Chapter 3
Meditation
"Who are you? And how did you know my name?" I asked.
"Fair enough," He said, "My name is Oroto Harsuti. And I have been observing you for the last few months. I also know that you something that belongs to me. Hartuki Kokarti's suit, where is it?"
"The suit? I don't have it." I replied, "I threw it in the river months ago."
Somehow he didn't believe me and said, "You have the suit, and you give it to me. I will pay you ten thousand dollars if you will deliver it to me in one week, at the South Side Docks. If you do not show up, my associates will not be hesitant to hunt you down and kill you."
Kill me? This guy must of wants the suit bad, but why? Maybe I'll go along with him, just to know more of this guy.
"A-Alright, you want the suit? I'll bring it," I replied, "But just to warn you, it is a curse."
"Curses are myths, you remember bring it boy," Oroto said. He then spoke in Japanese to the driver and the car stopped. The door next to me opened and I got out. But before he left said to me, "Remember, the South Side Dock in two days." The car then sped away and I was finally home.
This is getting too much for me; maybe I should go to the police? Na, they'll never believe me, even what I been through with that suit. But I should tell Master Lee about it. Maybe he knows of Mr. Harsuti. I got to my door, went inside and sat down on my couch. Suddenly the door knocked, I was too tiered to get up, but the knocking seemed undetermined to stop. I went to answer it wondering whom it is and as I opened the door I came face to face with a black woman. She had long white hair and a nice figure like a goddess.
"Can I help you?" I asked.
"Are you Michael Longford?" She asked.
"Yes," I replied, "Who are you?"
"I am Ororo Munroe," She replied, "I would like to talk to you, may I come in?"
"Are you selling any vacuum cleaners?" I wondered, "Cause if you are, I'm not interested."
"No I'm not," She said, "I am from the Xavier School of Higher Learning."
"Did Spider-Man put you up to this?" I asked.
"No he didn't," She replied. This is getting weirder than I expected. I let her in and let her talk. I don't want to be bad host so I offered her a drink.
"I don't have any thing to offer to you, maybe a coke," I said as I rummaged through the fridge.
"No thank you," She replied.
"So how can I help you?" I asked again as it opened a can of soda and drank it.
"It is how we can help you," she said. Help me? I raised my brow in confusion. What was she talking about? "Professor Xavier has seen what you can do and he is offering to help you."
"Hold on, how did he know of my-what I can do?"
"Like we find all of our new students," she replied, "Professor Xavier has a gift to seek minds and find those who is crying for help."
"Gift?" I wondered.
She sighed and said, "We are mutants."
Mutants? "And he thinks I'm a mutant?" I pondered. This is getting too much I went to the door an opened it. "I'm sorry, but I'm not a mutant, I think you should leave." Just then a gust of wind shut the door closed. I jumped and dropped my soda wondering where it from. All the windows were closed then suddenly it started to gently snow. In my apartment! What was going on? I looked at Ms. Munroe and wondered.
"I too have a mutant power," She said, "And I learned to control it. I won't instigate you, but we are having an open house tomorrow and you are welcome to come."
"I-I can't. I got to go to work," I said as the snow stopped.
She nodded to me, "Very well, here is a pamphlet with our address on it." She handed me the pamphlet and continued, "I am sure you are asking day in day out of who you are. I know, I ask my self the same question before professor Xavier came into my life. He can help you discover what you are. Well, I have taken up most of your time." I saw her out.
"You know Ms. Munroe," I said to her before she left, "You are right. I am confused, maybe I will talk to him."
"You made the right decision Michael," we both smiled, said our good-byes and she left.
After she left I sat back on the couch and started to think of what she said. What if I was mutant? No, I can't be, but what if? That would explain the power I have. I studied the pamphlet for an hour trying to decide what I should do. Then I saw the tuition fee, five thousand dollars. Well that does it, I can't affor- hold on, what if? Mr. Husati said he'd pay me more than I need to the fee, but one problem, I don't have the suit. Maybe I should get repro of the suit and, na, he'll wouldn't go for that. I sighed then thought again. The Sai! The one I saw Mr. Parker had that day in school. I can't get the suit, but maybe he'll take the Sai. But where would… I sighed again. My mind was allover the place and I needed sleep to clear my mind.
The nightmares are getting worse. This time I am in dark city street. It's quiet; no sound. I walk down the street being very aware of my surroundings. Suddenly I start to hear those whisperings again. I wildly look about.
"N-No," I tremble," Leave me alone."
The whispers start to get loud and the shadows move like in my previous dreams. I then start run. I run away from them, but they too fast.
"Leave me alone!" I shout at them, but they ignore me.
The shadows are then drawn down the dark street and merge in to a huge shadow. I stop suddenly and watch as it takes it shape. I am horrified to see it is a ninja. It is Hartuki Korarti. But that is impossible. Old Mr. Lee told me we would be gone. Suddenly he gets in his fighting stance and he used his hands like it was throwing a water jar at me. Instead a blast of a laser beam emits out of it and fires out towards me.
"No!" I shouted as I wake up in a deep sweat. I breathed heavily trying to get my heart to stop beating like jackrabbit. I turned on the light and looked on the bedside table. I looked at the pamphlet Ms. Munroe gave me and thought. Perhaps this professor Xavier could help me. I can't bare any more nightmares.
In the morning, I went to my first session with Master Lee. As I went upstairs with him, he opened the door and before me was a room that looked like a real dojo I see in the movies with Jackie Chan. There were bamboo walls, Asian plants, and Chinese tapestries everywhere.
"Welcome to my dojo Michael San," He said as I admired the room, "I just have one rule, you do as I say, or I'll will kick your ass." I looked at him to see if he was serious, he then chuckled, "I was only kidding about the ass part, but I doubt I won't have a problem with you."
He showed me first how to sit when I meditate. He told me that Indian style works best for a beginner like me.
"Now, close your eyes and relax," He said to me, "breath in deep and let your mind go free." We both breathed in air; hey, this was relaxing, "Now exhale." We did this for half an hour. We just sat there listening to the outside world. Listening to birds chirping, faint sound of traffic, I even heard children laugh. This is wonderful experience I thought. After the session was done he started to teach me the ways of the samurai.
"The samurai protect people, he honors on what he believes, and his mind is always set," He said. He seemed very wise.
"That was a cool session Master Lee," I said to him, "I feel more relaxed, my mind seems more clear now. Thank you."
He smiled at me and replied, "You are welcome Michael san, now next week I we will do more meditations and learn more of the martial arts."
He bowed before me and I bowed back in respect. I knew that these sessions with Master Lee could calm my nightmare, but he didn't know what to do about the strange powers I have.
"I got this pamphlet from a mutant named Ms. Munroe last night," I said as I gave it to him, "She said that I have mutant powers and I should stop by the school of theirs to check it out. But I don't know Master Lee, what should I do?"
"A wise man told me, to control power, you must learn from it," Mr. Lee replied.
I understood what he said and made my decision. I told him I would be back next week. "Oh, there's one more thing," I said, "yesterday after work, I bumped into a man named Oroto Husati." At that name he was surprised, "Do you know him?"
"What did he want?" he wondered.
"He wanted Hartuki's ninja suit, " I replied, "Who is he?"
"Michael san, you must not see this man again," He warned, "Oroto is an evil underground mob leader of Chinatown."
"Mob Leader?"
"Yes, what did he want the suit for?"
"I don't know, he didn't say. But he offered me ten thousand dollars for it. Problem is I don't have the suit and I have about less than a week to bring it to him, or he'll kill me," I said.
"Hmm, you should go the police," He suggested, "But he would have you killed if you tried. Do not worry Michael san, I will think of something before hand."
I wondered what he has planned? Is he going to face Oroto? I hope not. I want to come back next week. We both went down stairs and somehow I knew that Fen was listening to our conversation. As we entered the shop, Master Lee had some deliveries to make and left us alone.
"Michael," Fen started, "I'm worried for you."
"You heard huh?" I said. "Well don't worry Fen, I can handle this mob boss."
"You don't understand. I seen what he could do," she explained, "Don't go, please."
She was really worried for me; maybe she loves me? Well don't want her to worry. I love her as well. "Fen, I'll be fine," I leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the lips. I didn't know why I did that; I guess I fell in love with her. Surprisingly she didn't object. I picked up the phone and called a cab.
"I'll be back later Fen, I have another appointment to catch," I told her, and soon after we heard a honking of a car horn, "My cab is here."
"Michael," She paused, I could tell in her eyes that she loves me, but somehow holding it back, "Be careful."
"I will," I wanted to kiss her again, but didn't, I just held her hand, and then went out the door.
We drove for an hour and I noticed that we were in suburbs. It reminded me of my hometown in New Jersey. The cab drove through a town of Salem. It seemed wholesome almost, like a place where no one cares what you are. We drove out and back in the countryside until the cab stopped in front of a large brick fenced in property.
"Here you are pal," The driver said, "Are you sure you want to be dropped off here? I've heard a lot strange stuff goes on in there."
"What kind of strange stuff?" I asked.
"You go in, you don't come out," He replied.
"Right," I said handing him the money, "Here, keep the change."
I got out of the cab as he drove off, like he was in a hurry. I ignored his warning and looked at the large iron gates. I then looked at a plaque that was on the red brick wall that read:
XAIVER INSTITUE FOR HIGHER LEARNING
This place looked huge, maybe larger than my college. Suddenly the gates opened and I heard a male voice that said, "Welcome Michael."