"The Chinese Curse"

There are three parts to The Chinese Curse.  It was the third one I was reminded of today.  I have a strange head, a Japanese Daruma Doll,  in my office that was given to me by a friend.

"You don't know what this is?" he asked.  He took a Sharpee and colored in one of the eyes.  "Make a wish," he said, and I did.  It was the only thing I wanted, I thought.  "When your wish comes true, you can color in the other eye."

"May your wishes come true."  That's the third part of The Chinese Curse.  I'd forgotten that I used to wish that for a friend of mine who wanted a girl I knew so much he practically cried over her.  I knew she was bad.

"Oh, please, dear God, let him have her.  Let him have this thing he wants."

I was a bitter friend, I guess.  I just wanted to watch the circus.

In a few months, the strange head had two darkened eyes.  Yesterday one of the workers in the factory asked me, "What's that?"

I had forgotten about it until then.  "Oh," I said, "that's just part of the old Chinese Curse."

"Oh," he said, and looked confused.

"You know what they say?  Be careful what you wish for."

"Oh, yes, sure, sure."  That, I found, was a pretty good way of getting someone out of the office.

There are many versions of the curse, of course.  The Gypsy's say, "May you find a lap that fits you."

I know another fellow who has The Gypsy's Curse now.  Bad.  Real bad.  What hoo-doo will remove it?

Only Buddhism, I think, tells you that to avoid pain you must put an end desire.  I had done that for so, so long.  What awakens the Sleeping Dragon?  My friend has a long and awful way to go before he comes to that dilemma again.

I wonder if it is bad luck to burn a Daruma Doll?  I'll have to ask a shaman.

Where do I find a shaman?  I guess I'll try Yelp! and see.