Title: May I Walk With You II - THE DOORS
Characters: Kwai Chang Cane and Peter Caine
Warnings: None
Short Story: A converation between Father and Son on the Power of Chi. (I was inspired by last night's episode-May I Walk With You when Peter asked about the Doors.)
Author: Alisa Joaquin
Disclaimer: All characters are borrowed except those created by me. All other characters (from KF:TLC and we know who they are) are property of Warner Brothers. I promise to give them back when I am done with them (of course I do not know how long that will be.) I give permission to archive.
Peter entered the kwoon after having dinner with his father and sat down. The hour was late but he was not ready to go home yet. Spending the day with his father had been interesting to say the least.
|
*****Flashback***** At times, it felt frustratingly slow, almost too peaceful, until things picked up while they were enjoying tea with the Ancient. A man came down the street demanding to know where his wife was and insisted that Kwai Chang Caine knew. He upturned the table they were sitting at, scattering its contents all over the sidewalk. Peter would have reacted to the situation by running the man in for disturbing the peace except that his father had stayed his hand with a look that said not to interfere. This time, Peter was the observer. He watched as his father handled the situation that spoke volumes and offered the man the means to reconcile with his wife and even to help make it smoother. Soon after that, they went to a dark and smelly place where the Ancient and his father had been growing mushrooms for medicine. Peter was distracted and did not see that his father and Lo Si knew something that he did not. Suddenly they were put upon by four men. Peter tried to help but was caught off guard and thrown back into the corner of the room. His father and Lo Si sent the four would-be assassins packing. The next stop on his father's list was a visit to a young woman's home. She turned out to be the woman that almost jumped from the building. Peter recalled what his father had said to her and it gave him an errie feeling to know that the young woman was now in serious trouble and needed their help. They soon located her and Caine was able to rectify the situation without the bloodshed of an innocent woman and child. They then made rounds at the hospital. Peter was awed at how his father handled each patient in the intensive care unit. He saw the care and love he had for each person there, especially those with terminal illnesses. His caring had no boundries and, at that moment, Peter could not be any prouder. As they crossed the green near the hospital, they were again attacked by the four men. Peter was ready this time and helped his father to scatter the four men back to whereever they'd come from. The day continued with shopping, stopping a possible purse snatching by two young boys, and finally helping to find Dominic's foster children. Right after that, still inthe church, they were attacked by the same four men and, as before, they soon disappeared as quickly as they had appeared. They would be back, but not today. The day ended with him and his father heading back to his father's apartment for dinner. All in all, it was an interesting day. *****End Flashback***** |
Peter had the look of perplexed quandry. He sat on the floor in the small kwoon of his father's apartment trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together but still could not make head or tails of the situation. Kwai Chang Caine approached his son with concern.
"What troubles you, my son?"
"Pop, I've been thinking about those doors at the church. Are you sure you didn't close them, like with your Chi?"
Kwai Chang thought for a minute then sat across from his son in lotus position. "I did not. It would have required that I be present in that space to do that."
"Maybe it was those guys that attacked us today."
"We were attacked after you returned to the church to retreive your jacket."
"Then who . . ."
"Perhaps . . . it was you?"
"ME!?" Pop, I can't believe that. I don't have your powers. There's got to be another explanation."
"What other explanation could there be, my son?"
Peter looked at his father, fearing what the Shaolin was about to say next and yet a part of him had to know. Instead, the father, now acting as Sifu, tried to coax Peter into seeking his own answers.
"While you were pursuing Amy and her abductor, what were you thinking?"
"I was thinking that I didn't want him to get away. I . . ."
"What were you doing?"
"I was walking slowly toward them and I was focused and I remember glancing at each of the doors and they closed. It's strange, I do remember I was calm through the whole thing." Realization came to Peter's mind. "You're saying that I did that?"
"Your Chi was focused upon a goal, was it not?"
Yeah, but I don't understand how . . ."
"When our minds are clear and the spirit calm, and we see our goal is set, we can focus our Chi far more effectively than when our minds are clouded with strong emotion."
Peter listened carefully to his father's words. This reminded him of the time when Clarence had been chosen as a new Tong leader. His father had entrusted him with his Chi to help him defeat Clarence's "iron shirt" discipline. He had been calm during that whoe incident as well. Was it possible some of that remained or, perhaps, that his Chi was growing in strength; letting him tap into abilities he had only thought his father had? Lately, he had noticed his emotions were more under control. He still had a problem with being impatient but he was no longer flying off the handle as often whenever his father would talk to him in his more cryptic terms. In fact, he was beginning to understand them again. It was as if the lessons that he'd learned at the Temple when he was a boy were coming back to him and he was drinking them in like a thirsty sponge. In truth, he was finding that he enjoyed having his "Sifu" back, not just the father. It felt good and yet, it also frightened him. It could mean a great change was approaching and he did not know if he was ready for those changes, because it would force him into making a decision. And he wasn't sure if he was ready to make that decision.
Kwai Chang Caine scrutinized his son to determine the cause of this new fear that seemed to suddenly creep into his son's soul.
"Are you all right, my son?" His brow knitted together revealing deep concern.
Peter was brought out of his revelation. "I ..I ..I'm okay. I just need some time to think. Th ..th..that's all."
Kwai Chang did not comment. He knew Peter had just lied to him from his stuttering, but if he pressed the issue his son would draw deeper into himself. Kwai Chang rose and placed a hand on his son's shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
"I will leave you alone with your thoughts. You may stay the night if you wish. You are always welcome. Please put out the candles when you come to bed. If you wish to talk, I will be here. Goodnight, my son."
Peter could not believe his luck but he also felt ashamed at having just lied to his father. He usually could not get away with lying but this time, his father had let it slide. He turned toward the door his father had just existed and wished, in some respect, that he would return and demand the truth, but his father did not reappear. In doing so, it was as if he was acknowledging Peter's need to make this decision on his own. Peter sat for a few more minutes and tried to bring his fears back under control. He took several cleansing breaths and let his mind slip into meditation. Here, for a short time, he could go to that other secret place and think on what he needed to do next. The next thing he knew, he was rising from the floor, waving his left arm, and the light from the candles was extinguished. He then turned toward the alter and bowed, giving the Shaolin salute for respect. He then left the kwoon to go find his father. He had made a decision. It was time he told the truth about what he was feeling. It was time he at least tried to face this new development and how he was going to incorporated it into his life. After all, he was a Caine. And there was one certainty he could count on, his life would be more interesting from here on out, no matter what happened.
End