When grandmothers meet

"So you were saying," the Seeker picked up on the thread of conversation. "Some powerful shit showed up in this book." Books weren't her primary channel, but it made sense Cordelia would find something in a story that rang true.

"Yeah, I met my grandmother in this book," Cordelia was jangling with energy wanting to spill the beans without burning herself up in the process. "She's either right on time, or I'm just making this up cos I'm so ready to be ripe."

"Excited much? You're turning purple," the statement was contained -- in an oh my god you're not always purple kind of way. These were not girls setting off on a fantasy adventure. These were women with winkles marking them and hair turned silver from many experiences. She continued, "I think this is a privileged moment. 'Partial to purple' is taking on a whole 'nother meaning, hon." As they spoke Cordelia felt the heat of long tempered steam rise from her belly. After so many decades of control, something had re-set the switches. The plates -- like armor-- usually held fast with a lifetime of discipline shifted opening the back of her head to the heavens venting a steady wind. The songs of the stars she heard, but never harmonized with, intensified.

Watching all of this, the Seeker asked the first thing that came to mind, "I'll make us a cup of tea. Lemon-ginger, okay?" The Seeker was Taurus so grounded reality was a plus. Cordelia nodded. Tea helped everything. While the Seeker climbed into her rig to heat water for tea, Cordelia crossed the campground and got the hard cover novel she'd been reading, The Painted Boy by Charles De Lint. It was mid January and too cold to stay very long outside, but the mugs of tea helped and by the time the Seeker stirred the teaspoon of honey into her drink Cordelia would not need tea to keep her warm. From the top of her multi-colored hoodie to her worn red rubber boots, there was only purple! The woman was not only wearing purple, she was purple.

To be purple in full view of another was a big thing. The Seeker sipped on her tea, stood close to Cordelia for extra warmth and watched as her friend opened to the last few pages of the novel. Cordelia began, "This story is about a young Chinese boy born in Chicago, raised by parents who own a Chinese restaurant. He's the third of three kids. His siblings are 'successful' at what they do but the boy is the only one to continue the legacy of a very old and traditional dragon clan. Specifically, the boy, named Jay Li, is the last of the royal Chinese dragons in the Clan of the Yellow Dragons. His mentor and teacher is his grandmother, Paupau." Cordelia stops and looks into the Seeker's eyes for a read on what she's said. "I think I get the picture," the Seeker is a quick study and no stranger to initiation. She sips more tea.

The women were not long time friends, but in the months they have known each other, the reasons for their friendship braided nicely. Neither demanded too much from the other, but you know when there's value added to a meeting and this was happening for them. Cordelia kept on, "My great-grandfather was Chinese. A rice farmer, he arrived on the Big Island at the end of the century."

The Seeker interrupted briefly, "Which century?"

"Oh yeah. Ah Moon, my great-grandfather arrived in the late 1700's. And hooked up with my great-grandmother a Hawaiian woman and daughter of an Island chief." Guessing the Seeker would think 'Kamehameha the Great', Cordelia set her straight with a quirky smirk, "No, not that chief."

"This is kind of a long story, but I'll save a little time and tell you my Chinese legacy from my mother's father; my great-grandfather feels very much infused with the story of Jay Li . The Yellow Dragon Clan ... is familiar, familial even. I sense the mixed Dragon legacy because my mother's grandmother, was mo'o ... water dragon spirit of the Hawaiian kind. My parents named me after her; I carry that heritage because I was given her name. Mixed with the Chinese part of me that was so good at keeping secrets -- no mentoring-- except for a few hints thanks to my vivid dream life; I was clueless. It's taken me most of my life to figure out what to do with ... with me."

"You're too young to have known your great-grandparents, but did you know your grandparents?" the Seeker asked.

"No, I never knew any of my grandparents. Well, that's not quite true, I did know my father's mother for a short time. But she was very detached and mostly I was afraid of her." Answering the question Cordelia thought of the woman who caused such turmoil for her dad. "No, I knew something about one of my grandparents." And in saying it she realized traditions and legacy mark all the fruit on the family tree whether you know it or not.

"So all this digging into family secrets ... not a unique journey. Geez I have my own story as far as that goes." The Seeker had hinted at her family stuff. Cordelia did not pry. "Maybe now that the cat was out of the bag -- yeah, bad analogy, the secrets unlock because you feel you can trust." Moving with care she said, "Now back to this book."

"Okay, listen to this. No let me give you a little more backstory. By the time Jay and his grandmother are having the conversation I'll quote a lot has gone on. Jay has come to know his Yellow Dragon in a big way; and everyone in contact with Jay is real familiar with how much fire power lives within the high school boy-man." Cordelia goes on, building to her point. "Here. This is the bit where I felt I was talking with my grandmother." Narrating her story she added a pinch of magic, "A good fairy tale will take you there. I know that's what fairy tales do."

"It is not an easy task that is set before us," she says, "but that is why we are as strong as we are. We must be, if we are to survive and prosper."

I give a slow nod. But then I ask her, "You know that we're one and the same with our dragons, don't you?"

"Of course."

"Then why do you always talk about them as though they're separate?"

"I find it easier to remember my humanity when I do so. The dragons are such might spirits. The power they wield can be seductive, so much so that we might consider that we are the emperors rather than the guardians." 

Cordelia paused. It's a version of the truth she could only suspect." 'Finding it easier to remember my humanity ...' That is the sweet bit of wisdom that helps me so much. I mean, I'm an old woman with so much separation to my humanity. The dragon nature -- the secrets, are so seductive!" There was no documentation that Cordelia was a dragon, but there was the purple that was by this time, brilliant in it's intensity. The Seeker didn't need more evidence, a Taurus Sun was only part of her reality. Guardians and Angels were intimate company for her, and it was her Chinese astrological sign that had triggered this conversation in the first place: Water Dragon. "Here's the thing that really cinched it for me. Why I felt De Lint was writing about my grandmother or great grandmothers. And. Why I said when we started talking: 'My grandmothers are either right on time' ... when their grand daughter, or great grand daughter could have been a grandmother herself, to finally, finally understand why I have had so many battles with authority."

"I wanted to see you. I wanted to tell you how proud I am of you."

"You couldn't have just come and told me that?"

"I tried," she says, "but you were not ready to hear it. You were too angry to listen to anything I might say."

"I guess I was."

"And now?"

"I still have issues."

"Good."

I have to shake my head. "How can that be good?"

"You are a yellow dragon of an old and noble clan. It is important that you stand up for yourself and know your own worth. It is your duty to protect your emperor, but only if that emperor is fair and just. You must have the strength of character to stand up to him if he is not. You cannot be intimidated by the grandeur of anything or anyone." 

The Seeker let out a long exhalation then laughed a belly laugh deep and resounding. It was one of the things Cordelia loved about her friend. The laughter rocked, literally could have rocked like volcanoes. There was a kinship. Finally, the Seeker  said, "So your old and noble yellow dragon met up with an equally powerful water spirit in the form of your Hawaiian grandmother ... mo'o?" Cordelia nodded. "And the issues you continued to have were like ... like never really going to be completely healed. These are your issues to keep having because to be a real and true guardian yellow dragon who protects. Anything that is too sparkly must be challenged, until you find them 'fair and just.' It's what you're here for, right?" Without needing to say it, both friends recognized how important it was not to be intimidated by the grandeur of any ego on fire. Letting off steam might just allow Cordelia more ease on many levels.

"Seems the case."

"So a purple dragon. Not exactly like the purple dragon of Puff the magic dragon in the Peter, Paul and Mary song."

The unexpected impact of a fictional grandson and his grandmother was untangling a lifetime, or maybe a lineage of lifetimes. "But your version of purple, is pretty awesome. Old dragon like you would do Alice Walker proud. And this thing about loving white chocolate. I think there is so much more fun to be had with that. I know a place that could really feed the fire in your purple dragon's belly. In a good way." There was that belly laugh, again.

"Ha, that would be such a sweet ending to a tale I thought would go on and on." Cordelia couldn't believe all those years of angst could conclude with such simplicity. Easy was not easy for her.

"Maybe, the planets and stars are conspiring to bring karma full circle in your lifetime. Karma doesn't always need to be painful and wouldn't it be wonderful to be easing the future by allowing for myth to have its way with you. Your Ancestors weren't just fierce and over-powerful. What about the fiercely fun father you told me about. The one who gave people nicknames off of cereal boxes and sweet, sticky sodas?" Cordelia softened thinking about the nicknames that lived so fresh even after so many years of wear. Borrowing characters from a well-written, timely received story was medicine. Being an artist and writer doing things in an unconventional way definitely had its challenges; chronic illness was unpredictable and inconvenient. But it was the path that led to this moment.

Over the falling rain quickly turning to snow Cordelia's purple muted to a soft blush and then settled back into her forty-percent chocolate Island woman skin. The scent of the now cold Lemon-ginger tea remained present as the two women heard a soft high-pitched ring of a bell. The high mountain -- yama-- bell blew like a kiss from the grandmothers. All of them saying, "I love you more."

Thank you to the grandmothers, friends who wander into our lives and storytellers who suspect they know and sit to write to find out what rings true. Thank you Charles De Lint for writing and telling stories and bringing the grandmothers to my campground.

THE END

BONUS READ: There is a long video I added to this tale because it pins my Hawaiian cosmology (the way we Hawaiians tell ourselves what matters) to my talebone. Click here if you're curious.)