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My Kind of Town Don Chapman |
He touched me
>> Honolulu
Even if Fon Du hadn't said he'd be working that night and would not be able see her, Bodhicita Guzman knew she'd never again lie in his arms. Not knowing that he was with the Te-Wu and his work was to kill the second Lama Jey Tsong Khapa. And especially not after being touched by the young part-Hawaiian lama at the Blaisdell Arena -- not in the physical sense, but he touched something deep inside in a way she'd never been touched before.
Soon she was shedding her Sister Mary Miraculoso disguise and changing into red halter top, tight jeans and heels, throwing on a little makeup, and being welcomed for Ladies Night at Pipeline Cafe, where Natural Vibrations was cooking on stage.
Things happened quickly, and later she tried to sort it out as she lay in bed at her cottage on Ninth Avenue. There was no tossing and turning this time as she'd done six months ago after meeting Fon Du. Instead, she felt a kind of peace.
The Vibes had been playing "It Don't Come Easy" and she was dancing when she spotted Kamasami Khan, who was supposed to be keeping the young lama safe after she'd told him all she knew about Te-Wu, even providing photos taken secretly with her lipstick tube and PDA.
He was seated at a corner table with Joe Kharma, the lama's older brother and a party boy of the first degree, and another guy she didn't recognize but was immediately attracted to -- surfer boy bleached hair, Quiksilver cap, black Kailua Boys T-shirt, baggy jeans and Nike T-Macs.
His name was Jay and suddenly he was asking about her name: "Boddhicitta? The path of enlightenment!" And she was telling him about her father's prediction that her name would lead her to a man who would show her the glory of the universe.
But then Khan was hustling Joe and Jay outside and into his truck, and wouldn't let her tag along. So she gave Jay her phone number and watched them drive away, knowing Jay was the man her father told her about.
And now it hit her. Not Jay, but Jey! Omigod, she'd held hands with a Buddha! Bodhicita bolted out of bed, paced the small cottage, looked in the mirror, wondered how she'd look with a shaved head.
Then the tossing and turning came, and she could hardly wait for morning. She was up at dawn, made some coffee, went out for a run around Diamond Head, showered quickly and called Khan at his Kaneohe home.
"Eh, Bodhicita, what's up? ... Thanks, you're the greatest ... Yeah, I will tell Jey you called. But listen, forget him. It'll interfere with your relationship with Fon Du, and that could be dangerous."
"Sorry, Khan, it's over. I must follow Jey. I'm on my way, see ya soon."
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Don Chapman is editor of MidWeek. His serialized novel runs daily in the Star-Bulletin. He can be e-mailed at dchapman@midweek.com