The store owner pulled, five cardboard boxes, from inventory and set them on a counter, next to his cash register. I paid with my American Express card and Lois and I, carried the boxes, out to her car. We tossed the boxes in the back seat, on top of the things I had bought, at the second mall.
While Lois drove us home, she kept her left hand high on the steering wheel, so she could admire her new watch. She helped me carry everything into the house, and place it in a first floor guest room. Lois said she wanted to wash all the clothing items, before I wore anything.
It was late, by the time we had everything unloaded. We decided to have dinner out. I took her to, a small Italian restaurant, near Foothill College. The restaurant was not crowded, mainly because of the holidays. We sat at a table, with a checkerboard tablecloth, and soft cloth napkins. The restaurant staff was very pleasant and served us quickly. We drank a whole bottle of Chardonnay wine, from the Napa Valley area.
We left the restaurant at 9:30, and was back home before 10:00. It was a cool night, with temperatures in the high forties. Lois was chilled, when we entered the house. I adjusted the thermostat and turned on the gas fireplace.
I sat down on the large sofa, across from the fireplace, to read the literature, I received with my leather duffle bags. Lois came over and sat next to me. She slipped off her shoes and put her arm through mine, her feet up on the sofa, and her head on my shoulder.
It was nice, having someone to share my time with. I wasn’t sure exactly what her and my relationship was, but it didn’t matter, because this was extremely nice. We were enjoying the fire and Lois kept nodding off. I suggested we go to bed. She followed me into my bedroom and removed a tee shirt, from the drawers in my closet. She stepped into the bathroom and returned, wearing the tee shirt.
She pulled the blanket down and crawled into bed, while I put on the bottoms, of a silk pajama set. When I got into bed, Lois asked me, to go home with her the next day, so she could pick up some clothes. She said, she wanted to spend as much time with me, as she could, before I left.
A few days, before I was scheduled to fly to Honolulu, Hawaii, Lois showed me how to, properly pack the duffle bags that we had purchase, weeks earlier. She placed, two white tee shirts, in one medium size bag and filled the rest with briefs, socks, and an assortment of heavy colored tee shirts. She put my now, prepared shaving bag, in the top of one of the large duffle bags.
I removed the smaller leather bag from the safe in my closet. I had Gabriela Alvarez, convert twenty five thousand U. S. dollars, into Japanese yen. I slipped the bag of cash, into the bottom, of one of the large duffle bags. Lois was concerned about me carrying so much cash, but I convinced her it would be alright.
She and I spent all day together, on Friday January 26th. She told me she was going to really miss me and wanted me to be safe and take care of myself. I remembered, my mother saying the same thing to me, when her and my father put me on the plane to MIT, over thirty years ago.
I woke early Saturday morning. Lois was up before me, and had fixed us breakfast. I asked if she wanted to ride to the airport and see me off. She said that would make her to sad.
I had ordered a limousine and driver, to take me to San Francisco International Airport, for an early flight to Honolulu, Hawaii. As I was walking to the front door to let the driver in, so he could load my bags, Lois grabbed me and hugged me. She held on to me, as if she could keep me from leaving. I whispered in her ear, I didn’t have to go, if she didn’t want me to.
She looked at me and said. You have to do this. You need to find yourself and where you fit in. I feel the answers are out there, and you will find them, she said. I love you, she said. You are my best friend, and I will pray every night, for your safety and wellbeing.
There was a knock at the door and I opened it. The limousine driver, immediately began grabbing my bags. While he loaded the bags, I pulled Lois into my study and kissed her. She smiled and kissed me back. I’ll be back, I don’t know when, but I’ll be back, I said. She told me to find happiness, and someone to love. I love you I told her. She placed her warm gentle hand on my face and told me once again, I was her best friend.
I flew first class and listened to a Japanese language tape, for almost the entire five and a half hour flight, to Hawaii.
I could have chartered my own plane, but I wanted to start fitting in, with the general public.
While I was the CEO of Steele Global, I had a corporate jet that flew me, to all my business locations and meetings worldwide.
We landed in Honolulu, a little before 2:00 PM, Hawaii time. I reset my watch, back two hours, before exiting the plane. A gentleman was standing at the gates, with a sign, with my name on it. I walked over and told the gentleman, I was TJ Steele. He took my baggage claim check and we headed through the airport. After gathering up my bags, the gentleman drove me, to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, on Waikiki Beach. I had a one day layover, in Oahu and would be flying on to Japan, on Monday.
Monday morning, the same gentleman that picked me up at the airport, took me back. My seven hour flight to Japan, was at 11:30 that morning. We arrived at the airport, an hour and a half early. Once the baggage was checked, I tipped the driver and headed for the nearest lounge.
My flight, took me first to Tokyo, Japan, where I had a three hour layover. I transferred, to a smaller airline, and was flown to Aomori Airport, in the extreme northern sections of Japan. I found a driver, at the airport, willing to take me to the coastal city of Yomogita, Japan.
The coastal highway was well paved, and weaved through many smaller cities. The coastal population was large, with continuous housing, businesses, and stores all along the route. The Sea of Japan, was on our right side and huge agricultural land masses, was on the left.
As we approached the city of Yomogita, the driver turned off the main highway, and made his way through narrow streets and roads, moving inland. We came upon a gravel road and turned left. The driver drove slowly, for about a mile, towards a large iron gate fixed within an open frame, of a traditional Japanese structure.
We stopped, just outside the iron gates. The Japanese driver told me, he could not take me any further. He opened the trunk of his car and sat my duffle bags on the ground, by the gates. He walked over by the gates and took a wooden mallet and struck a five foot long bronze cylinder, making a loud gong sound. The driver got back in his car and turned around and headed down the gravel road.
On the other side of the gates, I saw a man dressed in nonconventional monks clothing, moving in my direction. When he reached the gates, I could see he was Japanese, but he spoke English. He said his name was Shoji, and asked if I was Theodore James Steele. I told him I was, and he opened the gates. Several more monks, came out to the gates, also dressed in nonconventional monks clothing.
The other monks carried my luggage, as Shoji lead me over to a small, Japanese traditional wooden structure. The structure, sat by itself, about a hundred feet off the main stone paved road. A narrow stone walkway, led to the structure.
The building was elevated slightly off the ground, with a bamboo twisted thatched roof. The actual structure was smaller than the roof, which covered a three hundred and sixty degree engawa, an outer corridor that wraps around the house. It is the separation between the delicate shoji, sliding paneled doors, made of translucent paper, in a wooden frame that made up the exterior walls.
When we entered the house, I saw zabuton’s, or cushions on the floor, surrounding a kotatsu, a low short table in the middle of the space. Traditional chairs and high tables, were not used in any of the spaces. To my surprise and relief, the sleeping space, where the monks had carried my luggage, had a traditional style, off the floor bed.
Shoji took me on a tour of the monastery. He showed me a large scale, sixth century temple style building, using complicated carved techniques in wood, for the structure. There was a large bronze statue, of Buddha, in the front center of the building. There was a strong influence, from the Chinese Tang and
Sui Dynasties, throughout the area. Checkerboard stone streets and walkways, ran throughout the monastery.
A dozen buildings, sat on the site. Some were communal sleeping quarters, bath houses, and eating areas. There was a lot of activity, in a center court yard, where a large fountain stood.
I asked Shoji, why the monks were not wearing, a traditional Japanese kasaya. He said the monks did everything, around the monastery, from fixing food to caring for the elderly. They farm the land and repair all the structures. They also are experts at Tai Chi and the clothes they wear, allows them to do their daily tasks, as well as practice their warrior trade.
It was winter, with cool days and cold nights. I could see the areas, where framing was being done, but there were no crops in the ground, this time of the year. There were monks, making repairs to some of the buildings, and the stone walks.
Wednesday was coming to an end and I was escorted back to my living quarters. When I entered the structure, my luggage was now stacked in the corner of the room, near the bed. A half dozen white cotton karateka, the same formal Japanese traditional uniform, the other monks were wearing, was hanging on wood pegs.
I was also surprised, to find the monastery, had electricity running to all the buildings. The kotatsu, the low table in the center of the structure, had a built-in electric heater, covered by a heavy futon blanket. There was also an electric space heater, near the bed.
I slid open an exterior wall panel, several feet down from my bed. On the engawa, the outside porch, I found an ofuro, a round wooden barrel like tub, about three feet in diameter. On the other side of the tub, was a wooden bench with a twelve inch smoothed hole in the center. I guest this was my toilet, I said to myself. There were three, four foot square bamboo panels, hanging from the roof of the porch, enclosing the tub and toilet area, for privacy. They hung about a foot above the deck, and I could just see over the top, while standing.
The bed, was a standard twin and my feet hung off the end. The sheets felt like silk and the blanket was thick and extremely, soft and warm. I opened one of my duffle bags and removed, the bottom part of a silk pajama set. Once I was in bed, I realized just how secluded, I was from the rest of the monks. Because, I’m an outsider, I’m required to spend my personal time, in this structure.
I was awakened Thursday morning at 5:00, by the ringing of a large bronze gong that hung in the center courtyard. A monk came into my structure, with a porcelain pitcher and bowl. My shaving things, were stacked on top of a white cotton towel. The monk stood next to the door, not uttering a word.
I slipped out of bed and made my way over to a table, where the monk had placed my shaving gear. When I finished shaving, the young monk led me to the area in the back, where the wooden barrel tub was. The bamboo surrounded space was cold. The barrel was about half full of water and steam was coming off it.
The young monk, stool silently, waiting for me to react. I stared at him and his mind was instructing me to disrobe and get into the tub. I pulled off my silk bottoms and cotton briefs and stepped into the tub. There was a wooden stool in the center. I sat down on the stool, in the center of the ofuro and the young monk began scooping up the warm water, with a porcelain bowl, pouring it on my head.
With my body now soaked, the monk gestured with his hands, for me to stand. He took a large sea sponge and scrubbed me from head to toes. He indicated he wanted me to sit, once again. He began to scoop up the water, pouring it on my head, over and over again, until the soap was rinsed off.
When he was done, I stood and stepped out of the ofuro, onto the wooden deck. The young monk took several large towels and dried me, before placing one of the towels around my waist, while I returned to the inside.
The monk, handed me one of the white cotton karateka, hanging on a wood peg. I reached into one of my duffle bags and removed, a pair of cotton briefs. I slipped the briefs on, under the towel. I removed the towel and the young monk began to dress me, in the karateka.
While I was bathing, someone came into the house and left a round bamboo basket, next to the low kotatsu table. I was directed to sit at the table and the young monk served me breakfast. I was glad, Lois had showed me the proper way to use chop sticks. There were no forks, knives or spoons here.
When I finished eating, the young monk took me to a small Buddhist temple, on the far side of the center courtyard. The rest of the monks, were in prayer, in the large main temple. Shoji came over and told me, to kneel on the narrow pad, at my feet. He knelt down, next to me and said I should pray now. I told him, I wasn’t exactly religious, but I did believe, in extraterrestrial being.
Shoji said good, pray to your extraterrestrial being. He stood and left me in the temple. I wasn’t sure what to do. I sat back on my legs and closed my eyes. I searched my eidetic memory, for something pleasant. I began remembering my childhood, before college.
The Edwards air base was a very special and exciting place, to grow up. It lead me, into my years, of engineering and mathematics.
I could see my mother and father, as clear as if they were standing, in front of me. I remembered the birthday, my mother burnt her arm, on the hot oven rack and I healed her. I also remembered healing Lorain’s wrist, head, and leg, when she fell off the picnic table.
The temple was special. It allowed me to focus on the past, without thinking about the bad times. I was so relaxed, I felt as if I were floating. Nothing, but wonderful moments from my past, was swirling around in my head. I never wanted, this moment to end.
A strong hand on my shoulder, brought me back to reality. I looked up and it was Shoji. I looked down at my watch and saw, I had been on my knees, for almost an hour and a half. Rise, Shoji said.
I stood up and followed him to another building. The structure was built in the same design, as my personal quarters, but ten times larger. We entered the building and there were a dozen monks, sitting on the floor, in the middle of the large room. At the far end of the room, sitting in a large very ornate wooden chair, with a blanket over his lap, was Morihei Ueshiba, the abbot. He is the senior monk, of the monastery.
Shoji had me sit on a large soft cushion and he stood behind me. The monks in the middle of the floor, stood and began to perform, a Tai Chi martial arts moment. Their movements were flawless and all in perfect sequence. I watched with utter fascination, as they moved in almost total silence.
They performed for a half hour, with each monk performance, matching the others. After they finished their lesson, they all sat down in a large circle. One stood and began to perform, the aikido martial arts dance. This was what I practiced and was developed by Morihei Ueshiba father.
When the other monks, cleared the building, Shoji took me to the other end of the large space, and introduced me to Morihei Ueshiba. He was sixty six years old, but looked ninety.
I walked over to him and bowed and spoke to him in Japanese. He is the son of another, Japanese martial arts expert. They called his father, the Great Teacher. His father died from liver cancer in 1969, and now Morihei Ueshiba, has a similar problem. If he allowed me to touch him, I could cure him.
Ueshiba stayed in the training building and watched, as I worked out, with several martial arts students. I held my own, but lack the same intensive training, these men have gone through. Ueshiba watched, as I performed, all the Aikido moves I knew. I could see he was pleased with me.
The rest of the day, I spent with Shoji. He showed me the carpenters shop and some of the things the monks have built, to sale to tourist. He took me through, the communal kitchen and dining areas. I asked him, if all the monks, have taken a vow of silence. I told him the young monk that assisted me this morning, never spoke a word.
Shoji said, the young monks name was Takao, and he can speak if he wants to. Assisting you is his primary task, while you are here. He will see that you are fed, your clothes are clean, and you are bath each morning.
I asked Shoji if I would be allowed to eat with the other monks. He said, I will earn that right, bef
ore I leave. He walked with me back to my quarters, and said he would see me in the morning. I told him, I needed to contact someone in the United States, tomorrow. He said he would help me, with that and walked away.
After the morning prayers, Shoji and I walked into town and he took me, to a hotel, where I could make a transcontinental phone call. I called Gabriela Alvarez and checked in with her. I gave her instructions, on how she could reach me. I said, I would send her a letter with information, on where she could send me mail.
When we hung up, I called Lois’s home phone knowing she would not be at my house. It was evening in California and she would be at home now. When she answered and heard my voice, she was thrilled. We talked for a half hour, before saying goodbye.
The days at the monastery were repetitive, except for Sundays, when no work was performed and the monks fasted, after the noon meal. I spent Sundays writing to Lois and Gabriela. I also used Sunday, to walk into town and experience, the Japanese life style and culture. In the evenings, I would meditate and focus on my future. I was beginning to understand, who I was and excepting, I may be, one of a kind.
I wanted to train my mind, to be more passionate and considerate of others. The monks were teaching me, to express myself, through body language and movements. Although most monks had not taken, a vow of silence, they felt expressing themselves, through their body actions, was more acceptable, especially to the locals, who often saw them in town.
My mornings, started at 5:00, with Takao bathing me and then serving me my breakfast. To not allow him to perform his daily task, as my assistant, would be considered an insult. After my meal, I would go to the small temple and pray, for an hour or so. My prayers, were more about searching my own mind and not expressing myself, to a spiritual god.
Alien Among Us (TJ Steele Book 1) Page 8