Temple: A New Journey Begins
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Peter drew a deep sigh. The hardest part was where to begin.
"When someone becomes a Shaolin priest and they take the brands, they are supposed to go out into the world for a time, helping those that cannot help themselves. Well, you know what happened with me. I took over my father's apothecary. I was only supposed to take care of the place until he returned with news about whether my mother was alive or not. Turned out the photo was a fake and someone wanted my father and I separated . . ."
"Peter, this is old history, why go over it again?" Kermit interrupted.
"Because it could shed some light on what is happening here. Just bare with me on this Kermit."
"Just get to the point, I don't have much patience right now."
"To make a long story short, I finally was able to do my journeying, but not until after KC was going through his own Shaolin training fifteen years ago. By then, my father had been killed. As part of that journey, I set out to find the man who killed him."
"I remember," Kermit stated through tight lips. "You found him in Toronto. You told me the man was haunted by nightmares after he killed your father."
"Well, you know what happened after that. We won't go into those details. By then five years had passed. I found I could not go back to that hidden Shaolin temple. That temple is still considered a secret and sacred place. I was sworn never to reveal where that temple is for the sake of the monks and for the sake of the Emperor. By then my son had taken his own well earned brands and started his own wanderings. I knew it was time to begin thinking about rebuilding my father's temple here in California. The tradition was going to continue and it was my time to step back and teach."
"Peter, please, I need to know what happened when you got to Braniff."
"Patience, Kermit. I'm getting there."
"Me, patience? I used to tell you that."
"Okay, well, when I returned from Toronto, I realized I still wasn't ready because I was still grieving for my father and still angry. So, I continued to wander for another five years. When I finally went back to Braniff, just like before with my father, I received a chilly reception and just as much hostility than before. You'd think after so many years had gone by that people would forgive and forget, but obviously there were some keeping the memories alive.
"People often remember and hold old grudges longer than they remember the good times, at least that's been my past experience," Kermit stated remembering all too clearly the past. "Friends can come and go, while enemies you'll have for a life-time. That's why I never really wanted to get too close to anyone. Even your friends can become your enemies. You and Paul have been the exception."
"What about all the other people at the precinct?" Peter questioned.
"Hey, you promised to answer my questions, not the other way around. So, what happened after you returned to Braniff."
"Nothing at first, until I started taking walks up around the temple to determine if it could be rebuilt. Someone did not want me up there."
"Sounds familiar."
"I realized something was going on when I took a walk down by the lake to pay my respects to my family at night and I saw lights near the base of the cliff where the temple was. I had to investigate. I also realized that KC was the only family I had left. So, I sent him his heritage to be certain that he would get it."
"I remember that. That was actually the last time Paul ever heard from you. When that blasted brown pouch came back, it tore him apart."
"You've got to understand Kermit, I thought I was saying goodbye. I saw what I thought was my own death. I had to go through with it."
"You didn't have to," Kermit argued. "You could have avoided it."
"No, I couldn't, because I also saw something else," Peter stated, but then grew silent.
"Tell me what did you see?"
Peter did not communicate for several seconds.
"I can't. I shouldn't have even told you that much."
"Peter, you owe me an explanation. After all we've been through. You don't know what it's been like. Paul did not want to believe you were dead. I've been searching for answers for 10 years."
"Why didn't you just leave well enough alone?" Peter questioned.
"I didn't want KC not knowing if you were alive or dead. Every road that I took, I got side tracked or blocked, as if someone did not want me knowing what happened to you. You tell me what you saw. I have a right to know."
"All right," Peter gave in. "I saw two outcomes, one if I didn't get involved and one if I did. If I had not gotten involved and went back to Braniff, my son would not be where he is today. He would be dead, Kermit. Dead. I saw my son die."
"And the second outcome?"
"I saw my son standing in the ruins of the temple and then it changed, the temple was whole, as if nothing had happened."
"I still don't see . . . "
"The Shambhala Masters have foreseen that my son is the one who is supposed to raise that temple. I thought it was me at first, but I was wrong.
The Fifth who is chosen shall return to the beginning. What fell to ruin will be raised. What was lost will be regained. What was sundered will be made whole. And the one who was dead shall be reborn."
"I don't understand," Kermit questioned.
"The Masters of this place keep records of very special people, people who make a difference in this life and the next. They happen to know more about my family than I will ever know, clear back to my great-grandfather. So long as there has been a Caine in the world, creatures like the Dark Warrior or Bon Bon Hai can't prevail. And so long as there has been a Caine, a Kwai Chang Caine, that particular name will always have some kind of prophecy attached to it. I don't understand it either, but I've learned to accept it. I do know one thing, I can't go back until that temple is built."
"You could have said something, contacted at least Paul or me to let us know that you were safe."
"Kermit, when they found me, I was dead, clinically dead. Oh, I still had a heartbeat, but it was so slow it was hard to detect. I had been shot in the back. It was several months before I could even walk again. Please Kermit, you've got to keep this a secret. You can't tell KC where I'm at."
"All right, have it your way, but I came here looking for evidence that you were dead. What am I going to tell KC?"
Peter remained silent, then pulled from his robes a thick envelope. "Give this to him. It's all I can do for now."
"What is it?"
"Something that KC should have received 10 years ago. It was kept here for safe keeping."
Continues with Part 36
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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