Oz's Advice
Tibet, the world without shrimp 2022
Oz had walked through the kitchen that morning with all the hope and aspirations he usually had. He brewed his morning coffee into a travel cup and screwed the lid tight enough to avoid unwanted spillages. His son Keldon had sat at the counter and tuned his guitar, then he kissed his wife on the cheek and left for work. It was a bright Friday morning; monsoon season was trailing off and for once it was not raining. So, the fact that Oz's day had started well may have impacted his actions as to when he arrived at the monastery.
As per usual, he waved to Brother Tenzin before disappearing around the side and taking his first prayers of the day. It was the ritual of it all that allowed him to continue holding the wolf back from inside him. So much so that he now worked alongside the monks to raise money for the local community and spent time with students teaching them breathing and thought techniques.
As he walked through the main archway and down towards the empty stone steps of the foyer. It was a beautiful spot for his morning rituals, the foyer looked out over the side of the mountain. Monsoon season meant that steam rose high over the valley in the mornings, the trees lining the sides were a lush green that enticed Oz's cheerful mood right out of him. But this morning the empty steps were not empty. There was a little boy perched at the bottom, gazing out over the cliff edge. When Oz sat down next to him, he began to look down, his eyes suddenly fixated on the stone beneath his sandaled feet.
He looked to be about eight or nine, shy and quiet. Oz immediately took a liking to him and whispered softly into the morning air, "Are you ok?" in Tibetan of course. The boy slowly shook his head, still refusing to lift it.
"Scared." The boy whispered back, rocking his legs back and forth before patting the side of his neck. That's when Oz saw it. The blotchy bite mark attached to the brown skin of his neck, a sign that teeth has recently sunk themselves into the boy. It was a full bite, round and jagged, with two sets of teeth. As Oz laid his finger gently over the mark the boy winced, a tear falling down his cheek as his hands clenched tighter against his legs.
"Everything will be ok." Oz said lightly, a little scared and shocked that attacks like this were still happening. In his head he began to plan what would happen next; he would have to find the boy's guardian and inform them of what the bite means, of how he is going to start changing. It broke his heart that the boy was so young, that he was now infected with the curse. He would help of course, try and teach him the ways to keep his inner wolf inside him. But it was always harder to teach children, their sense of self wasn't fully developed yet, so it was harder not to succumb to the temptation of the animal inside them.