Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Wednesday, April 20

At morning, Cynthia and Kiyoshi discussed with Rishi that it should be inappropriate for them to marry so soon when the body of Cynthia’s father Russet Frazier was still in funeral home. It was the mourning period and what people may think that she was marrying so soon.
“Hell with people.”
“But Rishi it is about Cynthia she is very sensitive. She may not like what her colleague may say behind her back.”
“How long you say should be the mourning period.”
“Let’s say one month or two months.’
Rishi was worried that something may happen and they may not marry. He wanted them to marry otherwise Cynthia had no home or relative to support her emotionally, she was in a very fragile state. Rishi knew once she lost Dr. Kiyoshi she would be devastated.
“You marry in simple way, today in the monastery and make the announcement whenever you want.”
They both took a walk and agreed for a secret marriage.
Mitsuki had to come to monastery to solemnize their marriage and that was legal. Paperwork could wait.
Cynthia said, “Let’s go to your home to celebrate, Kiyoshi San.”
“Hey wait a minute, wait a minute, did you say – ‘Let’s go to your home.’ – My home, MY HOME – is it stills my home?”
“Sorry, let’s go to our home, where all friends are welcome.”
“I am married, I am very excited.”
“Then be excited and be dyslexic, I don’t mind.”
“Tel’s uby pagnechamp.”
“OK, let’s buy champagne,” she said.
Mitsuki had no time to visit them in their home to participate in celebration. It was only Kiyoshi, Cynthia, Rishi and Rarisa.
Rishi and Rarisa went to liquor shop to buy beers and champagne. Instead of returning h home she stopped her car at the Indian Grocery Store. She bought everything that Rishi bought at last evening.
“I will make same ditto thing that you made, same ditto your way to prove I have learned to make it.”
“OK.”
They came home; Rarisa tried to cook food India way, but messed it up. Rishi did his best to fix it by adding Japanese seasonings and sauces, and they had another superb meal.
“Hey tomorrow I will do it ditto as we did it today. I can do it.”
Rishi shouted, “No, do it after I am gone.”
Cynthia was relieved because this only meant Rishi was not leaving them tomorrow.
She asked Rishi, “Why are you looking at your watch?”
“Another friend of mine, this guy drives a gasoline tanker. Today I will be going with him to deliver fuel to gasoline stations.”
They heard a loud honk. They all ran out to see what was going on. A huge 18 wheeler, gasoline truck was struggling to make U-Turn at the end of their dead end street. Sikh driver honked again because it was illegal to park gasoline filled truck or leave it unattended.
Rishi ran out, shouting to driver, “Bai kiddan.”
He climbed on the passenger seat. Truck made U Turn and was passing in front of their home.
Rishi shouted, “Want to join us, we have vacant seats in the back.”
Cynthia shouted back, “No thanks. Come home soon.”
“OK.”

2

When Rishi retuned at 6pm he was smelling gasoline. They made him to take bath and put his clothes and shoes in the washer.
“What you did today, Rishi?”
“We went to a refinery three times, filled up diesel and gasoline in the truck’s compartments, delivered it to the dispensing stations.”
“How was your day?”
“I messed up, I filled a tank with wrong gasoline, and my friend said no more tanker rides for me.”
“Good, very good, you better make cooking your hobby.”
“Yeah, I think you are correct.”
“We bought all the groceries for you, tomatoes, garlic, tamarind, ginger, onions, spices and vegetables.”
“Thanks. Did you buy eggplants?”
“Yes, of-course we bought two big ones.”
“I will cook them in the park at the picnic grills.”
They all went to the park, they all gathered fallen wood pieces, made a fire in the grill and Rishi roasted Eggplants. Then he put then in a stainless steel pot, covered it. They brought it home. He peeled off the outer burnt shell. Friend lots of onions, garlic and ginger with spices and added the roasted egg-plant. He cooked it for half hour and then left some for Mitsuki.
It was so tasty; they ate it as snack, without any bread. They were again hungry for dinner soon. Rarisa went to store to buy more eggplants to duplicate everything that Rishi did but again messed it up. Rishi fixed the mess again by using sauces and chutneys. They set some aside for Mitsuki and ate the rest.

They walked to supermarket and bought more eggplants. Rishi roasted them in oven, patiently taught them how to make Bhurtha, or roasted and friend eggplants. By midnight they all excelled and this time there was lots of food for Mitsuki and also for the breakfast.

Mitsuki again had hearty finger-licking meals. They all had walk in the park, then they left alone Mitsuki to talk with Rishi.
“Rishi San, today I am doing very better. Things are happening effortlessly.”
“So thinks are happening, just happening.’
“Yes, I have realized that I will be running thing, Creation made me this way. Today whole day, one insight had made a home in my soul that I am not doing things but things are happening and I am happening.”
“Good for you Mitsuki San.”
“And I am putting more trust and responsibility on people who work for the Corporation, hope in two months I will reduce my workload and could be able to manage to give some rest to my body.’
“That is most important, Misuki San.”
Mitsuki whispered, “That happened again, thanks Rishi San.”
“See what was not happening in the monastery, happened as a boss of billions dollars empire.”
Mitsuki laughed. “Had you met me before, it should have happened to me anywhere.”
“Good and Mitsuki today I put the wrong gasoline in the wrong tank. I went with my friend who runs a gasoline tanker. No more free tanker rides for me.”
Mitsukin laughed for long time.
“Well I am serving as cook of the household now; I cooked the same thing eight times today.”
“Wow! It seems like I ate at least yours four batches.”
“No you ate a bit of everybody’s cooked batches.”
“That was good, I never though if egg-plant can be cooked such delicious.”
“It is not the egg-plant or anything but the love and patience. You know when you cook something with your heart into it.”
“Yeah I know; you should give some lecture to the monks in the kitchen.”
“I am not good at giving lectures also.”
“What are you good at then?”
“Can you keep a secret?”
“Yes.”
“I am good at making people fool. Making them believe like I am somebody special, a Buddha.”
They laughed and split, went to different directions.
“What you would like to eat tomorrow,” Rishi shouted, “Mitsuki San?”
“Anything, which is made with love,” Mitsuki shouted back, “Or anything that you will make.”
They bowed to each other from the distance and then to all four directions and to the sky and went away.