Festival of Attracting Good Karma
MGL Emvie
Aurora slammed the door open and hurled a bundle of red cloth. "Hurry! The performance starts in forty-five minutes!" she said as she left.
The moon is on it's peak and the night is at it's height, but the people were as rowdy as cats and dogs. Thousands crowded the streets of the Lightborn Capital, showing the scenes of every street corners similar to a bustling market. Vibrant colors of red and yellow sparkles in every decorations, while thunders of drums echoed in every directions. The heavily decorated houses in tiger lanterns opened their doors and windows to welcome the positive Chinese New Year energy. But the eagerness of everyone was reserved in suspense towards the performance of the Dance Troupe.
Dragon, as a symbol of luck and prosperity, is included in the Dance Troupe costume. The dragon shall invite good luck in the streets of Lightborn Capital but the dancers who'd play the dragon dance has not arrived yet.
"Let's just grab anyone." Lolita exclaimed. "Wear your Shanghai Maiden outfit to attract men in the street. We will take any person that we see."
"Are we really in that hurry?" Angela replied.
"You guessed it right. ...so be quick with your hairdo."
Lolita helped Angela tie her hair, while Angela slide her powders on her own cheeks. Angela tapped powders here and there until those fragrant dusts explodes around that closed room. But their reactions remained unchanged and natural. Men might found themselves in that room sneezing a hundred times. Could that be one of a girl's superpower where mere perfumes and powders don't kickstart their histamines? How more gifted girls could be since they're known as talented painters too? In the name of beauty and attraction, in their bags, you'll see diverse sizes and thickness of brushes, powders of different shades of color, and even pencils to draw on their faces, as if their face were made of a canvas. No wonder it took hours for them to prepare. But it's Chinese New Year. They need to perform to attract good fortune, not to attract men.
"Girls. Are you done?" Aurora shouted from the next room.
It's the Fox Lady, sharing the tense to her underlings. She manage the Dance Troupe performance and the timings of fireworks display, so imagine her anxiety.
"Yes, Lady Aurora." Angela and Lolita replied in unison.
Angela and Lolita sneaked at the backdoor to snatch the first person to approach the narrow alley. As they turn the doorknob, they heard a rapper chewing romance words. His voice was becoming louder, describing that he's coming closer.
Lolita nodded at Angela, who returned the nod as if she understood the signal.
"Tie him up!" Lolita roared.
" 'ey ladies, what'ya doin'?" the man cried.
Angela gazed at her captive and was startled to see Chou. "You're not a rapper. You're a hip-hop dancer!"
"Dancer? Perfect!" Lolita retorted. "You'll become the Dance Troupe's Dragon Boy dancer."
"Sure, but with good pay."
"You're in luck, our manager is the generous Fox Lady."
"Excellent!"
Later around 11:59 that evening, the crowds were roaring and howling in jubilation. The skies were lit in different colors and blazing fireworks flashes in the airs of Lightborn Capital. The deafening thunders of drums and gongs banged and boomed from all directions. And the scent of roasted pork, turkeys, fruity grapes and oranges, which people throws from their windows, and whiskeys and brandies that wetted the chests of drunk men, mixes with the stench of the powder of fire*****ers. Young and old gather in the sidewalks to cheer and to watch the displays in the streets and in the skies. Some of them throw apples and break watermelons in the streets to share, while others ****** coins on the roofs of their houses and the entrance of their doors.
A dominating rythm of thundering drums vibrates in the ears of the crowds and it made their eyes turn to the direction. The stage float of the Dancing Troupe had just arrived in the main streets of the Lightborn Capital and it is on it's way to the plaza. Coins were thrown from that float's window. And fragrant petals of flowers and red papers flew above the heads of the crowd to accompany the parade. The Lightborn Capital will surely see it's roads filled with litters the next day. And surely, bad karma will never show it's face in this kind of noise and raucous crowd.
Angela appeared on the stage of the float. She throw red long ribbons as she swirled her body, and waved her hands in the air.
The crowd cheered "It's the Shanghi Maiden!" They love to see Angela dance with a graceful and alluring motions. The karma of beauty shall spread in the capital!
The rythm of the drums changed, and fountain display burst from the sides of the Dance Troupe's float, following the fireworks display that explodes brighter than the moon. The mast of the float *****ed open and the red papers detached from it's walls. A dark entrance appeared on its ***** and a lion head came out.
Lolita leapt and showered the audience with red papers as she danced around the streets. When one bystander took one paper, he noticed that it's unusually thick. When he torn it apart, he was surprised to see a paper bill inside. And when another man saw that man's enthusiasm to gather red papers, he realized the same thing. It didn't take a second for the crowd to went into a frenzy, gathering the red envelopes.
At Aurora's order, the rythm of the drums changed, and Chou, carrying the dragon costume, danced around the frenzied citizen. When he reached a window of the float from where Aurora was peeking from her seat, he whispered, "Happy new year."
But Aurora whispered back, "No, we don't say 'may you be happy this new year'."
"What?"
"May you be rich!"
...
..
.
Author's Note: "Thanks for reading! Let me write much more interesting and beautiful stories. Tell me your opinions, constructive criticism, and thoughts about this story. Comment which parts are funny, boring, and interesting. Finally, give me idea if this story became relatable in your life experience. Enjoy!
To my PHC readers, I love that you react in the story that I thought so hard to write. But please, I wish for you to comment your thoughts other than "thanks." Your comment, positive or negative, will be welcomed and it will inspire me to write more and improve even better. Long live the readers! Let's train our minds and imagination!
