by A. H. Shinn
If Kellie wasn’t already sitting on the ground, she would have fallen down. She knew exactly who Sonam was: she was a chosen one—like Kellie—and the mystical animals had trained her.
“Sonam opened Druk Monastery and passed on her principals and knowledge of physical combat. But she foresaw another who would teach us. She had visions of a baby from the forest with a special power. You are from the forest. You have a special power. You are the Teacher.”
Kellie’s heart beat so loudly she could hear it. “W-Why do you believe these things about me?”
Choden grinned with satisfaction. She gestured to a person sitting at the other side of the hall, who was staring at them. “That is Bodhi. She is a tracker. She learned of a baby who was discovered in Shenmi Forest and adopted by the Taiping monks. Someone in Du Zhen told her you’d moved to America. It was difficult to locate you, so she returned to Du Zhen to try and obtain more information. The town doctor revealed that you were back at Taiping Monastery, visiting.”
Dr. Lee, thought Kellie.
“Bodhi reported to us the power you used during a battle with monkeys.” Her crafty smile was back on her face.
“You were spying on me?” Kellie bit down hard on her lip.
“We were looking for you.”
It was discomforting to know that there were people who had been searching for and watching Kellie. But it was even more alarming that they knew about her secret.
Having Hagos’s Emotive Chi was sacred knowledge only known to a select group. Now she learned that strangers she just met knew something about it. Regardless, they were in for a disappointment when they discovered she no longer possessed it.
“And what if you find out that I am not the One and have no special energy?” asked Kellie.
“We are certain,” said Choden.
“But what if you’re wrong?”
With an irritated sigh, she said, “Then we will allow you to go home.”
Then they’ll see that I no longer have it, thought Kellie as she took a sip from her cup.
After Choden finished her meal, she got up and left. The two women who’d remained silent throughout the conversation stayed seated next to Kellie. It was obvious that they were instructed to keep watch over her.
Kellie observed the odd women as they continued to pass dishes and eat. They were unfeminine in appearance and movement. Their hands were thick and calloused, and Kellie wondered how proficient they were in kung fu.
The women occasionally spoke to each other, but refrained from saying anything to her. They continued to throw only glances her way. Kellie stayed seated on her pillow, shifting the cross of her legs so they wouldn’t fall asleep as she continued to watch her captors.
Across the room, fruit flew off a plate when a woman jetted up from a table. As she bent to pick up the food, a large tattoo creeping down her back was visible. When she got up, her shirt covered the art.
As the meal was being finished, Choden returned. She said something to the others as she walked past them, and one by one they cleared the room.
Kellie’s two guards stood and nodded at Choden. They also left the area, and just a few women were left under the roof.
“It is time,” Choden proudly said to Kellie.
“Time for what?”
“You will see. Please come with me.”
Kellie wasn’t exactly afraid of these people, but her eyes involuntarily shifted beyond the steps of the opened doors.
“You have nothing to fear,” said Choden with a twinkle in her eye. “We have something to show you.”
Kellie followed Choden outside, down a few steps, and onto a platform. About fifty monks stood in rows on the square, cement floor. Four women with large drums and four with small hand drums faced them in front. The rest watched from the sidelines.
Choden nodded, and then one of the drummers shouted something. At once, those who were standing on the floor moved into a ready position: their hands went up and their feet were in a horse stance. The drums began to play, and Kellie recognized that a martial arts demonstration was beginning.
The monks’ movements were sharp and powerful, and they stepped and turned in perfect synchrony. Each punch and kick was executed with precision; when they kicked high, their legs were at identical heights.
Kellie closed her mouth when she noticed it was hanging open. She had only trained the Taiping way, and had never seen a fighting style performed in this manner. The Taiping monks displayed beauty when they moved. The people here portrayed intense aggression, though their skills were quite impressive.
First, they demonstrated a flawless form and then turned to each other to trade punches. Although they blocked most of their sparring partner’s strikes, some of the hits were accepted. Kellie cringed with each blow, but it didn’t seem to affect the monks who had received the punches.
The small hand drums thumped as they shifted their formation into a semicircle. A martial artist marched to the middle as the beating of the big drums intensified. Randomly, opponents attacked her, and she defeated each of them with ease. Kellie shuddered with each strike. They didn’t hold back, which was usually the case during a martial arts demonstration. Here, some of the women proceeded back into line with bloody, open gashes.
By the time the thunderous pounding of the instruments climaxed, many groups of sparring matches covered the floor. The women were fierce fighters.
With the final beat of the drums, they stood back in their original lines and bowed at the waist. Silence followed as all eyes targeted Choden and Kellie.
Kellie held her breath, wondering if she was supposed to say something. To her relief, Choden raised her hands and shouted, “This night will be remembered in our history. Sonam’s vision has finally come forth, and we have obtained the One after centuries of waiting. Here I present to you, Rinzen, our Teacher.”
Choden moved back, and everyone fell prostrate to the floor.
Kellie awkwardly stepped back and said to Choden, “Teacher? I’m only fifteen. You have the wrong—”
“Do not worry, Rinzen. You have years to learn your place.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Simi
Kellie was the only one upright as Choden got down onto the ground. When Choden stood, the others followed.
It was a strange feeling to be revered in this way—especially since she was being held captive by the same people who were bowing to her. And, of course, she wasn’t the person they thought she was.
Kellie watched as the women scattered. They began to clean the area and put out most of the torches. The dining hall was cleared of food and dishes. The sitting mats were stacked in a corner and the tables were wiped.
Choden disappeared, and the two bodyguards were back at Kellie’s side.
“I know how to get to my room,” Kellie said to them.
One of the guards furrowed her brow, the other softly replied with a smile, “It is our duty…and our pleasure.”
Kellie thought she seemed nice…under the circumstances. Maybe she could get information from her.
“What is your name?” Kellie asked.
Unable to hold back her delight, she answered, “My name is Simi, and this is Lin.”
Lin shot her a you-shouldn’t-be-talking-to-her glare.
Simi gazed down self-consciously for a moment. Her eyes floated back to Kellie’s face as she tried to hold back a smile.
“It’s nice to meet you both,” Kellie said as they began to head back to the living quarters.
“So…when did you decide to become a monk?” Kellie asked Simi. She knew she wasn’t going to get anything out of Lin.
Simi giggled as she walked beside Kellie. “I wanted to become a nun ever since I was a little girl. My goal is to become a bhikkhunı−. That will take many years.”
“You’ve been here since you were a
little girl?”
“No. Only for about a year. They don’t accept you here until you are eighteen. Well, except for you…”
“Where are you from?” Kellie asked.
“I’m from India.”
“India?” Kellie said, surprised. “All of you are not from here? From Bhutan?”
“Most of us are not,” she answered.
Lin cleared her throat and raised her eyebrows at Simi.
Simi looked away from Kellie, slowing her pace to be a step behind.
Kellie turned around and walked backward as she asked, “Where is everyone from?”
“We are almost at your room,” Lin answered stiffly. “It was prepared for you.”
The rest of the walk was in silence. Simi wasn’t going to answer any more questions—well, not with Lin around. When they got to Kellie’s dwelling, Simi held the door open for her. Lin picked up a long, wooden board that was leaning against the wall.
“Please knock if you need anything,” said Simi. She shut the door, and Kellie heard a thump. They’d locked her in.
The room had been tidied, and an extra blanket had been placed at the foot of the bed. A kettle, cup, and bowl of uncut fruit had been laid out on the table. A potted plant was in the corner of the room; it hadn’t been there before.
They must be trying to make me feel more welcome…Don’t get comfortable, she told herself. I won’t be here long.
The next day, Kellie didn’t want to open her eyes. The thin mattress on the wooden bed frame assured her that she was awake and hadn’t just had a nightmare. Lying in a fetal position underneath the blanket, she wondered what the nuns would do if she just slept all day and made them serve her hand and foot. But that wouldn’t get her any closer to an escape plan. And fortunately for them, she needed to use the restroom and hadn’t taken a shower in two days.
A lamp that barely flickered provided enough light for Kellie to find her shoes and make her way around the small room. She knocked on the door, and it opened immediately.
Kellie squinted at the sun, which was still making its ascent.
“Good morning, Rinzen,” said a cheerful voice. It was Simi.
“Please, call me Kellie.” Simi nodded at the request, but Kellie wasn’t confident she was going to oblige.
“Why am I called Rinzen?” asked Kellie.
“That’s the name Sonam used to describe the Teacher,” Simi answered eagerly. “It means holder of intellect.”
Kellie always did well in school, but “holder of intellect” was probably an overstatement. “So, do you have a bathroom?”
“Yes, of course,” Simi said, smiling.
Her friendliness was making it difficult for Kellie to loathe her.
“It doesn’t have the luxury of modern-day comforts, but you’ll get used to it. We recently put the plumbing in for the showers. Before then, we all had to take baths with water that was carried from the well. The water is still cold, but it’s nothing like how it was during the winter. If you want us to draw you a hot bath, it’ll take a couple of hours.”
“A shower is fine.” Kellie wasn’t looking forward to the cold water but she was ready to start her day of investigating.
After they went down a path, Simi pointed to the outhouse. “There is the toilet.” It was beside metal pipes that twisted up and around a tight four-by-four-foot space built with wood planks. “I’ll be here if you need anything.”
Kellie had never used an outhouse before, and the shower appeared primitive. Though Taiping Monastery was centuries old, they had modern amenities—specifically running, hot water.
In the privacy of the shower, Kellie undressed and swung her clothes over the other side of the wood planks and hung them on a hook. She kept her necklace on so she wouldn’t lose it.
There was a single knob: the one for cold water. Simi wasn’t kidding. Kellie shivered as she rushed to cleanse herself with a bar of soap. Looking around for shampoo and conditioner, she remembered no one there had hair. The soap worked, though it was going to leave her hair tangled.
In record time, she turned off the faucet, and a towel was dangled out to her. As she reached over to grab her clothes, she felt a different, lighter weight material. She put on the beige-colored pants and long-sleeved shirt with frog closures. It was the same outfit Simi was wearing.
After padding her hair with the towel (Kellie didn’t bother asking for a blow-dryer), Simi handed her a brush.
“I didn’t think you would have one of these,” said Kellie.
“It doesn’t get used.”
Kellie noticed Simi staring as she detangled her long, black hair.
“Sometimes I miss my hair,” Simi said, and then quickly covered her mouth. “Don’t tell anyone I said that. But it used to look like yours.”
“Did they force you to shave your head?” asked Kellie, shuddering at the thought.
“No. It’s shaven when the person is ready…though it’s expected to be done sooner than later.” She hung up Kellie’s towel. “The mark comes afterward.”
“The mark?”
“Oh, you must not know about that. All of us have the same tattoo on our backs.”
Kellie recalled the hint of the tattoo on a nun’s lower back in the dining hall. “Is that mandatory?”
“Yes. It’s a symbol of our sisterhood.”
“What is the tattoo of?”
“It is something Sonam drew. It represents the Teacher and the energy that she carries.”
“What does it look like?”
“I’ll show you.” The young nun turned around and lifted the back of her shirt.
The indelible mark looked like a palm with light emerging from it.
“It’s the power the tracker described you shot from your hands when you moved objects from a distance,” said Simi.
Kellie sighed inwardly. What could she say to refute that she wasn’t their Teacher?
“And do all of you believe what the tracker saw?”
“Not all of us, but most of us. But all of us do want to see it with our own eyes.” Simi stared at Kellie with awe, as if she already believed she was standing before the Teacher.
“And you think I am the One?”
Simi wasn’t able to suppress her grin. “I do.” Shyly, her gaze drifted away and then up to the sky. “We have been lucky with the weather,” she said, changing the subject. “It’s monsoon season, but it has hardly rained. The mountains are usually surrounded by clouds.”
“Are we in the mountains?” Kellie asked. Simi seemed more than willing to provide information.
“We are.”
“And where is Bhutan, exactly?”
“It’s bordered by China and India,” Simi answered.
Kellie still couldn’t believe she was in another country, and she had to stay calm. But hearing that she was near China was slightly promising. Maybe she could get word to the Taiping monks of where she was? There was a lot she was going to have to figure out.
“Are you going to show me around the monastery?” Kellie asked.
“I’ll take you around after the morning meal.”
They ate in the same building as the night before. Unfortunately, breakfast was the same gritty porridge she had in her room, fruit, and leafy tea as well.
Simi was the only one who talked to Kellie. If others spoke to her, it was only a few words. The rest acknowledged her with a nod.
Kellie ate, then stood to clear her plate. No one prohibited her from putting away her own dish, and she even gave it a rinse in a tub of water. Yesterday they treated her as a deity, but today it was as if she was already a sister.
This change could play to her advantage if she learned to blend in. It would make it easier for her to slip away. She just needed to memorize the layout of the monastery.
“I’m ready fo
r my tour now,” she said to Simi brightly, as they stepped out into the sunlight.
“I know what to show you first,” Simi said with a grin on her face. “It’ll take your breath away.”
They hiked down a dirt trail in a direction away from everyone. Creating a mental map in her head, Kellie attempted to memorize the route, but there were numerous twists and turns between the wooded areas.
They walked side by side, until they went down a narrow path. Simi led the way and glanced behind her, flashing an innocent smile. Kellie began to wonder where she was being taken. They were on a fairly steep slope of dirt and pebbles. The downgrade eventually turned into steps. Wooden planks were nailed down to make the trek easier.
“We are here,” said Simi.
When they went down into the building, Kellie couldn’t stop herself from gasping. They were standing in a temple built on the side of the mountain. The wooden walls were carved with an intricate design and the ceiling was painted with bright colors. In the center of the ceiling was an illustration of a dragon, similar to the one on the flag.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” asked Simi, drifting to the other side of the room.
Kellie joined her, and looked over the windowless, chest-high wall. Looking out into the sprawling, scenic view was breathtaking. The landscape was a luscious green with mountains as the backdrop.
Kellie peered down and then took a few steps back.
“You’ll get used to it,” said Simi. “The temple is perfectly stable.” She inhaled the crisp air. “We are fortunate to have such a clear day. Hopefully the rain stays away for a while longer.”
Eyeing Kellie enthusiastically, she said, “I’ll show you around.”
They walked across painted, ceramic tiles and up a few steps into an uncovered area. The same tiling continued onto the deck.
