The Temple of Heaven

by Z. Allora

  Jordon devoured every piece Tian Di handed him. Covering his mouth, he said, “So good. Usually I prefer chocolate, but this is delicious.”

  They strolled past several antique stalls where vendors were hawking all kinds of things—pottery shards made into pendants, incense burners in the shape of dragons, knockoff pocketbooks, pashmina shawls, and paintings. Many of the pieces were made to look old, though some of them looked like things from his grandmother’s cabinet.

  Outside a shop, a man sat on a blanket he shared with his long grass creatures. The man twisted and wove grass into a dragon. The bulk of his inventory specialized in crickets and grasshoppers, but there were also butterflies and birds.

  Jordon studied the man’s technique as if he were memorizing each movement. Tian Di found a Zen relaxation to the weaving of the grass, and only Jordon’s claps of appreciation woke him.

  After wandering a little longer, Jordon’s stomach growled.

  “Let’s get an early lunch,” Tian Di suggested. “That power bar we split wasn’t enough for breakfast.”

  “You got that right.” Jordon rubbed his stomach.

  “And at this time of day, we’ll beat the lunch crowd.” Tian Di picked a traditional but popular restaurant. The eatery sat on the canal bank under a giant weeping willow. One wall was lined with relatively clean tanks filled with fish in a predinner swimming state. The waitress led them to a table overlooking the canal.

  Jordon beamed with excitement. “It’s like we’re in ancient China. I love this!”

  Curls of satisfaction wound around Tian Di at making Jordon happy.

  The menu was in Chinese. Tian Di asked, “Do you want me to translate the menu?”

  Shaking his head, Jordon said, “Nah, surprise me.”

  “Anything you can’t eat?”

  “No. I’m usually good with most things.”

  Tian Di scanned the menu. “Do you like pork? Wanshan pork hock is a specialty of this town.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “The pork is very juicy. I’ll order that and—”

  “Where you from?” the waitress demanded rather than asked.

  Jordon smiled. “New York. Upstate, near Albany.”

  “Ah, New York… the Big Apple.”

  “No, about three hours away from the city.”

  The waitress ran her fingers through Jordon’s blond hair. “Nice.”

  Annoyance trickled through Tian Di. He understood she might not have seen a lot of blonds, but no one in Hong Kong would ever have been so bold.

  Jordon stared at her with his enormous green eyes.

  She put her arm against his and rubbed his biceps. “So white. I want.”

  Tian Di explained to her in Mandarin, “You’re making my friend uncomfortable,” even though Jordon seemed unfazed by the attention.

  Grinning, she asked Tian Di, “He want a wife? I’ll give him a baby.”

  Biting his tongue, Tian Di decided to order. “He’ll pass. I want to order the special pork, vegetables, and rice. Please bring the rice with the meal.”

  Her stomp suggested she understood he was dismissing her with their order.

  “Sorry about that,” Tian Di apologized to Jordon.

  “No need. I know I stick out here. I’ve noticed the picture taking.” Jordon leaned over the table. “Though the whole ‘I want your skin’ thing creeps me out in a Silence of the Lambs way.”

  Tian Di chuckled, understanding the reference. His sister called him in the middle of the night for a week to whine about that particular movie keeping her awake.

  Jordon looked right and left, and with a serious expression said, “All I’m saying is, if she brings me body lotion and says ‘it puts the lotion on its skin,’ I’m out of here.”

  Snorting, Tian Di nodded. “Deal.”

  Jordon’s cell vibrated. “Argh.”

  From the irritation on Jordon’s face, Tian Di didn’t need confirmation that it was probably one or both of his brothers checking on him.

  “I canceled breakfast with them and you’d think I’ve been abducted by aliens.” Resting his head on his hand, Jordon admitted, “I guess it’s my own fault.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Jordon sighed. “When I was younger, I made the mistake of trying to hook up with a stranger. He was much older and much scarier than I expected. Apparently he preyed on young guys.”

  A sick fear went through Tian Di. There were too many terrible things that could have taken place to the precious man in front of him. Compelled he asked, “What happened?”

  “The man didn’t like that I chickened out on going to his house, so he punched me. He might have tried to force me, but Zack rescued me before anything too bad happened.”

  That explained a lot of his brothers’ need to protect him. Tian Di grabbed his hand across the table and squeezed. “I’m glad, though the whole experience must have been scary.”

  “It screwed with my head. I’ve been in therapy for years. Probably one of the reasons why I’ve never had a real relationship.” Jordon frowned.

  “It’s terrible that happened to you.” Tian Di wanted to protect him too.

  Jordon straightened his back.

  Tian Di recognized Jordon didn’t need or want to be coddled, but supported and respected. “I’m impressed how well you dealt with it.”

  The smile that lit Jordon’s face told Tian Di he was correct.

  “I’m trying. Now if I could just get my brothers to remember I’m twenty and not five, I’d be set.”

  Tian Di caressed his hand, trying to send reassurance through his touch.

  The waitress returned with their meal. “Wanshan pork, vegetables, and rice. I learn English.”

  Jordon smiled. “Your English is great. Way better than my Chinese.”

  She laughed and set the dishes on the table.

  Ignoring the curious looks the waitress gave them, Tian Di gave Jordon’s hand one last squeeze and released it to do surgery on the pork. He was sure Jordon didn’t want any part of the layer of fat that had to be at least fifteen centimeters thick. He served a juicy piece of pork, vegetables, and rice to Jordon.

  “This looks incredible.” Jordon took his chopsticks and tore off a piece.

  A bit of the juice ran down Jordon’s chin, and with great effort, Tian Di didn’t lick his face. He dabbed at the drip with his napkin. “You’ve got something here.”

  “Thanks.”

  AFTER LUNCH, they continued their exploration of the ancient water town. Tian Di took a lot of pleasure playing tour guide for Jordon. “This is the Double Bridge. See? There’s one bridge over the large canal and a connecting one over the side canal.”

  Jordon stopped to take some pictures. “Can we take a picture together?”

  “Sure.” Tian Di smiled for the selfie.

  Holding his phone up high, Jordon took several snapshots that included them, the bridge, the canal, and a boat drifting beneath them.

  “This is one of the scenes you’ll see on postcards and on embroideries depicting the four seasons.” Tian Di gestured at the canal.

  “Let me just send a couple to Gwen, my best friend back home.” Jordon’s fingers danced over his phone. “She’s a textile artist. You know, she promised me I’d meet someone special on this trip.”

  Tian Di froze.

  Jordon grinned. “I can’t wait to tell her… I did.”

  Tian Di would welcome all the wrinkles his mother promised he’d get by smiling.

  THEY CONTINUED to amble through shops and artist studios.

  Jordon watched the snuff bottle painters with fascination.

  “Could you ask him to show me what he’s using to paint with?” Jordon requested.

  A couple of quick translations later and Jordon was decorating the inside of the bottle like a pro.

  Tian Di purchased Jordon an ornate phoenix on a bottle. One side had the bird bursting into flames, and the other side had the vivid bird taking flight. He had no patience a
nd gave the present immediately.

  Jordon accepted the small gift and gave him a hug. “Thank you. I love it. I feel like this is me right now. Like I’m unstopping the bottle, and I’m—”

  “Silk comforters?” the woman in the silk bedding shop asked.

  Tian Di smiled. “Do you—”

  “Want silk comforters?” the shopkeeper asked in English.

  Jordon poked his head into her shop, shrugged, and stepped inside. He accepted the silk cocoon she handed him, then pointed to the poster on the wall of a silkworm eating a mulberry leaf, spinning the cocoon, a pot boiling the cocoon, and then people stretching the silk.

  She took a semi-unwound cocoon, tossed it on the table where some silk was already stretched out, and called for her assistant.

  The two women proceeded to pull and stretch the layer across the table until it lay over the current one.

  Jordon pointed to the price on the wall. “I heard about these. Is that the price?”

  Tian Di turned so the woman couldn’t see his lips. “It’s a good price, but it’s still too high. We can get the comforters for 30 percent less.”

  “I’d like to get seven of the two-kilograms and seven of the three-kilograms. That way the comforters can be added or subtracted based on the weather.”

  Jordon never thought of just himself. Tian Di asked, “For your friends?”

  “Yeah, and a set for you.”

  “You don’t have to—”

  Jordon said for Tian Di’s ears only, “I know, but I like the idea of keeping you warm.”

  “That’s not a challenge for you,” he muttered and then turned to focus on the shopkeeper. “My friend wants seven two-kilograms, and seven three-kilograms. What’s your best price?”

  She punched a number into her calculator and handed the device to Jordon.

  He stared at the digits, which were even higher than her posted prices, then handed the calculator to Tian Di.

  In Mandarin she told Tian Di, “I will give you a free one if you make him buy at the shown price.”

  Tian Di smiled. “I will be happy to take my friend two stores down and get him a better price.”

  “No need. No need. You drive a hard bargain.” She grabbed the calculator, tapped the numbers again, then handed it to Jordon. Still, the price was higher.

  Tian Di shook his head and started to steer Jordon toward the door.

  “Okay, okay.” She handed over the calculator with a reasonable price.

  “Thank you.” In Mandarin Tian Di said, “We will pick the comforters up on our way back. And we will weigh them.”

  She glared, having her final trick taken from her. “Okay, okay.”

  No one was going to cheat Jordon if Tian Di could prevent it.

  WOMEN IN traditional blue linen tops with frog closures paddled the tourists along the canal, singing as they drifted by in flat-bottomed boats.

  Catching the look of interest on Jordon’s face, Tian Di asked, “Would you like to go for a boat ride?”

  “Yes, please,” Jordon squealed, causing some people to stare. A couple of them snapped some pictures of him.

  Tian Di guided him down the cobblestone alleyway that led to the boat launch. The wooden boats were piled together, a dozen deep, with their blue canopy tops. Tian Di paid for the tickets and asked for a singer to ferry them. He recalled from his first journey to Zhouzhuang that the women navigating the canals were like jukeboxes. Passengers needed to give money for the songs.

  Tian Di hopped onto the boat and slipped their fair captain a tip.

  He turned back around to assist Jordon into the wobbly boat and then settled him onto the bench. Since they were tourists, it was acceptable if they sat together so they could both face forward. Though any excuse to be close to Jordon was a good one.

  The woman hopped to the back of the boat and paddled the oar in a figure eight pattern. The boat glided under a bridge and into the main canal.

  “This is gorgeous. I love the view from the water.” Jordon snapped a ton of pictures, capturing the white stucco houses with the black roofs and red lanterns hanging off the side, a woman washing her clothing in the canal, fishermen with birds, and weeping willows dangling over the water.

  People waved and snapped pictures of them… well, of Jordon.

  The attention didn’t faze Jordon. Maybe being raised by a famous rock star prepared him for being a curiosity in China. Jordon posed with a smile and gave a peace sign.

  Tian Di pointed out the open water sheds. “Those are holiday floats.”

  “Cool. They do parades on the water?”

  A soft song erupted behind them. The tip worked. “Yes.”

  “What’s the song about?”

  Odd that she would pick that to sing. “It’s an old song about falling in love… how the feelings can be overwhelming, but then the couple settle into a steady happiness… that grows over the years.”

  Tian Di hummed along.

  “Please?” Jordon nudged him.

  “I haven’t warmed up and I just ate, but can’t say no to you.” He added his voice to hers.

  There was applause from the canal banks and from the boat behind them. Someone called out in English, “We should tip you.”

  Tian Di smiled and sang another duet. This time the song was about trying to keep your lover forever. It didn’t take much to infuse the lyrics with emotion. If anything, Tian Di needed to hold back.

  Even though Jordon didn’t know Mandarin, tears sparkled in his eyes, and he wore a lovely smile that touched Tian Di’s soul.

  Making Jordon smile was just about the best thing in the world. Actually, anything to do with Jordon had become Tian Di’s favorite thing in the world.

  AFTER THE canal, they wandered back through the alleys and into some more shops.

  “Shall we stop for some tea?” Tian Di led Jordon to one of the traditional teahouses.

  “That would be great.” As soon as they entered, Jordon seemed bemused by the dark wood interior. He peered out the window overlooking the canal and squealed, “Koi!”

  Tian Di tingled. He loved the intenseness of how Jordon experienced life. He ordered Longjing tea and snacks.

  Within a couple of minutes, the waitress set the tea and snacks on their table.

  “Thank you,” Jordon said in Mandarin, deliciously accented by his New York tones.

  Tian Di spoke as he prepared the tea. “We always use hot water to rinse the cups, then add the tea leaves to each cup, and wash those.

  He added the tea leaves and swirled the leaves in a little water, then covered the teacup with the lid. “You want to pour out the water, not the awakened leaves.”

  Jordon scrutinized the contents of the cup. “The leaves have unfurled, and it smells so fresh.”

  Pleased he noticed, Tian Di explained, “These leaves are from the first flush. We’re lucky to have gotten first flush this late in the season.”

  “Flush?”

  Tian Di filled the teacups with hot water and checked the time on his cell. “A flush is a tea harvest. The first flush usually makes the freshest, purest cup of tea because the youngest leaves are picked. Each flush has a unique flavor based on the type of tea, and some can taste the difference.”

  “Tea sounds complex,” Jordon mused.

  “It can be, but tea is about how it tastes. Longjing tea is from Zhejiang Province near Hangzhou. There’s a proverb: Heaven has paradise and on earth we have Suzhou and Hangzhou.”

  “That’s a lovely saying.” Jordon’s stare made Tian Di’s cheeks heat.

  “It’s not an exact translation but you get the meaning.” He checked the time again. “Um, it’s been about two and a half minutes. Try the tea.”

  Jordon took off the lid and stared at the long leaves still floating on top. He tilted his head and scrunched his face. “How do I—”

  “Like this.” Tian Di demonstrated by adjusting his teacup’s lid and used it as a filter so he could sip the tea through the partially cove
red cup.

  Copying him, Jordon exclaimed, “Wow, that tastes like a meadow.”

  Tian Di chuckled.

  Jordon shook his head and added, “A good meadow. I don’t know how to describe the taste other than green.”

  “It does.” Tian Di pushed a plate filled with nuts, sweetened rice cakes, and preserved fruit in Jordon’s direction. “Try something.”

  Jordon cautiously surveyed the plate before picking a rice cake. He nibbled on the treat. “It’s sweet.”

  Pushing down the need to hold Jordon’s hand, Tian Di brushed a crumb from the corner of Jordon’s mouth.

  Their gazes locked. It was clear Jordon wanted many of the same things Tian Di did right here and right now.

  Breaking the stare, Jordon asked, “Do you mind if I sketch you?”

  What? The why didn’t matter when Jordon’s eyes sparkled, and he practically vibrated in his seat. “Sure.”

  Jordon pulled out his pencils and pad from his bag and set to work. Five minutes later, he turned the sketch pad over to show Tian Di. “What do you think?”

  It was hard to believe both Jordon’s talent and the way Jordon saw him. His longer hair added to the feminine portrayal, but he didn’t appear fragile. Jordon had captured Tian Di’s steel core, which hadn’t allowed society to reshape who he was.

  He didn’t know what to say. Eventually he asked, “May I see the others?”

  “Um… sure.”

  Tian Di flipped the sketch pad and found another of himself. He was onstage singing, looking very much like a rock-and-roll god he’d always wished he could become. Turning the pages, he found himself sitting, staring out a window, and even one of him sleeping with the sheet dipped down low on his waist.

  He studied Jordon, whose cheeks were tinted bright red.

  Jordon took some of the rice cake crumbs and dropped them out the open window to feed the koi. “I couldn’t sleep. If you keep turning pages, you’ll see some scenes.”

  “What are these?”

  “I know it’s stupid, but I draw places I’ve gone and things I’ve seen for my future husband.”

  Tian Di gasped. “You’re engaged?” This was the first he’d heard of this other man.