her blankly. She dropped her stone and walked up to her mother. ''Are we going to the forest or are we going home, Aama?'' Dechhen asked. ''Why is your hand covered in dirt? Wash your hands right now and let''s go.'' Aama said. ''I really don''t think you should be taking the children with you - '' ''Aama, don''t get in the way please.'' Aama cut her mother off. Dechhen ran to the water tap and quickly washed her hands. Her heart was beating hard; her mother was very angry at something. She tried to think of what she may have done wrong; did her mother find out that she had been awake last night and was listening in to her parents'' conversation? Did Gaga Denji tell her? Or was it something else, maybe she forgot to close her bedroom window and the wild cat had gotten in the kitchen again... Dechhen was barely done washing her hands when her mother grabbed her arm and half dragged her with her. ''Aama, it hurts!'' Dechhen said, tears welling up in her eyes. Aama let go of her arm. ''Well then hurry, Dechhen! I don''t have all day!'' she snarled. Aama walked swiftly around the back of the Gumba, across the courtyard, and out the gate. Dechhen half ran to keep up with her mother, glancing back at her grandmother and uncle. Ajyang and Aamgaga had followed them to the gates and were now standing uncertainly; Ajyang looked confused and scared, and Aamgaga looked concerned. Aama walked down the steps so quickly Dechhen had to run to keep up. She had no idea where they were going but was too afraid to ask. They weren''t going to the forest, that much was clear; they were walking down the steps towards the village, not to the outskirts. Aama did not stop even when they reached the foot of the steps. It didn''t look like they were going home either; she was walking in an entirely different direction. Baby Phurba giggled and clapped his hand happily on Aama''s back as he bounced with every angry step Aama took, completely oblivious. Aama took a turn into an alleyway so narrow that Dechhen almost missed it as she scrambled to keep up with her mother. The walls of houses and small shops pressed close with just enough room for one person to pass through. A little further in, the alleyway widened as they approached a dead-end. On the left was the back of a tall white house; on the right was a dark, seedy-looking shop with a narrow, low door. Aama and Dechhen walked through the door; they found themselves in a small, dark corridor that led to another door at the end. Muffled sounds of people talking and laughing came through that door. A woman wearing a scruffy looking bakkhu with dark brown splotches poked her head out of another door to their left; she looked at Aama and the children with wariness. ''Tashi Delek, can I help you?'' the woman asked, looking at the children and then at Aama. ''Tashi Delek. I am looking for my husband, I think he might be here,'' Aama said. The woman stared at Aama for a few seconds, sighed, and pointed at the door at the end of the corridor. ''Go through that door, but please don''t cause too much of a scene.'' she said, retreating back into the room she came from. Aama grabbed Dechhen''s hand as she approached the door. Dechhen did not feel very safe. She had a distinct feeling that children were not supposed to be in this place. Aama pushed the door open; Dechhen immediately covered her nose and mouth. The pungent stench of tobacco smoke and alcohol assaulted her senses and disoriented her for a second. The air was so thick with tobacco smoke that it enveloped the entire room under a thick fog. It was a large-ish rectangular room, with ten or twelve low tables that were placed in a semi-organised manner. Men and women were gathered around the tables, laughing, smoking, and drinking. They were all so engrossed in their own groups that nobody noticed the woman with a baby on her back and a small child in tow. Still covering her nose, Dechhen looked up at her mother, wondering what they were doing in a place like this. Her mother scanned around the room and locked her eyes on one of the tables, anger resurging in her face. Dechhen looked at the table she was looking at; in the far-right corner of the room Papa sat amongst seven or eight other people, laughing. His eyes were bloodshot red, a smoking pipe in one hand and a small drinking bowl in another. Aama almost sprinted across the room, dragging Dechhen with her who half-stumbled several times and whacked her knee on the corners of one of the tables. ''You!'' Aama screeched as she made her way to Papa''s table; Papa looked up; all mirth left his face. The people he was sitting with looked at her as well; some of them got up. ''What are you doing here - '' Papa said getting up, then noticed Dechhen, whose eyes were welled with tears yet again, and baby Phurba, who had stopped giggling and was now sucking his thumb. ''Why did you bring the children here?'' Papa said angrily. ''Tashi Delek, Chham - '' one of the men sitting next to Papa started but stopped as he saw the look in Aama''s face. Aama lunged across the table and slapped Papa across the face. She hit him so hard he stumbled backwards and leaned against the wall. Everybody in the room was now silent; all eyes were at them. Dechhen started crying. She wasn''t sure what was going on but seeing her mother so angry and hitting her father confused and scared her. She felt like something within her chest was pushing up against her ribs as she sobbed and let out heart-rending wails. The tears began to cloud her vision; she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and wiped the tears away, but they came as fast as she wiped them. Baby Phurba looked at Dechhen and began wailing at the top of his voice as well. ''You see what you are doing to your children? You see?'' Aama snarled, breathing heavily, her eyes flashing with anger. ''What I am doing? What are you doing here with them?'' Papa said, slurring a little, stumbling to find his balance and glaring at Aama with rivalling fierceness. ''They need to see who their father is. They need to know what their father cares more about than them, this - '' Aama picked up the small metal bowl Papa was drinking from and threw it at his face; he spluttered and took several steps back as the drink splashed across his face and the bowl bounced against his nose and fell on the ground; ''and these conspiracy theories that you hatch with these people, they need to know what you have become!'' Papa wiped the alcohol off of his face and eyes. ''Go home, Tsering Dolma.'' he said. Aama looked taken aback. She stood silent for a few seconds, and then said, ''Are you not coming with me?'' Papa said nothing. He did not meet Aama''s eyes and sat down again on the table. Slowly, he picked the bowl she had thrown at him, dusted it, and poured another drink into it. Aama''s lips twitched. Her eyes filled with tears, and she squeezed Dechhen''s hand so hard that Dechhen thought she might break a few fingers. But the tears never fell; it was as if her eyes had absorbed them back. Her face now looked cold and empty. ''If you don''t come with me now, don''t come home.'' she said. Papa said nothing. He did not look at Aama or at the children and took a sip. Aama looked at Papa for a few seconds. She then turned and left, pulling Dechhen along with her. Dechhen was still crying, but more quietly now. Her breath had now become short rhythmic gasps and her face felt hot and swollen. As they walked away, she looked at Papa, whose friends were now huddled around him and whispering something. For a fleeting second, their eyes met; Papa looked away quickly. Dechhen wanted to call out to him; she wanted to ask him to please just come home with them; but the words were stuck in her throat. Praying to the Druk It had been two days since Dechhen last saw her father. Aama said it did not matter if he never came home. ''We don''t really need him, Dechhen,'' she said, as she angrily whacked a yak that was straying from the line with a switch, baby Phurba tied to her back with a brown scarf. ''The yaks basically graze themselves, and once winter comes they don''t need to be taken to pasture any more. We don''t need your father; my mother raised me all alone for years before she married Gaga Denji. I can raise two children on my own.'' She whacked another yak as it stopped to munch on some grass by the side of the steps; it grunted and jogged back into the line. Dechhen said nothing. She had mostly said nothing for the last two days as her mother raged and asserted that they didn''t need Papa. Instead, she only listened and did what she was asked to do; practice her alphabets with Aamgaga, help Aama cook and clean at home and take care of baby Phurba. Aama was very angry, and it would take very little wrongdoing on her part for that anger to turn to her. So she said nothing. During the day Aama was angry, but at night she would get very sad. Dechhen had heard Aama sob in her room the night before. Hearing her mother cry made her cry. Weeping, she had climbed up the stairs to her parents'' bedroom and onto their bed where her mother lay curled up in a ball. Through her tears she had asked her mother repeatedly, ''Why are you crying, Aama?'' But Aama said nothing; she only held Dechhen tightly in her arms, rocking her back and forth, her body heaving as she sobbed. Dechhen could not remember how long after that they fell asleep. Aama dropped Dechhen off at the Gumba gate and turned the yaks back. Ajyang was at the courtyard, waiting with something in his hand; he ran over to the gate. ''Bye Aaji!'' Ajyang called out to Aama who was already several steps away from them; she did not turn back. Ajyang looked at her and the yaks lumbering away for a few seconds, then turned to Dechhen. ''Look what I got for you!'' he said, holding out a wooden box that had three holes carved out of its lid. ''Did you get a frog?!'' Dechhen exclaimed. ''No, Pala said putting a frog in the box would kill it; but he gave me a different idea!'' Ajyang said, opening the box. Inside, Ajyang had divided the box into two sections using small wooden planks; on one side he had laid some hay and on the other he had laid stones and pebbles. Dechhen looked at Ajyang confused. ''I made a house for the snow leopard!'' Ajyang exclaimed. ''This is the mountain cave where the snow leopard lives,'' he said, pointing at the section with the stones, ''and this is the snow leopard¡¯s front yard,'' he pointed at the section with the hay. ''It doesn''t look like a cave.'' Dechhen said. ''Not yet, no,'' Ajyang said, ''I have been waiting for you to get here so we could see how big a cave the snow leopard needs; we can then make a cave!'' ''Do you know how to make a cave?'' Dechhen asked. ''It can''t be very difficult; all I am going to do is use bits of buckwheat dough to stick the stones together! We can try it later after lunch!'' Ajyang said. ¡®Aama is in the Gumba right now, come say hi to her!¡¯ The two children went into the Gumba. ''Dechhen! Is that you?'' Aamgaga called out to Dechhen through the large double door that led into the Gumba. ''Yes, Aamgaga!'' Dechhen said, poking her head through the door. Aamgaga was sitting cross-legged on the other side of the massive Gumba hall, making oil lamp wicks out of a large ball of cotton and placing them on a flat wicker tray. Behind her, the imposing gold statue of the Druk flanked by the Wind Horse on the left and the Garuda on the right surveyed the hall atop a dark redwood pedestal. The yellow walls of the hall were adorned by large, colourful and intricate paintings depicting stories from the lives of the Druk, the Wind Horse, and the Garuda on long cloth canvas. Low, long redwood benches were pushed against the walls to the right and the left of the hall. A massive red and gold carpet was rolled out on the centre of the hardwood floor. ''Go wash your hands and come help me, you two!'' Aamgaga said. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Dechhen and Ajyang dutifully ran to the water tap outside, washed their hands, and returned to the Gumba. They took their boots off and placed them at the shoe rack next to the door that led to the hall and bowed to the Druk, the Wind Horse, and the Garuda as they walked across the hall. ''Here,'' Aamgaga said, tearing off two large wads of cotton from the cotton ball next to her and passing them over to Dechhen and Ajyang. Dechhen pulled a small bit of cotton from her wad and began twisting one end of the cotton with her thumb and forefinger as she held the other end in place in her other hand. ''Is your Papa back home yet?'' Aamgaga asked. ''No,'' Dechhen said, focused on the cotton in her hand. ''So did your Aama take the yaks to pasture today as well?'' Aamgaga asked again. ''Yes.'' Dechhen said, her eyes still firmly on the cotton. She wanted to make sure to twist it properly; otherwise they would not stand erect. ''How is your Aama doing?'' Aamgaga asked. Dechhen shrugged her shoulders. The cotton in her hand was now a long, twisted rope. Carefully, she folded the rope into half. It immediately twisted onto itself; Dechhen held the wick upright to see if held its shape. It looked a little wonky, but it remained upright. ''I made one!'' Dechhen exclaimed happily. ''Good job!'' Aamgaga said, smiling. ''I have already made three, and you are bragging about the one?'' Ajyang teased. Dechhen stuck her tongue out at her uncle. ''She is doing very well, Tashi, leave her be,'' Aamgaga said. ''Has your Aama said anything about your Papa?'' ''She said we don''t need him, and she can look after me and Phurba herself, but last night she was crying.'' Dechhen said, twisting another wad of cotton. Aamgaga sighed. ''If Aaji and Chhau Phuri separate, are you going to find her another husband?'' Ajyang asked. Dechhen glared at Ajyang, anger rising within her. ''My parents are not separating!'' she said, lunging at Ajyang to smack him. Ajyang ducked and Dechhen missed his shoulder. ''Did you see!? She is always trying to hit me!'' Ajyang said indignantly. ''Stop it, you two!'' Aamgaga said sharply, ''They are not separating, Tashi, stop saying foolish things!'' ''But you and Aaji''s Pala separated because he too was drinking during the day!'' Ajyang said. ''My Aama and Papa are not separating!'' Dechhen said through gritted teeth, her voice cracking with anger. ''Sit down, Dechhen!'' Aamgaga said, grabbing Dechhen''s arm. She hadn''t realized she had gotten up; her hands were curled into fists so tight that her nails dug painfully into her palms. ''He started it!'' Dechhen spat out angrily. ''I am not asking who started what, I am telling you to sit down right now,'' Aamgaga said sharply, tugging on her arm, ''And you, Tashi, don''t speak about things you don''t understand!'' Dechhen said down grumbling under her breath. Grown-ups were never fair. She picked up the ball of cotton her grandmother had given to her and threw it away from her with all her might. It landed only a few inches away from her feet. This infuriated her even more. ''I am sorry,'' Ajyang mumbled. ''See, your Ajyang is apologizing to you,'' Aamgaga said, picking up the ball of cotton Dechhen had thrown and placing it on her lap. ''Now, what do we say when someone says they are sorry?'' Dechhen shrugged. ''What do we say, Dechhen?'' Aamgaga insisted, this time with a hint of impatience in her voice that Dechhen immediately took note of. ''It''s okay.'' Dechhen mumbled back, not looking at Ajyang. ''And?'' Aamgaga pressed on. ''And what?'' Dechhen said, squinting at her grandmother through a side-eye. ''And you are sorry too, aren''t you?'' Aamgaga said. ''I am sorry.'' Dechhen mumbled. ''I don''t think she means it,'' Ajyang said. ''Tashi, don''t start again.'' Aamgaga snapped. ''It''s okay.'' Ajyang said reluctantly. ''Good boy.'' Aamgaga said. ''Now, why don''t we all pray to the Druk and ask that they look after both of you, and Dechhen''s Aama and Papa?'' Dechhen and Ajyang nodded. Aamgaga set the wicker tray aside and turned to face the massive statues of the Druk, the Wind Horse, and the Garuda, kneeling with her hands folded and heads bowed. Ajyang kneeled beside her. Dechhen got on her knees as well and shuffled up close to her grandmother. Her hands folded, she looked up into the Druk''s emerald eyes. The Druk''s wide mouth hung open as though they were on the verge of saying something to Dechhen. Aamgaga gently pushed Dechhen''s head down, reminding her to keep her head bowed. ''O Precious One, Please protect my granddaughter and keep her safe; may she have a long, healthy life and may she grow to be kind, dutiful, and loving towards all creatures,'' Aamgaga said, ''Please protect my son and keep him safe; may he have a long, healthy life and may he grow to be kind, dutiful, and loving towards all creatures.'' Dechhen listened to her grandmother''s words with her eyes closed. The sweet, smoky smell of burning incense and her grandmother''s soft, comforting voice washed over her like warm sunshine. ''Also, please look after my daughter and her husband; may they find an answer to their problems and come together as a family. Om Maane Padme Hum.'' ''Om Maane Padme Hum.'' Dechhen and Ajyang repeated. ''There, the Druk has now heard our prayers; all will be well,'' Aamgaga said. Dechhen opened her eyes. She felt calmer; the anger within her had dissipated. ''Will the Druk get Papa to come home now, Aamgaga?'' Dechhen asked. ''The Druk will answer our prayers in the way they see fit.'' Aamgaga said. ''What does that mean? He won''t come home?'' Dechhen asked. ''I don''t know, Dechhenla, I only know that the Druk has now heard us. Don''t worry, my child, the Druk knows what is right for us, more than we know ourselves. They are always looking after us. We can only wait and see.'' Dechhen was very confused.