It was gray and cloudy--the little light that entered the foyer created gloomy shadows. Ashi entered, looking up at the two-story ceiling, the elaborate staircase leading to the second floor.
“What do you think?” Ty asked grimly.
“It is very beautiful,” she answered, noncommittally.
“Maybe I’ll get rid of this house some day,” he mused. “I never liked it.”
Ty wandered from room to room, with Ashi trailing behind him. The echoing of Ashi's sandals emphasized the silence in the cavernous house. They stepped out of one of the doors that lined the stone patio. Ty looked back at the house. The screen for a small bathroom window had been removed and was propped against the house. Upon examination, he noticed pry marks around the window.
When they went back inside Ty heard a knock at the door. He let in the two security men, who introduced themselves.
“What’s with the window in the back?”
“Attempted break in, Mr. Scalisi.”
Ty felt a little jolt of surprise at being called ‘Mister Scalisi.’
“Someone who knows how to break in. Usually they go for a bathroom window… only one latch. It’s easier to get in,” the security man said with authority.
“Do you know if he took anything?”
“Whoever it was didn’t get in. We scared him off. Don’t worry, sir. Nobody is going to get past us.”
Ty felt a twinge of doubt but didn’t say anything.
“You have a high tech security system. Your lawyer, Sam Kennedy, had it installed. Even your backyard fence is wired. That’s how we were tipped off that this guy was trying to break in. Let me show you.”
He led Ty to a control panel on a wall that he hadn’t noticed before. The security man explained all the sensors, cameras and how to summon them immediately. Ty sighed. He felt like a little rabbit in its hutch, hoping the chicken wire could keep out the foxes.
The security man finished his discourse, saying, “It’s very thorough. Then, you have round-the-clock security sitting right outside your front door. Nobody’s getting into your house.”
Ty thanked him and ushered them back out the front door, not feeling very assured. He walked back to the family room, where he spent so much time with his father. He hadn’t expected the emotions that were coursing through him. Loneliness engulfed him like a tidal wave. He was alone and Vincent wasn’t there. Vincent was never going to be there. He looked into Vincent’s study and remembered his father’s smiling face behind the desk.
It was one thing to grieve on Long Beach Island; he was thinking that the pain was starting to dull just a bit. Now it unexpectedly came back again in full force. Being in the house made the realization all the more intense; he was never going to talk with, laugh with, wrestle with his dad again. He was never going to feel the protection of a parent again. There was nobody to make decisions for him. He had to take care of himself and make every single decision. It was an overwhelming burden.
“Let’s unpack,” Ty said, thinking if they were busy it would distract him. They unloaded the car and Ty showed her to the master bedroom. Vincent enjoyed the fruits of his fame and the sumptuous room reflected this.
“This was Vincent’s room. I think you’ll be more comfortable in here than the guest room. That is, if you don’t mind taking his room.”
“No, it is very nice.”
They spent the evening arranging files. Even though the security man was convinced nobody would be able to enter the house, Ty locked Vincent’s laptop in the safe in his office. It was nighttime before they realized they were ravenous. Ty pulled open a drawer in the kitchen and pulled out a stack of take-out menus, fanning them on the shiny, granite counter.
“Are you ever homesick for Bhutan?”
“Almost never. But everything is different, clothes, houses, food.” Her cheerless voice echoed Ty’s feelings. “Tonight I feel sad though. Can we order Chinese food? It is the most like Bhutanese food.”
“Sure.”
They ate almost in total silence, then Ty announced he was going to bed.
“I will too,” Ashi said.
It was too early to go to bed. Ty wished it was later so he could sleep. He restlessly flipped through channels on his TV. He was too agitated to focus on any one show. Finally, he flung the remote aside and went into the hallway. A slit of light shined from under Ashi’s door and he heard the muffled sound of her television. He knocked softly and entered when he heard her say, “Come in.”
“I can’t sleep,” he said, simply.
“Then come watch TV with me,” Ashi said. She looked like a queen, sitting up, under the covers, propped up by numerous pillows in the imposing, four-poster bed. She patted the bed next to her.
“What are we watching?”
“It is called, Deadliest Catch. It is about men catching crabs on boats. It’s sick,” she added with her eyes smiling.
“I’ve seen it before,” Ty said, climbing into the bed. “It’s a cool show.”
“Totally awesome,” Ashi said, laughing.
They watched in silence until a commercial came on. Ashi pushed the mute button and turned to Ty.
“You are not happy tonight,” Ashi said. It was more of a statement than a question.
“It’s being back here. There are too many memories. Things I didn’t think about at the beach, they’re all coming back here.” Ty spoke earnestly, struggling to precisely convey his feelings.
Ashi nodded, encouraging him.
“Every room reminds me of him. This room smells like him…like he could step through the doorway at any minute. I just miss him so much.”
“Yes, yes, I know how you feel.”
“Ashi, you could not possibly know how I feel.” For the first time Ty was angry with her.
“Yes, I know. My parents die when I little.”
Ty knew from the way her English deteriorated that it was hard for her to speak these words. His anger evaporated immediately.
“Oh. I am very sorry.” Ty suddenly realized he was wallowing in his own grief with barely a thought for Ashi. He had never even wondered about her parents. The show came back on but they didn’t notice.
“My grandparents and their parents were from my dzong, my monastery. But my father—he go away from dzong. Then he meet my mother and he live with family of my mother. But he knew all about the dzong. When I little girl, maybe four, or maybe three, my Rinpoche, he find me. He take me to my new home in monastery. My parents say yes. It okay to take her. That is my first heartache.”
“Are you mad at them for letting Rinpoche take you to the monastery when you were so young?”
Ashi looked at him with surprise. “Mad? No, how can I be mad? They just do the best they can. They make the best decision they can. It big honor to have tulka in family...but I so sad.”
Ty said nothing about her rudimentary grammar and let her continue.
“I cry and cry at first for my mother. Rinpoche very kind to me. Parents come visit me when they can. It a long trip. It a trip straight up mountain. You know. You see mountain. One day I wait and I wait. I stand at wall all day and watch, even though it rain hard. Rinpoche wait with me--hold gho over my head. I love them and cannot wait for them to come. But they only bring parents’ bodies. Parents not in this world anymore.” Ashi sobbed.
“What happened?” Ty asked gently.
“They on mountain path and it turn to mud and wash parents down. When they bring bodies to monastery, they covered in mud. All brown. Rinpoche wash faces. I cry and cry.”
“They let you see them like that?”
“I see my mother and father cover with mud. My mother, her eyes open like she surprise. Big surprise to die. My father still hold bag in one hand, broken bush in other hand.”
“Ashi, Ashi, I didn’t know.” Ty put his arm around the crying girl. She leaned her face into his chest and he found himself placing his other arm around her and pulling her closer.
It was curious. Whenever he thought about Vincent he felt sad and felt the sting of tears beginning behind his eyelids but the tears never came. Now, as Ashi cried deep sobs he felt his own tears come, falling for the terrible loss for a lonely little girl. He was soon crying as deeply and uncontrollably as Ashi. What started as tears for her grief became tears for his loss as well. When they had no more tears left, Ty and Ashi remained as they were and fell asleep with their arms wrapped around each other.
The light, streaming in through a crack in the drapes, woke Ty first. Silent pictures still flickered on the TV. At first he didn’t know where he was but he felt deep contentment with Ashi in his arms. He looked down at her, watching her sleep. Her hair covered her face so he gently moved it. It was the first time he had touched her hair and it was as silky and as smooth as it looked. There was a slight smile on her face, which made her look much younger than her sixteen years. Like an angel, Ty thought. What is that scent? It reminded him of some sort of exotic tea…jasmine maybe.
Ty’s contentment evaporated the second he thought about Jenna. He felt guilty about how much he was enjoying holding Ashi. He slipped out of her loose hold and she woke up.
“Hi,” he said.
“We fell asleep,” Ashi said, stretching and yawning.
She looks just like a princess, like Snow White looked when she woke up.
“I can’t believe I slept so soundly,” Ashi said.
Ty grinned.
“What are you smiling at?”
“Your English is back.”
Ashi laughed and got out of the bed. “I’m going to take a shower and then make some tea. No, I am going to make the tea first.”
“I’ll make your tea for you while you shower,” Ty said. Again, he felt a twinge of guilt and he didn’t know why. He had lived in close quarters all summer with Ashi but now it suddenly felt much more intimate. It was like he had a sudden change in his perspective and became aware that he was living with a beautiful girl. It felt just a bit awkward and he gained a sense of why Jenna was uncomfortable with their living together.
“Don’t take your time. We have a busy day,” he called after her.
He went downstairs and glanced at the clock--ten o’clock already. He sighed. Soon he’d have to accustom himself to getting up with the first light of the morning.
He put on the teakettle and the doorbell rang. Upon opening it, Jenna flew through the door and tightly circled her arms around him.
“You’re home! Finally home!” Her eyes were shining. “I had to get past the guards though.”
Ty gently pushed her away. “I just woke up, Jenna. I don’t smell the greatest.” He glanced over her shoulder and saw two different men parked at the curb and he waved before closing the door. “Did those guys give you a hard time? They must have changed shifts this morning.”
“Not too bad.” She draped her arm around him again. “And I don’t care what you smell like. I’m just glad you’re home.”
He squeezed her and led her into the kitchen.
“Maybe you can help Ashi get ready for school today, you know girl stuff, maybe go shopping with her?”
Jenna pouted. “Ty, I thought we could spend the whole day together, just the two of us. It’s been so long and when school starts it will be so hard…”
Ty sat on a stool at the counter and ran his hand through his already tousled hair.
“That sounds great Jenna except I have a ton of stuff to do today. I’m going to call a meeting of the professors and reassemble the team.” He circled his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. “I know I’m asking a lot…”
Ashi entered the room at that moment, shaking her wet hair. “That is a great idea. More minds thinking about the quest.”
Jenna freed herself and faced Ashi with a smile. “While Ty is doing what he needs to do, I thought we could get you ready for school.”
Jenna turned and scowled at Ty. “The things I do for you,” she whispered in his ear.
Ty, embarrassed, glanced past her to see if Ashi heard that last comment, but she was still smiling, oblivious to Jenna’s slight.
****
Later in the afternoon, Eduardo and Ty sat in the dining room, going over information about the Templars. Whereas Jenna was interested in the quest but didn’t put much time into learning about it, Eduardo was hooked on the search. Every scrap of information pertaining to it intrigued him.
Many years ago Ty’s parents lived on the other side of town, across the street from Eduardo’s parents. The two couples brought their babies home from the hospital at the same time. As a toddler, for months, Eduardo stood at the curb and watched Ty play, mesmerized by Ty but unwilling to make friends with him. It was a warm spring day when Ty sat in his green plastic wagon while his mother stood a few feet away, talking on the phone. Ty was impatiently waiting for her to finish her conversation when he spied Eduardo and his mom across the street. He called for Eduardo, demanding a push.
Eduardo and his mom came over and obliged. And, since that day, Eduardo was Ty’s first mate and his biggest fan. They became inseparable, doing everything together- soccer, skating and peewee baseball. They made mud pies, collected pine cones and rode their bicycles up and down the sidewalks together. As they got older their paths diverged; Eduardo emerged as a soccer star and Ty was singled out for his intellectual brilliance. In fact, their mothers dubbed them “ball boy” and “book boy.” Still, they remained best friends.
Later that day, when Jenna returned from shopping, she joyfully recounted their buying spree while Ashi stood behind her, sipping her latte, expressionless.
“Did you have a good time, Ashi?”
“It was okay... whatever.” She did not smile.
“A girl who doesn’t like to spend money…I like that,” Eduardo said. He stared at Ashi, unable to move his eyes from her face.
“I bet you would,” Jenna retorted.
Eduardo was speechless and a faint blush tinted his cheeks.
“Huh, someone who can make him stop talking. I like that,” Jenna said.
“How about the meeting? Can everyone come?” Ashi asked.
“Professors and grad students. Not a single one of them would have missed it for anything,” Ty said, grinning. “I just want to go over some things.”
“Can I stay for the meeting?” Jenna asked.
“Sure you’re part of my team now.”
Ashi sat next to Ty at the table and Jenna, instead of flanking his other side, pulled up her chair and wedged it between Ty and Ashi. Jenna shot Ashi a hard look and Ashi returned it with puzzlement. Ty didn’t seem to notice the unspoken exchange.
“I need the professors and the professors need me. I don’t want to hold anything back from them. I want to share everything.”
“I thought you told me your father didn’t trust one of them,” Jenna said.
“He trusted them enough to take them with him all over the world. I believe he shared every bit of his information with them. So will I.”