Tiger's Quest

by Colleen Houck

  The wedding was held at a country club. When the ceremony was over, lion dancers and musicians appeared, and we followed them parade-style to the reception area. One of the musicians played a mandolin. It looked similar to the guitar that had been hanging on the wall in Mr. Kadam’s music room.

  Red parasols, golden Chinese fans, and fancy origami decorated the dining room, which Li explained were traditional at Chinese weddings. The bride wore a red dress, and instead of boxed gifts, guests gave the couple red envelopes full of money.

  Li gestured toward a group of boys all wearing black suits with sunglasses. My eyes widened, and I had to stifle a giggle when I realized it was our game group. They grinned and waved to me. One of them had a large briefcase handcuffed to his wrist.

  “Why are they dressed like that?” I asked. “And what’s in the briefcase?”

  He laughed. “One thousand dollars in crisp, one dollar bills. They’re going to handcuff the case to the groom. It’s a joke. My cousin used to be a part of our game group until he got too busy at his job. He’s the first to get married so he gets the briefcase.”

  We made our way through the receiving line, and Li introduced me to his cousin and his new bride. She was petite and very beautiful and seemed a little shy. After that, we found our seats at the dinner table, where we were soon joined by all of Li’s friends. They teased him about not wearing his shades too.

  The bride and groom performed a candle-lighting ceremony to honor their ancestors, and then dinner was served: fish to symbolize abundance, a whole lobster to represent completeness, Peking duck for joy and happiness, shark fin soup to grant wealth, noodles for long life, and sea cucumber salad for marital harmony. Li tried to get me to taste sweet lotus seed buns that symbolized fertility.

  “Umm . . . thanks,” I said uncertainly, “but I’ll pass for now.”

  After good wishes from both sides of the family, the couple danced their first dance.

  Li squeezed my hand and stood. “Kelsey, may I?”

  “Sure.”

  He spun me around the dance floor once before his friends started to cut in. I never got more than one full dance with Li. A handful of dances later, a three-tiered cake was brought out. The inside was orange, and the outside was decorated with pearly almond-flavored icing and beautiful sugar orchids.

  When Li dropped me off that night, I felt happy. I’d really enjoyed being a part of his world. I hugged him and pecked him goodnight on the cheek, and he smiled at me like he’d just won a worldwide martial arts title.

  I spent Christmas Day with my foster family. Sipping hot chocolate, I watched the kids open their presents. Sarah and Mike had given me a jogging outfit. They were always trying to get me to embrace the highs of running. The kids gave me gloves and a scarf, which I told them I desperately needed. I planned to hang out with them that morning and then spend the rest of the day with Li who would pick me up for an afternoon date at 2:00 p.m.

  His present, a martial arts movie collection, was sitting on my coffee table in the living room. I’d already made up my mind that if he didn’t try to kiss me by the end of the date, I would kiss him. I had even hung mistletoe outside my door. An irrational part of my mind said that maybe kissing him was the key to breaking the bond I still felt with the man I left. I knew it probably wouldn’t be that easy, but it was the first step.

  My thoughts drifted to my date. The kids were playing with their new toys, and the adults were sitting by the Christmas tree, listening to carols, and talking quietly when the doorbell rang.

  “Are you expecting anyone, Sarah?” I asked as I got up to answer it.

  “It’s probably a package from Mr. Kadam. He said to expect a surprise.”

  I twisted the deadbolt and opened the door.

  Standing on the front stoop was the most beautiful man on the planet. My heart stopped and then galloped thunderously in my chest. Anxious cobalt blue eyes explored every feature of my face. Lines of tension and stress faded from his expression, and he breathed deeply like a man who had been underwater too long.

  Now content, the warrior-angel smiled softly, sweetly, and reached out tentatively to touch my cheek. I felt the link between us wrap its fingers solidly around my heart and tighten, drawing us closer. Circling his arms around me hesitantly at first, he touched his forehead to mine and then crushed my body to his. He rocked me back and forth gently and stroked my hair. Sighing, he whispered only one word, “Kelsey.”

  5

  Return

  Wrapped in his arms, I listened to the beat of my heart, which swelled and pounded in my chest. Like the Grinch, my heart had shrunk until it was two sizes too small. When Ren touched me, all the emotions I’d been holding back spilled out and flooded through my body, slowly filling the emptiness.

  I felt myself blossom and grow with new vigor. Ren was the sun, and the tenderness he showed me was life-giving water. A dormant part of me burst into pulsing life, stretched deep rooty fingers, opened thick green leaves, and shot curling tendrils outward drawing us closer together.

  Sarah called out from the kitchen, reminding me that a world existed outside the two of us. “Kelsey? Kelsey? Who is it?”

  Snapping back to reality, I stepped away. He let me go, but slid his hand down my arm and laced his fingers through mine. I was mute. My mouth opened to answer, but I couldn’t form a single word.

  Ren sensed my plight and announced his arrival. “Excuse me, Mr. and Mrs. Neilson?”

  Mike and Sarah both stopped mid-stride when they saw him. Ren smiled in his devastating way and extended his hand.

  “Hello. I’m Mr. Kadam’s grandson, Ren.”

  He shook hands warmly with Mike and then extended a hand to Sarah. When Ren turned his smile on her, she flushed, nervous as a schoolgirl. It made me feel better to know that I wasn’t the only female to lose all sense of reason around him. He had a mesmerizing effect on women of all ages.

  Mike said, “Huh, Ren. That’s a coincidence. Hey, Kelsey, wasn’t that tiger—”

  I rushed forward. “Uh, yeah. Funny thing, huh?” I looked up at Ren and hooked my thumb at him.

  “But, Ren is actually just his nickname. His given name is . . . Al.” I punched him on the arm, “Right, Al?”

  His eyebrows drew together in amused puzzlement. “Right, Kelsey.” He turned to Mike and Sarah again. “It’s actually Alagan, but you can call me Ren. Everyone does.”

  By this time, Sarah had regained her composure. “Well, Ren. Please come inside and meet the children.”

  He smiled at her again and said, “I would love to.”

  Sarah responded by stifling a girlish giggle and patting her hair. Ren stooped to pick up several large packages that he’d stacked by the door while I made a beeline for the family room.

  While Mike helped Ren, Sarah found me and whispered, “Kelsey, when did you two meet? For a minute there, I thought I was finally meeting Li. What’s going on?”

  I stared straight at the Christmas tree as I mumbled, “That’s what I’d like to know.”

  The men entered the living room, where Ren removed his charcoal herringbone trench coat and draped it over a chair. He was wearing jeans and a long-sleeved gray zip polo shirt that clung to his chest and arms.

  “Who’s Li?” Ren asked.

  My mouth dropped open. “How did you—” I snapped my mouth shut quickly. I’d forgotten about his tiger hearing. “Li is . . . umm . . . a guy . . . that I know.”

  Sarah raised her eyebrows but didn’t say anything.

  Ren watched me closely, politely waited for me to sit, and then sat down on the couch next to me. The minute he sat, the kids were all over him.

  “I have presents for the two of you,” he said conspiratorially to Rebecca and Sammy. “Can you open them together?”

  The kids nodded their heads seriously, and he laughed and shoved a large box over to them. They frantically opened it and pulled out a set of Dr. Seuss books. The books looked strange to me at first. I took one out of
the set and figured out why.

  I whispered to him, “You got first editions! For kids? Those are worth probably thousands of dollars each!”

  He tucked some hair behind my ear and leaned over to whisper, “I got you a set just like it at home. Don’t be jealous.”

  My face turned bright red. “That’s not what I meant.”

  He laughed and picked up the next gift. Mike kept stealing glances out the window at Ren’s car.

  “So, Ren, I see you have a Hummer out there.”

  Ren looked up at Mike. “Yes, I do.”

  “Do you think you could take me for a ride some time? I mean, I’ve always wanted to ride in one of those.”

  Ren rubbed his jaw. “Sure, but I can’t do it today. I have to get settled in at my new residence.”

  “Oh . . . you’ll be staying here for a while?”

  “That’s the plan, at least for the term. I’ve signed up to take a few classes at Western Oregon University.”

  “Well, that’s great. You’ll be going to school with Kelsey.”

  Ren grinned. “Yes, that’s right. Perhaps we’ll bump into each other there.”

  Mike turned his attention to the car again with a big smile on his face. Sarah was watching me closely. I tried to maintain a neutral expression, but, inside, I was a mass of questions.

  What is he thinking? Staying here? Where? Going to school with me? What am I going to do? Why is he here?

  Ren slid a large gift over to Sarah and Mike. “This is for you two.”

  Mike helped Sarah open it, and they pulled out a brand new red mixer with every attachment known to mankind. I wouldn’t be surprised if she could create an ice sculpture with the thing. Sarah began talking excitedly about all the organic wheat-free baked goods she would now be making.

  Ren picked up a smaller package and handed it to me. “This is from Mr. Kadam.”

  I opened it and found leather-bound copies of from India, Romance of the Three Kingdoms from China, and The Tale of Genji from Japan, all translated into English. There was also a short letter wishing me a merry Christmas.

  I stroked my hand over the leather covers and made a mental note to call him and thank him later.

  Ren handed me another gift. “This one’s from Kishan.”

  Sarah looked up from her mixer and asked, “Who’s Kishan?”

  Ren replied, “Kishan is my younger brother.”

  Sarah gave me a motherly look of exasperation, to which I shrugged sheepishly in response. I’d never mentioned Ren or Kishan to her, and she was probably wondering how I could fail to remember someone like him. I’d be wondering why I’d been so close-mouthed too.

  I opened the box and found a small jewelry case from Tiffany’s. Inside was a thin, white-gold necklace. The card was very carefully handwritten:

  Hey, Kells,

  Miss you.

  Come home soon.

  I figured you’d like something more girlish to wear with my amulet.

  There’s also an extra gift in the box, just in case you need it.

  Kishan

  I set the necklace aside and dug through the box. A small cylinder was wrapped in tissue paper. Unrolling it, a cold, metal canister fell into my palm. It was a can of pepper-spray. On it, Kishan had taped a picture of a tiger with a circle and a slash across its face. At the top were the words “Tiger Repellant” in big black letters.

  I giggled, and Ren took it from me. After reading the label, he frowned and tossed the can back in the box. Reaching down, he picked up another package.

  “This one’s from me.”

  His words immediately sobered me. I glanced up quickly to measure Mike and Sarah’s expression. Mike seemed happily ignorant of the tension I felt, but Sarah was more in tune and was considering me carefully. I closed my eyes for a second, praying that whatever was in the box wouldn’t raise a billion questions that I’d have to answer.

  I slipped my fingers under the heavy wrapping paper and opened the packaging. Reaching my hand inside the box, I felt smooth, polished wood. The kids helped me yank the carton off. Inside was a hand-carved jewelry box.

  Ren leaned toward me. “Open it.”

  I ran my hand nervously across the top and carefully tilted open the lid. Rows of tiny drawers were lined with velvet, and inside each little drawer was a coiled-up hair ribbon.

  “The segments come out. See?”

  He lifted the top section and the next one. There were five sections with about forty ribbons per section.

  “Every ribbon is different. No two colors are the same, and there’s at least one from every major country in the world.”

  Stunned, I said, “Ren . . . I—”

  I looked up. Mike saw nothing wrong at all. He probably thought something like this happened every day. Sarah was looking at Ren with new eyes. Her suspicious and concerned expressions were gone.

  With a small approving smile on her face, she said, “Well, Ren. It seems you know Kelsey pretty well. She does love hair ribbons.”

  Suddenly, Sarah cleared her throat loudly, stood, and asked us to watch the kids while they went for a quick run. They brought us two mugs of steaming hot chocolate and disappeared upstairs to change into jogging clothes. Though they exercised all the time, they usually took a break on Christmas. Was she trying to give Ren and me some alone time? I wasn’t sure if I should hug her or beg her to stay.

  The box was still on my lap, and I was absentmindedly fingering a ribbon when they jogged out the door with a wave.

  Ren reached over and touched my hand. “You don’t like it?”

  I looked up into his blue eyes and said huskily, “It’s the best present I’ve ever been given.”

  He smiled brilliantly, picked up my hand, and pressed a soft kiss on my fingers.

  Turning to the kids, he asked, “Now who would like a story?”

  Rebecca and Sammy picked out a book and climbed up onto Ren’s lap. He wrapped an arm around each of them.

  He read in an animated voice, “I am Sam. Sam I am. Do you like green eggs and ham?”

  The only word he got stuck on was “anywhere,” but the kids helped him sound it out, and he got it every time after that. I was impressed. Mr. Kadam must have taught him how to read English.

  Ren convinced Sammy to hold the book for him and pulled me closer with his free arm. He tugged me up against his body so that my head rested on his shoulder and then trailed his fingers teasingly up and down my arm.

  When Mike and Sarah returned, I bolted up and started gathering my things like a woman with her shoes on fire. Nervously, I glanced at Ren and found him watching me with a slightly amused, steady gaze. Mike and Sarah thanked us and helped me pack my things into my car. Ren said his good-byes too and waited for me outside.

  Sarah gave me a look that clearly meant I had some explaining to do. Then she shut the door and left us in the cold December weather. We were finally alone.

  Ren slipped off a glove and traced my face with his warm fingertips.

  “Go home, Kells. Don’t ask me questions now. This isn’t the right place. We’ll have plenty of time later. I’ll meet you there.”

  “But—”

  “Later, rajkumari.” He slipped his glove back on and walked over to the Hummer.

  When did he learn how to drive? I turned my car around and watched the Hummer in the rearview mirror until I turned onto a side street, and it fell out of view.

  Thousands of questions pummeled my brain, and I ran through the list on the drive up the mountain. The road was a little icy. I set aside the burning questions filling my mind to focus on the drive.

  When I passed the curve and saw my house, I noticed something was different. It took me a minute to figure out what it was: there were curtains in the window of the connecting duplex. Someone had moved in.

  I parked in the garage and walked to the front door of the other home. I knocked but nobody answered. Twisting the knob, I found the door unlocked. The home was furnished almost the same way
as mine but in darker, more masculine colors. When I saw the old mandolin resting on the leather couch, my nagging suspicions were confirmed. Ren was moving in.

  I walked through the kitchen, found the pantry and refrigerator empty, and saw that the bottom half of the back door had been refitted with a huge swinging flap.

  Hmm . . . won’t keep burglars out. They can crawl right in. But, I guess they’d get a surprise if they tried to steal something here.

  I hurried back to my house, closing the door behind me, not even bothering to look upstairs or check his closet for the designer labels I knew were there. There was no doubt in my mind that Ren was my new neighbor.

  In fact, I’d just slipped out of my shoes and coat when I heard what could only be the Hummer making its way up the drive. I watched him from the window. He was a good driver. He somehow managed to maneuver the giant vehicle between the protruding branches that might’ve scratched the paint. He parked the Hummer in the other garage, and I heard the crunch of his footsteps on the frozen path as he made his way to my front door.

  Leaving it open for him, I walked into the living room, sat down in my recliner with my feet tucked under me, and folded my arms across my chest. I knew that body-language specialists said it was a classic defensive pose, but I didn’t care.

  I heard him close the door, shrug out of his coat, and hang it in the hall closet. Turning the corner, Ren walked into the living room. He searched my face for a brief moment and then ran a hand through his hair as he sat down across from me. His hair was longer than it had been in India. Silky black strands fell over his forehead, and he brushed them back in annoyance. He looked bigger, brawnier than I remembered. He must be eating better than he used to.

  We looked at each other silently for several seconds.

  Finally, I said, “So . . . you’re my new neighbor.”

  “Yes.” He sighed softly. “I couldn’t stay away from you anymore.”