2:25pm
PHILADELPHIA
COLE'S HOUSE
Cole was almost finished eating the triangle pancakes his mother had made for him. "Mom? what happened at work today?"
Lynn put the frying pan into the sink. "Oh..some guys came in to threaten us. I think it was mobsters or something."
"Did any of them say who they were?"
"Their leader, Jack Wong. He said that kids can be hurt at anytime..he said that St. Anthony could be be subjected to a Columbine-incident. I don't know what to do."
"Don't worry, Peter and his dad are coming tomorrow. Everything will be okay then." He got up and put his dish in the sink.
"I sure hope so. But I wish my mother was here now. She would know exactly what to say to make things alright." She turned to him. "Have you..seen her?"
Cole shook his head. "Not for a while. I think she wanted to help you, to let you know that she's always proud of you. Maybe it also helped her, so she moved on. Maybe that's why I haven't seen her."
She nodded. "Oh..okay."
"But what about Grandpa? I don't know much about him. What was he like?"
She rinsed her hands and sat in one of the chairs. "I don't know much either. I know that he died when I was almost a teenager, about fifteen to twenty years ago. Mom never said much about him, except that they were happy together."
"What kind of person was he?"
"You might have liked him. All my mother said was that he was studying to be a priest in some monastery."
"Huh? A monastery?"
"I don't know what kind..maybe a convent. Or a cathedral. But Mom said he was very kind..wise, gentle. A man who loved life, very peaceful."
"Oh. I wish I could know more."
"Me, too."
Cole walked past her and into the hallway.
~~~~~~~~
Cole was fixing the clothes-pins on his tent. Suddenly, he heard a kind but old voice behind him say, "Cole..are you alright?" He turned around, surprised.
It was an elderly woman. Wearing a long purple dress, with a white shawl around her shoulders. Her grey hair was pulled up to a bun.
Cole smiled in recognition. "Hi, Grandma. I thought you crossed over.. moved on."
She smiled. "I did."
"So..why are you here? I thought you were helped when I told my mom what you said."
"I was. Before, I wanted to help her realize that I still loved her..you helped with that. Now..I'm here to help *you*. I've noticed that someone is troubling you. Who?"
Cole sat down on the floor. "It's a ghost. A very bad one. It doesn't want my help. He's evil."
"Ohh...I don't know what to do.."
"I do. I'm going to be visited tomorrow by a cop."
"A policeman? How will he help you?"
"He's a detective..Peter. His father is a Shaolin priest. Kwai Chang Caine."
"Hmm..Caine? That name sounds so familiar..I can't really place it."
"He's also..I think Peter called him a..Shambhala Master?"
"I never heard that term. But I think my husband, your grandfather, may be able to help.."
"How? I've never seen him."
"I will try to find him. He passed on years ago..he may not know of you. That might be why you haven't seen him."
"How will I recognize him?"
"There was a picture that I hid once. I hid it because he said that a lot of people wouldn't understand the life he chose. But it's wherever my picture is..I wore a green dress in it. If you can find that picture, the one of him will be behind it."
"Okay..I hope I can meet him."
"I'll try to find him. Goodbye, Cole. I love you."
"I love you, too. Bye, Grandma."
She disappeared.
~~~~~~~~~
Cole was in the living room now. He found the picture of his grandmother. He held the frame up.
Lynn, who was sitting in the chair, asked, "Cole? What are you doing?"
He smiled. "Looking for something. A picture of Grandpa."
"What?"
"Grandma said that it was somewhere behind this picture."
Lynn looked at her son curiously. "She..came to you?"
He nodded. "Yes..she said he can help me. Ohh..there." He opened the glass piece finally, without breaking it. He took out the picture, and something fell from the frame. Cole picked it up. It was a folded picture, wrinkled with age around the edges. He unfolded it, looking intently at it. His eyes got big as he saw it. "Oh, boy.."
Lynn was curious. "Cole, what is it? Is that Grandpa.."
"Uh, mom...I think you should see this." He handed her the film.
"Alright." She took it, holding it up to the light. "What...Oh my God.."
It showed two men standing, hands folded in front. One was younger than the other. Their heads were shaven, they wore orange robes, brown beads hung around their necks..an Asian temple was in the background. Lynn looked closer at the younger man...she remembered other photos of him, except he had hair.
She quickly realized that there were no doubts as to who this young man was. *This* was definitely her father.
PHILADELPHIA
COLE'S HOUSE
Cole was almost finished eating the triangle pancakes his mother had made for him. "Mom? what happened at work today?"
Lynn put the frying pan into the sink. "Oh..some guys came in to threaten us. I think it was mobsters or something."
"Did any of them say who they were?"
"Their leader, Jack Wong. He said that kids can be hurt at anytime..he said that St. Anthony could be be subjected to a Columbine-incident. I don't know what to do."
"Don't worry, Peter and his dad are coming tomorrow. Everything will be okay then." He got up and put his dish in the sink.
"I sure hope so. But I wish my mother was here now. She would know exactly what to say to make things alright." She turned to him. "Have you..seen her?"
Cole shook his head. "Not for a while. I think she wanted to help you, to let you know that she's always proud of you. Maybe it also helped her, so she moved on. Maybe that's why I haven't seen her."
She nodded. "Oh..okay."
"But what about Grandpa? I don't know much about him. What was he like?"
She rinsed her hands and sat in one of the chairs. "I don't know much either. I know that he died when I was almost a teenager, about fifteen to twenty years ago. Mom never said much about him, except that they were happy together."
"What kind of person was he?"
"You might have liked him. All my mother said was that he was studying to be a priest in some monastery."
"Huh? A monastery?"
"I don't know what kind..maybe a convent. Or a cathedral. But Mom said he was very kind..wise, gentle. A man who loved life, very peaceful."
"Oh. I wish I could know more."
"Me, too."
Cole walked past her and into the hallway.
~~~~~~~~
Cole was fixing the clothes-pins on his tent. Suddenly, he heard a kind but old voice behind him say, "Cole..are you alright?" He turned around, surprised.
It was an elderly woman. Wearing a long purple dress, with a white shawl around her shoulders. Her grey hair was pulled up to a bun.
Cole smiled in recognition. "Hi, Grandma. I thought you crossed over.. moved on."
She smiled. "I did."
"So..why are you here? I thought you were helped when I told my mom what you said."
"I was. Before, I wanted to help her realize that I still loved her..you helped with that. Now..I'm here to help *you*. I've noticed that someone is troubling you. Who?"
Cole sat down on the floor. "It's a ghost. A very bad one. It doesn't want my help. He's evil."
"Ohh...I don't know what to do.."
"I do. I'm going to be visited tomorrow by a cop."
"A policeman? How will he help you?"
"He's a detective..Peter. His father is a Shaolin priest. Kwai Chang Caine."
"Hmm..Caine? That name sounds so familiar..I can't really place it."
"He's also..I think Peter called him a..Shambhala Master?"
"I never heard that term. But I think my husband, your grandfather, may be able to help.."
"How? I've never seen him."
"I will try to find him. He passed on years ago..he may not know of you. That might be why you haven't seen him."
"How will I recognize him?"
"There was a picture that I hid once. I hid it because he said that a lot of people wouldn't understand the life he chose. But it's wherever my picture is..I wore a green dress in it. If you can find that picture, the one of him will be behind it."
"Okay..I hope I can meet him."
"I'll try to find him. Goodbye, Cole. I love you."
"I love you, too. Bye, Grandma."
She disappeared.
~~~~~~~~~
Cole was in the living room now. He found the picture of his grandmother. He held the frame up.
Lynn, who was sitting in the chair, asked, "Cole? What are you doing?"
He smiled. "Looking for something. A picture of Grandpa."
"What?"
"Grandma said that it was somewhere behind this picture."
Lynn looked at her son curiously. "She..came to you?"
He nodded. "Yes..she said he can help me. Ohh..there." He opened the glass piece finally, without breaking it. He took out the picture, and something fell from the frame. Cole picked it up. It was a folded picture, wrinkled with age around the edges. He unfolded it, looking intently at it. His eyes got big as he saw it. "Oh, boy.."
Lynn was curious. "Cole, what is it? Is that Grandpa.."
"Uh, mom...I think you should see this." He handed her the film.
"Alright." She took it, holding it up to the light. "What...Oh my God.."
It showed two men standing, hands folded in front. One was younger than the other. Their heads were shaven, they wore orange robes, brown beads hung around their necks..an Asian temple was in the background. Lynn looked closer at the younger man...she remembered other photos of him, except he had hair.
She quickly realized that there were no doubts as to who this young man was. *This* was definitely her father.