Chapter 1: To Dream of Home

Sometimes I wonder why I'm here at the temple. No, it's not because I betrayed the temple once already, it's because I'm just sitting here. It's always get up, eat, train, eat, Wu, eat, and sleep! When we don't have anything going on, there's pretty much nothing to do except… well, nothing. I know we can't go home in between breaks, but I just want to keep looking. That is, to keep looking for Dad. Did he die? Did he find someone else other than Ma? Does he have other children? (Creepy….) Is he even alive any more? Ma sometimes writes about him in some letters. My little brothers and sisters never even met him. It's like he just vanished into thin air. The main question actually is what happened to Pa at all?

The temple is always a great place to hang. Here, I got my friends, or at least most of them. What do Marco and Trent do while I'm gone? Wait, I know what they do. Those two nut heads probably practice without me. They e-mail me saying it's not the same as the whole entire band together, especially without the leader. I can almost picture the fan club throwing rocks at them and screaming out that they want me. I'm not saying that's good or anything, because I'm saying that's just not right and those girls creep me out. Back in Brazil, the circus was like a non-stop place for the "I-Love-Rai Club." Man, why couldn't they pick I different name?

I miss my brothers and sisters. All eight of them use to play pranks on me when I wasn't looking. (Taught to them by the oldest brother!) Dude, they use to put "kick me" signs on my back without me knowing it, they would steal my teddy b— what, lot's of guys sleep with teddy bears, all right? Not that I actually have one or anything, but… Don't insult Ninja Fred, y'all! Stop laughing! Just because you just hate to admit I'm awesome— would you guys cut that out! It's not funny! Good thing Ma isn't here. She'd be going all "Rai, aren't you the cutest when you try to lie?" Man, I just hate it when parents go cooing all over their kids! Personally, when you have eight brothers and sisters, you know. Me? I'm not jealous! You're laughing at me again!

--

"Hey, Pa, I made a goal!" shouted a young Raimundo gleefully.

Mr. Pedrosa gave a hearty laugh and nodded.

"You keep it up at this rate, you'll be a true soccer champ in a week! Come on now, let's get back to get some dinner. Your mother ought to cook up something good."

Raimundo hurried after his dad. What was that totally uplifting smell? Ah, it smelled like Ma's famous chocolate chip cookies. She'd probably tell them to back off of them and eat the actually meals before eating the deserts. Juanita Pedrosa's cookies were only the best deserts… Either way, Raimundo's mother would always get out her old handcrafted wooded broom and thwack everyone who approached the cookies until dinner. The young brunette boy could not help but wonder why be so protected over cookies. Oh yeah, awards and blue ribbons. It never failed.

Finally getting to the house, the father and son were greeted by all aunts and uncle, not to mention the smell of a cooked chicken. With so many family members, their area of the Sea Breeze Circus had to be large. Every close aunts, uncles, friends, and cousins were all crammed into that one section. Almost everyday the "sub-tent", it would seem to get only bigger and bigger.

As Raimundo dug into his mother's first prize food, Juanita pulled her husband back.

"There's something serious to talk to you about, Andre," Juanita said solemnly.

--

"No!" I shouted while bolting up from my cot. It had been the seventh time I had a dream like that. That dream always stopped when Ma was about to tell Dad the bad news. Each time I watch that, it kills to know that that very moment in time changed my life even more than when I became a monk. When I became an Apprentice. When I became a Wudai Warrior. I'm sure that day will stick in my mind even when I become a Dragon Master. (Hopefully, I'll be far, FAR away from Omi by then. Talk about a chatterbox!)

As usual, the others hear me. Nah, I didn't wake them up or anything. I'm just usually the one sleeping in the latest on a weekend. They're probably already done with that dull, plain bowl of rice we have for breakfast. In fact, it seems we have a bowl of rice or noodles for each meal of the day. Food made by the clowns at the circus could even do better!

"Raimundo, is it not the one of many times you have not shouted so loudly?" Omi asked in his annoying little voice of his as Kimiko and Clay followed him into my room. (What? Just because we live in the same temple doesn't mean I don't have to think he's a…)

"Hold on a minute, Keiko. Yeah, Sleeping Beauty! You've been screaming a lot lately in your sleep lately. Have you been eating any sugary midnight snacks?" Kimiko added.

"You should try my method, partner," Clay suggested.

"What did you have in mind?"

"Square dancin'!"

This day would be sure to be absolutely lovely. Well, if you spelled lovely like this:

"H-A-T-E-F-U-L"!

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So, how'd you like the first chapter? As you see, the title has an intro saying "In Memory." That's because In Memory is a series of stories I'm going to make for each character. Raimundo's In Memory came to mind first, so here you go. Please R&R!