Vacation for a Cause

(Loom Lock)

Disclaimer: I do not own saiyuki because it belongs to Minekura sensei.

Title: Vacation for a Cause (Loom Lock)

Characters:

Gaby Ortega- A fashion designer, cosplayer and a model who loves to travel; beautiful and clever. (She's somewhat represents the god of destruction, Shiva because of her unpredictable manner and attitude.)

Jef Del Rosario- A cosplayer, aspiring cook and baker and currently own a cosplay costume rental shop; kind, generous yet childish.

Ren Santiago- A secondary school teacher who teach history; loves artifacts, antiques and anything that catch her interest; ill behave and sometimes sulky, stubborn. Was raised in a buddhist temple in Tondo under the care of her master, old Wei.

Wei- A monk who saves ren from being hit by a car; he raised ren up and serves as a father figure to her. Was stabbed to death by robbers whe he covered ren to protect her.

Genjo Sanzo- A sanzo priest who is the current abbot of the Keiun temple; ill tempered and feisty.

Son Goku- Sanzo's pet (as they say); cheerful and perpetually hungry.

Sha Gojyo- A gambler and a woman charmer; clumsy, happy go lucky and kind.

Cho Hakkai- Currently live in Gojyo's place and do the house chores; polite and full of luck and wearing smile that cannot be read easily.

Chapter 1: Ready and Set

Ren and Jef were invited by Gaby to have a vacation with her outside the country. Gaby summoned her friends to have a short conversation on how they are going to spend the vacation wisely and in a way that they will have a great time and enjoy themselves.

"Good thing that you've came in time, ren and jef."

Ren narrowed her eyes and frowned. "We do arrive in time because your bodyguards just pick us up without knowing that you need to talk to us right away. What a showoff decision you've got there."

"Hahaha..., As long as Gaby is the one behind our sudden visit here, there's nothing to bother and worried about."

Gaby laugh proudly. "That's what I like about you jef, you are so generous."

Ren just took a deep sigh. "What's the agenda for today? Make it short cause I'm busy doing some paperworks."

Gaby stared at her and she held her chin. "Hmm..., I forgot. You are a teacher, right?"

"Hell yes. Those students never grew tired of making me suffer and giving me so much headaches because some has a very ugly handwriting like I'm a doctor who can read their writings although I'm not."

Jef stretch himself and gave a big and loud yawn. "That's part of your job. In the first place, you've dreamed of becoming a teacher and then it seems that you're regretting it now.''

Gaby chuckles. "I didnt know about that ren. Why didnt you tell me in the first place?''

Ren closed her eyes for a moment. "I dont have any obligation to tell all the things that I have. You both know that I'm a private person in every aspect."

"Here she goes again. She's always like that. I would like to apologize in her behalf, gaby."

"No problem jef. As if I have the power to force her to speak everything. I just respect her decision."

Gaby revealed her plan to have a vacation in China along with jef and ren. She had already planned everything well and all that she needs is the answer from them.

"Well, what can you say? A free vacation in China along with me would be fun, isnt it?"

"China? I'm excited to go there gaby!" Jef pulled ren's sleeves and wear puppy eyes. "Did you hear that ren? A free vacation in China along with gaby. That's a big opportunity for us. I do know that you love to look for antiques and to explore historical sites. Please accept gaby's offer."

Ren sit still in stool, crossed her arms and legs. She was thinking about what jef said. If she accept the offer, she will be able to see China for real and to check some beautiful sites and antiques that she really longed for to see. In turn, if she decline the offer, she'll be back in her daily life as a teacher who never grew tired of delivering the lectures to her students and at the same time, these students of her will just pissed her off until she burst into anger. She's not a buddhist, but, some says, she usually deny everything and dont even accept gratitudes.

Gaby and Jef look at her. Both of them knew much about how she handle such invitations and to be honest, ren dont like to be mixed up with everyone, social gatherings and most of all, those persons whom she can sense that are far more stupid in nature. They do know that although she's a woman for real, she never act like one. There was a moment of silence; gaby was praying hard that ren would come up with her decision. After some moments of silence, she look seriously at gaby and jef. Both of them gulpted and sweatdropped, they feel so nervous. Gaby carefully asked ren about her decision.

"Uhm..., well ren? What's your decision?"

Gaby and Jef kept their fingers crossed and whispered to themselves; they wish that ren would agree and accept the offer. After a while, ren smirked; she just raised her hand and she thumbs up. Gaby and jef look at each other so blankly. They start to whisper to each other.

"Gaby, what do you think?"

"How would I know, Jef? She usually do that and it has multiple meanings, more likely negative."

"I hope it is not Gaby."

"I was hoping too. I really want to have myself relax and enjoy as well as spending time with you guys."

Ren stared at them. "Seems that you are talking about my decision isn't it?"

Both of them sweatdropped. Gaby just spoke carelessly. "Uhm..., ah, well..., yes, yes. By the way, would you mind if you tell us your decision. You just gave us a thumbs up, you always do that and we're uncertain if you agree or not." (0_0;)

"Is that it? Of course, I agree to go. When is the flight for China?"

Gaby and Jef hold hands and very happy to hear ren's answer much to their delight. Jef starts to wonder about ren's decision. Jef smiled sheepishly at ren and he starts to ask her.

"It's a miracle that you've accepted Gaby's invitation. Why is that?" :)

"All that matters to me is to relax and spend some time with myself. Most of all, I am going with you because of the antiques as well as I will have a chance to study China's culture and history, that's all." (-_-)

Gaby whispered something in Jef's ear. "She never change since we're kids. She's going not because of the vacation but because she can study more historical facts. I swear, what matters to her most is history and books."

Jef smirked and sweatdropped. "There's nothing that we can't do about her. That's ren and she will be always the same person that we've used to know. We should be grateful that she's willing to go."

Gaby arched her eyebrow and smile. "Yeah. Hope that she spend more time to collect herself than sitting down in a corner, making a massive mess and studying all day long like there's no tomorrow."

Jef chuckles. " I do hope so."

Ren glared at them. She knew that Gaby and Jef were saying something about her hobby. She whispered something to herself. "The hell with them? They always include my hobby whenever they're talking about me."

After a few conversations, Ren and Jef went home along with Gaby's bodyguards who take them home. The flight for China is two days away, friday is their flight to be exact at ten o'clock in the morning. That night, Jef packed his backpack and luggage with the things that he's going to bring in with along with him. On the other hand, Ren sat quietly in her study table and took a deep breath. She pulled out a pen and paper in her drawer and she starts to wrote a letter for leave of absent. She texted Gaby that night to ask her how long their vacation would be and after a few minutes, Gaby said in her text that it would be for a month. Ren starts to wrote down a letter for her to be able to submit it to the principal's office early tomorrow.

When she's done with the letter, she starts to wonder and reminisce about her past. It seems like it was only yesterday when she met Jef and Gaby. She was orphaned at the age of five and she have to earn a living for herself and to be able to study. She was so hopeless and she wants to give up her own life when a monk saw her when she used to live in Tondo at that time. That monk save her and she was raised by him, the name of the monk was Wei. From that time, she learned a lot about Buddha and his teachings particularly about life and death. The kind old monk treat her as his own daughter and thanks to the kind old Wei, the elders allowed her to stay in the temple. From a few in kind donation from the people who used to visit the temple to pray and wish for something, old Wei was able to send her to school with the permission from the elders. To repay her master and foster father, she studied hard and good thing that she manage to get high grades. After school, she helped her master in his daily task like asissting the devoutees and to give some information whenever someone is asking about the religion. At the end of each day, she never failed to tell his master some stories about her life in school. Ren smiled when her memorable moments with her master just popped out in her mind.

(Ren's Memory;Imagining)

Once, there was an old monk named Wei. He was walking along the way when he saw me in the middle of the road; I was waiting for a car to hit me hard. All I was thinking at that time is to end my life for I can't see any reason to live. As far as I can remember, he was running so fast in my direction and he dodged; he carried me to the safe part of the road. I felt so dismayed because this old man prevent me from commitiing suicide. He told me that even if I killed myself and left alone to die, nothing would change at all. He smiled at me like he felt so relief that nothing happens that bad to me. This old man, he held my hand and without any hesitation, I went with him. I felt happiness deep within me but I cant explain the reason why. He said:

"From now on, you will never be alone again. Come with me and I will take you to my home where you can considered it as your own home too."

At the temple garden:

I saw master smoking while sweeping some dried leaves that keeps on falling. I approached him and I arched my eyebrow and scowled.

"Master, you should smoke where there's no one who can caught you in the act."

"Hmm?..., I really love this spot because I can see how beautiful the blue sky is from here. I've heard that the elders decided to change your name from Issa to Ren. I was starting to wonder why they did that."

I took a deep breath and proceeds to talk. "I've suggested that idea to the elders since I've been staying here for a quite long time. I just want to start a new life and everything should start from here."

Master was wearing an unsual smile on his face. I know that he was going to say something again; something like it was a farce but I guess it is just a plain thought. He dropped his cigarette and crushed it to put its light off. He look at me and I start to frown and feel uneasy.

"If I were to ask, I still prefer your old name. It sounds more feminine than your new name, and besides, Issa is a beautiful name. Did you know that Issa was the name of my favourite Japanese poet?"

"No master. It's my own will to have my name change. If I still bear that name, I will feel just lonely and sad again for it reminds me of my hardship to live my life when I was still outside of this temple.''

Master ruffled my hair much to my surprise. "What you have encountered before is one reality and part of life. It is harsh but true. All that you can do as of now is to live in order to taste the sweetness and bitterness of life. That would be the best remedy for you to develop yourself into a better person."

I was listening to him and I know what he says is true and good. I know where I was living right now and that is, in a temple. In a few years of staying here, I just noticed that everyone in the temple were not so true to themselves as well as the way they act to others. It's like these monks were wolves in sheep's clothing. Master turned to look at the sky and spoke.

"I will never encourage you to make friends with other monks here in the temple. For sure, you do understand what I was trying to say. I used to know them better than you are and I dont want you to be involve in them for it might cause you much trouble."

I was holding my left arm and look at the sky as well. " For four years, I do know them now but, that was too short for an observation. I'm only a nine year old kid and they look down on me like a trash. Well, anyway, I dont care about them as long as they are not trying to talk so vulgar about my personality. I was wondering just now master, I was five when you save me and not only that, you took me along with you and you do even talk to the elders to have their permission for you to keep me by your side."

"Are you trying to find the answer to the question why did I brought you along with me on that fateful day? The answer is just simple, ren; I guess it was my mission to save you. To be honest, I used to see myself in you way back then. A monk save me from my untimely death when I was shot to death when I was fifteen. He used to tell me that I manage to survive because I have the strong will to live. I even told him at that time it was a ridiculous concept to think why I was still alive."

"Is that part of your karma, a paradox or just an instinct?"

"Hahahahaha...you never failed to make me laugh ren. Oops! I'm already used to your new name."

"What's so funny about that master? It doesn't matter whatever name you call me except to them. I'm not following anyone because I can decide for myself; this is my life and I'm the one who's going to make it out."

"You do got a lot of guts. If that's what you believe in, pursue that concept, but, be careful in every word and actions that you tell and do."

"You dont have to tell me that master. Remember? You are talking to me right now."

"Oh? I get that a lot too!."

"I'm not going to follow or obey anyone because the only person that I acknowledge is none than other but master wei. Master Wei- my saviour, my teacher and my father. The only person whom I lend my trust and the only person that is entitled to my loyalty...."

Jef noticed that the door on Ren's room is slightly open so, he entered to check if she had gone to sleep. He just smiled because he saw her sleeping in her study table. He went near and shook her shoulder to wake her up.

"Ne, wake up. You should sleep in bed not in your study table."

Ren woke up and she rolled her eyes. "Oh? Jef? How long are you standing there?"

"Just a few minutes ago. Why dont you try to lie you head to your study table next time? You do have your bed but I always caught you sleeping in your study table. Let me guess, you've dreamt about your foster father again, right?"

"Hmm..., good suggestion, but, you have to try it on your own before I do. Never tell a lie because just like me, you prefer your study table to sleep rather than sleeping in bed." She scratch her head and after a while, she cupped her cheeks. "About my foster father, yes. I've dreamt about him just now."

Jef pulled a stool and sit beside ren. He crossed his llegs and he placed his hands in his lap. "Uhm, its been seven year ago whe he passed away, right? I never used to believe you way back then that you live in a buddhist temple along with monks."

Ren's lips curved downward, trace of sadness can be seen in her eyes. She look at the window and closed her eyes for a while. " Yes. I know that you do not believe me not until I brought you and gaby along with me to the temple. Remember that time when gaby broke the altar because she swing her bag around? The abbot had summoned me and and he gave me a long sermon about that altar. I was shocked when you and gaby interrupted, and, gaby, that idiot paid the damage she caused to the shrine's altar."

Jef's eyes grew wide and he cant help himself to chuckle. "Oh yeah. I used to remember that. Gaby pleaded the abbot of the temple to stop scolding you because its not your fault but hers. When she noticed that the monks and even the abbot was not listening to her, she dared to set the temple on fire. She even called and ordered one of her bodygurads to find the exact replica of the altar she broke."

Ren scowled. "That's the time she had managed to replace the altar she broke but, during that time too, I was not allowed by the abbot to bring someone inside the temple since that event. I've told her that she should just moderate herself whenever she's talking like that. I've explained to both of you then the reasons why way back then."

Jef sweatdropped and smile. "Hehehe... of course youdo oriented us about the do and donts in the temple. You do know gaby for she acts like an innocent child whenever she saw something new in her sight."

"What she did was a big massive and destructive mess. She didn't even asked me at that time whom she was talking to. My hands were very itchy to strangled her to death and to make the shit out of her and to whack her with a paper fan for her ethics. I felt that I was already digging my grave for what she have done. She's one heck of a beautiful pain in the ass."

"If that's your opinion, I cant do anything about it. You can almost say that you can already compared her to the four horsement of the apocalypse. Hahahaha..."

Ren streched herself up and she began to gave a yawn. "Hell yeah. Hope that her plan for this vacation she called would be okay. Believe me or not, I can sense something bad about this."

"That's only an intuition, ren. It may come out to be true or sometimes not. Gaby says she had planned everything well."

"I do hope that there's no more trouble about it."

"Same goes with me ren..."

Ren went up to her bed and lied down. Jef had left her room. She was thinking about that vacation that gaby offered to them. She smiled, she keeps on telling herself that everything will be okay. A trip to China along with her friends would be great, but, her real plan was, she's going to look for her master's relative to give back something that her master had given to her when she was eleven years old way back then. Something that keeps on reminding her about her master whom she deeply admires the most because of its pure kindness to her. After thinking about her plan, she didn't realized that she had already doze off to sleep.

Reviews are higly appreciated.

Ame Minazuki