Temple: A New Journey Begins
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Sally got into her car and started the engine. She had never visited the Lowery farm, but would often drive past it when she headed toward Lordsville. She heard many stories growing up as a kid about the farm. There were even stories about the old ruins up on the hill outside of town, that it had been some sort of monastery. The stories stated that there were monks living up there, but they weren't the catholic kind. The word escaped her for the moment. It was said that they were similar to the monks that were visiting the shrine at the Lowery farm. She wasn't so sure because the stories varied from person to person. If only she could discern what was truth and what was fiction. Those that knew the truth had either moved away or had died, and it had been over 50 years since anyone had lived there.
Since the temple had been destroyed, everything had been peaceful, except on two occasions. The first Sam Lowery had described to her several times. He had been a boy about 13 years old when it happened. Two men had come to town, one of them knew about his father. The other was a cop. Sam had told Sally how Vance Cavanaugh had kidnapped his mother. Certainly not by the same Vance that she knew, perhaps his grandfather. She recalled Sam mentioned that the older man had saved his mother's life, but she just could not remember his name. Sally shook her head. It would come to her later, when she was not thinking about it so much. It always seemed to work that way.
Sally thought about the second occasion. This one was clear in her mind. She was just a teenager, but she recalled it vividly.
***
The stranger arrived without fanfare, walking down the street as if he had come home from a long journey. His face was worn and there was a sadness there that could only be described as "a longing for something that would never be again." The reaction at seeing such a face would have brought immediate comfort, but those who saw the stranger glared. With the stranger's arrival, it meant something far different in other's eyes.
"What's he doing back here?"
"Wasn't he the one who humiliated that Cavanaugh guy?"
"Nah, that was his father."
"Shouldn't someone warn Vance that he's back in town?"
"And have him stir up trouble again?"
"But what if he discovers . . ."
"He's not going to discover anything."
"How can you be sure?"
"Don't worry. I'll take care of it."
The two men entered a nearby café and allowed the stranger to pass unmolested. They continued to watch the man from the window.
The stranger walked through town and stopped at a nearby park to rest. The heat of the day was taking its toll. He looked up when he heard the sound of angry voices.
"Stop it! You'll kill him!"
"Ha Ha Ha. It's just an old mangy cat," a teenage boy replied.
"We won't hurt it, much," another replied. The boys continued to toss rocks at the poor cornered cat.
"It's my cat. You have no right!" Sally screamed. "Stop it!"
Just as one of the boys was about to throw another rock at the cat, the stranger grabbed the kid's arm and the rock was pulled from his hand.
"Hey!"
"In what temple does one learn the art of cruelty?" the stranger asked as he tossed the stone away. "To pick on someone else's pet is the cruelest of all. Would you want what you were about to do done to yours?"
The two boys hesitated, then answered, their voices shaking. "N-n-no."
"The cat has as much right to exist as you and me, even more so. They walk in the world and are a part of it," the stranger instructed. Then the stranger leaned in close, his voice taking on a more menacing tone. "And if I see you toss another stone at another animal, cat or otherwise, I'll see that both of you will be cleaning out the cages at the local animal shelter."
That threat did it. The boys ran from the stranger, leaving Sally and her cat alone.
"Come here, Chester," Sally coaxed. "Did they hurt you?"
Chester slowly came out from under the bushes and brushed up against his mistress' legs. The cat though, had not come out of the situation unscathed.
"Oh, Chester, they did hurt you."
One of the rocks that had been tossed had opened a gash along Chester's left hind leg.
"Allow me," the stranger stated.
Sally watched as the stranger pulled out a small pouch from the larger and emptied what looked like dried leaves and flowers into his hand. He crushed the leaves than placed them over the wound. Sally's eyes became wide when her cat didn't try to wriggle from her grasp.
"I've never seem him this well behaved toward a stranger. He even tries to run away when we take him to the vet."
The stranger continued his ministrations, next pulling out a piece of faded saffron cloth and wrapping the wound. "He knows a true healer does no harm."
The large orange tabby began to purr and rubbed his head against the stranger's hand.
"I think you made a friend," Sally smiled. "What's your name? So I can tell my parents if they ask what happened."
"Caine, Peter Caine. But you can call me Peter."
"So, Peter, what brings you to Braniff?"
"You could say I've come back home to stay for a while."
Sally remembered talking with the stranger at length. She walked along side of him for a while until they reached her home.
"Thanks for helping Chester," Sally stated. "Maybe I'll see you around."
But Sally didn't see the stranger after that. Something happened, and the stranger had disappeared, as if he had never been.
***
Sally was brought out of her memories as she realized she was approaching the Lowery farm. It was now or never. She just hoped that they would listen to what she had to say and believed her.
Continues with Part 16
Alisa Joaquin Copyright@2004.
This story cannot be reprinted or sold in any other form without strict permission from
the author. It is being distributed here solely for your enjoyment.
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