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My Kind of Town Don Chapman |
You can’t fool Mama
>> Liliha
Joe Kharma had never felt such mixed emotions. On the one hand, after seeing that the Chinese secret police really had attempted to kill the young man filling in for Joe's younger brother, the second Lama Jey Tsong Khapa, Joe wasn't t crazy about leaving their parents home. On the other hand, there was something about the way he felt in the presence of his brother, a living Buddha, and he wanted to rush to where he waited with Kamasami Khan in Kaneohe.
"Can you stay for dinner, Joe?" his mother Mayadharma Kharma said. After seeing her baby drive off in a limo after an attempt on his life, she wanted one of her boys close. "Curried chicken." One of his favorites.
"Thanks, Ma, love to, but with the dedication taking up most of the day, I still got work to do."
"How's the virtual-reality program coming?" his dad Steve Kharma asked. The Tibetan-born prince, who fled the Chinese persecution of his homeland and then made a career as a waiter in Honolulu Chinese restaurants, had wanted his boys to grow up American. Developing computer games was as American as it got.
"Pretty good. The sense of smell is just about there, it's the sense of being wet that's taking some time."
At the door, his mother gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek. Frankie didn't seem like himself, not like he did last night.
Joe was under strict orders from Khan -- do not tell his parents about the substitute lama who showed up today for the dedication of the shrine. Let 'em think it's their son so they'll act natural, was the plan.
"He's probably just tired from all the traveling," Joe lied. But not well.
"No," Steve said. "That's not the same boy from last night." Close but ...
"How you know that, Pops?"
"It's been 16 years, he was only 2 then, but I know my own son."
"Yes," Mayadharma said, tears forming, "I was afraid to think it, but ..."
"Where's Frankie?" Steve said accusingly. "And who's this guy?"
So Joe told his parents about Bodhicita Guzman and Kamasami Khan, friends he met at the annual Free Tibet kegger during UH Homecoming week.
"I thought I forbade you to have anything to do with Tibet?!" Steve said.
"I know, Pops. I also broke my promise to keep Frankie being a lama a family secret. But you know what? It's a good thing. The head of Te-Wu fell head over heals with Bodhicita, goofball kine. She got inside and alerted Khan that the Chinese want Frankie dead. And Frankie woulda been dead by now if it wasn't for Khan and the boys."
Mayadharma collapsed in her husband's arms in tears, her worst fears coming true. "Which boys?" Steve said.
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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