"Let me get this straight, your parents named you Eve and Dawn? And your
last name is Night?" Peter asked incredulously, chuckling softly.
"Knite, as in K-N-I-T-E, not Night. But yeah." Eve agreed.
"Twins named Eve and Dawn…. Very fitting actually, like Ying and Yang."
"Gee, I'm glad you approve", Eve laughed. "Rumor has it I was born a minute before midnight and Dawn was born a minute after", Eve explained. She bit into her hamburger and chewed thoughtfully. "You have got to talk to your dad, you know."
Peter looked at her, mildly surprised. "Oh yeah? Well so do you." He popped the last of his fries into his mouth, eyeing her carefully.
"I'm not ready to... to talk yet." Eve said nervously, looking down at her food.
"You talked to me, didn't you?" Peter asked curiously.
"You're different. You're like me in a way. Your dad is so weird…" Eve trailed off shivering. Peter felt slight amusement at her remark.
"He's good at what he does", he said carefully.
"Yeah? So why don't you let him heal your heart?" She asked, crossing her arms.
Peter felt that familiar pang of hurt and sadness in his heart. "Because I want what he can't give me", he whispered.
"What's that?" Eve asked.
"Love", Peter said sadly
***
"You are troubled my friend."
Kwai Chang Caine sighed and rose to greet his old friend. Though Lo Si's age was not known, his wisdom was unquestionable.
"Yes."
"About Peter?"
"Who else?" Caine shrugged tiredly.
"When was the last time you slept, my friend?" The Ancient one asked concerned. Caine turned to him, his eyes filled with pain.
"Peter has not slept for ages. His demons torment and disturb his sleep, yet he will not allow me to cure him of them… I feel so…" He brought his hands up to his face. "So hopeless."
"It is a hard job, being a parent", Lo Si agreed. "The hardest task is to let go."
"How can I? His heart is only so much wide, yet he insists to take on others' suffering, to fill his heart with grief and pain and guilt."
"A burden one must carry alone", Lo Si said sadly.
"I merely wish to lighten the burden, why is he shutting me out?" Caine asked heart broken.
Lo Si rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. "He is a grown man. We each chose to deal with life in our own unique way. Though his seems to be a heritage."
"What do you mean?" asked Caine, not too keen of being accused of something.
"When was the last time you spoke to your son of your worries? Of *your* fears? Of *your* demons?" Lo Si asked gently.
Caine felt resentment rise inside of him. "It is not the same."
"Is it not?" Lo Si asked confused.
"No" Caine said angrily. "A child should be able to tell his parents anything, to tell ME anything-"
"How must he learn if you do not do the same in return? It is your example that he is following. Have you not noticed all he wishes to do is please you? He feels you would be ashamed of him, of his feelings because you show none!"
Caine seemed taken aback. "Does he really feel that I am not proud of him?"
"That is a question you must ask him," Lo Si sighed.
"But he will not speak with me." Caine shook his head sadly. "Is this all my fault?"
"Now you are beginning to sound like Peter," Lo Si warned, taking his arm. "You cannot tell him not to do one thing and then do it. Come now, tea will help you calm down."
Caine allowed his friend to escort him out, still dazed. He had to speak to Peter…
**
"You're wrong Peter!" Eve said, shaking her head. "He *does* love you."
"How would you know? You don't even know him. You don't know me or how we are," Peter said emptily.
"Believe me, I should know", Eve said annoyed.
"You don't understand, you're just a kid, you don't know what you're talking about…" Peter said more to himself than her. He wondered why he allowed the conversation to get to this subject in the first place.
"I don't know what I'm talking about?" She asked dangerously. "Peter, you're an ass!" She got up from the table and faced him squarely. "If anyone here knows what it's like not to be loved it would be ME! I am the one that saw it in their eyes day by day! I saw the way your dad looks at you, he's so damn proud of you! His eyes are shining so bright you wonder how the hell he's not blind!" Her rage boiled. "And if you can't see that Peter, then you're freaking blind!"
She said and left the restaurant angrily, trying to hide her tears.
Peter sat there a few minutes, trying to figure out what just happened. Her words seemed to have done their job, for there was doubt creeping in regarding his previous deduction. Maybe his pop did-? He got up quickly and left the restaurant, determined to find out.
***
The Ancient and Kwai Chang Caine sat at the counter in their favorite coffeehouse, sipping their tea. The place had a certain relaxing environment that helped wash away worries.
Suddenly the door flung open and Peter came tumbling in. He stopped short as he saw his dad looking at him. Kwai Chang Caine noted with surprise the desperate face of his son.
"Ahh, you see my friend?" Lo Si said amiably. "He has come. Will you refuse him access to your soul?"
"No" Caine shook his head steadily.
"Then you will both heal." He said and left.
Peter walked over nervously to his father. "Hey pop, got a minute?" Peter asked, looking down at his feet.
"For you my son, always" Caine tried to convey all of his love and pride in that short sentence and decided that he couldn't.
"Pop, I need to know something…" Peter started, afraid of the answer. "Do you… Are you…?"
"Do I love you?" Caine asked. "Am I proud of you?"
Peter dropped his head. "Forget I asked."
"No, I will not forget. I love you my son, more than my own life. Perhaps I did not stress this enough, but I will now." He said decisively, stroking his son's cheek. "You are my light and joy, when I thought I lost you back at the temple, I was crushed. I lost more than just a son, I lost part of my soul."
Peter looked up at his father, his face stained by tears.
"You have no idea how much I wanted to hear you say that father." Caine rose and embraced his son in a tight hug.
"I am so sorry my son." He released his hold on Peter and smiled proudly at him. "The day you were born was the proudest day of my life, it does not matter what you do or what path you take, I will still be your father and I will always love you. Your heart is filled with so much love… You take in the good as well as the bad. You wish to heal the world… But in the process you wound your heart."
"I could say the same for you", Peter whispered, looking away. "Pop, you can't just expect me to open up and spill my guts out to you."
"No, I cannot" Caine shook his head. "All I want is to help heal you, to make you whole again."
"Shaolin all the way, huh?" Peter asked sadly.
"You think I wish to do this because I am a priest?" Caine asked bewildered. "I am your father, Peter! I want to help you be whole because I love you!"
Peter's heart sang as he heard those magical words.
Caine put his arm around Peter's shoulder and escorted him outside. "Tell me what is troubling you, my son and in return I will tell you my demons as well."
-End part 5-
"Knite, as in K-N-I-T-E, not Night. But yeah." Eve agreed.
"Twins named Eve and Dawn…. Very fitting actually, like Ying and Yang."
"Gee, I'm glad you approve", Eve laughed. "Rumor has it I was born a minute before midnight and Dawn was born a minute after", Eve explained. She bit into her hamburger and chewed thoughtfully. "You have got to talk to your dad, you know."
Peter looked at her, mildly surprised. "Oh yeah? Well so do you." He popped the last of his fries into his mouth, eyeing her carefully.
"I'm not ready to... to talk yet." Eve said nervously, looking down at her food.
"You talked to me, didn't you?" Peter asked curiously.
"You're different. You're like me in a way. Your dad is so weird…" Eve trailed off shivering. Peter felt slight amusement at her remark.
"He's good at what he does", he said carefully.
"Yeah? So why don't you let him heal your heart?" She asked, crossing her arms.
Peter felt that familiar pang of hurt and sadness in his heart. "Because I want what he can't give me", he whispered.
"What's that?" Eve asked.
"Love", Peter said sadly
***
"You are troubled my friend."
Kwai Chang Caine sighed and rose to greet his old friend. Though Lo Si's age was not known, his wisdom was unquestionable.
"Yes."
"About Peter?"
"Who else?" Caine shrugged tiredly.
"When was the last time you slept, my friend?" The Ancient one asked concerned. Caine turned to him, his eyes filled with pain.
"Peter has not slept for ages. His demons torment and disturb his sleep, yet he will not allow me to cure him of them… I feel so…" He brought his hands up to his face. "So hopeless."
"It is a hard job, being a parent", Lo Si agreed. "The hardest task is to let go."
"How can I? His heart is only so much wide, yet he insists to take on others' suffering, to fill his heart with grief and pain and guilt."
"A burden one must carry alone", Lo Si said sadly.
"I merely wish to lighten the burden, why is he shutting me out?" Caine asked heart broken.
Lo Si rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. "He is a grown man. We each chose to deal with life in our own unique way. Though his seems to be a heritage."
"What do you mean?" asked Caine, not too keen of being accused of something.
"When was the last time you spoke to your son of your worries? Of *your* fears? Of *your* demons?" Lo Si asked gently.
Caine felt resentment rise inside of him. "It is not the same."
"Is it not?" Lo Si asked confused.
"No" Caine said angrily. "A child should be able to tell his parents anything, to tell ME anything-"
"How must he learn if you do not do the same in return? It is your example that he is following. Have you not noticed all he wishes to do is please you? He feels you would be ashamed of him, of his feelings because you show none!"
Caine seemed taken aback. "Does he really feel that I am not proud of him?"
"That is a question you must ask him," Lo Si sighed.
"But he will not speak with me." Caine shook his head sadly. "Is this all my fault?"
"Now you are beginning to sound like Peter," Lo Si warned, taking his arm. "You cannot tell him not to do one thing and then do it. Come now, tea will help you calm down."
Caine allowed his friend to escort him out, still dazed. He had to speak to Peter…
**
"You're wrong Peter!" Eve said, shaking her head. "He *does* love you."
"How would you know? You don't even know him. You don't know me or how we are," Peter said emptily.
"Believe me, I should know", Eve said annoyed.
"You don't understand, you're just a kid, you don't know what you're talking about…" Peter said more to himself than her. He wondered why he allowed the conversation to get to this subject in the first place.
"I don't know what I'm talking about?" She asked dangerously. "Peter, you're an ass!" She got up from the table and faced him squarely. "If anyone here knows what it's like not to be loved it would be ME! I am the one that saw it in their eyes day by day! I saw the way your dad looks at you, he's so damn proud of you! His eyes are shining so bright you wonder how the hell he's not blind!" Her rage boiled. "And if you can't see that Peter, then you're freaking blind!"
She said and left the restaurant angrily, trying to hide her tears.
Peter sat there a few minutes, trying to figure out what just happened. Her words seemed to have done their job, for there was doubt creeping in regarding his previous deduction. Maybe his pop did-? He got up quickly and left the restaurant, determined to find out.
***
The Ancient and Kwai Chang Caine sat at the counter in their favorite coffeehouse, sipping their tea. The place had a certain relaxing environment that helped wash away worries.
Suddenly the door flung open and Peter came tumbling in. He stopped short as he saw his dad looking at him. Kwai Chang Caine noted with surprise the desperate face of his son.
"Ahh, you see my friend?" Lo Si said amiably. "He has come. Will you refuse him access to your soul?"
"No" Caine shook his head steadily.
"Then you will both heal." He said and left.
Peter walked over nervously to his father. "Hey pop, got a minute?" Peter asked, looking down at his feet.
"For you my son, always" Caine tried to convey all of his love and pride in that short sentence and decided that he couldn't.
"Pop, I need to know something…" Peter started, afraid of the answer. "Do you… Are you…?"
"Do I love you?" Caine asked. "Am I proud of you?"
Peter dropped his head. "Forget I asked."
"No, I will not forget. I love you my son, more than my own life. Perhaps I did not stress this enough, but I will now." He said decisively, stroking his son's cheek. "You are my light and joy, when I thought I lost you back at the temple, I was crushed. I lost more than just a son, I lost part of my soul."
Peter looked up at his father, his face stained by tears.
"You have no idea how much I wanted to hear you say that father." Caine rose and embraced his son in a tight hug.
"I am so sorry my son." He released his hold on Peter and smiled proudly at him. "The day you were born was the proudest day of my life, it does not matter what you do or what path you take, I will still be your father and I will always love you. Your heart is filled with so much love… You take in the good as well as the bad. You wish to heal the world… But in the process you wound your heart."
"I could say the same for you", Peter whispered, looking away. "Pop, you can't just expect me to open up and spill my guts out to you."
"No, I cannot" Caine shook his head. "All I want is to help heal you, to make you whole again."
"Shaolin all the way, huh?" Peter asked sadly.
"You think I wish to do this because I am a priest?" Caine asked bewildered. "I am your father, Peter! I want to help you be whole because I love you!"
Peter's heart sang as he heard those magical words.
Caine put his arm around Peter's shoulder and escorted him outside. "Tell me what is troubling you, my son and in return I will tell you my demons as well."
-End part 5-