I spent a lot of time with the carpenters, watching them perform their craft. They often allowed me to work with the tools. The monks use simple devices, to perform their everyday chores. I saw a few ways to improve on the tools, they were using, but they seemed uninterested. They have been doing it this way, for a thousand years.
My days at the monastery, were passing quickly. I had been here for two months. I was starting to understand the monks, and their belief in Buddhism. It was a peaceful and calming religion. Each day, I was beginning to understand more about who I was.
I felt, I was not completely human. I must have some extraterrestrial in me. Each day, when I prayed, at the small temple, I would remember my mother, telling me about the night, on Red Rock Canyon. It was the one memory, I couldn’t hide from.
The monks were now, spending every day in the fields, planting their crops. Takao would serve me in the mornings, and head to the fields the rest of the day. Planting the crops, was a sacred moment for the monks, and I was not allowed to help. The carpenter shop was empty and I would build things, the monks had taught me to do. After years of designing and manufacturing highly technological devices, I was handling tools hundreds of years old. It was like having God himself, guiding my hands.
After a month, the fields were turning green, with the first growth, from the monk’s plantings. It was spring and the days and nights were warmer. I often took a couple zabuton pads out onto the soft grass and laid down, staring at the heavens. It was a night like this, I felt myself once again floating, almost weightless. I could hear voices, but could not see where they were coming from. I realized the voices were telepathy, and coming from space. They were millions talking to me. So many, I couldn’t understand what they were saying.
It finally went silent and a single voice entered my head. It was a language, I did not know. The voice continued through dozens of dialects, until English was spoken. I now understood what the voice was telling me.
You are different from other humans, the voice said. I should accept myself, for who I was. The voice seemed almost apologetic, for their human interaction and creation. I wasn’t sure, if I had disappointed my creator, or was I more than they expected.
Mr. Steele, a soft voice, whispered in Japanese. I opened my eyes and Takao was knelt down, by my side. I smile at him, because this was the first time, I had ever heard his voice. You alright, he asked. Hai, I responded.
I had fallen asleep, under the stars. It was still dark and Takao was here, to heat the water, for my 5:00 AM bath. We both stood up and I carried the two cushions, into the house, while Takao made his way around to the back, where he heated water in a large iron pot, over a wood fire. He has done this, every morning, for the last three months.
After my bath and breakfast, I made my way to the small temple and knelt down, in front of a small Buddha statue. I waited for my mother’s voice, to tell me once again about the Red Rock incident, but her voice and her image, did not come to me.
I now saw my home, in Los Altos Hills, California. It was as if, I was hovering over it. I could see the complete estate. I wasn’t sure, what my mind, was trying to tell me. Maybe it was time, I go home, but I also thought there was something more, I needed to learn, or needed to do here, at this holy monastery.
Each morning, I had the same vision of my home in California, as I prayed at the small temple. It was Thursday, May 31st, the last day of the month. I’ve been here for four months. Bathing and praying every morning and martial arts in the afternoon. The silent monks made me crave conversation, even if it was senseless dribble.
I wondered, if June would be the month, I would leave here. I was not a prisoner, but I couldn’t force myself to pack up, say goodbye, and leave the monastery.
I returned to the small temple, after my afternoon martial arts training, to retrieve a book, I had left next to the Buddha statue. I found myself back on my knees, asking for some understanding, to my life. I heard commotion coming from the building, where four elderly monks stayed. I ran to the area and other monks were standing around. There was a young monk, lying on the ground.
I stepped between the groups of monks and saw my friend Takao, on the ground, with his leg badly bent to one side. He had fallen off the roof, while helping the carpenters, make repairs. Two monks were holding him down and another was going to try and straighten his leg.
Stop’ I yelled with anger and force in my voice. They all turned and looked at me, with surprise. I looked around and knelt down next to Takao. Other monks had carried Morihei Ueshiba, in his chair, out to the site. I pushed the pant leg of Takao’s karateka up and exposed the massive twisted damage, to his leg.
When I started to touch him other monks grabbed me. Morihei, ordered them to release me. I once again placed both my hands around Takao’s small, but muscular thigh. My thumbs and fingers tips touched. I felt Takao’s pain, as my hands, began to warm. I held my hands tight around his upper leg and the lower broken area of his leg, began to move on its own. You could hear the cracking of the bones, as his leg rolled over straight and his foot straighten.
Takao made no sounds, even though the pain was severe, for both of us. I stared into his face and he tried to smile. I held his leg, until I felt no more pain. He was wiggling his toes and the swelling was gone.
I asked him if he was hurt anyplace else. He sat up and pulled the top of his karateka, down off his right shoulder. He had dislocated his shoulder, in the fall. I placed my hands on his shoulder and held them there, until his shoulder was back to normal and the pain was gone.
I rolled him on his side and pulled the bottoms of his karateka down, to expose his scrapped hip. I put my right hand on the scrap and within seconds, the scrap disappeared and the bleeding stopped.
When I finished with Takao, I looked around and all the monks, were on the ground, with their heads bow down, touching the grass. Even the monks that had carried Morihei out to the area, were bowing. I wasn’t sure if they were performing a ritual, or were bowing to me.
Stand, Morihei said. I stood up, but remained in a bowing position, out of respect for him. Come he said, as he motioned for me to move, in front of him. I knelt down at his feet, hoping I had please him with what I had done, for my friend Takao.
I lifted my head and Morihei had opened, his red silk robe, exposing his stomach. I stared into his face and he asked that I help him. I slowly placed both my hands, on his thin stomach, with my thumbs on top of his navel. My large hands, wrapped around his very skinny sides.
I felt his cancer, and the pain it was causing him. I kept my hands on him, for five minutes, as the cancer began to dissipate and leave his body. I was becoming weak, but I wanted to complete my task. After another five minutes, Morihei was free of the cancer and the pain in his body.
I sat back on my heels and tried to keep, from falling over. Morihei, ordered four monks, to carry me to my quarters, where they placed me on my bed. Takao placed a cushion on the floor, next to my bed and knelt down, reaching over taking my hand.
I fell asleep and didn’t wake until late that evening. Takao still held my hand and was by my side.
I got up and prepared myself for bed. When I returned to my bed, Takao had brought several more cushions and placed them on the floor, next to my bed. I stacked the pillows, Takao had brought from the kotatsu, and scooted them against the wall and told Takao to get into my bed. He was hesitant, but I reminded him, he was here to serve me and I wanted him to get into bed.
He lay down on the bed, staying along the edge, to give me room. I lay down next to him and he thanked me, for what I did for him and Morihei today. He asked if I were a god and I told him, I wasn’t sure what I was.
When I woke the next morning, Takao was not in bed, but I could hear him out back, building a fire. I stayed in bed until I heard the 5:00 gong, from the huge bell in the courtyard.
Takao bath me, but this morning, there was no food in the house. Shoji came to the house and told me to follow him. We walked u
p the stone road, but instead of him taking me to the small temple, he took me into the communal dining structure. All the monks were knelling, on both sides of two long low tables. At the end, was another table, across the back of the room. Morihei Ueshiba, was seated there.
Shoji took me around all the monks and had me kneel, next to Morihei. Shoji took his place, on the other side of Morihei. Other monks began serving us, the morning meal.
After the meal, I was allowed to join the other monks and Morihei, in Morning Prayer, in the main temple. I could feel the magnificence, of the room as I prayed. The vision of my home, was not here this morning, only the best memories of my life.
As I knelt in front of the large bronze Buddha, perched on an altar in front of me, I realized it was time now, for me to think about going home.
I stayed at the monastery, for two more weeks, before spending a day saying goodbye, to all my friends. I really believe they were going to miss me, as much as I would miss them.
I started my journey home on June 18th. I had been gone for five months and finally felt I had control, of my life. Living with the simple monks and their slow paced reality, gave me an understanding of mankind, I did not have before.
I stopped for a few days in Tokyo and enjoyed some original Japanese cuisine, as well as a Sento, a true Japanese bathhouse, where I was bathed by three beautiful young Japanese women. They waded around me in the tub, fully clothed and scrubbed me from head to toes. They were giggling at my hairy chest. Japanese men are not hairy.
These were nice girls, doing their job. They thought nothing of me being naked, in the huge round tub. The eldest one dried me off, while the other two wiped down the tube and brought me a bathrobe.
I was back in San Francisco, late Sunday, June 24th. Lois had been at my house every day, Monday through Friday, caring for my home. Monday morning, when she showed up for work, my luggage was sitting in the entrance way. She now knew, I had returned home.
She ran into the bedroom and found me sleeping. She jumped on the bed and I grabbed her. You happy to see me, I asked? She hugged me tight around the neck. She said yes, she was glad I was home.
I told her if she let me up, I would join her in the kitchen. I needed a good cup of coffee, after drinking hot tea, for five months.
When I entered the kitchen, she was fixing coffee for me, just like she had done, before I left. I spent the next week, getting caught up on the events in Lois’s life and what had been going on in California. I also told her about my, experiences in Japan. She said she could see a change in me. I hope it’s a good change, I replied. It is, she responded.
As July was starting to fade into the past, I still wasn’t sure, what I wanted to do, with the rest of my life. I knew I wasn’t going back into business, but I thought I may tinker around with some engineering, on a personal basis.
On my forty first birthday, I purchased a new jet black 2002 Cadillac Escalade ESV. It was fully equipped with the top of the line, dark chocolate brown leather seats, like my duffle bags. I ordered the best sound system you get in a car, as well as the new in dash GPS system. Unfortunately it would not be available, until August 20th. Lois said that was alright, she loves chauffeuring me around.
Lois fixed me my favorite dessert, for my birthday. Chocolate cake with thick chocolate icing. We had dinner at a local restaurant and the cake later that evening.
She would watch, as I performed a Tai Chi exercise, out by the pool every day. I also spent time meditating. Lois began teaching me yoga, to go along with my martial arts exercises. She would join me and we would exercise together.
It was late August when I received a call that my Cadillac Escalade, was in. Lois drove me to the dealership, to pick up the SUV. It was like riding in a tank, but it handled great. Now, when I went someplace, I drove myself. Lois also liked riding in the monster vehicle.
I no longer needed security, to travel with me. I kept a low profile and watched when and where I went. I was becoming just another citizen, on the highway.
Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001, Lois arrived at her normal time. I was in the kitchen brewing coffee. She came in and immediately turned on the television, in the kitchen.
The news broadcast said at 8:46 Eastern Standard Time a large passenger plane crashed into the North Tower, of the World Trade Center, in New York City. No one knew what had happen until 9:03 Eastern Standard Time, when a second plane, was flown into the South Tower of the World Trade Center. Even if no one else realized it, I knew the U.S. was under attack.
I sat down at the small kitchen table with Lois and we watched the broadcast. Reports were starting to come in. There was an airliner that had crashed into the Pentagon, in Washington D.C. News cameras were showing the people fleeing the area around the towers, when at 9:59, the South Tower collapsed. I could feel the pain, of a thousand lost souls, going through my body. The North Tower which was hit first, collapsed at 10:28 and Seven World Trade Center collapsed at 5:21 that evening.
Passengers on a fourth plane, overtook the terrorist and crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. It is believed this plane was headed for the Capital building, or the Whitehouse.
All air traffic in the U.S. was halted and every plane was grounded, even if it was from a foreign country. The President declared a state of national emergency existed since the attacks.
Lois and I spent Christmas together and I hired a company to decorate the house and estate. We attended another New Year’s party at Gabriela Alvarez home, in San Jose. We stayed until one thirty in the morning, than drove to my house, where we spent the rest of the week together. The events of September 11, 2001 made the holiday’s bitter sweet for Lois and I as well as the rest of America.
CHAPTER-4 The New Year brought further retaliations against terrorist cells, all around the world. The military was looking for new devices, to fight terrorism. I was developing, a new device, I called a Steele Drone, and was sending the drawings and specifications, to Arnold Bright, a friend of mine at Edwards Air Force Base.
By March 2002, the military was interested in my designs. I had thirty four patents on the designs and operating parts. The remote control drone could be flown from a long distance and could carry an explosive payload, surveillance cameras, or both.
This engineering project would be different from my earlier ventures. I was only interested in the designing and not the manufacturing. I now had control over my life and did not want to fall back into, the everyday grind. Lois helped keep me focused on my main objective, of a calmer, slower paced life.
I started taking flying lessons, at Moffett Field in Mountain View, the last week of April. I completed lessons and was licensed, as a commercial pilot, private pilot, and instrument ratings pilot, in record time. By my forty second birthday, I was a fully licensed pilot.
I purchased a new Gulfstream G100, single pilot jet aircraft, in November 2002. I needed special training and licenses, for this jet aircraft. I was at the airport everyday flying with an instructor. I received my FAA flight licenses, on January 20, 2003.
Flying relaxed me and gave me a chance to think. I was now doing what I wanted, every day. I continued to develop larger more powerful drones, for the Army. A company in San Diego was manufacturing the drones. I would fly back and forth, from Moffett Field to San Diego’s, North Island Halsey Field, at least once a week. The Brighton Aeronautics Company was located near the airport, on its southeast side.
I stayed away from the manufacturing side of my projects, but I did advise the company at times, on how to best manufacture the drones. I was also invited to checkout their prototypes, when they had completed, one of my designs. I was dealing with people in a more professional way, then the old days, at Steele Global. I was attentive and less pushy, about getting a conversation over with.
By the end of 2003, Microsoft had purchased Steele Cyber Technologies and was transferring the employees to Redmond, Washington. Over the next few years, the rest of Steele Global, was sold off to other corporati
ons, or closed. With my departure, so went their ability to develop groundbreaking, state of the art devices, and equipment.
I was with Lois, New Year’s Eve 2003. She didn’t feel like going to another party, so we stayed home. She was now fifty nine and I could see she was slowing down.
She asked me to fly her to Phoenix, Arizona after the first of the year. She wanted to visit her sister, who she had not seen, since I was in Japan. I wasn’t aware, her sister’s husband had passed away, while I was out of the country. I told Lois I was sorry, I wasn’t here to comfort her.
On Sunday January 11th, I flew Lois to Phoenix. She was planning to spend three weeks, with her older sister.
When we landed, I helped her with her bags and finally got a chance to meet Janice Long, Lois’s sister. I was amazed at how much they looked alike. I told her to call me when she was ready to return home.
I flew back to Moffett Field, landing around 5:30 in the evening. While I was driving home, I got a call on my cellular phone. It was Rosanne Hines, calling from Sarasota, Florida. She informed me that Tom, her husband, had passed away on Saturday. Tom Hines was the martial arts instructor at Edwards Air Force Base.
He taught me more about self-discipline, than any other person, I’ve ever known. He was my father’s best friend.
Rosanne, gave me the funeral arrangements over the phone. I told her I would be there. His viewing was Monday evening, at a funeral home and a ceremony would be Tuesday, at the church they attended weekly.
I turned around and went back to Moffett field, where and met with the owner, of the hanger where I parked my plane. I told him to prepare my plane, for an early flight to Sarasota, Florida. He told me he would make arrangements for me to park my plane at a private hanger, at the Bradenton-Sarasota International Airport.
I got back in my car and drove home. I packed a week’s worth of clothes in my brown leather duffle bags. I hung two dark suits, with dress shirts and ties, in a garment bag. I turned in around 10:00 and slept soundly.
Alien Among Us (TJ Steele Book 1) Page 9