A Scent of a Woman

by Shaolin Kitten

Part 2

Three days went by and Laura insisted that Kwai Chang stay with her.

"Besides," she said. "The doctor would not be too happy with me if I let you just walk out of here. You need time for that gash to heal."

There wasn't much Caine could do at the moment. With the insistence of the doctor and "his wife," Kwai Chang decided to play along. After his wound had a chance to heal, perhaps he would resume his journey. The thought of leaving however, made Kwai Chang feel oddly sad because he might not see this particular woman again. He had grown fond of her during the short time they have been together. For the first time in a long time, he felt reluctant to leave.

They arrived at Laura's small one-bedroom apartment. Boxes were piled everywhere. The place looked like either someone was moving in or moving out. Caine learned it was the latter.

"Actually, I'll be leaving at the end of the week. I'm taking my parents ashes back to Braniff. They had a small house there." There was a touch of sadness in her voice. She looked around the small apartment and realized she was leaving her life behind.

The name caught Caine's attention. "I, too, was on my way to Braniff."

"Really. Do you have family there?" Caine's words helped to distract her from the pain.

"No. I am returning to the temple for the Festival of May."

"The temple?"

"Yes.

Suddenly remembering the brands she'd seen, she understood.

"You're Shaolin."

Her reaction surprised Caine. When he would mention what he was, there were always questions. There were few who understood just what was a Shaolin. This woman, however, seemed to know more than most.

"How is it that you know of the Shaolin?"

"I learned about the Shaolin order in the church I was raised in. Since there was a temple near there it made sense. There was a monk who visited our class once. I think his name was Matthew. He had his son with him. I was about 8 when that happened. I remember thinking how cute he looked. That's going on 20 years. I wonder what happened to them?"

Kwai Chang was quite surprised at that. He did remember his father taking him to a structure that was unique and learned it was a church of some kind. Briefly thinking back on that moment, he recalled there had been a girl who kept looking and smiling at him. Was she the same girl?

As they talked, Laura had unfolded the sleeper couch and was putting sheets on the bed.

"It is not necessary. I have a sleeping mat."

"Not while you're in my home. Besides, you might re-open up those stitches if you turn the wrong way."

Something in her voice told Caine that he should not cross her. He found it rather intriguing. Most women that he met who found him attractive wanted nothing but . . . how did one woman put it . . . a night to remember? Though Caine also found a few of them attractive, there was only one other woman in his life that he had given his heart to and that had ended with her leaving him for another. That had been less than a month ago, he realized. Had he gotten over her so quickly? Or had he buried it so deep as to hide the pain? One day he would have to re-examine those feelings, look at the pain of that loss, accept and embrace it, then let it go. For now, he did not want to face that pain yet.

"There. All ready."

Caine was momentarily distracted when she spoke again. He looked at the bed that had been made for him then looked at her. Confusion was still on his face. Maybe she also wanted more than he was ready to give. Without him realizing it, she had understood and knew just what he was thinking.

"Oh, no. I'll be sleeping in there." She pointed down a short hall. "The bathroom is on the left in case you want to take a shower." Laura continued to stare and waited for him to make a move. "Well?"

Caine gave her a questioning look.

"Take off your coat, hat, and," looking at his feet briefly, "Sandles and climb in. The doctor did say you still need a few more days to recover."

"It is not necessary. I am fine."

Laura gave him an exasperated look. "You're being stubborn." To Caine's surprise, she quickly walked over to him, grabbed his hat from his head and threw it on the bed. She started to take what other items he had when Caine lifted them from his shoulders. Pain suddenly came to his face. He had not realized how stiff he had become. Lounging in a bed had not done him much good he felt. He would rather be doing Tai Chi or Qi Gong. They were what he needed to build his chi so he could have the energy to heal himself. There was also something else he needed to do.

"May I boil some hot water, please?"

"If you'd like some tea, I'll make you some."

Caine pulled out a small pouch containing various herbs.

"Thank you. You have done enough, but I must do this."

"Okay. Tell you what. I need to go to the store. I'm fresh out of food. All I have is a bag of rice and a few odds and ends. I haven't packed my kitchen yet. They say you should pack that last because you may need it before you leave. I'll get us something to eat. Now, I am going to insist. Do not start packing or lifting boxes. You are supposed to be resting. I will see you later."

Laura head out the door leaving Caine alone in her apartment. Just at that moment, Laura's neighbor, Mrs. Johansen came by. Mrs. Johansen was an elderly lady of about 67. She was referred to as the neighborhood watchdog. She always seemed to be looking out for everybody; especially the young people who lived in the building. When she saw Laura Carradine bring home a stranger, she just had to know what was going on. She watched them enter the building and then enter her apartment. This man was different than the rest. He looked like someone who didn't have a home. She soon became more concerned when Laura left and the stranger was not with her.

"Oh, my dear. Is that wise?"

"Oh! Mrs. Johansen, you startled me. Is what wise?"

"Leaving that man alone in your apartment. He might steal something."

"It's all right. He's an old family friend. He was in the hospital recently. He's staying with me until he recovers then he's on his way back home." It was a half-truth, but under the circumstance, a half-truth for the moment was better than an outright lie.

"Well, you can never be too careful these days with all them hippies running around."

"Yes, Mrs. Johansen."

After Laura's departure, Caine went into the small kitchen and found a pot and filled it with water. As soon as the water was boiling, he added the herbs. He let them steep until the water had boiled down about a third of the way. He then strained the mixture into a bowl and put the liquid aside to cool. He would put that into a bottle to be used another time in another mixture. What was left of the herbs he placed in a cloth and squeezed it until the cloth was soaked through. Opening his shirt, he removed the bandage that had been placed over the stitches that closed the gash in his side and opening the cloth, he placed the herbs against his wound. He used the cloth to tie around himself. Then he pulled out another cloth and covered that one. He gave a sigh as he felt the heat from the herbs penetrate his wound and his skin. This combination of herbs acted like a sedative and he gave a yawn as he felt them work their healing magic. Maybe it would be best if he rested. The bed did look inviting. It had been a long time since he slept in one.

An hour later, Laura returned to find Caine asleep. The strong scent of herbs permeated the apartment. It wasn't that unpleasant, but Laura had other plans to sweeten the place. Two hours later, Caine stirred to the scent of African jasmine, steaming rice, and other tantalizing scents. He realized he was hungry when his stomach gave out a very loud tiger-like growl. He found that he had been covered by a light blanket. He rose and discovered that the shirt he had on had been removed, cleaned, and neatly folded and placed on a chair. He also discovered that the shirt had been repaired.

"I mended it. Since you didn't seem to own any other shirts, I thought it best that I make that one look as good as new."

Caine again was struck at how this woman seemed to know just what he was thinking. He quietly put his shirt on and headed toward the kitchen. He suddenly remembered the concentrated tea sitting on the counter. When he looked for it, he found that the liquid had been placed in a brown bottle and already prepared for storage. He again looked toward this woman who seemed to know him without really trying.

"I kind of figured that's what you were doing. I saw my grandmother make some home remedies. I remembered watching her create her own cough syrups. She told me that any strong liquid like that had to be stored in a dark brown bottle. Even though her concoctions didn't taste very good, they worked better than the store-bought kind. So, when I got something from my doctor once, I kept the bottle. I thought I was going to give it to her to use but she died last year." Suddenly Laura was aware of Caine's intense gaze. It was as if he could see right through her. Flustered, Laura said, "I better finish getting supper ready."

They sat together in silence as they ate their meal. The scent of the candle drifted between them. It was this scent that seemed to send his thoughts to the past and to the young girl sitting in the classroom at an obscure church. He had smelled this fragrance before, but he could not place where. Again, he wondered if this woman was the young girl now grown. As the scent penetrated his mind, he gazed at the woman and really saw her as if for the very first time. She reminded him of someone that he'd seen once in an old movie magazine that his previous lady love collected. Now what was the movie star's name? Ah, Ronda Flemming. As the meal ended Caine was aware that Laura's thoughts had drifted elsewhere. Caine at first did not know how to broach the subject. He did not wish to disturb her, but at the same time, she looked like she could use the company. Though he was not good at making small talk, maybe that was a way in.

"I was not aware that candles could carry a scent."

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I was just thinking how much I'd love to have a bottle of perfume like that. I can't afford one so I settle for small scented candles instead." Suddenly a tear fell down Laura's cheek. "It's called african jasmine. My mother loved it, too. Oh, God I miss her. They were coming down to spend my birthday with me when a drunk driver forced them off the road. They went over a cliff. The car exploded on impact." Laura tried to stifle the sobs that were threatening to erupt.

Caine reacted immediately, taking Laura by the hand. He could feel her pain and even understand her loss. Fifteen years had gone by since his father had been lost on an expedition to the Himalayas to recover a very special cross. There had been an accident. Many had lost their lives. The pain of that loss was still with him, even though time had tried to lessen its sharpness.

"I, too, lost someone. My father. It was 15 years ago. The pain is still fresh in my mind sometimes."

"How are you able to deal with it? Does it ever go away?"

"No. It will always be with you. In time, the pain lessons and its sharpness does not cut so deeply, but it never really goes away. You can only accept it, embrace it, then let it go."

"You make it sound so simple."

Caine smiled at that and Laura found she liked it when he smiled. His whole face seemed to light up the room. Suddenly, Caine rose and began clearing the supper dishes. It was only fair since she had cooked the meal. Not another word was said until the chore had been done. As Laura watched, she again was struck how familiar Kwai Chang seemed to her. It was as if she was seeing a far off dream, but she could not put her thoughts into words. In time, maybe she would remember. Laura was about to blow out the candle when Kwai Chang stopped her. His eyes were gentle and kind. Without saying a word, he wanted to keep this memory alive a little longer. He had shared a piece of himself that he never shared with anyone. He wanted to be able to remember this night always. The way to do that was through certain senses, one of the most powerful being smell. One does not forget the scent of home or the scent of a woman when it is accompanied by memories, and this night would have many.

End of Part 2