Tattooman: Dragon of Enlightenment

By Matthew W. Menefee

In the war-torn city of Saigon, Vietnam, a child is conceived by a soldier and his new Asian bride, and destiny brings this child to the American mid-western town of Kansas City, Kansas, where he grows up to be a man who will fight for the cause of justice against those who would violate the weak and vulnerable. Pulled to Los Angeles, California, by this compelling destiny, he receives a gift from a mystical tattoo Master, giving him the ability to fulfill that destiny. A native people trying to keep their culture alive and unexpected encounters with nature, give Steve Scruton the rest of his gifts that he will need to become Tattooman, as he continues to follow his destiny with the help of the Master, who is never too far away. In a small town near the border of California and Arizona, he meets the girl of his dreams, and she understands him more than anyone else when the power of the Dragon of Enlightenment calls him to fight the evil forces in the world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 7, 2012
• ISBN: 9781477118573

Matthew W. Menefee

I was born and raised in Sedalia, Missouri, and now live in Johnson County, Kansas. I got my BSBA in Computer Information Systems, and my MBA in project management. Feeling a need to write, I changed courses in life in pursuit of my dream to be a writer, and this book is my first attempt, and hopefully won’t be my last. I enjoy reading and writing, of course, and also love to cook ride bicycles.

Book preview

Copyright © 2012 by Matthew W Menefee

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012909363

ISBN: Hardcover 978-1-4771-1856-6

Softcover 978-1-4771-1855-9

Ebook 978-1-4771-1857-3

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

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Contents

Dedication

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

About the Author

Dedication

I would like to thank Jim Markovich and George Markovich for helping me work through some of the details in my book. They provided great suggestions that kept me on track and made the story much more interesting and believable. They truly inspired me.

1

In the dark years, when the world was ignorant and mystical forces roamed the world unabated, man was controlled by those forces, and the battles of the mystical became the battles of man. The dragon was one such mystical force, a force spawned from devils in unseen realms but harnessed for good by man and God in the battle for righteousness in the world. Man too has a force in the mystical world, and in time, he has learned to quell and control the demons, pushing the devils further into their dismal domain. Mystical forces disappeared from the beliefs of man, but the forces are still there; the demons still play a hand in their world, and the influence of the most evil force is still tearing at their souls.

Most stories like this might have started with On a dark and dreary night, but this one started on a bright, sunny morning in July 1974, Saigon, South Vietnam, when Private First Class James S. Scruton stepped off the transport plane that brought him to Vietnam. It was extremely hot and humid, as if it had been raining for many days before. The ground was wet, and there was the smell of wet pavement in the air, mixed with the smell of jet fuel. James felt nauseated as he descended down the ladder leading off the plane and had to swallow to keep from losing the lunch that he ate on the plane.

Like most soldiers arriving in the city that year, he didn’t want to be there, and it might as well have been a dark and dreary night because that’s how he felt. Although he wanted to serve his country, being away from his family was depressing, and James thought he’d probably feel better if it were not so bright and sunny. James, or Jim to his friends, was a tall pale man, well built and trim, with dark-brown hair and sharp blue eyes that tend to draw a long stare. So piercing were his eyes that it became annoying to look at him straight on, overwhelmed with an uncomfortable feeling of encroachment. His face was thin, with a strong jawline. He had black eyebrows, making him look like a young Gregory Peck.

As Jim was taking his last step off the plane’s ladder, he felt a heavy push and was propelled from the ladder onto the tarmac, where he stumbled forward and caught his balance just in time to avoid falling flat on the pavement.

Damn it, Ed, quit fooling around! You’re gonna kill me before I get a chance to even fight in this damn war! You idiot!

Ed Jarvice was Jim’s best friend all through boot camp. He was almost as tall as Jim, but heavyset, with big hands perfect for a boxer, which he was. He had blue eyes too, but what made them noticeable was not how piercing they were, but the many scars there were around them. And his ears were cauliflower from the licks he’d taken on the side of his head. He was the kind of guy that liked army life and fit in well, but also the jokester that his boot camp sergeant thought was dangerous in a war zone. He was always pushing Jim around, but in a fun way. Not always so fun to Jim, but he knew that Ed would have his back when things got rough. Come on, buddy, you gotta be tougher than that here. The enemy isn’t going to be so nice, so you better suck it up, Ed said as he clapped Jim on the back. Let’s go. We don’t have to report to the post until noon tomorrow, so we can grab some food and do some exploring tonight.

OK, Jim said, but quit being such an ass!

They made their way to their barracks, which were on the base, and unpacked their gear. Since their duty shift didn’t start until the next day, they wanted to explore the city. They took showers and got ready to go out on the town.

tattooscenebreak.psd

As night fell, the atmosphere in the city began to take on the mood that was gripping Jim, and dark and dreary nights in Saigon can be exciting and dangerous too. With the heat and humidity causing a slight sweat to glisten on the soldiers’ skin as they walked down a busy avenue and the lights of Saigon breaking through the dark with signs advertising all kinds of pleasures, they spotted a small outdoor bar that seemed welcoming. Almost immediately, Ed saw her and approached the most beautiful girl in the place, who happened to be the girl behind the bar.

Although she wasn’t much older than eighteen, she was feisty, and before Ed could spew out whatever lame line he was going to give her, the barmaid yelled in heavily accented English, Don’t you gi-me any of your crap talk, soldier boy! You order and go away!

Slightly flustered, Ed said, Hold on there, sweetie. I just want a drink.

Then you order and go away! she said as she proceeded to wash the dirty glasses that were on the bar.

Ed, looking defeated, said, Sure, give me a cold beer. The barmaid poured a beer from the only tap on the bar and handed it to Ed.

Fity-fi cent. She held her hand out for payment.

Ed gave her a buck and said as he walked away with his head down, Keep the change.

As Jim approached the barmaid, her tone completely changed, and with a big smile on her face and her eyelashes fluttering, she said, What can I get for you, soldier boy? Putting aside the glass she was washing, she stared deeply into Jim’s eyes, and a warm smile spread across her face.

Jim said with a slight grin, So why did you treat my buddy that way? How’d you know he was gonna make a pass?

I know boys like him, the way he walk right up like he got somethin’ on his mind. I know boys like that, she said, rolling her eyes slightly. So what will it be?

I’ll have the same as my buddy. But how did you know I wouldn’t—, he got out before she interrupted him.

I could tell about you too. Maybe your eyes, but I can usually sense these things, she said as she handed over his beer. Fity-fi sent, she said as he handed over a buck.

Keep it, and thanks.

Thank you, soldier boy, the barmaid said, glancing briefly at Ed as her warm smile turned to a slight grimace.

Just as they were finishing their beer, Jim caught the eye of the most beautiful girl he had ever seen sitting in a corner, slightly out of view, but visible enough to expose the clear beauty of her smooth Asian complexion. A beam supporting the building somewhat obscured her face, but by leaning back just a bit, he was able to get a good look.

Dressed in a traditional Vietnamese dress called an Áo Dài, it was obvious that she was from a more distinguished family and upbringing. Jim thought that she must be from a prominent family because she wore a fancy headdress with embroidered designs around the rim, and judging from what he has seen most local girls wearing, this was the outfit of a richer, more important person. Since the Tết holiday was well past, he thought it must be some other occasion—maybe a wedding or funeral, or maybe they are just so well-off they dress as such on any regular day of the year.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jim noticed that Ed observed him staring at something. Ed turned his gaze toward the girl and made a motion that he might get up, but before Ed could pull his move, Jim jumped up and said while laying a hand on Ed’s shoulder and gently pushing him back down into his chair, This one is mine. As Jim walked toward the girl, Ed nonchalantly slouched back down into his seat and took a drink of beer.

Jim nervously approached the girl, trying to think of the best way to introduce himself. He had been in this situation a hundred times before, only to stumble over his words and usually walk away without even getting a phone number. Jim thought, Do they have phones here? As far back as twelve years old, Jim was always nervous around girls, so much so that he was almost sixteen years old before he even kissed a girl, and now at twenty-three, those feelings of insecurity were rushing back to him as he reached out to tap the beautiful girl on the shoulder. Just as he made contact, the girl turned abruptly and punched him in the stomach, causing him to lose balance and fall back into an empty chair. At that point, they made eye contact, and the girl’s facial expression immediately softened, and she became entranced in his gaze as he had with hers. Evidently, that uncomfortable feeling of encroachment that many men felt when caught in Jim’s stare had the opposite effect on girls, and if Jim understood this, he would know that most of the girls he approached in the past were so overwhelmed by his alluring eyes they would lose themselves and appear uninterested to him.

Oh, I’m so sorry, the girl said in surprisingly good English as she bowed her head apologetically. I didn’t realize—I mean, you scared me.

She was as beautiful up close as he thought. Her big brown eyes caught his gaze, and he felt immediate attraction. She had a cute little round nose, and when she smiled, he fell for her, and hard. Her smiled exposed a perfect set of pearl-white teeth, and her long black hair, although in a bun on top of her head, was like silk.

No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you, Jim said as he got back up from the chair. I just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Jim Scruton and—

In midsentence, a well-dressed elderly Vietnamese man stepped up and stood between them with his back to Jim and facing the girl. In a stern voice, the man spoke to the girl in Vietnamese, and her response was almost as stern. As their exchange continued, Jim sat quietly, twiddling his thumbs and looking up at the ceiling. Suddenly, the conversation stopped, and the man turned around toward Jim and gave him a suspicious look.

He was about to say something when the girl interrupted. This is my father, and he would like to know—

The man interrupted her. I would like to know what your intentions are with my daughter, he said in almost as good of English as his daughter.

Her father was a thin man, short in stature. His daughter must look more like her mother, Jim thought. His face looked old beyond his years, assuming he was in his late fifties. He carried an air of confidence that made Jim feel inferior, but Jim held his ground and didn’t shrink from the challenge.

Having had plenty of time to gather his thoughts, Jim immediately responded, My intentions are to introduce myself and ask her name, nothing more.

Then the girl chimed in, And I intend on telling him my name and then having a conversation with him! Hello, my name is Ai’ Long, and now we will have our conversation, in private, she said, taking Jim by the arm and leading him to a nearby table.

Her father, trying to persuade her, said, Ai’ Long, you know that in Vietnam, we must be careful who—

But, Father, Ai’ injected, as you know, I grew up in America, and I will not succumb to ancient Vietnamese traditions. She continued to the table with Jim as her father turned and walked out of the bar.

Ai’ Long, Jim said. That is a nice name.

My actual name, in Vietnamese, is Nhe Nhang Rong, Ai’ said. And it means ‘gentle dragon.’ My parents gave me one of those names that does not translate into a good English name very well, so I go by Ai’. When I tried to tell the kids at school my name, all they could say was, ‘Who?’ And they started calling me Who. My family got a kick out it, so they started calling me Ai’. Ai’ is ‘who’ in Vietnamese, and it kind of stuck.

They sat and talked for two hours, getting to know each other and talking about their lives. Ai’ lived in the United States for most of her childhood, and that is why she spoke such good English, and she recently returned from the States with her father, who is a diplomat for the South Vietnamese government. They returned when he was replaced and brought back to Saigon to help maintain the unstable government there. She also explained that her family is a direct line to some of the most powerful emperors of Vietnam and could have descended from Thục Phán, who established a kingdom in North Vietnam and South China in 258 BC after defeating the Chinese Qin dynasty. Her father’s name was Chinh Phan, but the family name, Phan, was very common throughout the country. Thục Phán was later defeated by Zhao Tuo in 208 BC, a Qin general who declared himself emperor of Nanyue, or Nam Việt, which later became Vietnam. It was said the son of Zhao Tuo fell in love with the daughter of Thục Phán and that her family descended from their union, a tragedy similar to Romeo and Juliet, which was passed down the family through stories and fables. Nothing that is documented, or can be proved, but our family has many such stories passed down through the generations. She told him that she would be attending school in Saigon soon and was studying to be a nurse. Her father didn’t care much about that idea either, as he thought she was above such menial work, but she insisted and, as usual, got her way. Being from a wealthy family, Ai’ was seldom denied anything she wanted and was somewhat spoiled as a child. Her father would usually give in to her requests and sometimes her demands, but their relationship was good, and they loved each