This Chapter is dedicated to a reviewer that has given me the motivation to continue my Tale.

Thank you, Angelo.


Chapter 14

All will be well with us

A new threat arrives for the Sisters

The small room still possessed the litter and used pizza boxes of the last guest. A two story brick and cinder block building had been subdivided into numerous independent cubicles, suitable enough for seasonal workers. Not an unusual architectural decision in this part of China. Its newest resident flopped on the unmade bed sending a Coke can into the air. The tin cylinder hid dormant under an off-white bed sheet.

"Pigs, animals," a collage of disgusted expressions flew across his face. "Peasants, they have no idea of their low rank in the universe." He yelled at his reflection. The slight angled crack running left to right along the clouded mirror gave the impression of a split personality. His right eye and lip contorted in an upright position as a smudged left cheek and jaw stayed rigid and stoic.

He wiped the brown splotch on his cheek, collected during a gust of wind sailing along the dust covered streets.

"My mark reminds me of my duty." He gritted his teeth as the pencil width scar emerged. "I should pray for the Thai pig. He set my path, straight and to Nirvana." The permanent injury the result of a bar fight in Bangkok.

"Pigs!" Flinging the grease soaked soiled white pizza box across the unkempt room, he shuddered at its lingering smell. "Such common tastes, over-scented spices," his shoulders jerked at the mixture of garlic and oregano drenched in recycled vegetable oil. A hardened slab of indistinguishable cheese covered a half-eaten slice of pizza. "These peasants have never heard of mozzarella or virgin olive oil." Snorting to flush the odor from his nostrils. "Virgin? These women never heard that word, they are sluts surrounded by immoral men."

"Sir," the voice from behind the splinted door could not hide its tone of humor. "Did you need anything?" A giggle snuck from the elder's lips. He shook his head at how life repeats itself.

"Another fool, destroyed by drugs or greed or," pressing his hands together, "Buddha, of course," he paused. "A woman," whispered to the ceiling.

Past seventy years of age, he could identify a ruined professional before the guest had signed his name.

"I have been to Paris, London," the guest continued in a low tone. A sneer arose as the stranger flicked the paper plate holding the offending morsel toward the wall. "New York City," a sigh of resignation. "What do these peasants know of food…or life itself?"

Outside the room another man found time to question. "These Bei jing ren men, who do they think they are?" A migrant worker soon to leave this area, he smiled as the old man nodded in agreement.

A cough and trailing snicker cut off the old man's eavesdropping. Descending the stairs, a combination of creaking joints harmonized with squeaking, and warped wood planks. Bent over in stature and slight of frame, the occasional chuckle shook his sunken chest bringing a pained look upon the weathered face. "Stupid people," a shake of the silver haired head cleared his mind of the distraught traveler. So many down and out transients from Bei jing and Shang hai flitter through Fujian, people in the area began to feel sympathetic. Remembering that city dwellers call farm workers upright mules that possess the beast's matching brain power did not heat the ire of the simple and friendly people of Fujian. For a man such as him to come to their province looking for work meant his life had been turned upside down. Bankruptcy, divorce, punishment due to corruption often left successful men and women lowering themselves for manual labor. In the case of corruption in the business world, you will gain the wrath of the local government. Since a successful business is always partnered with the political powers that be, the accused would consider himself lucky not to be one of the many missing in his country.

The tall man on the third floor lived with disgrace hovering over him. No business or marriage suffered from his indiscretion, the government cared less about the anonymous defrocked monk that brought shame and dishonor to his order.

"I will no longer mingle with these insects." Hands clasp as if in pray, he stretched his taunt neck peering at the cracks running along the stained ceiling. "When I send them," a jerk shook his body at the thought of the Sisters. "When I send those evil demons into the underworld of which there is no escape, the Sangharaja will not only forgive but welcome me back to my position. All will be well with us." From his lips, dried flakes of skin broke free of their resting place sticking outward as his mouth widened. Heaving breaths continued as he saw himself once again called Chan Phrom, deputy to the supreme leader of Thai Buddhist monks.


A sort of self-realization had been taking place some twelve thousand miles away.

Closing the lid of the laptop ended Janet's quest for a plane ticket. A brief visit to Angelo's mother stoked the desire to once again, resume their engagement.

"He must be desolate without me." Minus an email telling her of a safe arrival and a follow up correspondence with attached photos of scenic Fujian, Janet had no further contact with Angelo. She did not reply to his brief, though full of emotion postings. "Oh how I wasted so much time on that jerk, idiot wasting my time." She shrugged her shoulders as if stung with a chilled snap of air. Thinking of her dalliances with her supervisor gave birth to a snort from her slender nose.

"Even his mother had not heard from him in two weeks." A short conversation with the older woman stirred Janet's ardor to pick up where she left off. "Poor woman thinks it must be the Internet or cell phone problems." A garish laugh vomited from her red colored lips. "Stupid woman does not even own a smart phone." Red polished nails over her grazed her face as minute titters continued. "Why do I even want to get into this family? My future mother-in-law probably thinks an Apple is something you eat." Pulling the oversized black sweatshirt with silver jump wings blazing its front, "oh well, it's the best for both of us. He'd be lost without me." Shaking her head at the obvious conclusion.

Twisting her body sent a flurry of blond strands about her face, "he must be so lonely without me? Well, time to get dressed girl." Janet did not have much use for the worry and bother of pruning her wardrobe for the trip. This morning make-up routine had been the first since her change of careers.

"To hell with him!" Thinking about Jack and his unceremonious departure from their affair. "I showed him the prick." One last phone call to her ex-boss concerned a threat to leave the firm and America if their relationship ended. The silence on the other end of the cell told her his answer.

"I don't need anyone anymore. I have my Angelo. Angelo loves me…loves me no matter what I do. I bet even loves me no matter who I screw." She gritted her teeth, "not too loud. I don't want the neighbors to think I'm a real whore." Another giggle accompanied her as she spanned the three-room apartment. Disorder dominated the one-time pristine Carroll Garden's dwelling.

She walked to her bedroom whipping through a cluttered closet. Janet wanted to look professional during her visit to the Chinese Embassy in Manhattan. Getting her VISA should be no problem and with her purchase of an open return airplane ticket moments before, she should be in Angelo's arms in two weeks.

Janet sighed, thinking of her future. "All will be well with us."


Some 2,000 miles to the West

Leaving the Abbott's office, Fahai moved in deliberate and measured steps. A passing Trappist looked forward to avoid his humiliated expression staring at the dark parkay floor.

My life has been devoted to one thing.

Feet touched the brown twelve by twelve inch squares with controlled pressure. The silence of the corridor remained mute as Fahai fought the urge to spin in place and hover in mid-air. The Abbott had accused the young gifted monk of pride, not lust as yhe insurmountable wall blocking him from perfection.

Entering his room, the young man chose to sit in the center of the small area. Cross-legged he clasped his hands, fingers pointed skyward. Bowing his head till his first two fingers pressed against his forehead.

"Buddha, be merciful to this sinful son of your earthly family." The sound of a deep breath filled the room.

"Buddha, guide me. This foreigner, the blessed Abbott may not understand our ways, our temptations. I am not proud, Buddha," He repeated the name twice more. "I know I am unworthy, I know I am filled with doubt and simmering sin. I am not proud." Rising from his position, Fahai drifted upward. "Buddha, it is lust, lust of and for women. They are crawling over the earth enticing the righteous and pure of soul and heart with their form and face and scent." A single drop of sweat ran down the bridge of his nose. Hanging from the tip of his nostrils, he turned his palm upward to catch this sole drop of perspiration.

"Do you see Buddha? Even the thought of their wicked ways and their evil sensuality brings my body to a heat unknown to the pure." Retuning to the ground, he pushed on his feet till the young man twisted to a stance. Exhaustion traveled through his frame. Taking deep breaths, Fahai sat on his cot. He felt the coarse brown wool blanket against his fingers. Composing himself, he smiled and looked out the window to an array of clouds circling a peak of the Wasatch Mountains.

"When I commit those two harlots to their true form. When I cast the evil that has plagued earth's serenity back to their vile serpent nests, then I will have conquered my enemy." A grin drew his flushed cheeks upward. "Sending the demons back to their scaly existence will be proof of my victory over this unholy lust that sears a path through my veins. Then, I can ascend to my true destiny." Another extended deep breath. "My father will again welcome me as a pure and true to his teachings student." A soft smile stole his expression.

"All will be well with us."