by A. H. Shinn
There were a few gasps in the attentive crowd.
“I believe Sonam, in her old age, realized her ideologies were wrong. She based her principles on her anger toward heathens who’d attacked the vulnerable, and she taught kung fu in the way it was not meant to be used.” Simi’s voice strengthened, and she began to speak with conviction. “Because of Kellie, my eyes were opened to our ways, and I looked through Sonam’s journal over and over again until I comprehended her transformation through her sketches. It was too late for her to change her sisters, but she knew someone else could.” She looked over to Lia and smiled. “When I met this special girl, I knew she was the One, but couldn’t share my discovery.” Her eyebrows pushed together and she shook her head. “I didn’t want her to be forced into our company.” She eyed Sarna with a soft expression. “With her mother’s permission, I think all of us can learn from the young girl and reevaluate our ways.”
The muscles on Sarna’s arm jutted as she clung on to Lia.
Someone gently leaned into Kellie’s tense shoulder. She was so enraptured by Simi’s words that she wouldn’t have noticed Master Chen if he hadn’t nudged her.
What Simi said made sense. The influence the girl had on just about everyone matched with Sonam’s prophecy. The founder had envisioned someone who had an energy that would change the nuns and take them to the next level. It wasn’t the type of energy that made them physically stronger, but one that provided them with serenity and enlightenment. Sonam had realized her mistake in teaching martial arts with aggression and dreamed a Teacher would correct her ways. It was Lia. She had a gift to soothe and placate, and her birthmark on her bald head wasn’t a coincidence.
Lia was the One from Sonam’s prophecy.
Kellie watched Simi with pride. It took immense courage to challenge the practices of her monastery, especially since she was one of the youngest.
Someone moved through the whispering crowd and climbed up next to Simi. There was a flicker of apprehension in Simi’s eyes when she acknowledged Choden with a nod.
“I strongly believed Kellie was our Teacher,” Choden began to say. “She is undoubtedly gifted in kung fu”—she flashed Kellie a look—“but, like Simi, I too reviewed Sonam’s messages and have been feeling torn ever since Lia’s presence here. Today I witnessed an act that made my decision as to who our Teacher truly is.”
Kellie sucked in her breath and didn’t let it out. Had Choden seen what she had done with her chi? Was she going to proclaim it to her sisters? Kellie scooted closer to Master Chen. She was glad he was next to her, just in case the nuns attempted to drag her away.
Choden stared at Kellie pensively as she said, “I also experienced Lia’s positive energy when she laid her hands on me. I felt a calmness I have not experienced in a long time. When I saw her do the same to Tsering, I knew the answer. Lia is the One who will illuminate our lives and bring us out of the darkness.”
That’s it! thought Kellie. At a different angle, the tattoo also resembled the sun rising up from behind a mountain. The Teacher would not only harbor a special energy through her hands, but she would be the light that would help the nuns to see.
Choden turned toward Sarna, who was trembling. “With your permission, and with the agreement of the rest of my sisters, we would be honored to have your daughter visit us at your will.”
With utter shock on Sarna’s face, she nodded as she loosened her grip on Lia. Lia smiled up at her mother and then to the crowd.
Choden looked out to her sisters, and they nodded one by one. Kellie noticed the farming nuns were the first to agree. With the affirmation, Choden kneeled down to the floor and prostrated her body.
“I didn’t see that coming,” Master Chen mumbled in Kellie’s ear.
The nuns fell to the floor and prostrated themselves as well, accepting the young girl to guide them in a new direction.
Kellie looked back and saw the peaceful smiles on the faces of the men. The monks moved away from the nuns, respecting their moment and acknowledging that the conflict was over.
As Master Chen and his brothers thanked the Gatokto monks for their assistance, Kellie spotted Jake and Jory. Before she could lift a foot in their direction, a small hand touched her wrist. Lia’s innocent smile shined up at her.
“You look even more beautiful without your wig,” said Kellie. “Thank you for coming here and for being so brave. I’m lucky to have met someone so special.”
Lia beamed. “You are very special, too. You have gifts that were not given to you from your parents. They are not human.”
“W-What do you mean, Lia?” Could she detect Hagos’s Emotive Chi?
“It’s not the special energy you carry. It is something different…You are like many animals.”
Kellie’s jaw dropped, but before she could ask the series of questions flapping against her skull, fingers tapped her shoulder. She turned to see a very weary-looking monk.
She whipped back around, but Lia was gone. She was by her mother’s side, and nuns began to surround them.
“Master Zheng!” said Kellie as she gave him a hug.
“I am deeply sorry for what you have gone through,” he said, his voice quavering. “I feel that all of this was my fault. If I had warned you about the visit from the bhikkhunı−s, perhaps none of this would have happened.”
Kellie thought the same thing, but didn’t want to make him feel worse than he already did. “Things happen for a reason, right?”
Master Zheng smiled. “You sound like my Master Chen…I was afraid, Kellie. I thought they would take you away from us, and that was selfish on my part. Nothing must be kept from you, and you must be allowed to make your own decisions. Again, I am very sorry.”
She couldn’t be mad at him. He could never have guessed that withholding information would get her kidnapped.
“Well, to make up for it, you and the others must visit me more often,” Kellie said.
“That sounds like a good idea—which reminds me of another visitor we had. A man who funded the exploration for the researchers who disappeared in Shenmi Forest years ago came to the monastery asking questions. He also claimed to know you. His name is Emaurri Lemore.”
“That’s my principal! What did he want?”
“He wanted to search for the scientists again. He made an attempt soon after contact was lost with them, but had no success. I told him that it had been far too long since they have been gone, and their bodies would be impossible to recover, and that sending others could result in the same outcome. I warned him of the dangers like I warned the scientists. He also asked about you and your past. I shared with him the story of how you were found by Shifu Lau.”
Kellie remembered when Master Zheng had told her about the scientists who’d gone inside Shenmi Forest, but never returned. She had no idea that Principal Lemore was involved with the expedition.
“Well, I must speak with Master Chen,” said Master Zheng. “And you and he must come visit us soon.”
Kellie pushed Principal Lemore to the back of her mind and watched the Taiping monks. She wanted to greet every single one of them before she left, which she hoped to be sooner than later.
“Ready to go home?” Jory asked her, as if he’d read her mind.
Turning around to see her friends, she said, “I am more than ready. It’s gonna be a long flight home, but I’m not complaining.”
Jake grinned so widely, all his teeth showed. “You’re going to love the private jet!”
“Private jet?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Birthday
Although it had been several weeks that Kellie had been back in Milldale, she continued to cherish her time in the hot shower. Steam, moisturizing shampoo, conditioner, and a facial scrub were true luxuries after the cold showers or lack of bathing altogether in Bhutan.
She towel-dried her hair as she s
trolled into her bedroom. She slumped onto her bed, debating whether she should go back to sleep. Since she’d been home, some nights she couldn’t sleep at all; too many memories of what she’d recently experienced invaded her thoughts. Other nights she’d passed out as soon as the sun vanished, weariness overtaking her body.
Master Chen’s sleeping habits had changed as well. If he wasn’t camping out on the couch as if he was on guard duty, he slept with his bedroom door wide open.
They were confident in the Druk nuns’ transformation and believed they no longer posed a threat, but they both shared an unspoken unease. The unforeseen kidnapping had warned them both that others could be aware of Kellie’s curious past and special talents.
Kellie had shared Lia’s cryptic words with Master Chen. With the little girl’s newfound position at Druk Monastery and their hurry to get back to America, Kellie didn’t have the opportunity to speak with her further in private.
What did she mean by Kellie being like many animals? Was she referring to her animal-style kung fu? From the pit of her stomach, she didn’t think Lia was talking about her tiger strike or mongoose twist. Kellie’s results from the experiment in biology class during her sophomore year came to mind. She’d received unusual findings in her DNA for her laboratory assignment, which obviously she thought was a mistake. Some of her genes showed similarities to genes of various animals. Could Lia have been confirming these findings?
Master Chen didn’t offer an explanation. Kellie wasn’t certain whether he was as perplexed as she or didn’t want her to worry. His only words of insight were: “Answers will come when time is right.”
He did offer his opinion on Lia. He believed that she could be an empath. She had the ability to read and feel the emotions of others as well as having the power to soothe. Master Chen also suspected that she had other talents that would grow and surface with time, and Kellie agreed. She hoped to talk to the gifted young girl again soon.
Master Chen and Kellie also had an interesting conversation about Grand Master Jing and Sonam. Kellie had learned that it was rumored that the two knew each other well prior to going their separate ways and establishing their own monasteries. It was said that they’d cared for each other, but their commitment to being monastic was priority and nothing more than a deep friendship had developed. When Kellie had told Master Chen about the identical pictures of two holding hands in Grand Master Jing’s art book—which she did not share that she had in her possession—and Sonam’s journal, they knew there was truth to the stories.
Master Chen wasn’t surprised when he’d heard that Sonam was a chosen one and had received training from the mystical animals. He’d bobbed his head up and down with interest, though, as Kellie had explained why the animals had stopped teaching Sonam.
“Anger in kung fu is no good,” Master Chen had agreed.
After talking about how Sonam and Grand Master Jing were both chosen ones, Kellie had been pondering how many more of them were out there.
Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard Master Chen’s voice.
“Kellie?” he called from the hall. He entered her room and was holding something in his hands. “This is from school.”
“From school?” Kellie got up from her bed and accepted the envelope. It looked like a card was inside, and it was addressed to her. Usually, mail sent from her school was addressed to Master Chen.
“Okay, thanks,” she said, and threw it on her desk next to an opened letter.
“I have much to cook,” said Master Chen, and then left.
Kellie plopped down on her chair and picked up the letter she had just received from Bhutan and read it for the twentieth time.
Dear Kellie,
I hope this letter finds you. You have stayed in my thoughts. Since your visit, everything has changed at Druk Monastery. After I helped you escape, I was struggling with my decision whether I should stay. I realized it was not the place I thought it was and I was disappointed with myself because I was planning to break my vows.
Lia has made an enormous impact in our lives. We have grown so fond of her and will call her Rinzen only if she wishes. Her inspiring influence touched each one of us, helping my sisters realize our ways were contrary to whom we should have been and who each one of us wanted to be before we entered the monastery.
Unfortunately, a few have left, including Tsering. I do not know if she needs isolation to rethink her purpose or if she was ashamed of exhibiting her vulnerability. Regardless, the door has been left open for those who have chosen to step away.
You won’t believe the transformation that has occurred since your departure! We not only wear our robes daily, but I am no longer the only one who visits the temple. It has become so thronged, we must take turns inside. It is wonderful! Our martial arts training has not ceased, but more of our time is now devoted to meditating and helping others. We are assisting the village where Lia and her mother live by helping them build better homes and install plumbing. We also improved our living situation by putting in hot water and flushing toilets.
We are learning from the villagers, too. They have been teaching us how to cook, which I will admit has been a great improvement.
I almost forgot. We removed the Fear Platform. The area has been sealed and is no longer a part of our training.
As I write this, Choden is pressing me to tell you that you are welcome to visit us anytime. I hope you do accept the invitation and see the changes for yourself.
Before I end this correspondence, I want to apologize to you on behalf of the Druk nuns. Your initial encounter with us was inexcusable, but I believe without your presence here, our lives would not have changed for the better. Although Lia has been accepted as our long-awaited Teacher, you contributed to our revelation. You reminded us how to be compassionate, selfless, and brave. In my heart, you are our Teacher as well.
Simi
Kellie carefully tucked the precious letter away into her desk drawer. “Things do happen for a reason,” she said out loud, envisioning Master Chen mouth the words.
In Bhutan, she had not only rediscovered the Emotive Chi, but she’d begun to learn that it could be carefully controlled. She’d realized that it wasn’t a power that would just explode from her, but an energy she could manipulate with practice. This had helped take away her worries about harming someone unintentionally.
But the greatest benefit of her involuntary trip to Bhutan was having Sarna and Lia enter her life. Kellie, for the first time, had felt what it would be like to have a mother and sister.
This reminded her of the secret Sarna had divulged before Kellie left. She’d given birth to Lia in a cabin in a forest: a fact supporting Sonam’s prophecy. The mother had wept as she’d admitted to taking Lia to an orphanage: another fact further supporting that Lia was the One. Alone and depressed, she’d thought she wouldn’t be able to care for a baby. After leaving her there for two days, Sarna had returned to reclaim her child. She’d expressed that she would forever carry the guilt of her action and would have to tell Lia about it one day.
Sarna had held Kellie tightly in a hug. “I hope you find your parents one day,” she’d said.
Kellie hoped as well.
As Kellie drummed her fingers on her desk, her attention fell on the square envelope from the school. She tore it open, and saw that it was a birthday card. Inside, there was a handwritten note.
Kellie,
I was pleased to hear of your safe return.
If there is anything you need, do not hesitate to ask.
Best wishes on your birthday.
Mr. Lemore
Did the principal send birthday cards to all the students? She had never received one before. Mr. Lemore had become the new principal during her freshman year. Perhaps he’d just missed her previous birthday.
Nevertheless, she had to thank him. Once Principal Lemore had learned about Ke
llie’s kidnapping, he offered his assistance. Master Chen had always been suspicious of the principal—ever since the day he and Kellie had had a meeting with him in his opulent office. Because of Master Chen’s desperation to find Kellie, he had accepted the help.
She vividly remembered Principal Lemore’s private jet. When Jake had described the lavish plane that would be taking them back to America, she didn’t believe him until she stepped foot inside. The aircraft was nicer than her house, or any house she’d ever been in.
Kellie then remembered all the things she had to do today. Master Chen was in charge of the cooking, and she had to do the cleaning. She threw the card aside, and got up. With a smile on her face, she went to get the house ready for the evening ahead.
At the sound of knocks coming from the front door, Kellie shut off the faucet and grabbed the hand towel as she rushed out of the kitchen. Standing on the porch in their cool summer clothes were her two best friends. Jake was wearing khaki shorts and a black T-shirt. Jory attempted to look informal in a pair of jeans and a white polo shirt. Kellie had told them she wanted her birthday dinner to be casual and not to show up in a tie.
“I specifically instructed that no gifts would enter my home,” Kellie said, eyeing the item in Jake’s hands. He was carrying a square cake carrier. Jory, on the other hand, carried nothing but a dubious grin, which went against his virtuous nature. What did he have up his sleeve? Or what did he have in his pants pocket? The edges of folded papers stuck out.
“Well, aren’t you going to let us in?” asked Jake.
Kellie chuckled. She had uttered similar words when she stood in front of his house for his birthday dinner the year before.