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My Kind of Town Don Chapman |
Something really sick
» Waikiki
Flying under the radar of the Chinese secret police hanging around the hotel lobby and port cochere, but with the protective eyes of several members of the Free Tibet Warrior Society following them, the newest little lama, Elizabeth Resurreccion, the reincarnation of the great Sam-yung Kunzang Dechen, took the elevator down from the 17th floor with her mother Rosalita and walked out to the port cochere, where Lily Ah Sun was waiting in her teal BMW.
"That was quick," Lily said.
"Lama Jey's teachers said she's the real deal," Rosalita said to her friend and employer. While she felt a measure of pride that her daughter had become a living Buddha, Rosalita was a good Catholic. Now she feared she might lose her only child to a religious order. More than that, she feared the Chinese ever learning about the young incarnate.
"My new name is Lama Samy," the girl said from the backseat as she buckled her seatbelt. "Lama Jey gave it to me."
"So what now?" Lily said as they pulled away, followed by a member of FTWS on a rented Harley.
"We're supposed to go about our regular activities and not say anything to anybody, and we'll be contacted soon by some nuns who will interview her and determine how to proceed with her education."
"Why the secrecy?"
"Because the same people who want to hurt Lama Jey might want to hurt me too," the child said matter-of-factly. "Oh, look, there's Uncle Quinn!"
As they exited the port cochere, Lily's husband led an HPD solo bike detail into it. As they passed, the tough cop waved, blew his wife a kiss.
"I just don't understand," Lily said, smooching back, "anybody who has a problem, a fear, of such a peaceful religion, or of a sweet young man like Lama Jey, much less a little girl. There's something really sick going on with the Chinese."
The new Lama Samy turned, out the rear window saw Lama Jey and his contingent walking quickly toward a white limousine.
In addition to Rinpoche Rimshot and the monk Lawang, the second Lama Jey Tsong Khapa was accompanied by the young man who had been his stunt-double during two attacks by Te-Wu, Michael Tenzin Campbell. A member of the Free Tibet Warrior Society, he wore the same saffron-crimson robes as the lama, and appeared to be his twin. The Chinese would have to guess which one was real.
Te-Wu agents watched both lamas approach Quinn. He swung off his big BMW and they bowed, fingertips pressed together and touching their noses.
"What a splendid machine," the lama said with a wink.
"Like I said, your holiness, you want to go riding again, just call."
Assuming they both survived the coming encounter with Te-Wu.
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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