(4)

Ever since then, Ryota had been playing the drum for Sachiko. He had even forgotten things about the Summer Festival. Playing the drum is for the sake of summoning Sachiko from now on.
That’s the music of ‘saving you’.

When Ryota stopped hitting on the drum, he’s hear something. Penetrating the sound of the waves, it’s the music of the shell horn. It seemed as Sachiko’s soft voice to Ryota.

One day, Ryota went to the shores and looked for the turtle:
“Hey turtle, are you sleeping? What have you been dreaming about? It must be some girl that’s in your dream isn’t it? Is it a girl with a red belt?”

The turtle opened its eyes and said “What? You knew it?”

“Is there a meaning on that dream?”

“Oh, no… I’m getting bored of this dream.”

“Well then, change a new dream!”

“Change a new dream? What kind of dream then?”

“A dream about big fishes, seagulls, rainbow and what so ever. Would it seemed more meaningful?”

The turtle moaned “To be frank, I’ve already got bored of dreaming!”

“Ah, if it is so…”

Ryota went nearer to the turtle and said “Can you return the girl in your dream to me then?”

The turtle closed its eyes again and said “The girl? How can I return her to you?”

“How? Isn’t she being locked up by you under the sea?” replied Ryota with an angry tone.

The turtle paused for a while and said “But, I don’t know. I don’t know how to take the things in the dream jar out.”

“Really?”

“Ooops, I’ve done something bad.”

Ryota rolled his eyes and starred at the turtle. But after a few moments, his relieved his tight fist. Then, he said “If you can’t return her, then, put me in your dream too! I’d stay with her even if I can’t escape from it.”

The turtle opened his eyes again as it was terrified by what it heard. Then it replied “Oh no! You can’t do that!”

“What can I do then?” asked Ryota, helplessly.
“I’ll think of something else…” replied the turtle.
Ryota eyes were shining with a sense of hope as he asked “Is there other ways?”.
“Ah! There is a way! But we must wait till the night of the Summer Festival!”
“Summer Festival?” asked Ryota, with a puzzled expression.

“That’s one, two, three days to go!” said Ryota as he counted the days with his hands.

The turtle nodded its head, and said with a sad tone “It’s a long night on Summer Festival…”

As it made its point, the turtle went back to its dream and give no response to Ryota.


(5)
The Summer Festival officially begins as the sound of the drum filled the air.

The sun shined high upon the clear blue sky on that day. All the youngsters were playing the drum on the shores.
But there was no sign of Ryota. He wasn’t on the shores, but at home figuring “Sachiko would return tonight? Could it be? Would the turtle lie to me?”
The people were dancing for the festival and the fireworks are blooming on the sky.

“Ryota.” called the grandmother. “Shouldn’t you be on the shores for the drum today?”

He gave no response, but kept on wondering in his thoughts.
The sky turned dark as the sound of the drum got louder. There were thousands of lanterns across the shores.
Yet, he was still sitting home, thinking about hitting the drum on 12 midnight. Every of his thought was about him and Sachiko.
Soon, the clock stroked 12.
“Great!”

Ryota tied a scarf on his head and began hitting the drum.
As he was paying full attention on his drum, there was some noise from behind. But as he turned his head, there were lots of people.

“Ryota! You’re playing it very well!”
“Yes! Why don’t you get up on the stage?”
“Don’t stay here Ryota! Come! Come!”

Ryota was shocked for a few moments. Then, he asked “You can hear me playing the drum?”
The people smiled and laughed without giving other response. Then, they pushed Ryota out of the small house.
“You should have come and play your drum out here!”

Being pushed on to the stage, he had no choice but to go on with it. The people danced as Ryota hit the drum loud. The crowd was getting larger and larger, they danced as the music continues. But somehow, Ryota could stop wondering “How could all these people hear me?”

“Could it be that the turtle gave its time to the people too!? This should be it!”
He continued playing the drum as he consoled himself.

For now, only the people on the shores are having the ‘magical time’. No one in the whole wide world could hear their laughter, music, dance and noise. This time, Ryota thought about what the turtle told him.
‘The night is long on the Summer Festival…”

He remembered the turtle’s sad expression, and stopped. The people stopped dancing too as the music stopped. “Why are you stopping?”
“Continue! Continue!”

Without a choice, he continued playing the drum. However, the turtle and Sachiko had always been on his mind. He couldn’t stop thinking “what time is it…”.

It must have been way past 12 midnight. It should be morning now, but the sea and the sky is dark as coal. The turtle had given such a long period of ‘magical time’ to everyone, everyone that’s here in the Summer Festival.

Soon, Ryota got tired and he saw the lights of the lanterns covered up by the bright sunlight, The sea turned orange and the shores turned silver.

Aa the sun shined on the faces of the people, Ryota got to see who they really are. There was this market’s lady, the fishermen, his grandmother… At the one at the end, with a ponytail, with a red belt… it’s…
“Sachiko!!!”

He stopped hitting the drum, stood there silently. The people got tired and sat down for a rest.
“Finally, the festival’s over!”
“Seemed as it lasted 10 days!”
“No! That’s because we have an amazing drummer!”
“Yes! Ryota should be the most outstanding drummer in our village!”

Ryota wasn’t on the stage anymore. He was there, standing on the shore, holding the hands, of the ‘true’ Sachiko.
“Sachiko! Is it you? Is it really you!?”

“Yes! Yes! It’s me! The turtle’s dream vanished, and I returned!”

Both of them went to the rocky shores for the turtle. But the turtle was lying there, silently without a breath. It had used up its remaining time for that whole night. On the next day, the village seemed to be as usual.

(END)


Postscript:

    In the beginning of the story, the turtle was a complaining about his life being meaningless. Come to think of it, the turtle was not appreciating his life at all! The other way round, the turtle should be proud of having such a long life which any other animals couldn’t have. Some of the people around us would have acted like the turtle, often complain about their lives being dull and meaningless. To live without an aim, is just like a lost boat on the sea. Toda Sensei always said “Being youths, you must have a great wish. This is because, the realized dreams often turned out to be part of what we intended. If you began with a small dream, you would probably end with nothing.” Once we have a dream, we’ll have an aim. This is what makes our lives so meaningful. If you feel that you’re being like the turtle that complains about life, set you aim now and begin your challenge!

    Nichiren Daishonin teaches us “We are the treasure towers”. It means that our life is the most valuable treasure in the universe, as it possesses great potential within. The power to unleash such great potential, would be nothing but the power of Daimoku, courage, and faith! You may come across to lots of challenges on your way to your aim, but never give up. Whenever you come across to troublesome challenges, chant with faith to call upon your courage and wisdom in order to overcome such challenges.

    At the end, the turtle promised to bring Sachiko back, but he had to spend up all of his magical time for the villagers and Sachiko. I might dislike the turtle from the beginning, but there is no doubt that I had to say, the turtle’s spirit of sacrificing for all the people is indeed admirable. This story reminded me of Ikeda Sensei’s challenge. Back then, Ikeda Sensei was having Pneumonia. He was weak, but to realize his mentor, Toda Sensei’s great aim, he’d fight for kosen-rufu under such dreadful condition. Toda Sensei’s company was having a great amount of debts, and with Ikeda Sensei’s Pneumonia worsening, it was very challenging for them. Nevertheless, Ikeda Sensei was going round everywhere providing his help. Currently, Ikeda Sensei is 82 and he’s still continuously realizing Toda Sensei’s dream. He is the great prove of a lifetime challenge beginning from youth.

    Ryota was having a great faith in saving Sachiko, and at the end, he managed to do so. But did you ever notice that Ryota has been practicing his drum all because of fame? Anyhow, his aim had changed when he got to meet Sachiko. All he’d wished for, was to save Sachiko. Ever since then, his purpose of practicing the drum was to save a person. At the end, he lifted his courage and confronted the turtle about Sachiko. When we began to give our effort for the sake of others, it’s not just the people that’ll be happy, but we’ll be more energetic too. Hence, the highest value of life, is to help the rest who are in need. In the gosho, Daishonin writes “If you light a lantern for another, it will also brighten your own way.” This does not mean that we have to light up other people’s lantern, but it explains that what seemed to be done for the others, would in return be repaid to us. Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism, and Soka Gakkai’s effort is for the sake of mutual harmony, happiness, and peace.

    If you were to have an extra hour like what Ryota had, what would you do? If I have such a magical time, I’d spend it on my family, to help them do something. I’d want to spend more time with my family, to share what I learned from the society. But come to think, why don’t we take the initiative to start appreciating them rather than waiting for that ‘magical time’? Everyone has 24 hours a day. Use it wisely and walk through a valuable life!


Shared by,
Wee Yean.

Labels: n. Story palace