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My Kind of Town Don Chapman |
How secrets get out
» Kaneohe
When he learned that the second Lama Jey Tsong Khapa had invited four people over for lunch -- two of them nearly strangers, the other two total strangers -- it was all Kamasami Khan could do to keep his vow not to swear in front of the lama, who at the moment was a highly endangered species.
"Calmness, friend Khan," the young lama said. "Officer Ah Sun was one of the motorcycle policeman who provided my escort yesterday. And he's a Buddhist. I can trust him. Of this I am sure."
"No offense, your holiness, I have my own standards when it comes to trust."
"I saw him in action yesterday, Khan," Bodhicita Guzman said on the cop's behalf. She'd been dressed as a nun at the dedication of a shrine at the lama's parents' home in Liliha. "You should have seen him jump into the fray and hustle the stand-in lama out of there."
"And who are the others?" Khan said.
"His wife," Jey said, "plus their housekeeper and her daughter, who is 8."
Just 10 years younger than the lama.
"Oh jeez, not a kid." Kids drove Khan crazy.
"Don't worry," Joe Kharma, the lama's older brother, said. "I'll keep her occupied with computer games."
"Fine," Khan grunted.
"By the way, Jey," Joe continued, "Mom and Pops know the truth."
"How?" Khan demanded. "I thought we said this would remain a secret?"
"They were the ones brought it up. I tried to deny it at first, but they knew already. Hey, they're parents, some things they just know."
Khan broke his vow, a single sharp epithet. The circle of secrecy was expanding. That's how secrets got out.
"They want to see you, Jey. Real bad."
"Wonderful, invite them to lunch too!" the lama said enthusiastically.
"No," Khan said with a steely tone to match his glare. "I'm told that Te-Wu has a man posted at your parents' home. He might follow them here. Bad idea."
"What's so wrong with seeing his parents?" Bodhicita said.
"I understand their feelings," Khan said. "And also yours, your holiness, of course. Let me think about this -- a place, a way to meet them safely."
A security alarm went off -- beeep, beeep, beeep -- meaning a vehicle had entered the property. Khan glanced outside, saw a tall, muscular hapa male swinging off a big BMW motorcycle like John Wayne swinging off a horse.
"Quietest bike I ever heard," Khan said. "Sneaks right up on you."
"And I get to ride it!" the lama said, clearly excited by the prospect.
"You what?!" This holy kid would drive Khan crazy yet.
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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