KFP owned by Dreamworks

MR PING


There was a poignant ambiance in the air. It had been two weeks since the restaurant being closed. It was almost odd to pass by in front of Dragon Warrior Tofu and Noodle Shop to see the counter was closed. The sets of chair and table stood alone in abandonment, the absence of feisty chatter from dozens of customers that usually crammed the place, the lack of the constant cacophony of clattering of plates, bowls against the wooden chopstick. And most importantly, the lack of certain adrenaline driven goose whom frequently swept his lively step around the courtyard, exchanging pleasantries with the villager without forgetting to mention a word or two about the restaurant latest offer.

All of his life, Po almost never knew his dad would ever close his restaurant, not even when a villain threatening to flatten his shop to the ground. Even if he had to evacuate, he would take his noodle cart with him. He even dared to turn the Jade Palace Hall of Warrior into a restaurant and to hire the Furious Five as waitresses, much to Shifu's indignation. The panda believed that the business drive and his father love for noodle must have been invested in his blood. Po remembered how his dad was always secretly hoping he would share the same passion, the same noodle dream, much to his chagrin that Po had a different dream altogether. Nonetheless, he was always proud of Po in any of his accomplishments, big or small…

One thing Po would never forget about his dad was his decision to adopt him.

'And from that day on, my soup and my life will be that bit sweeter.'

Even so, he wasn't making enough money for himself, adding a mouth to feed (which soon became apparent he was representing more like three to four mouth), and the accident-prone panda's prospect of breaking his bowls or eating all his bamboo furniture, he'd still decided to adopt the baby Panda anyway. His dad always said that biology was the least thing that made someone a father. He showered his son with his abundance of love just like his own, in which Po gladly returned. That's why Po was keen to follow his father's legacy, and before long had adopted Bao and desiring to do the same.

His father also had taught him the most valuable lesson in life; that love knew no boundaries. 'You may not have my beak, you may not have my wings, but from the very start... you always have my heart' was his father's word that left a profound effect on him.

His dad had shown him it's always possible to love, did not matter how big or small you are, old or young, panda, goose, snake, monkey or a tiger. That's how Po had earned himself a mark of a true hero because his capability to love like no other - to which China had to thank Mr. Ping for the lesson he had imparted to his son. Po was very affectionate, gentle and forgiving. Not only he was there to protect China from menacing adversaries, but to show the world that love could achieve a lot of things. He patched so many relationships, turned evil to good, built broken spirit, even changed the hardest core, platinum soul warrior into a loving mother and wife.

Po stared sullenly at the picture his father proudly hung on the kitchen wall. Mr. Ping stood there, wearing a proud smile in front of a cake that took Tigress dozens time to bake. On the top of the cake was 80 candles that close to set the cake on fire. He was surrounded by his son, a tiger daughter in law, master Shifu, his fellow dad - Li Shan, and four grand cubs. His feathers might have turned all white, he might have to stand with a stick, and he might not be able to chop vegetables or moved as nimbly as decades back, but his love for his family only grew stronger.

"I miss you, Dad." His voice was raspy and dense, and those words came full of sorrow and grief. The panda stroke the picture poignantly with the tip of his blunt claw. Abundance string of memories fired through his mind as his dazzling emerald eyes began to swell. It's been two weeks since the goose made his departure to the Spirit Realm. Po knew sooner or later. That day would come. But nothing... no scroll, no amount of kung fu training, even wise words from Oogway would ever prepare him enough to lose his dad. The very person who he had spent decades sharing recipe, sitting with him every night with kung fu stories, giving him all the encouragement when he doubted himself before his adversary, witnessing him falling in love and seeing him fulfilling his destiny.

All still strikingly vivid and fresh in his mind, Po recounted the memories of him and his dad. He told almost everything to him... well yes, almost! When he was a cub, Po would often tell his dad about a teacher, Mrs. Ching a bunny with a huge mole and a funny pink hair bun in between her ears. Or his first crush - Mrs. Xiang... the seamstress who lived two aisles down the street who often came and gave him cookies. Also about Mr. Xun, the warthog that stank because he hated to take a bath.

When Po was a teenager, he would selectively choose his stories prudently. He often still sneakily hiding his admiration to anything kung-fu-ey stuff to avoid hurting his dad. But Mr. Ping thought kung-fu for Po was a mere phase, just like he was with tofu. Po still told his dad about his daily 'normal' life, like about a certain bunny a tenth of his size that bullied him. Or a good looking teacher Ms. Yan, who keep on getting love letters from the boys in his class. But he failed to mention of a particular tigress that he had a crush with.

Then time moved on, as he grew into adulthood, he became much more aware that his father could read him like a book even when he didn't say what had concerned him. He still told his dad many stories of his training day in Jade Palace. About a certain very strict diminutive-big-eared red panda that often punished him mercilessly. About his mission in Gongmen whereby they all ran around the city in a dragon costume. About his idol that hugged him in Gongmen Jail, and about the abandoned panda village where he learned the sad truth about his beginning.

"I know you miss him, Po... " A comforting silky voice tried to put an ease on his aching heart. She knew there would be no one, not even her, could fill the gaping hole in his heart where Mr. Ping had left him, but at least she could hope to patch it up. "I miss him too." She placed her stripey arm around her husband's neck in sympathy, as both of them intently glance at the same picture that marked thousands of memories behind them.

For Tigress, the goose openness was the one that struck her. He would embrace, welcome, call her intimately (even dare to call her 'daughter' before she was married to his son) to the extent of sharing his secret ingredient soup recipe with her (in which only he and Po knew). She was sure Po's jovial, affectionate personality (and occasional mumbling in his sleep) came from him sharing the same roof with the goose for many years. However, she wasn't sure where the bad table manner, constant bad posture, and lack of punctuality came about, maybe Li Shan could help her answered that.

"Do you remember your dad's reaction when you took me to the restaurant as your date?" The panda turned his gaze meeting her amber eyes.

"Yeah..." He chuckled. "He was ecstatic...waddled and jigged like a lunatic." It was back decades ago when Po took Tigress as his date on his father's birthday, presumably as his gift. Po clearly recalled how his goose dad had an ability to always embarrass him. Especially in front of the girl he fancied. This included showing Tigress all Po childhood pictures, mostly pant-less, telling her all his bad habits, and heaven knew how many dozen times Mr. Ping told Po in front of Tigress - that he was desperate for grandbabies! And he made it clear - even before Tigress and Po officially dating - that he did not care where these 'babies' came from. Be it Bao Gu, egg, a stork, or a tiger. But the bottom line was, Mr. Ping knew Po like no other. He knew about Po's passion for all things kung fu. He was the first to know how his son utmost admiration for particular feline had blossomed into love, and he knew that secretly Po had a dream to become a father himself. So, he did all he can within his power to help his son made his dream transpired into a reality, after all - all he wanted was to see Po to be happy.

"And I remembered the day we get married." Her voice alerted him from his reverie. She smiled at the recollection of the event marking their new life as a part of the Panda-Goose clan. How Mr. Ping proudly introduced her to the rest of his goose family who stood, mouth agape that not only he had adopted a panda, a Dragon Warrior, and then had a tiger, a kung fu master as a daughter-in-law. But the most remarkable reaction would be when Po announced that she was carrying their first batch of Panda-Tiger infusion, for once he forgot what the word 'profit' means and stood in front of his restaurant inviting everyone to eat for free. Not that he loved Bao and Lei Lei any less.

Mr. Ping was very much Po's father in anything but blood. Although just like any other Father-Son, both of them did have a fair share of disagreement. But neither Po or Mr. Ping ever made their disagreement anything but things of the past. Their little quarrel only made their bond much stronger and special. Po was keen to do something in memory of his late father, something that would let everyone fondly remembered him by.

"Why don't run this restaurant back." suggested his wife beamed with a smile. She immediately registered skepticism in Po's feature."You've taught me how to cook Po. You can teach anyone."

"That's not just the only concern, Tigress." Po sighed with a bitter smile. Although Tigress's suggestion was indeed brilliant, he knew very well the constant battle of running a restaurant. His dad shared with him many trials and tribulation keeping the restaurant open.

"This would be different Po. You won't be doing this alone. You have me, the five... Lei Lei, Bao are passed their teen years now, they can help too. And don't forget all the pandas that moved here, Dim and Sum, Mei Mei and Hom Lee. I am sure they'll welcome this idea." She was holding it resolutely as determination glinted her eyes. Po can only be thankful, in time like this, heaven had sent a helper like her. When his soul was crushed, and the situation was hapless, she was there to reason with him all the endless possibilities... only if he tried, and only if he believed it's all possible.

"Ok, Tigress... I believe you. I know we can do it... for my dad."


We thought of you with love today,

But that is nothing new.

We thought about you yesterday.

And days before that too.

We think of you in silence.

We often speak your name.

Now all we have is memories.

And your picture in a frame.

Your memory is our keepsake.

With which we'll never part.

God has you in his keeping.

We have you in our heart.

-In Our Heart/Rose M. De Leon-