Cole said to his mother, "This photo...Mom, your father. He was a Shaolin priest?"
Lynn took a deep breath. "Apparently, judging from this picture. I never knew the whole story, only vague references. Your grandma only told me bits and pieces."
"Does that picture have a date on it?"
"Let's see.." She turned it over. "Yes, it does. It says...'March 17, 1976. Always seek Truth and Light.' Mom told me that he married her in '61. He was planning to leave..a couple years from the date on this photo."
"But..he died before he got a chance. Right?"
She felt a tear in her eye. She wiped it away. "Yes. Mom had said that there was an accident, some kind of explosion. The authorities couldn't find the cause..besides, most of the kids and teachers died in the explosions as well."
Cole sat down on the couch. "That wasn't an accident, Momma."
"It wasn't..wait, you mentioned this before. A temple..is *this* Caine's temple? In California, right?"
"Yes. The other guy in this picture is Caine. After the temple was destroyed, he and his son..they both thought the other had died. Peter became a cop, while his father wandered the country to search for his son's essence..I guess he was trying to find the meaning of life again. They didn't find each other until they met in Chinatown two years ago."
"How did they meet?"
"Oh, Peter was working undercover in Chinatown. Investigating the mobster leader, Tan, who plotted to have the Mayor killed. Fortunately, Caine stopped the killer, only to confront Tan later."
"'Tan'. Is he that ghost you've been afraid of? The one dressed in the black suit?"
"Yes. Tan was also the guy who destroyed the temple in 1978. Back then, he was usually called by his first name, Dao."
"He did? He..destroyed..*killed*..oh God. Those children. He actually had the CHILDREN killed? What kind of man *IS* this?!!" She angrily banged her hand on the coffee table. "The kids, the old men, the priests..my father! This man, Dao Tan..he..killed..." She couldn't continue. Memories of her mother came to her. The loving descriptions given to her by her mother resurfaced. Lynn's grief was beginning to overtake her, as she put her face in her hands. She felt the tears flowing more strongly now, although she tried to fight back her choked emotions. "They died..because of *him*. TAN!! It's *his* fault.."
Cole walked over to his mother and held her. He was also starting to feel the anguish, but he tightened his face, to stop the tears. He also clenched his fists until they felt red. It wasn't really working. He quickly wiped the wetness from his eyes. "Mom, it'll be okay. I know..my grandparents could've been happy together, but Tan interfered.."
"And because of this monster, Dad died a violent death."
"It just wasn't fair, Momma. I knew this man was very evil..I *hate* him!"
She wiped her face and sat back. "Yes. You told me he was evil.. now I believe it. Only a man without a conscience can do this.. killing little kids, old people..people who were peaceful and innocent, who meant him no harm, who were NO threat to him..this was genocide. Wait a minute, that picture you told me you drew. You saw this? You saw what happened?"
He nodded. "Yes, in some kind of..image, a vision, I think. I saw it in class, when I drew the picture of it. But I didn't know that my grandpa was one of the priests, until now."
Lynn finally regained her composure. "So, Tan was kicked out of the temple?"
"Yes, but he came back to blow it up."
"You said that he was a ghost. So he died."
"Right. When Caine found Peter, Tan fled the city. But he soon came back to Chinatown, to challenge Caine to a battle to the death. Some kind of combat-ritual involving four weapons."
"So Tan lost."
"Yeah, obviously. I think that would explain the gash wound I saw in his back."
"Where did this fight happen?"
"Peter said it was in some executive high-rise building, near the basement level. In a room that Tan made to look like the same temple he destroyed."
"Ahh..so there might be some security cameras that caught the fight."
"Maybe."
"So, this ghost that's terrorizing you..wait, why is he HERE if he died in Chinatown? Isn't that a little far from here, in New York?"
"I don't know why. Most ghosts aren't far from their dying
place...aha."
"What is it?"
Cole had an idea. "Maybe Grandpa is there. In the temple ruins.. or he was, I'm not sure. I heard that some believe that when you talk about the dead, they hear your thoughts and feelings. I'm gonna try something." He looked up, towards the ceiling. "Grandma? I think I know where you can find Grandpa. There's some temple ruins in Northern California..near a town called Braniff. That may be where he is. You can probably find him there.." He now looked at Lynn. "Well, if she heard me, she'll soon find him. Oh, I just remembered something."
"Yes?"
"My package. Did it come?"
She grabbed her head in surprise. "Right, of course! Yes. Here, Cole." She reached into the drawer in the table and handed him a small, padded envelope with a Federal Express stamp on it.
Cole looked at the addresses. It was from Peter. He opened it. Inside was a letter. He also found the olive, jade necklace. "Mom, this is it! Here, let me read this to you now."
The boy started reading the letter out loud. "Hmm. It goes, 'Dear Cole. This is Peter. I've sent the medallion to you. Take special care of it. It's a family heirloom dating back to my great-grandfather's time. It was made by the blind Master Po. He gave it to the original Kwai Chang, who passed it to Matthew, who then gave it to my father. It's been said that objects sometimes carry parts of people's life-energy, imprinted on them like fingerprints. If that's true, you're holding the heritage of the Caine line. Wear it, and it will help you to focus your chi, to be at peace. The strength from my ancestors' chi will help to strengthen yours. I promise you that we'll be seeing you soon. Be seeing you, Cole. Sincerely, Peter Caine'. Wow."
Cole put the amulet around his neck, placing the stone under his shirt. "It might be a good idea to hide it for now. I wouldn't want anyone to take it..like Tommy or Darren. Or worse, Tan's goons."
Lynn agreed. "You're probably right. Well, I'm going to check the laundry now. I'll be back."
"Okay. I'll go to my room soon." After his mother left the living room, he smiled to himself. He was glad he got this package today. Now, at last, he had some hope to believe in, some tangible evidence that things may work out for the better.
Lynn took a deep breath. "Apparently, judging from this picture. I never knew the whole story, only vague references. Your grandma only told me bits and pieces."
"Does that picture have a date on it?"
"Let's see.." She turned it over. "Yes, it does. It says...'March 17, 1976. Always seek Truth and Light.' Mom told me that he married her in '61. He was planning to leave..a couple years from the date on this photo."
"But..he died before he got a chance. Right?"
She felt a tear in her eye. She wiped it away. "Yes. Mom had said that there was an accident, some kind of explosion. The authorities couldn't find the cause..besides, most of the kids and teachers died in the explosions as well."
Cole sat down on the couch. "That wasn't an accident, Momma."
"It wasn't..wait, you mentioned this before. A temple..is *this* Caine's temple? In California, right?"
"Yes. The other guy in this picture is Caine. After the temple was destroyed, he and his son..they both thought the other had died. Peter became a cop, while his father wandered the country to search for his son's essence..I guess he was trying to find the meaning of life again. They didn't find each other until they met in Chinatown two years ago."
"How did they meet?"
"Oh, Peter was working undercover in Chinatown. Investigating the mobster leader, Tan, who plotted to have the Mayor killed. Fortunately, Caine stopped the killer, only to confront Tan later."
"'Tan'. Is he that ghost you've been afraid of? The one dressed in the black suit?"
"Yes. Tan was also the guy who destroyed the temple in 1978. Back then, he was usually called by his first name, Dao."
"He did? He..destroyed..*killed*..oh God. Those children. He actually had the CHILDREN killed? What kind of man *IS* this?!!" She angrily banged her hand on the coffee table. "The kids, the old men, the priests..my father! This man, Dao Tan..he..killed..." She couldn't continue. Memories of her mother came to her. The loving descriptions given to her by her mother resurfaced. Lynn's grief was beginning to overtake her, as she put her face in her hands. She felt the tears flowing more strongly now, although she tried to fight back her choked emotions. "They died..because of *him*. TAN!! It's *his* fault.."
Cole walked over to his mother and held her. He was also starting to feel the anguish, but he tightened his face, to stop the tears. He also clenched his fists until they felt red. It wasn't really working. He quickly wiped the wetness from his eyes. "Mom, it'll be okay. I know..my grandparents could've been happy together, but Tan interfered.."
"And because of this monster, Dad died a violent death."
"It just wasn't fair, Momma. I knew this man was very evil..I *hate* him!"
She wiped her face and sat back. "Yes. You told me he was evil.. now I believe it. Only a man without a conscience can do this.. killing little kids, old people..people who were peaceful and innocent, who meant him no harm, who were NO threat to him..this was genocide. Wait a minute, that picture you told me you drew. You saw this? You saw what happened?"
He nodded. "Yes, in some kind of..image, a vision, I think. I saw it in class, when I drew the picture of it. But I didn't know that my grandpa was one of the priests, until now."
Lynn finally regained her composure. "So, Tan was kicked out of the temple?"
"Yes, but he came back to blow it up."
"You said that he was a ghost. So he died."
"Right. When Caine found Peter, Tan fled the city. But he soon came back to Chinatown, to challenge Caine to a battle to the death. Some kind of combat-ritual involving four weapons."
"So Tan lost."
"Yeah, obviously. I think that would explain the gash wound I saw in his back."
"Where did this fight happen?"
"Peter said it was in some executive high-rise building, near the basement level. In a room that Tan made to look like the same temple he destroyed."
"Ahh..so there might be some security cameras that caught the fight."
"Maybe."
"So, this ghost that's terrorizing you..wait, why is he HERE if he died in Chinatown? Isn't that a little far from here, in New York?"
"I don't know why. Most ghosts aren't far from their dying
place...aha."
"What is it?"
Cole had an idea. "Maybe Grandpa is there. In the temple ruins.. or he was, I'm not sure. I heard that some believe that when you talk about the dead, they hear your thoughts and feelings. I'm gonna try something." He looked up, towards the ceiling. "Grandma? I think I know where you can find Grandpa. There's some temple ruins in Northern California..near a town called Braniff. That may be where he is. You can probably find him there.." He now looked at Lynn. "Well, if she heard me, she'll soon find him. Oh, I just remembered something."
"Yes?"
"My package. Did it come?"
She grabbed her head in surprise. "Right, of course! Yes. Here, Cole." She reached into the drawer in the table and handed him a small, padded envelope with a Federal Express stamp on it.
Cole looked at the addresses. It was from Peter. He opened it. Inside was a letter. He also found the olive, jade necklace. "Mom, this is it! Here, let me read this to you now."
The boy started reading the letter out loud. "Hmm. It goes, 'Dear Cole. This is Peter. I've sent the medallion to you. Take special care of it. It's a family heirloom dating back to my great-grandfather's time. It was made by the blind Master Po. He gave it to the original Kwai Chang, who passed it to Matthew, who then gave it to my father. It's been said that objects sometimes carry parts of people's life-energy, imprinted on them like fingerprints. If that's true, you're holding the heritage of the Caine line. Wear it, and it will help you to focus your chi, to be at peace. The strength from my ancestors' chi will help to strengthen yours. I promise you that we'll be seeing you soon. Be seeing you, Cole. Sincerely, Peter Caine'. Wow."
Cole put the amulet around his neck, placing the stone under his shirt. "It might be a good idea to hide it for now. I wouldn't want anyone to take it..like Tommy or Darren. Or worse, Tan's goons."
Lynn agreed. "You're probably right. Well, I'm going to check the laundry now. I'll be back."
"Okay. I'll go to my room soon." After his mother left the living room, he smiled to himself. He was glad he got this package today. Now, at last, he had some hope to believe in, some tangible evidence that things may work out for the better.