Red varnished wood formed the stone lion-guarded gateway to Chinatown
Sqaure-joweled and slant eyed, the amahs regarded him with a bemused smirk as he passed, ducking to miss the rudely jutting shopsigns that didn`t accomodate for his height. The babies slung in knotted cloth slings and nets around their carers backs and bulging tummies, wailed in a monotonous choir of discontent. Their older brothers and sisters, peering between knowing amah`s legs, giggling and whispering about the newcomer.
Aquarius didn`t pause to take it in. Following the low strung lanterns down the spinach and slush coated coablestones as a curling tendril of sesame oil played come hither with his nostrils and, in turn, his aching apetite.
The onlookers soon tired of watching him. Aquarius is not so novel here. Exotic sailors from everywhere flooded seaside towns like this one regularly,
Look out! There`s one now, bowling over trash cans as he stumbles drunk out the whorehouse door.
Watch… that`s Madame Chu of the Chu`s Me Massage Parlour, hurling that globulous gob of green spit in his face. He ought to get a shot, so potent are her bodily fluids. That`s why she manages these days and doesn`t work the shifts. Customers kept complaining in a list that would form the index of an exotic medical encyclopedia, for the range of ailments a night with Mme. Chu could get you.
But in her time, she was the coveted Dark Lotus… but enough daydreaming. Pass her that jar of ground powders from the herbalist and better get going quick, so fond she is of thrashing anyone in her way with that broomhandle by the archway. Ah yes, she runs a tight ship that Madame Chu.
Hurry up, Aquarius has almost found the opium den.
From almost under the ground, Cupid looked up from the mah jong table, twiddling his fingers rapidly to avert nerves and saw the well polished leather shoes of Aquarius. Through his beery haze he could tell that, though they were shiny, they were too expensive to belong to a cop.
In we go!
Aquarius entered the smoky cavern, a delicate girl in a cheongsam fussed over him, showing him to a chais lounge, pouring green tea and handing him a pipe. He watched the mah jong game from the shadows inhaling the pipe out of politeness. His cough and spluttering distracted Cupid,
„Will ya pipe down over there, buddy. These crooks are about to relieve me of my arrow if you don`t let me think straight.“
Aqaurius was alarmed but not enough to say much. Indeed had he tried to say anything, he would have failed miserably. Aquarius was stoned. Except it wasn`t quite like that.
In his dreamy stupor he saw visions of a lovely classic blonde but she wasn`t so much like that as this . No, no, she wasn`t like that at all, more like this … hmm... that`s not right either but nevermind. She doesn`t matter now.
Cupid pulled up a chair.
„Well, what is it? Let`s get it over with.“ The hot blow of alcohol-soaked breath was like smelling salts strong enough snap Aquarius right out of his platinum reverie.
He sat up on bent elbows and faced the putrid exhalations of Cupid.
„Hermes said you could help me find love.“
„Bah! Did he just. First he runs off with my mother now he fields me work. Typical Olympian.“ His pudgy, pink baby-hands gripped the opium pipe that lay across Aquarius`stomach, „Don`t mind if I do.“ He began thoughtfully puffing.
Aquarius regarded the bizarre sight of the five o`clock shadowed churubim stretch his angelic toes out and scratch his feathered wings.
„I see they didn`t get your arrow.“ He remarked.
„Yeah yeah, wise guy.,“ Cupid snarled, „think you`re funny. Well let me tell you somethink, this old thing here it`s broke.“
„Oh, so it doesn`t fly straight?“
„Of course it flies straight, I`m the damn best archer in the cosmos except for that hesistant pain in the ass, Sagittarius. It just don`t make folks fall in love anymore. It lost it`S, you know, magic or whatever.“
„Oh, so that`s what it`s for!“ Exclaimed Aqaurius.
„Was for. Look here, pretty boy, you`re faily stoopid, I can tell, so I`ll make things easy for you. Things don`t work out like they used to in the bad old days of Zeus. The world`s a different place now and you gotta get with the program. You want love you gotta take your business to the fairytale department. Far Far Away, buddy, that`s where all those damsels in distress and frog kissers are. That`s where the romance is, pal.“
Aqaurius jumped up almost knocking over the tea. „Far Far Away, you say. I suppose it`s fairly far off then.“
„Sheesh, buddy, will ya calm down. It`s just over hill and into the forest. Hooley dooley, aint you in a hurry.“
Aquarius grabbed his coat from the patient hostess and raced out to the door, sliding on his way out as he turned back to Cupid,
„Thanks very much, Cupid, sir.“
„Yeah yeah, forgeddabouttit kid.“ Cupid sighed as he blew out the last of the smoke. Then got up. „Well Liu, off to work for me, toots.“
And with that he flew up to his perch on the roof of Madame Chu`s to shoot arrows into the hearts of sailors all night. Ensuring a roaring trade for the establishment that strategically placed ist most expensive girls in plain view.
It seems, his magic did still work, for a price. A price the entrepreneurial Madame was willing to pay him, afterall, her business might be sex but love always helps.
Click here for the love song story
