Chapter 3

It was a rainy night during September, a day before Zen's birthday. The atmosphere around the house was joyful as they prepare for Zen's birthday party, even though it was raining, the husband and wife wouldn't be stopped to celebrate their beloved son's birthday. Zen was extra happy as he kept on jumping around the house.

"I wonder what Mama and Dad's gift for me is!" He thought as he kept on playing with his toys.

Mariz looked at Zen who is full of sweat, "Oh my, Zen come here, let me wipe your sweat then you should rest."

"Yes, mama" Zen couldn't disobey his mother's wishes and so he went to his room downtrodden.

Ed went outside, driving towards their store to pick up some groceries needed for tomorrow's feast, it was raining hard and he couldn't see the road clearly. It was a ten minute drive from home so he was a little bit worried for his safety.

The songs that were played on the radio were what made Ed a little bit calm, but the streaks of thunder that came suddenly in front, made his heart flutter, he forced his jeep to stop and took his umbrella to check the road.

He couldn't believe what he was seeing, the road was almost destroyed and in the middle of the debris was an old man, bloodied and wounded. Ed was scared for his life but his compassion strengthened his resolve to help the old man to his jeep.

"What the hell is happening did the lightning just struck an old man?" Ed's mind was full of question but saving the old man was his first priority. He checked the pulse of the old man and found that the man was still alive.

He lifted the old man and walked towards his jeep, placed the man on the back and started driving back towards his house.

"Young man, leave me behind." Ed was startled hearing Sanskrit but he found out that the voice came from his back, there he saw the bloodied old man sitting on a lotus position.

Ed was confused as to why the old man was speaking Sanskrit and telling him to leave the man behind, but he won't leave a person in need of help, or let alone a bloodied old man "Senior, I will bring you to my wife to help you clean your wounds."

Mariz was a nurse before she and Ed came to this town, they now both wish for a peaceful life together with their son in the countryside so she stopped her practice and focused on managing their grocery store instead.

Ed was also able to understand Sanskrit because he learned it when he was still a teenager, that is why he found it amusing to find someone who speak Sanskrit fluently, the old man was also giving a mysterious vibe as he wore a Buddhist robe.

The journey towards Ed's house was smooth and safe. He drove fast but not that much to disturb the old man.

Mariz was preparing the shanghai rolls for tomorrow when she suddenly heard the door being pushed open. She heard her husband's shout, "Mariz! Get the first aid, I have someone wounded here"

She hurriedly took the first aid on a cabinet and ran towards their living room. There, she saw Ed wiping the blood on an old man who was lying down on the couch.

"What did you do, Ed!?"

Ed hurriedly explained "I found the old man on the road!"

Mariz was confused but she knew to save the old man first, "Get some clean cloth and water!"

She did the proper procedure on treating a wounded person, while her years of being in the medical field paid off, alas they successfully cleaned the old man's wounds.

"Ed, you better explain to me clearly on what happened to the old man." She dragged Ed to the kitchen.

Ed told her about everything leaving not a single detail behind; Mariz was shocked at first, but then came to an understanding that there is more to this than what it seems. They both want to ask the old man some questions, but knew that they should let him recuperate first. Though Ed might probably be the only one able to communicate with the old one, since he's the only one who knows Sanskrit in the whole town.

The old man was tranquil in his sleep giving off a peaceful aura, and so the husband and wife tended to their assigned tasks for Zen's birthday tomorrow.

And so the hours passed by and it was five minutes before the day ends, the whole family was asleep right now but Zen woke up because of the urge to urinate, the restroom was on the ground floor so he had to walk downstairs.

"Hehe, it's my birthday tomorrow!" Zen thought half asleep as he walked, he looked at the living room and there he saw the old man floating while seated in a lotus position humming a mantra.

Zen was confused at first and he stood there like a wooden pole, looking at the old man was fascinating but for a young child, it might have felt like a surreal dream.

"Wow, is this real?" he rubbed his eyes with his hand and then pinched his cheeks to check if this was really happening.

The old man opened his eyes and saw the curious young boy, "Hmm, is this the benefactor's child?" he thought as his feet slowly touches the ground, he then inspected the young boy as he walked forward.

He saw calmness in the eyes of the child, he was amazed how shocked the child was earlier and how he turned into one full of tranquility. The disposition of the child reminded him of someone he once loved dearly.

"Boy, do you want to learn?"

Zen looked at him in the eyes as if he was processing what the old man meant, "Learn what, grandpa?"

The old man was caught unprepared to the child's question and so he smiled and asked.

"Well what is it that you want to learn?"

"I've been wondering grandpa, why do my friends suffer?" Zen had been longing for an answer since he met his impoverished friends; it was a question still incomprehensible for a curious child.

"An interesting question indeed, come here and let me show you something for you to find out the answers yourself." He gestured for Zen to move forward, and slowly he placed his index finger on the center of Zen's forehead.

Zen stood as if frozen in time, his body was as if it was at the middle of both life and death, and unbeknownst to the world, a young boy was trapped in a dream; a dream where he can spectate a life from the day it was born to the day it dies.

"Child, this is my gift for your special day. In each year at the same day, you will be able to spectate a being's whole life to learn what you seek."

The old man's voice rang in his mind but Zen was too entranced as he looked at the scene in front of him, a woman giving birth to a baby. It was a young boy's amazement at the birth of life.

Zen wasn't able to look around as the screen was only focused at the young boy; it was as if Zen was watching a movie on his mind.

There he watched the baby grow, from a goofy kid like him to an outstanding scholar, he watched as the man interacted with the world, until the man was on his deathbed. The betrayals, the intricate relationship of humans, the suffering, the consequences; he watched all of it, he was doubtful if all of this was real but the scenes showed was far too realistic to be called a dream.

He did not become wise or anything but he learned. It was as if he was the one who lived through that lifetime, he closed his eyes and the moment he opened it again, he saw his living room and in front of him was the old man sitting on the ground in a lotus position.

He slowly walked a few steps and kowtowed, "Please be my master, grandpa"

"This old monk goes by the name of Hasumati, I will teach you everything I know about Buddhism and will accept you as my only disciple." light radiated from the old man's eyes as he opened it, and he helped Zen stand up.

"Child, go ahead and sleep for by morning, I will perform a ceremony as you start your monkhood."

"Goodnight, grandpa." Zen bade farewell as he went to his room to hibernate and process everything that happened. He fell asleep right after he lay down his bed.