* * *
9
I don’t know if it was the tone of his voice or my own imagination but I had a physical response that made me feel warm all over. “Okay.” I had no idea where the bus stops were but he seemed more than capable of finding the right one. I slipped my arm around his waist and he put his arm around my shoulders. It felt different than walking with Tony. That startled me. Why was I comparing him with Tony?
Philip paused and looked at me. “Are you all right? You just tensed.”
“Sorry. I think the rest of my day is just catching up with me.”
His hands moved. His fingers gently touched my chin and turned my face up to meet his. His lips touched mine. The feeling grew. Warmth spread through me. It seemed to come from the place Fusan had called the hara – the center of a person’s being.
He began whispering softly to me, giving me subtle hints. I began experimenting, first with my lips and then with my tongue. It was amazing. The sensations ran through my body. I had never felt anything like this before.
He finally broke the kiss. He rested his forehead against mine. “You are a very fast learner. Are you certain you have never kissed anyone before?”
“I haven’t.” I reached up and touched his face. “I like the way it makes me feel.”
He hugged me. “Oh, Erin.” I realized we were both trembling. “I had better get you home before we lose track of time completely and you get in trouble.”
I glanced at my watch. I was surprised. It was past midnight. “Oh, my.” I looked up at him. “Will you still be able to get a bus?”
He chuckled. “Yes. Do not worry. As I said, the buses run very late tonight and tomorrow.”
He walked with me to the front door of the apartment. He kissed me again. I really didn’t want to let him go but I knew my mom was probably worried and I was still concerned about the bus. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Definitely.” He pointed to the bus coming down the street. “And you see, there it is.” He ran to the stop, got on, and was gone.
I got down to the dojo early. I hadn’t gotten much sleep. It had taken me a while to calm down mom and even longer to calm down myself.
Max was just opening the front door. He looked surprised. “You’re early.”
“Couldn’t sit still.” I followed him inside. There were colorful posters on the walls explaining the various arts the dojo taught. “Wow, you and Susan were busy last night.”
Max chuckled. “These are her works of art. She designed them for the dojo and had them printed out on vinyl so they will last awhile.”
“That’s a good idea.”
“I have the full schedule of events posted on the wall in the library. I’m going to get the coffee and hot water started. We borrowed some big pots from a friend.”
He stopped in the kitchen and I continued on into the library. There were several printed pages taped to the wall by the door. Our names were highlighted next to the different events that we were participating in.
I went to the locker room to change into my gee. I looked at myself in the mirror. Ri Riu sparkled in the florescent lighting. I focused on my breathing. I had never participated in any kind of competition. I had helped with a few demonstrations before but this seemed different. It was more informal. People would be moving through the dojo all day long, watching various demonstrations that we would repeat at intervals.
I went out and found Susan talking to Linda and Ryan in the hallway. Linda smiled at me. “Watching you draw that dragon last night was so cool. You’re an amazing artist.”
My cheeks felt warm. “Thanks.”
Amy and Steven came in followed by Yan and Marcus. Philip arrived moments later. He smiled at me. “Your mom wasn’t upset that you were late, was she?”
“Well, she’d been a little worried but she calmed down pretty fast.”
“I am glad to hear that. I have to go change. I will see you in a moment.”
Susan put her hand on my shoulder. “Is your mom going to stop in?”
“No, she’s working a double shift today to help out one of her coworkers who needed tomorrow off. At least she’ll have tomorrow to recover.”
Max called us all together in the library. Philip stood behind me. His hand touched mine. I let my fingers curl around his. Max stood on a stool so he could see everyone. “First of all, thank you for being here today. This couldn’t happen without your help. You are all dedicated members of this team and I appreciate that.” He pointed at the lists. “It’s going to be a busy day. Remember to drink plenty of water. I’ll be moving around the dojo as much as possible. If you have any problems with a guest, whistle. Have fun today!”
We all cheered. I leaned into Philip and he hugged me. “This is going to be awesome.”
I grinned at him. “If we do a good job, it might mean bigger classes.”
He nodded. “But that will help Max. He doesn’t charge as much as other dojos. It can’t be cheap to rent this building and pay the bills.”
We started heading out to the assigned classrooms. I smiled at Philip. “I’ll see you at lunch.”
He leaned forward and kissed me lightly. “It’s a date.”
The morning went quickly. There was a slow trickle at first then more came. Students brought friends and family. Many people from the neighboring community stopped in. Friends of the other junior masters showed up. By my lunch break, the dojo was packed with people.
I had just finished an Aikido demonstration with three members of Max’s advanced class. It had gone well. There was a huge crowd in the main front room where Ryan and some of his students were preforming one of the Karate katas, all in perfect timing. It looked cool.
I slipped back through the kitchen into the library. Philip was already there. “How did your morning go?”
“It went well. People seemed really interested in what we were doing.”
He motioned to the chair next to his and held up a cup of tea. “For you.”
I sat next to him and took the tea. It was perfect. “Impressive.”
He laughed. “What can I do for my next trick?” He handed me a plate. “You should have some food.”
We both picked out a few things and ate quietly. Linda and Yan came in. Linda looked surprised. “It was so quiet, I didn’t know you where here.”
Yan frowned. He took a plate and sat down. Philip and I had both finished. Philip looked over at Yan. “How did your Taekwondo demonstration go?”
Yan didn’t look at him. “Charlie and Jester are here.” His voice had a strange tone to it.
Linda shook her head. “Those guys are creeps. I hope they don’t stick around. Why would they come anyway?”
I noticed Philip had tensed. “Do they go to your school?”
He nodded. “They are jocks, members of the varsity teams, center of attention of many, especially the cheerleaders.”
Linda laughed coldly. “From what I hear, the cheerleaders have a competition going to see who can sleep with all the guys on the varsity team at least once. Multiple times gives you extra points.”
I felt uncomfortable. Philip put his hand on my shoulder. “Come on. We have to go get ready for our next set of demonstrations.”
We washed and stacked our plates. I followed Philip into the crowded hallway. It was almost like being in school. He went to his classroom and I went to mine. The students who were going to help me with the demonstration were waiting as were parents and a few people already moving in to take seats.
I bowed to the students and they returned the bow. I turned to face the audience. “Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I’m Erin Dawson. Welcome to Inyo Dojo’s presentation of Tai Chi.”
I had each of the students introduce themselves and we began the demonstration. I was focused on the students until we finished the set. We bowed in unison to the audience and they clapped. As I began answering questions, I realized Tony was in the back of the room. I struggled to pay attention to the family who had as
ked more about the class.
The people filed out. Tony pushed off the wall where he’d been leaning. “So this is where you work? No wonder you’re so good. That was really impressive.”
I felt awkward, like he was invading the non-school part of my life. I didn’t want to be rude. “I hope you enjoy the demonstrations.”
He frowned. “I’m sorry. I probably shouldn’t be here. It’s just, I saw the sign yesterday and I got curious.” He looked lost. He wasn’t slurring his words. He wasn’t here to impress the boys.
“It’s a public event. Anyone is free to come in.” I glanced at the clock. “I have to go get ready for the Sinawali demonstration. I hope you enjoy the rest of the open house.” I hurried out of the classroom and almost ran into Philip.
He caught me. “Erin, what’s wrong?”
I forced myself to breathe. “I’m all right. Let’s go. Max is probably waiting for us.” I followed him through the crowd.
Ryan handed us our bastons. Max had already begun the introduction. Philip and I took our places in the formation. I looked at him and he smiled at me. “This will be fun.”
We were in the front room and the bamboo shades had been pulled up so that people outside could see us, too. The music started and I forgot about the people around us and concentrated on the beat. We’d gotten this down Thursday night.
We went through all four dances without any mistakes. Philip had been right. It was fun. By the time we finished the last song, I was almost laughing. It was a giddy feeling. The song ended and we all bowed on the last beat, right baston to the forehead and left across the raised knee.
The crowd, both inside and out, broke into cheers and applause. Max smiled at us. He got up on a chair and pointed at us. “The Junior Masters of Inyo Dojo!” People cheered even louder.
I started feeling dizzy. We all stood. Philip reached over to steady me. “Erin, are you okay?”
I wasn’t. “I need some water.”
Philip got Ryan’s attention and made some hand signs at him. Ryan nodded and tossed him a bottle of water. He handed it to me. I leaned on him and he put his arm around me. I got the bottle opened and drank down about half of it.
Ryan had been passing water around to the others. Philip had to reach his arm around me to open his bottle. I leaned into him even more. He held me and kept me from falling over. I drained the rest of my bottle.
We were finally starting to move off the floor. The crowd was like a wall. Robert and Rebecca emerged from the mass. Robert was grinning. “That was the coolest thing ever!”
I managed to smile. “Thanks.” I still felt shaky.
Rebecca was wearing Rubicon. He looked good on her. Philip chuckled. “Ah, and how are you and your dragon getting along?”
She looked uncertain. “Okay.” She turned to me. “Tony Burns is here.”
I sighed. “I noticed.” I leaned into Philip. “Tony is the nightmare at Hamilton High.”
“Every school has one.” His voice was odd.
I looked up at him. He was looking at someone in the crowd. I tried to follow his line of sight. There was a husky looking boy staring at us. “Who is he?”
“Charlie McCribbon.”
I still wasn’t fully recovered. “I’d love to talk, Rebecca, but I need to sneak in and get a few bites to eat before my next demonstration.”
“Okay. We’ve been here quite a while. I should probably pull Robert away. I’ll see you Monday.” She and her brother moved toward the door.
Philip helped me through the crowd. His arm was tight around me. “You are shaking.”
I had noticed. “I need to get some complex carbs.” We moved in the direction of the kitchen.
The boy who had been staring at us evolved from the shifting bodies and blocked our path. He was scowling. “What’s a matter with you, nigger? You color blind?”
The last Soc-Ec unit came to mind. “Boy, are you lost – in time and space. This is the state of Washington in the twenty first century not the Deep South in the eighteen hundreds.” I pulled Philip around him.
He hissed at us. I watched him out of the corner of my eye, keeping myself between him and Philip. He started to laugh. Another familiar face appeared just behind him. “You got a problem, Cracker?” The slur was in his voice. Tony obviously knew the guy.
Charlie spun around, his eyes going wide. “Burns? I thought you was doing time for offing a guy.”
“Past history. Now make yourself scarce. This is my hood.” His voice had become heavy and threatening.
Charlie ducked away and disappeared into the crowd. Tony looked at me. “You’re not looking so good.”
“I need to get something to eat.”
He nodded, looked at Philip for a moment, then turned and disappeared back into the swarm.
Philip managed to get me to the library. I was relieved. Max came in right behind us. He looked at me and his expression changed. “Erin! Philip, get her into a chair. He grabbed another bottle of water and brought it over, took the cap off, and handed it to me. “Take small sips.” He watched me for a moment. “How did you get so dehydrated?”
I wasn’t sure. “Everything just got really busy.” I was glad Philip was sitting next to me. He was holding me. It was comforting.
Max pulled a few things together on a plate. “Philip, make sure she eats this.” He looked at the clock. “Erin, if you’re not feeling better in ten minutes, I’ll do your demonstration.”
“I’ll be fine.” I started eating the things Max had chosen. They were good choices, some kind of nut bread, some cheese, and a half of a banana. I was feeling better by the time I’d finished.
Philip hugged me. “I was worried about you.”
“Sorry to worry you. I didn’t mean to.”
He pulled another bottle of water out of the basket and handed it to me. “You keep that with you. We still have a couple more hours to go. You be sure and drink water.”
Max came in to check on me. “Are you sure you’re feeling up to this demonstration?”
I looked at the list. It was the women’s self-defense class.” This one is important. No offence, but it won’t be as meaningful if you do the demonstration.”
He grinned. “Probably not.”
I held up the bottle. “I’ve already gotten my lecture.” I looked back at Philip. He still looked overly concerned. I turned around, reached up, and kissed him. His arms folded around me and he returned the kiss. I slowly let him go and looked up at him. “I just want you to know that I don’t care what that kid thinks.”
Philip gave me one of the most beautiful smiles I’ve ever seen. “You are truly special.”
I walked out of the library. Max was in the kitchen. He was grinning but didn’t say anything. I went to the classroom. Frank was there waiting. He was one of Max’s older students who came in to study Tai Chi. He bowed to me. “Splendid performance. Your group really wowed the audience.”
“Thank you. Let’s see if we can help some ladies.” The room was pretty packed. I could see the tell-tale signs in some of the women. They needed this class. Max offered a special sliding scale for it. There were even some anonymous donors who would sponsor women who couldn’t afford anything. It was a really important program.
I was surprised to see Tony watching from the doorway. I did my best to ignore him and focused on the women instead. After the demonstration was over, many of the women picked up the free coupon for an introductory class. Tony waited just outside the door until they had all left. He came in. I reached for the bottle of water. He watched me drink. “That was really good.” His voice was clear again.
I studied his expression, wondering what he was thinking. I finished off the bottle of water. “Thank you for intervening. I guess that guy goes to Philip’s school.”
Tony chewed on his bottom lip. “Shoreview, huh? They got better classes than Hamilton.”
I shrugged. “Looks to me like they have all the other problems, though.”
He w
as shuffling his feet. He shoved his hands in his pocket. “I didn’t really kill anyone.”
“Just talk to make you sound cool, is that it?”
He frowned. “Not exactly.” He sighed. “It’s complicated.”
Max came in. He had a bottle of water in his hand. I held up the empty. He grinned. “I’ll trade you.” We tossed the bottles to each other. Max looked over at Tony and extended his hand. “Max Gusalli. I’m the master here at the dojo.”
Tony shook it. “Tony Burns. I go to school with Erin.”
Max handed him a coupon. “You should come try a class. It’s free. See if you’d like it.”
I couldn’t decide if Tony was struggling with what to say or trying not to laugh. He shoved the coupon in his coat pocket. “I’ll keep it in mind.”
The students who were going to help me with my last demonstration came into the room. They paused and bowed to me. I returned the bow. I looked over at Tony. “Sorry, I have to get ready for the next demonstration.”
“Okay. I’ll see you Monday.” He nodded at Max and walked out of the class room.
I turned and began reviewing things with the students. Max came over and tapped me on the shoulder. He handed me the water bottle that I’d set on the floor. “This is only going to help you if you drink it.”
I sighed and took the bottle. “Understood.” I drank between comments and had finished off half the bottle by the time we started.
It was the last demonstration of the night. There were still quite a few people here but the crowd had begun to thin. Everything went as planned and the audience seemed to like it. Several took coupons with them.
I was relieved to be finished. I drained the water bottle and thanked the students who had helped me. I went out into the hall. Max was saying good night to the last of the guests. I noticed Philip pulling the blinds on the big windows in the front room. I went to help. Ryan and Marcus came in and we all worked together to roll up the mats.
Max and several of his older students set up long tables and we moved chairs from the class rooms to the tables. Others had started carrying food out and Susan was arranging a serving table against the wall. It was very festive.
Philip finally pulled me into the food line. “Now you will really eat. Yes?”
I leaned against him. “Can you hear my stomach agreeing with you?”
He laughed. “Good answer!” He stayed close and we sat together, eating quietly, while others around us chatted.
After most had finished, Max stood up. “Thank you, to all of you, for making this event such an amazing success. According to the door count, we had over 700 people come in today.”
Everyone cheered and clapped. Ryan stood up. “And that doesn’t include the people who just watched through the window. The Sinawali performance was a real hit!”
I was curled into Philip. I tried to listen to Max’s speech but my eyelids were failing the fight against gravity. Philip hugged me. His lips found my ear. “I will walk you home. You might fall asleep on the way otherwise.”
I realized I’d come close to dozing off. “You’re awesome. I just need to change first.”
Max and Susan were saying good night to everyone by the time I got out of the locker room. Max looked concerned. “Are you going to be all right?”
“Philip is going to walk me home.” I looked around. “Is he out of the locker room?”
Susan gave me a hug. “I think I saw him heading for the main room. Some of the guys are helping load tables and chairs into the truck.”
I thanked both of them and headed for the front. The room was mostly empty. Yan and Philip were faced off in one corner. Yan looked upset. “Charlie saw you with her. Man, that was stupid.”
Philip frowned. “I don’t care what he thinks and neither does Erin. It’s none of his business.”
Yan grabbed his arm. “This is Charlie we’re talking about. Do you remember what he did to Ruddy?”
Philip looked down. “I will be careful.” He looked up at saw me. “Good night, Yan.” He came up to me and put his arm around me.
I leaned close to him. “Is it because of me?”
He pulled me out the door. We walked most of a block before his breathing was under control. He pulled me to a stop. “This is not South Africa. This is Tacoma, Washington. In America. Things are supposed to be different here.” He touched my face. “I like you very much. Why should it matter what color my skin is?”
I put my hands around his neck. “I don’t care. I like you, too. I don’t understand what the issue is.”
He buried his face in my shoulder. “Oh, Erin. Everywhere I turn, there are those who say black should be with black and white should be with white.”
“I don’t agree. We’re all just people. We should be with the ones who care about us, regardless of what color our skin is. We’re all just people.”
His hand guided my face to his and he kissed me. The warmth spread and I just wanted to be there forever like that. He finally broke the kiss. His fingers traced my lips. “You are so special.” His soft whisper made me feel a whole new way.
I leaned my head against his chest. “At least the others at the dojo don’t seem to mind. I think Max actually approves.”
Philip smiled. He put his arm around my shoulders and started walking me toward my apartment building. “Max is a unique person. He used to be a fancy architect. He made a lot of money and he was busy all the time. Then one day, he told me he felt this pain, right here.” Philip put his hand over the center of my chest. “He fell to the floor. They called an ambulance and rushed him to the hospital. He was having a heart attack. He almost died. He has scars on his chest from where they had to cut him open to make his heart work right.”
I was astonished. “Max has had bypass surgery?”
Philip chuckled. “That was over fifteen years ago. He was only forty. He made a decision to change his life. He began studying the martial arts and then, he began to teach. Seven years ago, he opened the dojo. He is a very special man.”
I tried to put it all into perspective. It felt like the world had just shifted. Max was so strong and healthy. I just couldn’t picture it.
Philip pulled me to a stop. “I think you are sleep walking. You almost walked past your door.”
I looked around. We were standing next to it. I looked up. The apartment was still dark. “What time is it?”
He glanced at his watch. “A little before nine.”
“Oh, it’s not that late. I think the diner is still open. Do you want to come meet my mom?”
He looked uncertain. “What do you think she would think of me?”
“I don’t know. Let’s go find out. If you’re worried about it, I’ll just introduce you as a friend from the dojo.”
“I think maybe that would be best.”
We walked over to the diner. There were still people inside. I could see mom waiting on a customer at the counter. We went in and sat at the counter. A few people looked over at us. I noticed the customers where all white. I hoped I hadn’t made a serious mistake.
Mom came out with a plate of food for the other customer at the counter. She made sure he had everything he needed then looked around. She noticed me and smiled. She came over. “You’re home early.”
“It was the open house today. We don’t have any evening classes.”
She smiled at Philip. “My, you’re tall.”
He grinned at her. “So I have been told.”
“That’s a neat accent.”
“I grew up in South Africa. I didn’t come to America until about four years ago.”
I grinned. “This is my friend, Philip. He’s one of the other Student Masters at the dojo. He walked me home.”
“That was very nice of you. You two settle in. I’ll be right back.” She made sure the other customers were all happy then disappeared into the kitchen.
I turned and grinned at him. “Well, now you know. She thinks you’re very tall.”
He str
uggled not to laugh. “Now I know where you get it. You are a lot like your mother.”
She came back with two plates of pie. “There you go. It’s almost closing time. I’ll just end up bringing it home with me otherwise. We bake our pies fresh every morning.”
I shook my head. “I can’t cook half as good as she can.” I picked up the fork and dug into the pie.
Philip followed my example. “Oh my, this is the most amazing apple pie I have ever tasted.”
Mom beamed. “I’m betting you drink tea. I’ll bring out some water and the tea basket.”
An older heavy set woman met her at the kitchen door. Her face looked like warm cinnamon. She had a jolly smile. “Manuel say your daughter is here. I have wanted to meet her.” Mom pointed us out and disappeared into the kitchen. The woman smiled and hobbled to us. She clapped her hands. “Oh, how pretty you are. Now I know why your mama talk so about you.” She looked at Philip. “And you have such a handsome man. Good for you!”
Mom returned with the tea. “Help yourselves. I have to start getting things cleaned up in back.”
We finished the pie and drank our tea. The last of the customers left. An elderly man came out from the back with a mop bucket. He struggled to wring out the mop.
Philip went over to him. “Can I help you?”
He looked up at Philip. “Oh! You are very tall.”
Philip chuckled. “These wringers are a challenge that I have fought with before. We are just sitting here waiting for Erin’s mother. I could mop this floor for you.”
He smiled at Philip. “That would be bueno. Muchas gracias.”
I convinced my mom to let me wash the tables and Philip mopped the floor. The couple insisted on sending us off with several bags of food. We walked back to the apartment building. Mom grinned at us. “I think you both impressed them.”
Philip smiled. “They are very sweet.”
“So are you, Philip. I hope you can take some of this home with you. There is no way Erin and I can eat all of it. I hate wasting food.”
He hefted the bag he was carrying. “I’m certain it would not go to waste at my house, thank you.” He walked with us to the door.
I could see the bus in the distance. “Is that yours?”
He squinted. “I believe it is.”
I wanted to kiss him but I could tell that he was still uncertain about my mom. I hugged him instead. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He smiled. “Absolutely.” He nodded to my mom. “It is very nice to meet you. Have a good evening.” He ran for the bus stop.
We watched him get on then walked upstairs together. I glanced at mom. I’d never brought any of my friends to meet her before. “What do you think of Philip?”
She pulled her key out. “He is so polite. What a nice young man.”
I was watching her face. “It doesn’t bother you?”
“That a boy walked you home? You’re seventeen.” She took the bag of food I’d been carrying. “From what I can see, you have good judgment.”
I wanted to sing. I started telling her about the best parts of the open house. She asked questions. I could never tell if she really understood what I did at a dojo. We talked for almost an hour.
Mom became quiet. She looked down at her hands. “You’ve made some real friends here.” I could hear a note of sadness in her voice. She looked up at me. “I just hope I don’t have to pull you away from all this. I don’t want to leave this place, either. I like it here, in spite of the rain.”
I sat down next to her. “Did you see somebody?”
She took my hands. “No.” She sighed. “Not yet.”
I looked at her. “What if we didn’t run away? What if we asked for help instead? I know Max would help us.”
She pulled me into her arms and cried on my shoulder. “I’m so tired of running.” She started rocking me. I almost fell asleep like that. She kissed my forehead. “You’re tired. Why don’t we get some sleep?”
We got ready for bed and climbed into our cots. Mom turned out the light. I fell asleep without trying to.
She was up before I was for a change. I woke to an amazing smell. I found mom making something in the kitchen. She turned and smiled at me. “I thought this would pull you out of bed.”
“What is it?”
“Probably on the not healthy list but if you don’t eat too much of it you’ll be safe. Mama Sari makes the most amazing bread pudding, dips it in eggs and crushed corn flakes, then fries it in real butter. I call it heart attack French toast. We have customers that come just for that.” She flipped them out of the pan onto plates and added a good helping of cut fresh fruit. She handed me one. “Enjoy.”
I finished it, just barely. “Wow. It’s a good thing I have to walk to the dojo.”
Mom laughed. “A little goes a long way.” She looked around the apartment. There wasn’t anything to make it messy. “Do you have any laundry? I’m not used to being off on Sundays. I don’t know what to do.”
I hugged her. “You could come down to the dojo with me.”
She laughed. “I’d just be in the way. You go on. Tell Philip I said hi.”
I started walking but ended up jogging. The breakfast felt heavy. The door was already open by the time I got there. Max was at the front desk explaining the classes we offered today to an older man.
He waved me over. “This is Mr. Stanton. He’s interested in Tai Chi. I’d like to…” He gasped. “Philip?”
I turned around. Philip was leaning against the doorframe. Blood dripped from his face.