Do you like stories with mystery and suspense? Strange and “wyrd” ones? Well, if you do, keep reading and enjoy Eggcentricsagas. If you are just joining Eggcentricsagas, you might want to start from the beginning: A La Mano: Part 1-The Treasure
The last of the Wu family born in his village, Lei arrived in the year of the Dragon in the Jiangxi province at the foot of a mountain. His given name, meaning thunder, came from the fact that his birth occurred during a terrible thunderstorm that flattened the rice paddies in the surrounding area. Appearing much later in life than his siblings, he was unexpected. The eighth child to be born into the household on the eighth day of the eighth month. He was considered lucky by his mother. He was a good sleeper, kept himself entertained and, so he quickly gained her favor. Not so much with his father, a peasant farmer, who had already decided that nine mouths were enough to feed. Ten was not pleasing but, at least he was a son and not another daughter.
Lei was a curious child and prone to exploration. To prevent him from running off, he was often allowed to sit and listen to his mother sing or tell mythical, magical stories as she prepared their modest meals, cleaned the house, or washed the clothes by the river. When he was old enough, he also had the honor of helping her gather tea leaves from an ancient tea tree deep in the mountain forest. It was a sacred tree, so she kept its whereabouts secret from everyone but him. His sisters had to keep a close eye on him, help with the dishes, sweep or wash, carry and hang the clothes. But Lei, the youngest and the favorite, was spoiled by his mother and allowed to play instead of work.
One day Lei’s mother fell gravely ill; she suffered from a fever that had gone round the village. Lei’s older sisters tended to her and kept him away. They didn’t want him to contract her sickness. They decided that he should go to the fields and work with his father and much older brothers to keep him out of harm’s way. The day was overcast; as rain threatened to disrupt their endeavors, the men focused intently on their work. They soon forgot about young Lei and watching him. Quickly growing bored of his tasks, he wandered off to his favorite place: the nearby river. Lei amused himself by wandering along the shore, picking up rocks and throwing them into the water. Before long, he found a small, beached bamboo raft with an accompanying pole lashed to it. The abandoned craft beckoned to Lei. The impetuous dragon child decided that a trip floating down the river was a good idea.
The raft was wedged on the sand to anchor it. Being young and of small stature, Lei had a difficult time dislodging it into the river. Determined to have a ride, he continued to strain. Finally, with all his might, the boy pushed it free. Wading out, he climbed aboard, untied the pole and, guided his vessel into the current. His previous strenuous efforts had kept him from noticing the encroaching gloom or the raindrops that had been falling until a big one hit his nose. Looking up, he saw the black clouds overhead. Another large raindrop hit him squarely on his forehead between the eyes. Within seconds, the raindrops were falling hard and fast and, the wind blew fiercely around him. Caught in the darkness and downpour of the storm, it was then that Lei decided that perhaps he had made a mistake. Unable to steer the raft back to the shore, the boy’s efforts were in vain. The accelerating current produced tumultuous waves that snatched the pole from his grasp. Lei realized that he was trapped as the river swelled with the flash flood. His only option was to hold on as his flimsy craft swept downriver.
The ride was exhilarating at first as the sandy beach zoomed past and was gone. Then Lei started to worry about how he would get ashore and back to his house. When his boat picked up more speed, and the ride was bumpy and dangerous, he became scared. Lei tightened his grip on the slippery wood. The bushes and trees thickened, obscuring the shore, and craggy rock faces appeared on the sides of the river as his boat careened faster, pushed by the wall of water behind him. Soon white caps and floating debris appeared in the water beside him as the river narrowed; leaves, branches, and logs that had been torn loose by the deluge. Soaking wet, cold and frightened, Lei desperately clung to the raft as the fast-flowing stream carried him away from his home and family.
Just as the youngest Wu began to wonder if he was to drown that day, his bamboo craft hit a sandy shoal, split into pieces and, he was thrown headlong into the frothy, raging torrent.
Next: The Mysterious World of Dr. Wu: Part 2-The Path to the Temple
