|
My Kind of Town Don Chapman |
Run, lama, run
>> Kaneohe
It was dangerous to go outside. But the second Lama Jey Tsong Khapa refused to be a prisoner. "I'd like to go for a run," he announced.
"OK, Jey, let's go!" Bodhicita Guzman said.
Kamasami Khan rolled his eyes. "Let me make a call first."
He dialed one of his Tibetan Warrior Society brethren, got a report from the Waikiki hotel where one of their members was doing an admirable job playing the second Lama Jey Tsong Khapa -- Te-Wu seemed to fully believe he was the real lama and had several operatives at the hotel.
Soon Khan's red Ram 1500 was pulling into the visitor center at Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden, and he and the young lama and Bodhicita were piling out and stretching.
"Such a peaceful place, thank you for bringing me here," the young lama said. "Mountains so different from the Himalaya, but also beautiful.
He wore the Nike T-Macs from the night before, Carolina blue basketball shorts, black Kailua Boys T-shirt and blond surfer boy wig now tied back into a ponytail. He had his own pre-run ritual, Bodhicita noted, and now sat in the lotus position, breathing deeply, rhythmically. Then he was popping up. "All chakras open and ready to go."
Khan worked out daily: run, lift, swim, a variety of martial arts. He was training to fight the Chinese in Tibet and was lean and hard. Bodhicita was a runner, worked out at the gym and loved to surf. Not an ounce of fat where it wasn't supposed to be. The lama was tall and thin.
Khan was also the ultimate macho alpha male, bred by generations of warriors, and set a quick pace. He'd keep it up until the others showed signs of tiring, then let them know he was easing off for them.
The road through Ho'omaluhia is hilly, some rather severe grades, and soon Khan and Bodhicita, fit as they were, were breathing hard and sweating. The lama, though, seemed to float along, breathing deep but not hard, moving with silky efficiency. The hill that leads to the locked gate at the end of the road is particularly steep and long, and Khan charged up it, the lama still floating at his side.
"Is this all?" he said, disappointed.
"And the two-plus miles back," Khan gasped, shot Bodhicita a look.
The lama was still floating as they returned to the visitor center, and with Khan and Bodhicita leading in the truck he floated the mile back to the main gate, down to Anoe, left and over the Likelike pedestrian bridge, down along Kamo'oali'i Stream, up the hill to Paleka, past Times and across to Waikalua and the police station. Which reminded the lama of a call he wanted to make.
Funny, Officer Quinn Ah Sun was thinking about him just then too.
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
Don Chapman is editor of MidWeek. His serialized novel runs daily in the Star-Bulletin. He can be e-mailed at dchapman@midweek.com