Chapter Six: The Morning After
Disclaimers: I don't own any of the characters from The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest. They all belong to Hanna-Barbara. However, this story is mine, as are all the characters seen here that did not appear on the show.
Please note: In this chapter, dialogue marked by angle brackets indicate that a character is speaking in Kannada. Also, please refer to the glossary following the chapter for some definitions and explanations of the yoga terms I use here.
Tick. The tiny sound the bedside clock made just before its alarm sounded work Hadji, and he turned it off before it even had the chance to ring. He switched on the small bedside lamp and got out of bed. After performing his morning ablutions, he donned a short dhoti and a plain white turban in preparation for a meditations session with his mother. He made his way down the dim hallway to the Sultan's Apartments and entered without knocking.
Hadji? Neela called out in Kannada.
I am here, Mother, he replied as he shut the door behind him, knowing that his mother expected him to answer in the same language. Crossing the large main room, he entered the small chamber from which his mother's voice had emanated.
The room was faintly illuminated by a single candle in a wall sconce. Hadji's mother sat on the floor upon a dhurri, facing the long floor-to-ceiling windows that composed the room's eastern wall. She wore a dove-grey salwar kamis, but the kamis was cut high on the sides and only fell to mid-thigh. A second dhurri was spread on the floor to her left. The sultan took his place upon it, settling comfortably into the Lotus position.
Without speaking, mother and son began their usual routine. After ten minutes of focused breathing, they opened their eyes to see that the night dark sky had begun to lighten and was now a luminous cobalt blue punctuated with bright stars. They began to stretch, completing two sets of "Head-to-Knee" stretches; then they moved to stand at the front of their rugs and performed a series of standing poses, executing each move slowly while concentrating on breathing and pushing away thoughts of the outside world. Fresh morning air, delicately scented by flowers from the garden below, wafted through the open windows, and Hadji breathed deeply of it. He heard the music of the birds calling to one another, the sound of running water, and the soft chiming of the wind bells in the slight breeze. That breeze caressed his skin, and Hadji felt tranquility sweep over him. At this moment, he was only his body—only a collection of bone, muscle and skin. For this space in time, he was not a sultan, a symbol, a politician, or a son. He was only a man, and his mind was at rest.
As the sun cast streaks of golden light across the sky, and the clouds glowed hot pink, Neela and Hadji began the Great Salutation sequence, performing it with purposeful, mind-cleansing, body-strengthening deliberation. Finally, they rested, lying on their backs on top of the dhurries for another round of meditation intended to cool down their bodies and bring their breathing back to normal.
Unwelcome thoughts began to intrude as Hadji lay at rest upon his dhurri. He stubbornly pushed away his mental list of things that needed to be done that day and tried to concentrate solely on his breathing. Three counts in…four counts out…three counts in…four counts out…The conversation he'd had with Jessie the night before fluttered into his mind. Three counts in…four counts out…An image of the bruise on her belly superimposed itself on the inside of his eyelids, and his stomach clenched. He thought, that could have been prevented! He opened his eyes with a soft sigh and sat up. It did not appear that he would regain his concentration or his inner peace this morning.
Beside the sultan, Neela opened her eyes. Are you not well, my son? She inquired gently.
He cast her a rueful smile. I am well enough. He rose to his feet gracefully, and his mother did the same.
Shall I see you at breakfast? She asked after blowing out the candle. The light it had cast was not necessary now that the sun had risen.
He nodded. Yes. And what of Jessie?
I ordered Madhu to let her sleep as late as she wishes, and to give her breakfast in bed. Dr. Priyadarshini warned me that she might be sorer today than she was yesterday. She also told me that Jessie might want to sleep most of the day. Apparently, a traumatic event such as this is often followed by a period of extreme exhaustion.
Ah— Here, Hadji paused and, lacking the words he wanted, said in English, "the aftereffects of an adrenaline high. I should have remembered that." Touching his mother's arm in a gesture of thanks, he nodded. Very well, I will see you here at breakfast. He cast a bright smile at his mother then left her quarters for his own.
Jessie opened her eyes with a start. He heart was pounding so loudly she could hear it, and she pressed one hand to her chest, as if to still its frantic beating. What happened…? Her mind was a little fuzzy, and all she could remember of the dream was a feeling of panic. Yesterday's events came back to her in a rush, and she squeezed her eyes shut against the memories. I was afraid then, but I won't be now, she told herself firmly. Experimentally, she slowly sat up. It still hurt, but she managed to get out of bed on her own, even if it did take a while.
As she moved from the bed to the bathroom, she began to realize just how important stomach muscles were for walking. Why did Neela give me such a big room? She thought miserably. Jessie took a pain pill, and looked around the bathroom. She decided to make use of the large sunken tub carved out of white-and-gold-veined green marble. A hot bath would reduce her soreness, Jessie reasoned, and she didn't think she was ready for the walk back to her bed. After the tub filled, she sank carefully into the steaming, softly-scented bathwater, closed her eyes, and let her thoughts wander.
"Miss Bannon? Miss Bannon!"
Jessie jerked awake and immediately slipped under the surface of the water. She resurfaced with a splash, choking, gasping, and blinded by heavy locks of her sodden red hair. She heard a pop as the plug was pulled from the bathtub drain, then small strong hands began to pat her firmly between her shoulder blades.
"Miss Bannon, what were you doing?" Madhu demanded in her accented English. "You might have drowned!"
Jessie had regained her breath enough to reply, "I'm glad you were there to wake me up." Madhu didn't appear to register the sarcasm in Jessie's voice. Inside, she was berating herself for being so stupid as to fall asleep in the bathtub. It seemed she was still feeling the aftereffects of yesterday's adrenaline rush. She began to shiver and realized that she was sitting in a tub full of cool water. Her skin was wrinkled from the long immersion, her derriere was sore, and her arms and legs were stiff. She must have been in the tub for hours!
Madhu helped Jessie out of the tub and wrapped her in a soft cotton robe. Jessie allowed herself to be led to the vanity bench and sat meekly as the young Indian woman simultaneously toweled Jessie's hair dry and scolded her for her foolishness. Jessie closed her eyes and nodded meekly whenever the maid stopped for breath. I feel like I'm six years old again, she thought. Finally, Madhu cam to the end of her rant, and asked Jessie, "Are you hungry? Perhaps you should have some lunch."
"Lunch?" Jessie repeated as she stood up and walked slowly into the bedroom. "What time is it?" She asked, even as she glanced toward the clock. It read one-eighteen p.m. She turned around and saw that the maid was taking out a fresh set of pajamas. "Please don't do that, Madhu. I can get dressed on my own." And I'm not getting into pajamas again until it is time to go to bed.
"Very well, Miss Bannon," the other woman replied, putting the clothes back into the drawer.
Jessie suppressed a sigh. She has asked Madhu over and over again to call her by her first name, but he young woman insisted on 'Miss Bannon.' Jessie had finally given up. "Actually, I'm very hungry. Lunch would be great. Nothing fancy, though."
The maid took the hint. "I will take care of it right away." She left the room at once, closing the door behind her.
Jessie headed for the dresser to choose her clothes for the day. She decided on an ankle length cotton dress with little cap sleeves. It was royal blue and had pale blue bamboo leaves printed on it. She figured the bright color would brighten up the crummy day she was having. It was also easy to put on—a definite plus in her current condition. After she dressed, she wandered onto the balcony that overlooked the front lawns. He accidental dunking had dissolved the veil of fatigue that had overwhelmed her that morning, and she felt restless as a result.
The memory of the conversation she'd had with Hadji the night before sprang to mind, and she seized upon it, if only to occupy her thoughts. She recalled her feeling that Tungesh had become separated from her intentionally, and on the heels of that impression came the image of Hiranmayi on her hands and knees on the sidewalk. Could she have fallen on purpose? Jessie wondered uneasily. She is an actress, after all. Then she dismissed the idea. Hiranmayi exuded meekness, just as her younger brother overflowed with boldness. Jessie looked out over the palace gardens to the forests beyond and idly pondered all that had happened since she'd arrived.
Suddenly, a large shape moved into her field of vision, and she quickly backed away from it before she realized it was only Hadji coming onto the balcony. She'd been so lost in thought that she hadn't heard him enter. "You scared me! I didn't hear you come in."
He frowned at her reaction. All the color had drained out of her face in that moment before she had recognized him. "You did not answer my knock, but I knew you were up because I spoke with Madhu." He did not add that he had asked Madhu to notify him when Jessie awoke. He leaned down to get a good look at her face. "Are you all right?"
"Of course! I'm kind of sore, that's all." Jessie broke eye contact first, looking out over the verdant forest once more.
The sultan placed a hand on the side of her face and turned it toward him. "I was not referring to your physical condition, my friend. Your immediate reaction to my presence seemed rather extreme."
Color flooded her cheeks. She stepped away from him, licking her lips nervously. "I'm just a little jumpy. I think that's acceptable, considering. Give me a day or two to get over it, and I'll be fine."
Hadji turned toward the balcony railing and sighed. "You should not have to get over anything. You came here to enjoy yourself, and you ended up in a fistfight with street thugs on your first full day here. It should not have happened. I am supposed to be taking care of you."
Jessie moved to stand beside him at the railing, impatiently brushing a lock of damp red hair out of her eyes. "Please don't get all Victorian on me, Hadj. I'm okay, so let's not worry about it too much. Yesterday's incident was probably just one of those things."
"It has been so long since I have spent any appreciable amount of time with all of you. It seems easy to forget that life-or-death situations are a common occurrence in your lives." The sultan gazed unseeing at the vista before him, his voice almost wistful.
Jessie was slightly alarmed by his tone. He was standing right next to her, but it suddenly seemed as though he were miles away. "Our lives, Hadji. You forgot to include yourself."
He looked at her with sadness in his eyes. "No, I did not."
Her heart wrenched, and it was as though she'd been punched in the stomach again. "Where are you? Why do you feel so far away?"
He closed his eyes and turned his face away from her. "I need to be here—to take care of my responsibilities, to lead my people, and to carry out my father's legacy and my mother's dreams." He gripped the filigreed stone railing so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "I feel guilty because sometimes I just do not want to be here. I miss being at home in Maine with everyone. I miss traveling with Dad and Race. I miss Mrs. Evans' cooking. I even miss watching you and Jonny argue during breakfast…"
Jessie grasped Hadji's arm and shook it a little in her urgency. "We all want you to visit. Your mother has ruled in your place before, and there were no problems then. Why is it different now?" Her voice was full of earnest entreaty as she continued. "If you come see us, I'll pick a fight with Jonny just so you can watch. We can eat peanut butter sandwiches in the lighthouse like we did when we were kids. We can go hiking in the woods and feed seagulls on the beach. Anything you want to—"
Hadji gripped the hand she had put on his arm and turned to face her. His dark eyes shone with some strong emotion that made Jessie forget how to breathe for a moment. A small smile turned up the corners of his beautiful mouth. "If only it could be that easy, Jessie."
Jessie gazed up at him. "It could be that easy," she said softly. "It would be so, so easy…" She leaned toward him without realizing it, suddenly wanting to be as close to him as she could get.
Hadji put his hands on her shoulders to stop her but did not move away from her. Their faces were only inches apart as he spoke quietly. "This is not a good idea." And yet…his mind continued…
"I know," she replied. Then faintly, mostly to herself, she added, "But I'm starting not to care." She averted her eyes and started to step away from him, but he didn't release her.
"Perhaps a compromise is in order," he said in a low voice, then he embraced her, pulling her against him. "Will this do?" He asked, running one hand down the shining length of her hair.
She rested her head on his chest and put her arms around his wait as she said, "This will do just fine."
Three stories below, the sultan and his guest were being observed with interest.
Author's Note: Thank you for being so patient while I finished this chapter. It seems as though the story is taking on a life of its own now. I find that I am straying from my outline more and more in order to keep the flow, but that's okay. I just have to think a little harder.
!Thank You! To Echo fro reviewing the new (and improved) Chapter 5, and to Palin 1 for his excellent advice during the writing process—he was right! He helped me out so much with my yoga description—I appreciate all your help very much, Palin1!
If you like it let me know, if you don't, please tell me why!
Glossary:
Dhoti—traditional men's loincloth. Can be worn up high on the thighs or all the way down to the ankles, depending on the wearer's activity.
Dhurri—traditional yoga rug, usually made of coarsely woven cotton. It offers traction for hands and feet during the practice of yoga. It is often dyed and is sometimes painted with Hindu religious symbols.
Salwar kamis—a traditional Indian outfit work by women, consisting of trousers that fit tightly at hips and ankles (salwar), and a calf- or ankle-length dress or tunic with full- or ¾ length sleeves (kamis or kameej). As far as I can discover, a shorter version of this costume is traditionally worn by women practicing yoga. If anyone has information contradicting this, please let me know and I will gladly alter my description.
Yoga Terms:
I found yoga positions very difficult to describe, so I chose to place them in a separate glossary. I recognize that my explanations may be hard to understand. If this is the case, you might wish to go to and take a look at the posture sketches they have there. They don't have illustrations of all the yoga poses, but many of them are there. In this case, a picture truly is worth a thousand words. Please be aware that there can be many different variations of a position or sequence that has only one name. I am using the names and variations I was taught.
Head-to-Knee side stretches: This is a version of the hamstring stretch, in which one sits with legs spread and stretches from side to side in order to stretch hamstrings, lats, and inner thighs.
Great Salutation: A variation of the Sun Salutation, it consists of a sequence of twenty-two poses that flow smoothly from one to the next. I was going to include a step-by-step description in which Hadji and Neela perform the Great Salutation, but it was getting rather complicated and a little boring. In the middle of the third rewrite, I decided that it was better left out. It is much more enjoyable to do/watch than to read about. Please visit if you would like more detail.
