Chapter 2 : Other Plans, cont.
The lady and her celebrity date are lost in the thinned traffic of Phnom Penh around the Olympic market. The lady is patient enough to be driven around. Finally, he stops a motodub and asks for directions. Inside the Olympic KTV, an ordinary looking karaoke girl puts on more make-up inside the waiting room for the girls. Some of the girls are watching a re-run of the Mexican TV soap opera “Marimar“ badly dubbed in Khmer. She’s grooving to an iPhone stuck to her ears. Her body sways naturally and seductively, even the other girls cannot resist making a pass at her, running a hand on her hips, slapping her butt cheeks when they pass her by coming in or going out to line up in front of customers. She just shrugs them off. If the other girls are eager to get seated with clients, this one has no intention of doing work at all.
“This is my pocket rocket. Glad to donate it for the cause. Your new ride, Visal. Take care of her.” The giant’s pocket rocket is not small at all. It’s a monster bike. “Batman’s balls will be tickled pink when he sees this beaut!” Visal declares. “Glad you liked it. I tinkered with crashed American, Soviet and Chinese fighter jets. This is my other hobby when I’m not on a musical gig for the gods. Yeah, she’s a real beauty. Got to warn you though, she’s supersonic.” Visal has mounted the beast already and keys the ignition. “What do you mean supersonic?” Boom, man and bike are gone. “Faster than sound!” shouts the gandharva. Visal doesn’t hear him. “Holy fuck! Is that Phnom Penh coming into view?” Then he’s in Phnom Penh. “This thing is a fucking time machine!” He parks the bike in front of KTV. It is the Olympic KTV. “First, I have to get me some drinks and catch up with my girlfriends. The people outside gawk at the beast. Visal’s status skyrockets and the doormen and security guards treat him like the president. The lady and her celebrity date arrive in the junior Lexus. She sees the bike. “Don’t stop here. Park over there, as far away as possible, in the dark. I want to change.” He obeys. The evil one snaps his neck and transforms into his image. The Olympic KTV boys recognize the celebrity face and they defer to him as well. “Tonight is special. Yes.” One maturing mama-san exclaims.
“Give me the newest girl.” Visal asks the lady manager. The manager has been bugging him to choose her instead. “Oh, you prefer to entertain rather than be entertained, is that it?” She angrily walks out, goes to the girls’ waiting room and call out the iPhone girl. She has to tap her strongly on her head. “VIP 102. And put that iPhone away, will you? New and already lazy? Wow, so difficult! Put that sexy dancing of yours to amuse my boyfriend. And don’t dare get him to have sex with you.”
“That’s all you’ve got?” the celebrity guy is disappointed with the line up. In fact, the gay manager brought the best of them, even took them away from non-regular customers. “Ah, sorry, ah, oh, yes, these are the best girls. What type do you want, sir?” “Maybe not pretty but dances sexy?” The girls chorus, “Oh, Shiela! The new girl.” and they turn to the door to exit. “But she’s ugly!” one says as they walk out. “Well?’ the gay manager waits for the celebrity who is thinking hard. He raises a finger, finally deciding, “Okay, give me that Shiela.”
The moment “Shiela” enters and sees Visal, she feels so naked she covers her vital parts and shrieks in terror. The mama-san is not amused. “Crazy girl!” she murmurs. Visal jumps out of the sofa, flabbergasted by the stunning beauty of the hiding apsara. She’s more beautiful and more voluptuous than Viridian. She seems to float from the ground. Her hair has a life of its own and is swirling in a golden light. The wrappings are also more elaborate and are swirling about, hardly covering her nipples and pubic area. Visal controls her mounting excitement and pulls her out of the building. The mama-san runs after them and shouts “Hey, where do you think you two are going? Bitch, I told you not to fuck my boyfriend!” People in other rooms go out to check it out including the gay manager serving the “celebrity guy”, anticipating a classic catfight.. The “celebrity guy” sits up and follows the gay guy out the door. She sees a silver apsara being dragged by a strange being. To the evil one, he looks like a celestial guard but a bit too small to be one. She drops her celebrity likeness and flies to pursue the escaping couple. Girls fainted at the sight of a floating slimy scaly smelly black murk with batwings and a human face full of fangs and a headful of hissing vipers snapping at everything in its path. Visal and “Shiela” has just exited the building and are about to ride the bike. They turn around to see the evil one coming out of the main door. The two jump on the bike. “Hold on to me tight!” The black claws reaches out. He feels the apsara behind him winced just when he accelerates to the speed of sound. The evil one is left behind but she is clutching a piece of the silver apsara’s heart. She eats it in one gulp and feels her dark powers increase slightly. Disappointed, she lets loose her fury on the poor guards and doormen and whoever is standing there. The explosive force of her anger mangled everything around her within a fifty-meter radius. The news would describe the deaths as caused by a politically motivated bombing to oppose the Prime Minister and that a rigid military police zoning might be implemented.
In the Cardamoms, Viridian cradles her sister as she summons the healing force of the earth. Unlike Visal who is part human, the Moon Apsara cannot fully come back to life without the rest of her heart. The full moon is suddenly eclipsed by the sun and the nights thereafter will never see a bright disc again, just a thin outline of its shape in the clearest of nights. Even clear nights are hard to come by. Storm clouds easily rise and stay laden with so much rain, once unleashed kills hundreds with flash floods and avalanches. Viridian and her trees can hardly keep up with the uncontrolled precipitation and the absence of the magnetic force of a full moon to bring up the water levels of the seas and easing the bloating of the rivers. The plants are sucking up so much water they are already drowning. On top of that she has lost half of them to logging by humans. The gods have a funny way of being aloof to the sufferings of spirits like her and her sisters. Their gandharvas can only offer consolation with their music. Even the music does not amuse her anymore.
Visal grows depressed each day as he prays to the gods for the recovery of the Moon Apsara, a recovery that will never come. Luna as she is known in the spirit world, will never be whole again. Only the intensive care unit of Viridian’s forest is keeping her alive. Although technically, Luna is his aunt, all apsaras being sisters, apsaras are not related by blood but rather by the moment of creation. Visal’s case is love at first sight. So brief it is for him. He can still feel her holding on tight as they flee to the Cardamoms. For the first time in his existence, he feels life is worth living. Seeing his parents on the other hand is worth dying for. He has found a reason to stay. Those happy seconds were cut short when she collapsed from his bike and into the arms of the ancient trees, a big hole in her back showing half an apsara heart.
“Your mother was the Sun Apsara, Solara.” Viridian tries to comfort Visal. “Yes, she told me. My father is Samouen. He used to be a monk. He begged her not to leave her job but her emotions got the better of her.” Viridian continues, “It’s a direct violation of her god-given duties so she was condemned to be human short of life and weak of powers and an untouchable. No spirits or gods were allowed to help her in anyway. All the apsaras were called to witness when the gods condemned her. When the day ends, she would no longer be a Sun Apsara. But before they turned her at sunset, she ripped a piece of her heart, gave it to Garuda who flew away before the gods can stop him. Garuda was in love with your mother and he would have given his life for her if she let him. Garuda visited your mother when you were born and she put the piece of the Sun Heart in you.” Visal touches a scar on his chest that looks like a sun flare. “The mighty Garuda was overwhelmed by the army of celestial guards and imprisoned him the Floating Mountain where he would stay solitary until the gods deem he is no longer a threat to their plans. After that we just heard that Solara was murdered in Phnom Penh.” Visal completes her story, “Yes. She was too beautiful and every guy who saw even a piece of her couldn’t keep their fucking dicks to themselves. My parents kept moving from village to village until they had to settle in Phnom Penh where there is medical care for me. A powerful rich man had my father shot in front of a factory he was working because he organized the workers to demand better wages and working conditions. But it was just an excuse to get rid of him. The rich man wanted my mother to be his second wife. My mother fled but they caught her at Phsar Thmei. She hid me among the vegetable refuse. The scorned bastard raped and abused her for weeks until she was drained of her beauty. He turned her over to his men who killed her after taking turns. Their souls found each other before the 100 days were over and they convinced Death to hire them as escorts of souls of dying men. In their free time, they hang around watching me but they are not allowed to let me see them until I’m dead. They were about to tell me about my childhood when you brought me back.” Viridian
“This is my pocket rocket. Glad to donate it for the cause. Your new ride, Visal. Take care of her.” The giant’s pocket rocket is not small at all. It’s a monster bike. “Batman’s balls will be tickled pink when he sees this beaut!” Visal declares. “Glad you liked it. I tinkered with crashed American, Soviet and Chinese fighter jets. This is my other hobby when I’m not on a musical gig for the gods. Yeah, she’s a real beauty. Got to warn you though, she’s supersonic.” Visal has mounted the beast already and keys the ignition. “What do you mean supersonic?” Boom, man and bike are gone. “Faster than sound!” shouts the gandharva. Visal doesn’t hear him. “Holy fuck! Is that Phnom Penh coming into view?” Then he’s in Phnom Penh. “This thing is a fucking time machine!” He parks the bike in front of KTV. It is the Olympic KTV. “First, I have to get me some drinks and catch up with my girlfriends. The people outside gawk at the beast. Visal’s status skyrockets and the doormen and security guards treat him like the president. The lady and her celebrity date arrive in the junior Lexus. She sees the bike. “Don’t stop here. Park over there, as far away as possible, in the dark. I want to change.” He obeys. The evil one snaps his neck and transforms into his image. The Olympic KTV boys recognize the celebrity face and they defer to him as well. “Tonight is special. Yes.” One maturing mama-san exclaims.
“Give me the newest girl.” Visal asks the lady manager. The manager has been bugging him to choose her instead. “Oh, you prefer to entertain rather than be entertained, is that it?” She angrily walks out, goes to the girls’ waiting room and call out the iPhone girl. She has to tap her strongly on her head. “VIP 102. And put that iPhone away, will you? New and already lazy? Wow, so difficult! Put that sexy dancing of yours to amuse my boyfriend. And don’t dare get him to have sex with you.”
“That’s all you’ve got?” the celebrity guy is disappointed with the line up. In fact, the gay manager brought the best of them, even took them away from non-regular customers. “Ah, sorry, ah, oh, yes, these are the best girls. What type do you want, sir?” “Maybe not pretty but dances sexy?” The girls chorus, “Oh, Shiela! The new girl.” and they turn to the door to exit. “But she’s ugly!” one says as they walk out. “Well?’ the gay manager waits for the celebrity who is thinking hard. He raises a finger, finally deciding, “Okay, give me that Shiela.”
The moment “Shiela” enters and sees Visal, she feels so naked she covers her vital parts and shrieks in terror. The mama-san is not amused. “Crazy girl!” she murmurs. Visal jumps out of the sofa, flabbergasted by the stunning beauty of the hiding apsara. She’s more beautiful and more voluptuous than Viridian. She seems to float from the ground. Her hair has a life of its own and is swirling in a golden light. The wrappings are also more elaborate and are swirling about, hardly covering her nipples and pubic area. Visal controls her mounting excitement and pulls her out of the building. The mama-san runs after them and shouts “Hey, where do you think you two are going? Bitch, I told you not to fuck my boyfriend!” People in other rooms go out to check it out including the gay manager serving the “celebrity guy”, anticipating a classic catfight.. The “celebrity guy” sits up and follows the gay guy out the door. She sees a silver apsara being dragged by a strange being. To the evil one, he looks like a celestial guard but a bit too small to be one. She drops her celebrity likeness and flies to pursue the escaping couple. Girls fainted at the sight of a floating slimy scaly smelly black murk with batwings and a human face full of fangs and a headful of hissing vipers snapping at everything in its path. Visal and “Shiela” has just exited the building and are about to ride the bike. They turn around to see the evil one coming out of the main door. The two jump on the bike. “Hold on to me tight!” The black claws reaches out. He feels the apsara behind him winced just when he accelerates to the speed of sound. The evil one is left behind but she is clutching a piece of the silver apsara’s heart. She eats it in one gulp and feels her dark powers increase slightly. Disappointed, she lets loose her fury on the poor guards and doormen and whoever is standing there. The explosive force of her anger mangled everything around her within a fifty-meter radius. The news would describe the deaths as caused by a politically motivated bombing to oppose the Prime Minister and that a rigid military police zoning might be implemented.
In the Cardamoms, Viridian cradles her sister as she summons the healing force of the earth. Unlike Visal who is part human, the Moon Apsara cannot fully come back to life without the rest of her heart. The full moon is suddenly eclipsed by the sun and the nights thereafter will never see a bright disc again, just a thin outline of its shape in the clearest of nights. Even clear nights are hard to come by. Storm clouds easily rise and stay laden with so much rain, once unleashed kills hundreds with flash floods and avalanches. Viridian and her trees can hardly keep up with the uncontrolled precipitation and the absence of the magnetic force of a full moon to bring up the water levels of the seas and easing the bloating of the rivers. The plants are sucking up so much water they are already drowning. On top of that she has lost half of them to logging by humans. The gods have a funny way of being aloof to the sufferings of spirits like her and her sisters. Their gandharvas can only offer consolation with their music. Even the music does not amuse her anymore.
Visal grows depressed each day as he prays to the gods for the recovery of the Moon Apsara, a recovery that will never come. Luna as she is known in the spirit world, will never be whole again. Only the intensive care unit of Viridian’s forest is keeping her alive. Although technically, Luna is his aunt, all apsaras being sisters, apsaras are not related by blood but rather by the moment of creation. Visal’s case is love at first sight. So brief it is for him. He can still feel her holding on tight as they flee to the Cardamoms. For the first time in his existence, he feels life is worth living. Seeing his parents on the other hand is worth dying for. He has found a reason to stay. Those happy seconds were cut short when she collapsed from his bike and into the arms of the ancient trees, a big hole in her back showing half an apsara heart.
“Your mother was the Sun Apsara, Solara.” Viridian tries to comfort Visal. “Yes, she told me. My father is Samouen. He used to be a monk. He begged her not to leave her job but her emotions got the better of her.” Viridian continues, “It’s a direct violation of her god-given duties so she was condemned to be human short of life and weak of powers and an untouchable. No spirits or gods were allowed to help her in anyway. All the apsaras were called to witness when the gods condemned her. When the day ends, she would no longer be a Sun Apsara. But before they turned her at sunset, she ripped a piece of her heart, gave it to Garuda who flew away before the gods can stop him. Garuda was in love with your mother and he would have given his life for her if she let him. Garuda visited your mother when you were born and she put the piece of the Sun Heart in you.” Visal touches a scar on his chest that looks like a sun flare. “The mighty Garuda was overwhelmed by the army of celestial guards and imprisoned him the Floating Mountain where he would stay solitary until the gods deem he is no longer a threat to their plans. After that we just heard that Solara was murdered in Phnom Penh.” Visal completes her story, “Yes. She was too beautiful and every guy who saw even a piece of her couldn’t keep their fucking dicks to themselves. My parents kept moving from village to village until they had to settle in Phnom Penh where there is medical care for me. A powerful rich man had my father shot in front of a factory he was working because he organized the workers to demand better wages and working conditions. But it was just an excuse to get rid of him. The rich man wanted my mother to be his second wife. My mother fled but they caught her at Phsar Thmei. She hid me among the vegetable refuse. The scorned bastard raped and abused her for weeks until she was drained of her beauty. He turned her over to his men who killed her after taking turns. Their souls found each other before the 100 days were over and they convinced Death to hire them as escorts of souls of dying men. In their free time, they hang around watching me but they are not allowed to let me see them until I’m dead. They were about to tell me about my childhood when you brought me back.” Viridian