#22 Mr. Daruma

Among the truckers, there is talk of an old man. They call him Mr. Daruma, on account of the large daruma statue he carries around with him. He walks along secluded bits of highway, waiting on trucks to pass. When he sees one, he extends his thumb, hoping to catch a ride. If asked where he’s going, he will remain perfectly silent, signaling for them to simply go ahead. He’ll ride with them for miles & miles, not saying a word. Eventually, when the trucker’s guard is down, they will look over & see no one there.

This story has prevailed for years. Everyone knows someone that knows someone who helped Mr. Daruma along, but no one directly. No one knows if he’s human or some kind of spirit. It is widely believed though, that crossing paths with him will result in tremendous luck. So if you see a little old man out along the road, don’t hesitate.

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Got the idea for him while I was typing up the spiel on #15, #16, & #17, & just decided to bust him out right quick. He lives in the same world of trucker samurais. I might even make it so he wears the daruma on his head, but I like the scrunched up old man face. Should’ve spent a little more time thinking about the rest of his get up but I was going with an old depression era dustbowl drifter meets sensei look. Ultimately, I think giving that story a kind of traditional Japanese Supernatural edge might be pretty cool. Or lame. Gotta keep working on it to see.

Tags: Charm, Daruma, Folklore, ghost, Good Luck, Japanese, old man, samurai, spirit, Trucker

Category: 2011, Fantasy