Epilogue
Arvind was sitting in a helicopter with a geologist. They were circling in the sky, above the dry hills behind his home. They were studying a map and also looking down.
Mitsuki the monk, The Sole Executor and President of Russet Frazer Corporation, and his CEO Levin, both, had worked out a detailed plan with him to restore LaserGear to its original position but also gave him even better and profitable deal, but, there was a condition, a small condition attached. Arvind was responsible to make a small dam in the valley to harvest rainwater to recharge the aquifer, and then isolate, catch and relocate all the moray eel fishes from a pond circled on the map, to the new prospective lake.
Geologist told him, “To errect a dam is a huge bureaucratic hurdle with various agencies of government, it may be impossible to get the dam build. Even after bribing corrupt officials and politicians, and waiting, and waiting, more waiting for the permissions, and at the end, after several years of waiting, result could be null.”
Lines of worry appeared on Arvind’s forehead. Because he must follow those two conditions before LaserGear could be restored to its original position.
Geologist continued, “And then even if you obtain the permission, there are vested interests of many people, some want the dam to be built and other don’t because their land may fall behind the water or in the levy.”
“Then what is the other solution.”
“There is a solution but ….”
“But what?”
“You can bye-pass all government rules, agencies and courts, if villagers themselves start building the dam. You secretly pass them the expanses. You secretly pass money to the newspapers to write about the virtue of the hard work of people of village, building their own dam for themselves. You can secretly arrange a stunt, like some holy man ordering them to build a dam. In that case no politician or government agency or official will dare to confront with general public. Politicians will support the public for getting votes. I bet later on government will take over the dam and fix it to the official specifications.”
Arvind was relieved to listen to this. He made up his mind to follow the geologist’s advice. Helicopter dropped them at the open space in front of his home and flew away. Arvind knew that behind the hills was Rishi’s wandering area, his daughters told him that so it was understood that the condition was imposed upon him by Rishi.
In two hours he summoned the village chief for a secret meeting and whole affair was planned.
After two days, one holy man appeared in the village, showed them some magic. He also told them that he had a vision that some gold is buried in the wilderness. He took many villagers with picks and shovels, to the prospective dam site, and asked them to dig under an acacia tree. A box full of gold pieces was found buried there and also villagers found a rock upon which a Moray Eel fish was carved. Holy man said the Moray Eel god came to his vision, told him to use the money to build a dam and then relocate all eels in that water. Villagers took charge of the gold, hired an archeologist that was happened to be surveying near bye. He was the same archeologist who accompanied Arvind on the helicopter. Same day he decided where and how should be the foundation of dam should be place. Villagers began digging, the foundations of the dam at the same day. News spread to other villages like a fire and more people appeared to see the rock with eel carved upon. They decided to build a small temple on to house the rock.
In a week more money was passed to the village head who was an honest man, he played along with the scam for the benefit of his village. Many people volunteer for free, two architects were hired, man paid labors were hired followed by diggers, excavators, concrete mixtures etc. etc. Some government officials appeared on the scene and objected but they were threatened with the violent consequences and they ran away. Articles about the diligence, intelligence and hard work of villagers were appearing in the all daily newspapers.
In a month rough earthen dam was ready, by June it was half filled by pre-monsoon rains. A big leader appeared on the scene to inaugurate the dam and dedicated it to the public. Small Eel temple was also ready. Villagers caught and isolated all eels in the pond and transferred to the new water lake that was only for moray eels. People fed the fishes and they multiplied in the years. Nobody dared to wash the clothes there; nobody took animals in that lake to bath animals because of the sacred but ferociously aggressive fishes. Water stayed clean. Water appeared in the dry wells and many people were benefited. Moist earth prompted trees to grow healthier and taller and more trees appeared in the area.
2
Arvind discussed with his wife if to give Rishi a job, but that gesture was too patty because Rishi rescued their life and business. They had no idea what to do; they knew he was still jobless and wondering in the street. They decided to invite him on the dinner but then gave up the plan, because not offering him job to him but facing him on the dinner was only to create awkward situation. Arvind’s wife suggested him to keep quiet for while and then invite him after he gets a job elsewhere. Arvind too saw no other alternative.
3
Kulcha got married to Kalpana. Rishi had talked with the families of both sides and made them agree. Then Kulfa got married and then Fulka. It all happened in three months. They vacated their shared home.
Fukla got married to a girl, form a very rich family, she was twice fatter than him. Both were getting fatter by each day. He quit his job to work for his father-in-law and shunned all his friends. He never invited any of his friends to his wedding or at home. Friend saw him once a while only vaguely when he was passing in his car with his wife but he or his friends ignored each other.
Rishi knew Fulka was ashamed to see his friends due to the inferiority complexes that he has married to a very fat rich woman and was living and working for his in-laws.
Finally Rishi build his resume and found another relaxing and good paying job, which suited him perfectly well, and also involved some traveling. He moved in with three new young professionals. He named them Dhool (band), Bazaa (harmonium) and Bansri (flute). In return they named him Maestro (Symphony Conductor).
Same day he moved in with them, he scared a nightmare out of them by a prank, next day they three got together, and made him fool. It went on and on.
But the name Maestro turned out to be a tongue-tied name, when Kulfa came to their home to see Rishi, and addressed him – Coach. Rishi was renamed Coach again.
Rishi’s new job was closer to the village of his friends, Rajugopal and Chandrababu, where a new dam and a lake were built. Kulfha and Kulfa had arranged jobs for Rajugopal’s daughter and Chandrababu’s son. Some times Rishi went there at Fridays, spent a night at there and had yoghurt, homemade butter and homemade illicit-liquor drinking sessions some time.
4
Kulfa too joined him there to get away from his ever-angry-flighty wife. He begged Rishi to come to his home to talk some senses to his wife but Rishi always made some excuse because he was not good at talking senses. His only suggestion to them was if they can’t live in happiness then they should leave. Kulfa married with her against his parent’s wishes and wanted to prove to them that their marriage has worked and he was correct and they were wrong. He wanted to make it work or just to show them and all that it was working. Rishi said if they are happening in the same home as a husband and a wife, effortlessly and in harmony then OK, otherwise they should wrap up their stuff and move on.
Time and again Rishi received emails from Cynthia, Kiyoshi and Rarisa and he replied to them. Once a while they caught him on the messenger or called him on phone. His new housemates were also becoming their friend, they were always too eager to share the new drama that was always fermenting in their house.
5
Atul Mirchandani or Kulfa had married to a doctor girl whom he met when he fell down in the bathroom. She was only interested in shopping, theaters, cuisines, tailors and parties; she was earning five times more money than him. She was spending it all and Kulfa was paying the debts she was perpetually accumulating. She also loved to burn perfumed candles and almost burned the home three times. She claimed that cool flame and fragrance gave her soothing sensations. Kulfa was giving her neck massage twice a day because she demanded it. He couldn’t dare to refuse anything that she demanded or ordered, or a hell broke lose each time he defied any one of her wish. He was strictly vegetarian and hated creamy food, and she only ate meat or creamy food. She never cooked food or let him cook, lunch they always had at restaurants and at each dinner she dragged him to some new cuisine each evening. She could go to hundred miles to eat in a specific cuisine or attend a party. Anytime she tried to cook something she failed to cook but made wicked mess, burned and spilled things all over. Kulfa was used to having two or three cups of tea each day and she was drinking strong creamy coffee in large cups at least one by each hour. He was merely reduced as her escorting peon on her shopping sprees, theaters, cinemas and parties. More over she was always hungry, angry and gaining weight by each day where Kulfa was getting calmer and was losing weight by each day. His friends were not allowed in his home but hers were always free to come or go. He was not allowed to visit his friends because she claimed that she owned his time and owned him too. He was not allowed to listen to his music on the radio.
One day Kulfa made her agree to meet Rishi, she chose a newly opened Thai cuisine for the meeting, they three met and chatted this or that, over the dinner.
Rishi was feeling that she was always nervous, always on the verge of hysteria and always needed things, things, things and more things, just opposite of Kulfa.
To make her go ballistics and to examine her mind Rishi used his legendary bait.
He whispered in her ear, “It appears that Cuisines are your Temples and Waiters are your Gods.”
As Rishi expected, a can of worms was blown open. She was instantaneously angry, and in an electric movement she threw a glass of water at Rishi with her full might.
Rishi said, ducking the glass clean, “that was militantaneous and thanks for the party.”
All people in the cuisine were laughing. Rishi laughingly took his plate of noodle and bowl of soup, and sat on different table, and ate his food. Then she slapped Kulfa, first time in their just 2 months of married life, and he did not retaliate but laughed inside for what had happened. She took him out pulling him by his arm, digging her acrylic nails in his flash.
Kulfa thanked God for what was happened that day, he didn’t know what Rishi had whispered in her ears, and neither had she told him fearing he too would be making fun of her. From that day Kulfa began ignoring her completely. It was too much for her, she was a person who always wanted all the attention, all the time. Within a week she packed her belongings and left the apartment. Kulfa happily helped her to load the taxi.
She wasted no time to file for divorce, Kulfa or Atul Mirchandani felt he had suddenly recovered from some severe incurable disease. He moved back with Rishi and his gang of friends. Now they were five.
6
Cynthia and Kiyoshi were happily married. She had reduced her hospital hours but gave those hours for free charitable medical practice with Kiyoshi. They had already picked up the names of their future children – Rishi, Rishika, Rishicha, etc, etc, etc. One day Cynthia discovered that Kiyoshi had secretly placed a little picture of Rishi at the bottom of Buddha’s picture where he prayed each day and lit incense sticks. That day, Cynthia thought about Rishi and cried after three months.
She loved and worshiped Rishi. Now she knew that the moment when she had attached Ryan’s picture in her email to Rishi, and by clicking the send button she had signed Ryan’s death warrant, without being aware of it. Now she knew, as Rishi saw his picture, he had begun his planning from that moment. Time to again she thought about it and felt chill in her nerves but her love, respect and reverence only grew.
Rarisha was now cooking vegetables each day, had gained weight. Now she was dieting. She was unable to find a boyfriend because in each person she was looking for a mixture of Rishi and Kiyoshi. Rarisa still had Rishi’s set of clothes that he left in her car, made as a bundle. She also found Goodwill used clothing store’s receipt of twenty five dollars, in the pocket of his pants. Each night she went to sleep, hugging that bundle of clothes.
Gradually Russet Frazer’s estate was populated with monks, Mitsuki was still staying there otherwise he had to find other convenient place where a helicopter could land. He loved the company of monks. Cynthia and Rarisa always set aside food for him before they ate. That food was sent daily to him in his HQ where he ate it in lunch time. That food always acted as a bond of love between him, Cynthia, Kiyoshi and Rarisa. It was always so tasty that he felt their love in eating it.
Mitsuki remembered Rishi each day. The Buddha, who loved him, cooked for him, washed and ironed his clothes and polished his shoes. The Buddha who became his butler, stayed with him alone in his absence, in the haunted home.
When Rishi was returning to India, he gave his cell-phone back to Cynthia because it was not of any use in India; she also found the envelope of money that she left for him in the drawer, unopened. Rishi had made very few calls from that phone not even hundred dollar’s worth. Cynthia wanted to keep that cell-phone but Mitsuki wanted to have that number, Rishi’a number, to conduct his business. Mitsuki kept the number and Cynthia kept that phone. Rarisa stole it once but seeing Cynthia in anguish, she then returned it with heartfelt apology.
Mike McDonald moved away to his family, he was given the key and access to his home in the tree; he could come and stay there anytime he wished but he was too old to make the journey. Cynthia and Kiyoshi tried to spend at least one day of their weekend there. Rishi had visited Mike several times before he packed up from that home. Rishi also fooled him, saying that Russet Frazier’s ghost was always chasing him; sometimes he made his body his home. At that time Mike McDonald was not going to touch Rishi even with a ten fool long pole but then he said to himself, hey – what the heck, he is all making it up and had hugged Rishi.
One thing Mike McDonald was always sure that he himself saw Russet Frazier’s ghost with his own eyes. He was staring at him and Rishi, with menacing eyes, inviting them inside. But Rishi went in and he ran away from there. He told this story to his children grandchildren several times, about the ghost he saw by his own eyes, and the ghost-buster, Rishi, whom even Buddhist Monks bowed and revered. He also took Rishi’s picture with him.
7
Detective Levis Hopkins also nicknamed as Colombo, also pondered about Rishi several times. He tempered the evidences to make it look like tomfoolery. Of-course Rishi poisoned Ryan and then of-course Rishi was directly or indirectly responsible for Russet Frazier’s death. Of-course Russet Frazier hired Italian Mafia to assassinate Rishi but both assassins were killed. It was his job to assist in the investigation. But he immediately changed his mind when he heard the news that Mitsuki, a Monk was made Russet Frazier’s successor. His gut feeling instantly said it was Rishi’s doing. Rishi was guarding Cynthia like a hawk, he had hacked her mind. He saluted and bowed to Rishi in his mind and rushed to his HQ and tempered the evidences. Was there any evidence against Rishi? No there was none. BUT, in case any new evidence appears against Rishi in future, any good lawyer could overwhelm the trial with the issue of tempering and monkey business in the evidence room. Now any good lawyer could easily skyjack the trial in the different direction.
When Levis Hopkins had met Rishi second time in Russet Frazier’s home, he had been enjoying his day again in floating on the vagabond float in the swimming pool wearing full expensive dress of Russet Frazier, and with his own new invention, a three liter coke bottle tied to a string. He had used that bottle to anchor the float to shake hands with him. Levis Hopkins had winked his eye telling Rishi, “Your friend who is email hacker has a friend who is mind hacker.”
Rishi had replied him, “Huh, he dug his own grave. And then you changed your own mind.”
Ah! That’s exactly what Levis Hopkins had been thinking about Rishi at that time - he dug his own grave but he, Levis Hopkins had changed his mind to go against Rishi but to help him of-course illegally.
He had replied to Rishi, “If you can hack mind and hijack a billions dollars empire, I can only give it up Sir. I am a small fry, a little slippery eel.”
“Did I hack your mind?” Rishi had his well-known mischievous smile on his face and Levis had had chuckled for a long time and after a long time.
Did I hack your Mind? Did I hack your Mind? Did I hack your Mind? Did I hack your Mind?
It was not a question but a mother of all answers.
Rishi had taken him inside the home and had prepared coffee and breakfast for him. After he had eaten his breakfast, Rishi had given him the biggest scare of his life. Russet Frazier’s ghost was roving and breaking plates in the hallways and in the downstairs. He almost had a heart attack at that time, almost, almost. He always had thought that he never fears ghosts. But from that day he was uncomfortable to enter in that home, anyway and thank God, now that was a Buddhists monastery now, populated with monks.
8
Police and Air Traffic Safety Commission investigated Russet Frazier’s death in the helicopter crash. Detailed interview with pilots and Russet Frazier’s phone records revealed that he had received a call from Italy and then told the pilots to rush to the SFO. Pilots told police that Russet was in the state of hysteria and was shouting some Rishi or Chi or Rinchi, something like that. About one hour before helicopter crashed, two assassins unsuccessfully tried to kill Rishi but his cunning trick killed one and other was killed by water. Then Rishi was also a suspect in the homicide of Dr. Ryan. Circumstances were very complex and involved people from three countries. Rishi from India, two dead assassins from Italy and Russet Frazier was United States Citizen. Five people who were involved in the complex situation, four were dead except Rishi. Investigations were handed over to FBI.
In mysterious circumstances forensic samples from the Dr. Ryan and Rishi’s poisoning case were found damaged and un-presentable. FBI secretly discovered that a rift existed between Russet Frazier and Rishi. FBI secretly obtained Rishi’s Bangalore IP address and his search history but results were null. His laptop was recently formatted, either he rarely used Internet or was stealing someone else’s wireless connection. They accessed Rishi’s emails, he only saved some necessary emails but nothing incriminating was discovered there. Investigators were unable to discover if Rishi had ever searched about Moray Eel Fish or sent or received emails to or from Ryan or Russet Frazier. No whatsoever incriminatory evidence was found? FBI knew that Rishi had deleted Dr. Ryan’s all emails sitting in Russet Frazier’s home but that was not enough to prove anything. Time to time people share each other’s passwords. That evidence was not enough even to be presented to some grand jury.
One interesting thing was discovered by FBI liaison officer sent to Bangalore, he stumbled upon the information that a Moray Eel temple was being built and all moray eels from a near bye pond, were relocated to a newly build dam-lake, by villagers. Now those eels were sacred. He discovered that Rishi had friends in that village, he used to visit there, was still visiting there frequently on the weekends and holidays. There was no wisdom in investigating his friends or the whole village, for they too loved him, and they knew that the lake and the dam was Rishi’s doing, everybody knew it although Rishi denied it. Rumor was as good as true that LaserGear secretly planned and financed the dam and lake and the netting and transferring of all eel fishes to a safe-haven. Rishi was the friend of the people living in big red house. Man of the big red household, Mr. Arvind, went to see Mitsuki the Monk, to reclaim his company.
Rishi was terminated from that job in LaserGear, that Russet Frazier made his ancillary. Many things were complicated but not so complicated either.
Liaison Officer to FBI submitted his findings to FBI. There were no facts but some suppositions, assumptions, speculations, presumptions and guesses. Not enough to take any further action.
There were not enough evidences to indict Rishi in any court of law, in any country. FBI discovered that even if they try to indict him, Russet Frazier Corporation and all its resources were armed to the teeth to fight for him, viciously, to the finish. They have discovered that it was Rishi who had installed Mitsuki the Monk, as the Sole Executor, of the empire that Russet Frazier had build in over forty years. And they discovered that Monk worshiped Rishi, Russet Frazier’s daughter worshiped Rishi and her husband and his sister they all worshiped Rishi as their God. Even the Filipino maid Elysia and Mike McDonald worshipped him. They knew that Detective Levis Hopkins too admired Rishi, probably he messed up the poisoning samples, but it was impossible to prove.
Of-course they were flabbergasted. They knew Russet Frazier was waging a war with Rishi and paid with his life. They knew Rishi was waging a war with Dr. Ryan and Dr. Ryan lost his life. Two expert assassins were sent to kill Rishi, both paid with their lives. Whomsoever displeased Rishi or confronted him paid with his life, a bad omen for all Rishi’s victims, or Rishi’s criminal inclinations and intentions, they could not conclude. They could not conclude if he was a perfect criminal or a holy river was flowing behind him, washing all the evidences. Or just merely coincidences were working in his favor.
They had stopped the investigation, not to waste any more resources. The each path in the maze was leading either to dead people or to dead-end or to the people who loved Rishi or worshiped him as ‘The Buddha’.
9
In San Francisco Rishi had made only one international call, to that was to Anil, the super-hacker. Told him that he may be in the trouble because of those passwords hacking, and also due to some searches he made on the internet. Anil gave him many suggestions, first was to delete all or most of his own and other’s emails, whose password he had stolen. He told to delete each and every email, regardless in inbox. Outbox, junk or spam or any other folder, delete the address-book also. Second hint he gave him to call Kulcha and tell him to format the hard-drive of all computer’s he has used. The reason Anil gave this suggestion was that selectively deleting any email may leave behind some forwarded to and from and then again to and from hidden email.
Following his suggestion Rishi had deleted most of his own emails, Ryan’s and Nancy’s and some selective emails of Cynthia’s. He also called Kulcha to format his laptop’s hard-drive. He loved his Coach ‘The Coach’ and he did what he had asked.
In San Francisco, Rishi had told Rarisa to steal ‘Friends are always welcome’ doormat from Dr. Kiyoshi’s threshold. She had offered him to buy a new one for him. They were only ten dollars a piece but Rishi had wanted the same lucky one, she stolen it for him. Dr. Kiyoshi and Cynthia both were bemused about the missing doormat. Cynthia bought a new one next day.
Rishi brought that doormat to India, it fitted in his backpack with all his meager belongings. He gifted it to Jantilal Kantilal Desai also-called-as Kulcha, and Kalpana. The only gift he ever brought for anyone in his life. He put it at their door. They had given him a key of their home, telling that a warm meal and a bed would always be waiting for him there, forever.
Of-course, in the beginning - Filipino maid, Elysia’s fearful mind projected and invented Russet Frazier’s ghost but Rishi used the idea and propagated it to amuse himself and also to steer away Cynthia from her father’s memories, mostly unpleasing though. People don’t like to see their loved ones becoming ghosts to haunt them. In that case bye-bye to all the memories whatsoever good. Person who becomes a ghost becomes only a ghost. Cynthia’s father Russet Frazier only became a ghost to her. She only visited her home once to bring back some more of her belongings, like medical reference books, her bicycle etc. What used to be her home or was her isolation from the world, was now a Buddhist monastery anyway.
10
Cynthia called Jantilal (Kulcha), requested him to mail her that huge book that Rishi made by gluing several similar books, because she was not convinced if it was possible to make it look like one paperback. They already all had lost all bets on that book including her, she was very curious to see that book and show it to Kiyoshi and Rarisa.
Jantilal gladly parceled her that book.
When it arrived in Cynthia and Kiyoshi’s home in San Francisco, there was again unleashing of laugher, because the book was so neatly glued, it looked like one. Only some last pages numbers were neatly altered with a black pen. Book was nine inches thick.
Cynthia, Rarisa, Kiyoshi, Dhool, Baza, Bansri and Kulfa they all betted with each other and with with Rishi that it could have taken him to prepare such marvel in at least one week, they all lost all the bets again because Rishi built such book in only twenty minutes, they all saw it on webcam. Of-course they were not counting the time, Rishi’s going to junkyard to buy one failed author’s 15 copies of the same book, paid by the weight. That was another two hours. Total cost was about one dollar including the cost of glue. They had laughed whole days.
Next day Dhool emailed Cynthia that a new drama is distilling, the biggest ever one could imagine. Maestro or Coach has stolen a buffalo from someone’s home in the village he visits; he is hiding the huge beast in his friend’s bedroom. The friend is gone somewhere leaving him his keys.
Dhool had no further details because Coach had been hiding in the village himself, with the buffalo; he had to feed and water the beast.
After two days whole news came. Coach was helping a boy in the village, so he could gain attention of the family of the girl he was after. Coach stole that girl’s buffalo at night and hid it in the bedroom of a friend of his who went away giving him the keys.
After two days, at night the boy appeared pulling the buffalo with its chain at the girl’s home, claiming that he had searched for the buffalo, for days and nights, and finally found her straying in the hills. That boy had received a hero’s welcome in that girl’s home.
Now Coach had the big job, to clean the bedroom and get rid of the dung and its smell.
Another madness of laugher was unleashed in the Cynthia’s household.
Coach was still staying in the village, most likely cleaning the bedroom of his friend. He was not available to comment, BUT, they had placed several new bets on several new mysteries.
Did he milk the buffalo or not?
If he did milk her, what did he do with all four buckets of milk that he would have milked in two mornings and two evenings?
Or, was he able to milk her or not?
Did she hit him with her horns?
How was he able to muffle her bellows, for two full days?
What he did with those buckets full of buffalo’s pee?
Buffalos must be given bath in the summers or they get sick, did he give her bath?
Where did he sleep, in the same room with her, because it was a single bedroom house?
Rishi’s friends in Bangalore and in California were having a restless sleep. They were all waking up several times, laughing.
Then what would happen when they might lose all bets, slowly one by one as the mystery may begin unfolding leisurely and unhurriedly.
Rishi’s friends assured Cynthia that they will email her a picture of that buffalo that spent two nights with Coach.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Chapter 21
Chapter 21
Thursday, April 21
In the morning, Cynthia gave final dose of medicines to Rishi, his course was over and he was normal with no inflammation in liver or kidneys. They ate egg-plant sandwiches in breakfast. Kiyoshi and Cynthia went to the place where Kiyoshi bought that ‘Friends are always welcome’ doormat. She bought two new same doormats, because one they had was worn up and other was for Rarisa’s home. They did some more shopping to complete their home.
Rishi and Cynthia had a walk in the park.
“Rishi I talked with Kiyoshi, I apologize you for sending you the cheapest air ticket. That was thoughtless of me. You are more precious than that.”
Rishi laughed. “You fool, that ticket made me meet Rarisa and then she met Mitsuki and you met Dr. Kiyoshi and now you two are married.”
Cynthia was confounded and stunned. Indeed that ticket had changed their lives, is still changing their lives. Had she bought any other ticket, things would not be the same.
“Mitsuki suggested me to buy an economical ticket for you in the anticipation if you wished to reimburse me; it could be the least burden upon you.”
“What did I say,” Rishi asked smilingly, “after you bough my ticket?”
“You said – Thank your very much.”
“So thank you very much.”
“But you came here and got entangled in mine and Mitsuki’s troubles.”
Rishi laughed. “I am having a very good time. Thank you very much.”
“No mention Rishi, please do not mention. Hey listen?”
“Yes.”
“Mitsuki is going to solve all the problems of LaserGear, he says it is a big mess right now but he will invent some acceptable solution, suitable for both parties. He was saying that it may give him some sleepless nights but he will do his best.”
“Why is he taking all the trouble, after all LaserGear is a business as any other? I only promised Arvind that I will talk with your father or you. No more no less.”
“Rishi you don’t understand these things – First time we met, it was at Arvind’s home. That place is a shrine to me. I want to restore peace there.”
“There is a village near his home, a pond is there.”
“I think you told me about that village where you met some farmer who gave you some herb.”
“Tell Mitsuk, we have to relocate all Moray Eels from it, to some proper habitat. Those fishes are unwanted there.”
Cynthia was stunned again and a wave of chill crept in her spine. Tears fell from her eyes.
“And tell him to see if we can bring water around that village. It is a very serene place.”
“Any other order Rishi?”
“That’s all folks.”
Rarisa took Rishi to show her research fields and to her university. Rishi showed great interest in the plants, forestry, horticulture, floriculture and everything that grew, in that agriculture research station. She showed him her work on the cabbages. She took four large cabbages because she was allowed to cook them to evaluate the quality.
Mitsuki and they all kept secret with Rishi about how Mitsuki’s office looked like. Rarisa was still on leave till Sunday. She drove Rishi to Mitsuki’s office and he was waiting for them at the entrance of the building. He took Rishi to first the office that was being under construction and then to the temporary office.
Bottle of water that Rishi had given to Rarisha at the airport to give to Mitsuki was lying on the boss’s chair and boss had the small visitor chair. Mitsuki and Rarisa both bowed to the bottle.
Rishi too bowed.
Raisa asked, laughingly, “Why did you bowed.”
“I bowed to water. Water is the holiest thing on this earth. Water made the life possible; it is nowhere else other than earth.”
They all bowed to the water again.
“Water is very holy, very fragile and very delicate,” Rishi said, “One can destroy whole river or whole lake or all water on the earth by destroying a little of it.”
“It is true Rishi San, nothing can grow without water. No life can sustain,” said Rarisa.
Mitsuki said, “Life is sacred. It only happened on this earth because of the water.”
They ordered saluted Chinese mixed vegetables with rice, ate lunch with Mitsuki. Then Mitsuki came to see them off to Rarisa’s car.
“Bye Mitsuki San, I got to teach how to cook cabbages today.”
“No pumpkins today.”
“Nope, may be tomorrow or day after it.”
They drove to Dr. Cynthia and Dr. Kiyoshi’s home to cook cabbages.
2
Mitsuki aka Takahari was gaining attention of the people, crowds were gathering around the monastery to have a look at the monk who was running billions dollars empire again. Although monk left early and arrived late but still police was worried about his safety. Police told him to find another secure place to life or hire some security guards to guard him. Already a violent but failed assassination attempt was made to an inmate Rishi at Buddhist Center, with two assassins dead. Police chief himself gave him the news at night when he returned.
Same police chief went to Dr. Kiyoshi’s home and threatened Rishi with deportation to India, if he does not leave the area immediately. Cynthia and Kiyoshi discussed the matter and decided that Rishi and Mitsuki, should stay at Russet Frazier’s estate if they wish. They called Mitsuki, he too had no choice. He was fearful to live at the haunted home but agreed if Rishi too was to live with him. Mitsuki decided to stay at the estate till monastery could begin. That place suited him well because he could commute by helicopter to save another two hours in commuting to and fro to Russet Frazer HQ.
3
Cynthia was driving the car; she punched the codes in the keypad and gate opened. She parked the car in the parking.
Rishi picked up his backpack.
“Want to come in to say hello to Papa Russet.”
They both said at the same time, with broken heart, “No thanks.”
Both were upset that Rishi and Mitsuki were going to live in the same fearful haunted place.
“I guess I am the man of house then. The In-charge”
“Yes, feel free. Enjoy.”
“I guess I must pick Papa Russet’s lock to use his colon.”
“Yes, feel free. Enjoy. Please.”
“You got any coal tar in your car?”
“No why?”
“I saw him throwing the key in the swimming pool. I can bring it up with some pole using coal tar sticking at the end.”
“May be Mike McDonald got some,” Cynthia said, wiping her tears.
“He won’t stand thousand yards from this house.”
Cynthia asked Kiyoshi that it was his job to do the driving now. Kiyoshi and Cynthia came out of the Mercedes to change seats.
She begun weeping and Kiyoshi reversed the car and sped off without saying good bye to Rishi, because deep inside he too was weeping. They could have put Rishi at Rarisa’s home or in any motel, but then what to do with Mitsuki’s problem. He was a high profile person now and also needed a helipad to commute.
They were already missing Rishi, the person who was changing their life.
Rishi went to beach and had a long walk. Then returned to the home, opened the refrigerator and found turnips. He had a beer while making turnip curry and rice.
Then he tried to pick the lock at Russet Frazier’s room, that he had installed himself. It turned out an easy work. He slid the plunger with a think knife and door opened. Rishi ran out of shaving things. He shaved in Russet’s bathroom using his razor and foam. He took a bath in his bathroom, there were many types of colognes he tried all one by one and then walked out. He left the door open because there was slight chance that Cynthia will ever stop foot in her father’s room. She as well Kiyoshi, they were too scared of his ghost.
4
At 11pm Mitsuki took helicopter from the roof of Russet Frazier Corporation HQ. He was very eager to meet Rishi again. Rishi had put him back to where he quit his life as a billionaire business magnet. Rishi had ordered him to start where he left off, six years ago but do the things differently. After six years of gap he picked up the similar thread and was doing similar, but only differently. This time without a cause and effortlessly. Only some days ago he was walking to meet his Buddha, as a pilgrim to the airport, and today he was going there on a giant, luxury helicopter.
Mitsuki laughed because now Buddha had become his chef.
Pilots had remote control for ground lights, whole area at and around the helipad lit up and enormous helicopter landed with a great noise on Russet Frazier’s helipad. Pilot opened the door and he got out, and helicopter flew back.
Rishi opened the door for him. Mitsuki’s nose was filled with some kind of strange smells. He sniffed Rishi.
“What kind of smell it that?”
“Well I applied all the colognes that Papa Russet had in his bathroom.”
Mistuki shivered with fear because Russet Frazier’s body was still lying in a funeral home waiting for burial, his ghost was meandering in the home and this enlightened idiot was already pillaging his things.
“No wonder why you smell like red light district of Shanghai.”
“Thanks for your kind compliments.”
“Whose night suit are you wearing,” Mitsuki wondered, “it is not yours and it is too large for you?”
“It is Papa Russet’s”
“Oh nooooo. Please and kindly don’t pinch his stuff for Buddha’s sake; his soul is not resting yet?”
Rishi and a good laugh and then Mitsuki too laughed.
Mitsuki had another great dinner with Rishi and then they went out for a small walk.
“Please don’t scare me Rishi San.”
“Have I ever scared to anybody?”
“Yes to Cynthia and Kiyoshi.”
“But I only broke the plates; they saw Papa Russet with their own eyes.”
“Please don’t do any such thing to me. I am very scared. I only agreed to stay here to spend time with you.”
“Yes Me too.”
They had a little walk at the beach.
Mitsuki asked, “Since you should know that everything what we got is yours, actually I am working for you Rishi San. Cynthia still asked me to ask you if you have any need.”
Rishi laughed.
“Rishi San, what is your reply?”
“I have money today, what may happen tomorrow, nobody knows.”
“OK, I won’t interfere in your affairs or force you anything but feel free in the future.”
“You too, just feel free in the future. If you want to be made fool, or missing a laugh, come see me.”
“I will send a jet for you?”
“Mitsuki San, Mitsuki San, if you want to laugh, stand in the harmony of Creation with its all objects. If you send a jet, laugh will be gone.”
Mitsuki was musing and nodding.
“Laugher is the most precious phenomenon that Creation has bestowed upon humans. No other creature on this earth can laugh because no other creature can sees the absurdity. Babies begin laughing as the shock and pain of birth is over.”
This was another milestone for Mitsuki.
“What do you mean by absurdity?’
“We are happening with the Creation but we invented Gods and Buddha. We are virus on this beautiful earth; we will destroy this earth and its all water. We have vanity; we say Gods made us on as his own shape and face. We are leading to the destruction.”
“Yes, but what we can do about it?”
“It too is Creation’s wish. We can not do anything, had never done anything, we are not doing anything. We are Creation and it is happening.”
“But we are virus ….”
“Yes we are virus, we make big homes, we cut trees and pollute water and we need more and more things. We are eliminating all other creatures on this earth by killing them or eliminating their habitat.”
“Then what we can do?”
“Then what I can do? Not seeing the vanity in born as a human, I am same as a blade of grass, except that I can laugh at the absurdity of my vanity.”
They went downstairs, Mitsuki’s belongings had not arrived yet, he was wearing only Buddhist monk’s wrap. Since Rishi was wearing Russet Frazier’s night suit he gave his own to Mitsuki. They both slept on the same king sized bed in the same room where Rishi slept before.
Mitsuki fell to sleep, Rishi left the room, washed and dried Mitsuki’s monk’s wrap and his own clothes in the laundry, he ironed Mitsuki’s wrap and put it on the table in the room. Now he knew the whole house, could negotiate the hallways and area without turning on the lights at the night. He went to Russet Frazier’s room, and found new pack of under-wears and white socks; he brought a set down to his room for Mitsuki and then went to sleep with him at midnight.
5
Cynthia cooked curried cauliflowers with potatoes, Rishi’s way. Rarisa was not allowed in the kitchen, although it was Rarisa’s cauliflowers, because too many cooks can spoil the broth. Rarisa cooked rice in the electric cooker in the dining room. The all tasted the curry, it turned out so and so, Rarisa took over and fixed it with adding little Thai coconut paste and cooked it again for some time, and WOW!
After cooking was done, as a ritual that Rishi had started, they set aside some food for Mitsuki the monk.
They sat on the dining table, Rarisa took notes on the color, texture, taste of cauliflower as her ongoing research project, and they all helped her discovering or rather inventing more features in that cooked research cauliflowers.
This dinner was superb too.
After dinner they followed another ritual that Rishi had started, the walked in the streets and then in the park.
Rarisa said, “Rishi made a chef of all us.”
Kiyoshi said to tease her, “And in two days you have gained some weight.”
“Oh nooo.”
Cynthia said to Rarisa, “You are too anorexic, you can use some weight?”
Kiyoshi said, “Tomorrow, let’s cook zucchinis for dinner?”
“What are we going to do with pumpkins then?”
“Oh yeah, I forgot about the pumpkins.”
“Rishi was saying that,” Rarisa said, “there is totally different way to cook pumpkins. One needs cumin seeds, onion seeds, coriander seeds and fenugreek seeds.”
“Tomorrow we will bring those seeds.”
“Tomorrow it is my turn to cook,” Rarisa said, “I will call Rishi for the recipe to cook pumpkin.”
“And tomorrow is my turn to fix, whatever you do wrong,” Cynthia said.
They laughed.
Cynthia and Kiyoshi were both thinking that they all are making a very happy family.
Thursday, April 21
In the morning, Cynthia gave final dose of medicines to Rishi, his course was over and he was normal with no inflammation in liver or kidneys. They ate egg-plant sandwiches in breakfast. Kiyoshi and Cynthia went to the place where Kiyoshi bought that ‘Friends are always welcome’ doormat. She bought two new same doormats, because one they had was worn up and other was for Rarisa’s home. They did some more shopping to complete their home.
Rishi and Cynthia had a walk in the park.
“Rishi I talked with Kiyoshi, I apologize you for sending you the cheapest air ticket. That was thoughtless of me. You are more precious than that.”
Rishi laughed. “You fool, that ticket made me meet Rarisa and then she met Mitsuki and you met Dr. Kiyoshi and now you two are married.”
Cynthia was confounded and stunned. Indeed that ticket had changed their lives, is still changing their lives. Had she bought any other ticket, things would not be the same.
“Mitsuki suggested me to buy an economical ticket for you in the anticipation if you wished to reimburse me; it could be the least burden upon you.”
“What did I say,” Rishi asked smilingly, “after you bough my ticket?”
“You said – Thank your very much.”
“So thank you very much.”
“But you came here and got entangled in mine and Mitsuki’s troubles.”
Rishi laughed. “I am having a very good time. Thank you very much.”
“No mention Rishi, please do not mention. Hey listen?”
“Yes.”
“Mitsuki is going to solve all the problems of LaserGear, he says it is a big mess right now but he will invent some acceptable solution, suitable for both parties. He was saying that it may give him some sleepless nights but he will do his best.”
“Why is he taking all the trouble, after all LaserGear is a business as any other? I only promised Arvind that I will talk with your father or you. No more no less.”
“Rishi you don’t understand these things – First time we met, it was at Arvind’s home. That place is a shrine to me. I want to restore peace there.”
“There is a village near his home, a pond is there.”
“I think you told me about that village where you met some farmer who gave you some herb.”
“Tell Mitsuk, we have to relocate all Moray Eels from it, to some proper habitat. Those fishes are unwanted there.”
Cynthia was stunned again and a wave of chill crept in her spine. Tears fell from her eyes.
“And tell him to see if we can bring water around that village. It is a very serene place.”
“Any other order Rishi?”
“That’s all folks.”
Rarisa took Rishi to show her research fields and to her university. Rishi showed great interest in the plants, forestry, horticulture, floriculture and everything that grew, in that agriculture research station. She showed him her work on the cabbages. She took four large cabbages because she was allowed to cook them to evaluate the quality.
Mitsuki and they all kept secret with Rishi about how Mitsuki’s office looked like. Rarisa was still on leave till Sunday. She drove Rishi to Mitsuki’s office and he was waiting for them at the entrance of the building. He took Rishi to first the office that was being under construction and then to the temporary office.
Bottle of water that Rishi had given to Rarisha at the airport to give to Mitsuki was lying on the boss’s chair and boss had the small visitor chair. Mitsuki and Rarisa both bowed to the bottle.
Rishi too bowed.
Raisa asked, laughingly, “Why did you bowed.”
“I bowed to water. Water is the holiest thing on this earth. Water made the life possible; it is nowhere else other than earth.”
They all bowed to the water again.
“Water is very holy, very fragile and very delicate,” Rishi said, “One can destroy whole river or whole lake or all water on the earth by destroying a little of it.”
“It is true Rishi San, nothing can grow without water. No life can sustain,” said Rarisa.
Mitsuki said, “Life is sacred. It only happened on this earth because of the water.”
They ordered saluted Chinese mixed vegetables with rice, ate lunch with Mitsuki. Then Mitsuki came to see them off to Rarisa’s car.
“Bye Mitsuki San, I got to teach how to cook cabbages today.”
“No pumpkins today.”
“Nope, may be tomorrow or day after it.”
They drove to Dr. Cynthia and Dr. Kiyoshi’s home to cook cabbages.
2
Mitsuki aka Takahari was gaining attention of the people, crowds were gathering around the monastery to have a look at the monk who was running billions dollars empire again. Although monk left early and arrived late but still police was worried about his safety. Police told him to find another secure place to life or hire some security guards to guard him. Already a violent but failed assassination attempt was made to an inmate Rishi at Buddhist Center, with two assassins dead. Police chief himself gave him the news at night when he returned.
Same police chief went to Dr. Kiyoshi’s home and threatened Rishi with deportation to India, if he does not leave the area immediately. Cynthia and Kiyoshi discussed the matter and decided that Rishi and Mitsuki, should stay at Russet Frazier’s estate if they wish. They called Mitsuki, he too had no choice. He was fearful to live at the haunted home but agreed if Rishi too was to live with him. Mitsuki decided to stay at the estate till monastery could begin. That place suited him well because he could commute by helicopter to save another two hours in commuting to and fro to Russet Frazer HQ.
3
Cynthia was driving the car; she punched the codes in the keypad and gate opened. She parked the car in the parking.
Rishi picked up his backpack.
“Want to come in to say hello to Papa Russet.”
They both said at the same time, with broken heart, “No thanks.”
Both were upset that Rishi and Mitsuki were going to live in the same fearful haunted place.
“I guess I am the man of house then. The In-charge”
“Yes, feel free. Enjoy.”
“I guess I must pick Papa Russet’s lock to use his colon.”
“Yes, feel free. Enjoy. Please.”
“You got any coal tar in your car?”
“No why?”
“I saw him throwing the key in the swimming pool. I can bring it up with some pole using coal tar sticking at the end.”
“May be Mike McDonald got some,” Cynthia said, wiping her tears.
“He won’t stand thousand yards from this house.”
Cynthia asked Kiyoshi that it was his job to do the driving now. Kiyoshi and Cynthia came out of the Mercedes to change seats.
She begun weeping and Kiyoshi reversed the car and sped off without saying good bye to Rishi, because deep inside he too was weeping. They could have put Rishi at Rarisa’s home or in any motel, but then what to do with Mitsuki’s problem. He was a high profile person now and also needed a helipad to commute.
They were already missing Rishi, the person who was changing their life.
Rishi went to beach and had a long walk. Then returned to the home, opened the refrigerator and found turnips. He had a beer while making turnip curry and rice.
Then he tried to pick the lock at Russet Frazier’s room, that he had installed himself. It turned out an easy work. He slid the plunger with a think knife and door opened. Rishi ran out of shaving things. He shaved in Russet’s bathroom using his razor and foam. He took a bath in his bathroom, there were many types of colognes he tried all one by one and then walked out. He left the door open because there was slight chance that Cynthia will ever stop foot in her father’s room. She as well Kiyoshi, they were too scared of his ghost.
4
At 11pm Mitsuki took helicopter from the roof of Russet Frazier Corporation HQ. He was very eager to meet Rishi again. Rishi had put him back to where he quit his life as a billionaire business magnet. Rishi had ordered him to start where he left off, six years ago but do the things differently. After six years of gap he picked up the similar thread and was doing similar, but only differently. This time without a cause and effortlessly. Only some days ago he was walking to meet his Buddha, as a pilgrim to the airport, and today he was going there on a giant, luxury helicopter.
Mitsuki laughed because now Buddha had become his chef.
Pilots had remote control for ground lights, whole area at and around the helipad lit up and enormous helicopter landed with a great noise on Russet Frazier’s helipad. Pilot opened the door and he got out, and helicopter flew back.
Rishi opened the door for him. Mitsuki’s nose was filled with some kind of strange smells. He sniffed Rishi.
“What kind of smell it that?”
“Well I applied all the colognes that Papa Russet had in his bathroom.”
Mistuki shivered with fear because Russet Frazier’s body was still lying in a funeral home waiting for burial, his ghost was meandering in the home and this enlightened idiot was already pillaging his things.
“No wonder why you smell like red light district of Shanghai.”
“Thanks for your kind compliments.”
“Whose night suit are you wearing,” Mitsuki wondered, “it is not yours and it is too large for you?”
“It is Papa Russet’s”
“Oh nooooo. Please and kindly don’t pinch his stuff for Buddha’s sake; his soul is not resting yet?”
Rishi and a good laugh and then Mitsuki too laughed.
Mitsuki had another great dinner with Rishi and then they went out for a small walk.
“Please don’t scare me Rishi San.”
“Have I ever scared to anybody?”
“Yes to Cynthia and Kiyoshi.”
“But I only broke the plates; they saw Papa Russet with their own eyes.”
“Please don’t do any such thing to me. I am very scared. I only agreed to stay here to spend time with you.”
“Yes Me too.”
They had a little walk at the beach.
Mitsuki asked, “Since you should know that everything what we got is yours, actually I am working for you Rishi San. Cynthia still asked me to ask you if you have any need.”
Rishi laughed.
“Rishi San, what is your reply?”
“I have money today, what may happen tomorrow, nobody knows.”
“OK, I won’t interfere in your affairs or force you anything but feel free in the future.”
“You too, just feel free in the future. If you want to be made fool, or missing a laugh, come see me.”
“I will send a jet for you?”
“Mitsuki San, Mitsuki San, if you want to laugh, stand in the harmony of Creation with its all objects. If you send a jet, laugh will be gone.”
Mitsuki was musing and nodding.
“Laugher is the most precious phenomenon that Creation has bestowed upon humans. No other creature on this earth can laugh because no other creature can sees the absurdity. Babies begin laughing as the shock and pain of birth is over.”
This was another milestone for Mitsuki.
“What do you mean by absurdity?’
“We are happening with the Creation but we invented Gods and Buddha. We are virus on this beautiful earth; we will destroy this earth and its all water. We have vanity; we say Gods made us on as his own shape and face. We are leading to the destruction.”
“Yes, but what we can do about it?”
“It too is Creation’s wish. We can not do anything, had never done anything, we are not doing anything. We are Creation and it is happening.”
“But we are virus ….”
“Yes we are virus, we make big homes, we cut trees and pollute water and we need more and more things. We are eliminating all other creatures on this earth by killing them or eliminating their habitat.”
“Then what we can do?”
“Then what I can do? Not seeing the vanity in born as a human, I am same as a blade of grass, except that I can laugh at the absurdity of my vanity.”
They went downstairs, Mitsuki’s belongings had not arrived yet, he was wearing only Buddhist monk’s wrap. Since Rishi was wearing Russet Frazier’s night suit he gave his own to Mitsuki. They both slept on the same king sized bed in the same room where Rishi slept before.
Mitsuki fell to sleep, Rishi left the room, washed and dried Mitsuki’s monk’s wrap and his own clothes in the laundry, he ironed Mitsuki’s wrap and put it on the table in the room. Now he knew the whole house, could negotiate the hallways and area without turning on the lights at the night. He went to Russet Frazier’s room, and found new pack of under-wears and white socks; he brought a set down to his room for Mitsuki and then went to sleep with him at midnight.
5
Cynthia cooked curried cauliflowers with potatoes, Rishi’s way. Rarisa was not allowed in the kitchen, although it was Rarisa’s cauliflowers, because too many cooks can spoil the broth. Rarisa cooked rice in the electric cooker in the dining room. The all tasted the curry, it turned out so and so, Rarisa took over and fixed it with adding little Thai coconut paste and cooked it again for some time, and WOW!
After cooking was done, as a ritual that Rishi had started, they set aside some food for Mitsuki the monk.
They sat on the dining table, Rarisa took notes on the color, texture, taste of cauliflower as her ongoing research project, and they all helped her discovering or rather inventing more features in that cooked research cauliflowers.
This dinner was superb too.
After dinner they followed another ritual that Rishi had started, the walked in the streets and then in the park.
Rarisa said, “Rishi made a chef of all us.”
Kiyoshi said to tease her, “And in two days you have gained some weight.”
“Oh nooo.”
Cynthia said to Rarisa, “You are too anorexic, you can use some weight?”
Kiyoshi said, “Tomorrow, let’s cook zucchinis for dinner?”
“What are we going to do with pumpkins then?”
“Oh yeah, I forgot about the pumpkins.”
“Rishi was saying that,” Rarisa said, “there is totally different way to cook pumpkins. One needs cumin seeds, onion seeds, coriander seeds and fenugreek seeds.”
“Tomorrow we will bring those seeds.”
“Tomorrow it is my turn to cook,” Rarisa said, “I will call Rishi for the recipe to cook pumpkin.”
“And tomorrow is my turn to fix, whatever you do wrong,” Cynthia said.
They laughed.
Cynthia and Kiyoshi were both thinking that they all are making a very happy family.
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.
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.
Chapter 19
Chapter 19
Tuesday, April 19
When Cynthia brought Kiyoshi and Rarisa to her home, Russet Frazier’s estate, at the entrance they saw Mike McDonald sitting in his car and wiping his tears.
Cynthia shouted, “Hey Uncle Mike, Rishi is fine, nothing happened to him. I just talked to him.”
Smile appeared on Mike McDonald’s face.
“I though he might be lying strangled somewhere in this titanic, haunted home of yours. I saw your father’s ghost with my own eyes.”
“Come on Mike McDonald,” Kiyoshi said, “there are no ghosts, our fear projects them to out mind.”
“Mikey, follow us and check Rishi with your eyes,” Cynthia said punching codes in the keypad.
Mike followed their car. Cynthia’s eyes caught Rishi; he was wearing all his clothes, lying on the float with his legs dangling in the water, wetting his trouser. He was drinking something from some three liter plastic bottle that was resting on his chest. It was very funny. She saw it strange that float was moving. I couldn’t be the air. Now they were all wondering how the float was moving, it stuck to one edge of the pool and then moved back in the water in all directions and so on and on. They walked to the pool and looked in the water and laughed. Rishi had tied a rope to the scrubbing machine; it was pulling the float to wherever it went at random.
He shouted, “Hi.”
“You scared the hell out of me.” Mike McDonald said, wiping his tears, “I saw ghosts gnawing you, and vampires sucking your blood all night.”
They all laughed.
Rarisa asked, “Rishi what are you drinking?”
“Club soda.”
Cynthia asked, “All three liters of it?”
“Nah, it serves two purposes.”
Soda bottle was tied to a string. Rishi threw it on the pavement; it rolled and got stuck to the other edge of pavement. Rishi pulled the string and brought the float to the pavement. They laughed. They all followed Cynthia to the inside of her home.
Cynthia again begun crying and went straight to her father’s room but it was locked. They all were following her. It was perceptible to all that Rishi locked the door to prevent Cynthia to enter in the room. Cynthia also knew it.
Rishi pointed to a scratch mark on the sheetrock and a monkey wrench was lying on the floor below the mark. They all laughed including Cynthia.
Cynthia and Rarisa made tea and fixed the breakfast for all. Both ladies toasted bagels and spread them with cream cheese mixed with minced vegetables.
Cynthia asked Rishi to lay down on the sofa and checked his blood pressure, pulse, temperature. His liver was still inflamed and affected but kidneys were normal. She was relieved that he had made a remarkable recovery in short amount of time.
After his medical was done, Rishi went out and again resumed his pose at the float, Mike followed him eating his bagel and then all followed him and sat in the pleasing sunlight. Rishi was floating around in the water on the pool.
At sharp 11am helicopter roared and landed on the helipad. Trees shook ferociously, water of swimming pool shoot to eight feel high spilling at least one third of it on the area around. Rishi was dislodged from the float; a wave of water put him gently on the grass and returned back to the pool. He lay there and resumed sipping soda from the bottle. Everyone was laughing.
Mitsuki, wearing his monk’s clothes, jumped out of the helicopter first followed by three men. One person was architect and other was Chief Financial Officer and third was an attorney, they all were on the payroll of Russet Frazier Corporation.
“He is the same monk whom I gave ride with you,” Mike McDonald cried, “Is he Takahari? I heard on the news on TV.”
“Yes he is Takahari.” Kiyoshi said to him.
Mitsuki came to them, he first bowed to Rishi and then to all other including Mike McDonald. Cynthia had put some bagels with crème cheese, prepared in a tray. She gave one to each new visitor.
Rishi went in the home to change his wet clothes.
Mitsuki had no time; he made a quick circle around the home with the people he brought with and then took them inside, they reappeared after twenty minutes.
A stretch limousine came, they four sat in it. Cynthia and Rarisa sat in Kiyoshi’s car and they all followed Mike McDonald, Rishi was sitting with him on the front passenger seat.
All three cars entered in a Mike McDonald’s driveway, by the garage was a large unpaved parking area enough for ten cars.
Mitsuki fell in love with the place with tearful eyes.
He sighed and whispered in Rishi’s ears. “I will never have time to sit here to enjoy.”
Attorney opened his briefcase and pulled out some documents, Mitsuki, Cynthia and McDonald signed some papers. Rishi and Kiyoshi, signed as witnesses. A fair amount of escrow money deposit check was given to Mike McDonald, who promised that the title was clean as a whistle. Final closing was agreed in one week, provided title search and comes out clean. Mike McDonald knew that his property was sold to good hands. He shook hands with them.
Mitsuki rushed back with his accomplices to Russet Frazier’s estate, helicopter was still waiting for them. He was getting very late; a number of problems as well people were lined up, seeking him in his office.
Mike McDonald ordered pizza for all they all sat on the two picnic tables drank coffee. Rishi took the rake and resumed his work where he left it last evening. There were more rakes, Kiyoshi, Cynthia and Rarisa also picked one and the all cleaned the whole yard. They packed leafs in the paper bags that township had provided.
Mike McDonald was very excited; he was calling each of his son, daughter and grandchildren and giving them the news.
Pizza came and they ate it with ice tea.
Cynthia was getting late; she had to reach to Russet Frazier’s head quarters. They rose, first they were to go to her home, and she didn’t want Rishi to stay there anymore. Mike McDonald asked her to bring Rishi’s belongings at his place.
When they arrived at her home, she looked at her Mercedes. She was used to driving her Mercedes and loved it. She had no car, she had severe temptation to take Mercedes but her fiancé was driving a Toyota, it was inappropriate for her to drive an expansive car. She turned her face away from it. Kiyoshi was sensitive enough to look through her dilemma. He pulled her by hand to Mercedes.
“Cynthia please take your car, you have to have a car?”
“Kiyoshi San, I can’t. When you drive a Toyota, it is not fair for me to drive a Mercedes. I will gift it to Buddhist Center.”
“No Cynthia, please no. What yours is mine and what mine is yours. Please take the car, it is not yours but ours.”
“OK, as you say Kiyoshi San,” she replied in relief, her heart was lightening up.
She said, kissing him on the cheek, “Thanks.”
Rishi bunged in, “So whey you guys are getting married?”
“Well I proposed her and she said she will think about it.”
“I never said I will think about it, you imposed me to think about it.”
Kiyoshi clarified, “I never imposed but I wanted you to make sure you want to marry me with clear conscious.’
“No it is you who want to postpone things,” she said, “you always postpone things.”
“Yeah, I postponed some things in my life but I was not postponing this thing.”
“Yeah you were postponing this thing, like you postpone everything else in you life but this is now a matter of my life.”
They started fighting and Rishi and Rarita escaped from there. When Rishi and Rarita retuned, Cynthia and Kiyoshi were hands in hands.
Rishi order, “You should get married tomorrow because I am leaving tomorrow.”
They all simultaneously cried, “Where?”
“Well a friend of mine drives eighteen wheeler trucks, he got a trip to New York, I am going with him in two days. We may return after ten days.”
“Oh nooooo.”
“Oh yeeeeaaa.”
Kiyoshi said, “OK we will marry tomorrow at Buddhist Center.”
“Good,” Rishi said to Kiyoshi and Rarisa with authentic relief, “now she is your problem. I have things to do.”
Rarisa laughed.
Cynthia shouted in despair, “Like what things to do?”
“Many things - you know this and that.”
“Like - what - this and that?”
“One thing or other – you know?”
“You have nothing else to do except roaming in the streets and making fun of people.”
She began fighting with him; she was depressed knowing that he will be leaving soon. Kiyoshi understood this, he reminded her that they were getting late at Russet Frazier Corporation HQ.
“I must go inside to pick up my car keys, and other stuff.”
“Then go and bring keys,” Kiyoshi said, “we are getting very late.”
She was scared to go inside alone, fearing her father’s ghost. After all two people claimed seeing it. Rishi was something special, he was an exception. She said, “I can’t go in there alone, who knows what my father is up-to.”
Kiyoshi laughed. “OK, I will accompany you to fetch the keys. There are no ghosts; they are the projection of our fears.”
They both went in the house.
Rishi said to Rarisa, “You sure your brother is not scared of ghosts?”
“Yes Rishi, there is no sense in trying.”
He whispered, “Then get inside we will have some fun.”
Rarisa wanted to have some fun. She walked behind Rishi. He went to the bar and picked three china plates, handed one to her.”
He said to her, making a circle of a table cloth on the tiled floor, “OK, here is the deal, when you see them running here you crash your plate. Most ceramic will be contained within the cloth.”
“Yeah, if they come running? But that’s not going to happen.”
“Just stand here.”
Rishi took bar stairs those led him to a living room. He heard Kiyoshi and Cynthia coming. He tossed a glass plate in their direction.
Cynthia filled up one suitcase with her clothes and then picked up her car’s keys from kitchen drawer. They walked back to downstairs, Kiyoshi carrying her suitcase. They heard a hissing sound like something was flying, followed by a loud crash, they saw a plate was lying shattered in front of there. Kiyoshi’s spine was chilled, Cynthia almost fainted. He though he will be having a heart attack, but he was responsible for Cynthia too so he controlled himself.
She screamed, “Daddy, stop it. Please leave us alone.”
They heard a devilish laugh.
Suitcase fell down from Kiyoshi’s hand, he took her by hand and they ran downstairs, he was screaming, “I have seen him, I have seen him. He is here, he is here.”
She yelped, “Yes he is here, he is here.”
“Daddy go from here, please leave us alone. Go live among dead”
They came running down the stairs and then they heard another crash in downstairs bar area.
Kiyoshi shirked, “Now he has appeared here in downstairs. Now he has appeared here. Cynthia let’s get the hell out of here.”
“I saw him. He is here.”
“I too,” he said, “I saw him he is here.”
Holding each other’s hands, they ran out of door.
Rishi carried that suitcase and walked to Rarisa she was in a frenzy of laugh. They too came outside. Dr. Kiyoshi and Cynthia were standing far away, holding each other in arms.
Kiyoshi screamed, “Rarisa and Rishi, run, run. He is in there, in the home. House is haunted.”
Rarisa and Rishi walked to them, both were laughing, when they were near Kiyoshi and Cynthia Rishi tossed the third plate on the tarmac there it crashed with a clang.
Now Kiyoshi realized that he had been made fool. He didn’t know if to get angry or laugh. Cynthia was still confused but gradually realized that Kiyoshi was made a big time fool. She fell to laugh. They were all laughing except Kiyoshi.
“So, you saw him,” Cynthia said to make fun of him, “what color jacket he was wearing.”
“There are no ghosts, they are the projections of your fear,” Rarisa said, to add injury to insult, “You, silly Zucchini.”
Kiyoshi finally laughed, he left with Cynthia in the Mercedes, and they were already late. Rarisa and Rishi stayed to clean the broken plates. When they were leaving on Kiyoshi’s Toyota, Cynthia called her, ordered her to bring Rishi at Kiyoshi’s home, not let him at the estate home or with Mike McDonald. She told her not to let him roam in the streets. Cynthia was still laughing while talking.
2
Cynthia and Mitsuki signed more documents in Russet Frazer HQ. They were given brief about each document; their attorneys had already reviewed the paperwork. Luckily at 6.30 Cynthia was relieved for the day, but Mitsuki’s end of day was not even in the sight. He was gradually grasping the business and was meeting and talking with people, calling or taking calls to making day to day decisions. Russet Frazier Corporation’s offices and installations we located all over the world. Day had ended in one part of the world, it begun in other and so on and so on. Mitsuki was paying great attention to his mind, not to be sucked in the business emotionally but play with it as it was a board of chess. Cynthia felt pity on him.
Cynthia and Kiyoshi left the building to his home.
“I have a prank for Rishi in my mind,” he disclosed.
“It better be good,” she said, “He must be given a dose of his own medicine.”
“I have a scheme in my mind it never failed so far.”
“Oh yeah!”
“You better believe it.”
Kiyoshi began barking like a dog, Cynthia felt he was scary, he was barking like some ferocious dog.
“How I bark?”
“You bark so well,” She said laughing. “If thieves come to our home, you just bark, you will jolt the hell out of them. Your bark is ferocious than a real dog.”
“Then let’s see Rishi tonight, I need your cooperation too,” Kiyoshi said, he was full of emotions, “We can’t trust Rarisa she is his lobby.”
“Yep, it is I and you. Let’s give him a dose of his own medicine tonight.”
“Whom he thinks he is?”
“Yep, yep, yep; whom he thinks he is? Hah.”
They reached home at 7.15pm. To Dr. Kiyoshi’s relief, Rishi and Rarisa were gone to do shopping. He pulled out a real looking, full and big dog sized, stuffed pit bull dog.
“Doctor Kiyoshi San, it is scary.”
“I will make it scarier. You will see. You will see.”
Kiyoshi found a real opened looking dog teeth; He opened the dog’s mouth and inserted those teeth. Now dog’s mouth was open, its brutal teeth in the attack approach.
“Oh no!” She said, “Poor Rishi may have a heart attack.”
“He is thick skinned.” Kiyoshi said, dreaming, “I doubt if he will have a heart attack. He may pee in his trouser.”
She laughed. “Kiyoshi San you do have an attitude.”
“Yep, yep, yep, ype ype ap ape.”
“Kiyoshi San you have dyslexia too.”
“Noly when I ma xeited,” Kiyoshi said, “only hwen I ma exited.”
She laughed because she though he was making this up, pretending to be dyslexic, but such excitement always made him dyslexic.
Now he was singing a song, with all messed up or missing words.
Cynthia called Rarisa.
“Where are you?”
“We are just two minutes away from home.”
“See ya.”
“Hey Kiyoshi they are only two minutes away from home.”
She and Kiyoshi began looking from the window. Toyota arrived.
Kiyoshi called Rarisa, “Rarisa, oyu go to Mr. Miyagi’s useho, go tecfh our moverlawn.”
“You are again excited Kiyoshi, what is happening?”
“Dannmit, lwanvermo, rbing.”
“Calm down Kiyoshi, calm down. I will bring your lwanvermo or moverlawn or what ever from Mr. Miyagi’s home.”
She got down from the car and went to adjacent home. Rishi came to door and pushed it, it was open and then a ferocious dog jumped over him. Rishi ran, he ran for his life. He didn’t look behind because the dog was following him, barking like crazy, to the hell. He was gasping and panting. Finally he jumped to catch a branch of tree and hung over there, shrinking his legs. He was struggling to climb on the tree but was too tired.
Then he saw Dr. Kiyoshi was too panting. He understood that he was made fool. Cynthia and Rarisa too came there. They all laughed.
“I didn’t go to Mr. Miyagi’s home,” Rarisa said, “I knew something was cooking up here, I hid behind the fence.”
Rishi said laughing, “You almost gave me heart attack, man.”
Kiyoshi said, “Itt for att.”
“You mean,” Cynthia clarified, “tit for tat.”
Kiyoshi nodded, he was not yet married with Cynthia, and he thought he should better keep his mouth shut, or she may change her mind to marry a dyslexic however in excitement. He feared she may take it as his excitement dyslexia as a handicap, he loved her and was dying to marry her.
For ten minutes he was only replying in sign language till his excitement was over.
Rarisa said, “Wish, Mitsuki were here to see his King of Kings running scared from a stuffed doggie.”
“Don’t worry,” Rishi said laughing, “I will get you?”
They walked to the home, Rishi and Rarisa had bought Indian spices, flat breads and vegetables from one Indian Store. Rishi chopped tomatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, coriander leafs and vegetables. He fried onion and garlic first, and then added ginger, stirred it and waited for a while, then added spices, stirred it and waited for a while and then tomatoes, stirred it and waited for a while and then added vegetables in the same mixture, stirred it for five minutes. At the end he added water to make curry.
Rarisa prepared rice in a special rice-cooker she bought from Tokyo.
Rishi asked for the empty bowls, kept some curry, rice and breads separate for Mitsuki.
Cynthia and Dr. Kiyoshi served the dinner.
They never ate such tasty meals in their life, they finished all they had and licked the plates.
Then they had a long walk in the streets and parks, ate frozen yoghurt from McDonald’s Restaurant and returned home to sleep.
When Mitsuki arrived there at 11pm his food was still almost warm. Rishi heated it up and served to him. He ate licking his fingers.
He was very tired, just two days made him look older. Rishi took him for a walk in the park.
“How was your day, Mitsuki San?”
“It was very long but I am surviving, learning to work without a cause.”
“Wish I could help but I will mess up everything. Once I bought a Camel to do whole India, but I ended up carrying his fodder and my stuff on my back.”
Misuki laughed. “You are laying Rishi San.”
“No I am not laying, Mitsuki San. We only did hundred miles and then restored the Camel free to its previous owner who sold him to me.”
“I know, you don’t have the character to run things.’
“But you have it.”
Mistuki nodded in approval but not in conceit. “I am learning to live without a cause.’
“Mitsuki, do not learn anything. You go and you go wrong.”
He was again shocked to hear this.
“What do I do then?”
“Live, just live without an effort. Do not make effort, let the things happen to you. You are the Creation, you are the Creator, and we all are nothing but the dance of Creation.”
“I see.”
“When you say I am learning, this means I,I,I,I,I am learning. There is no I, that is false.”
“I get it what you just said, I get it.”
Mitsuki’s mind was peaceful and clear; he looked at his watch and rose.
“Rishi San, I got to go, I must wake up at five in the morning. Tomorrow I have to find a new manager for the monastery, my assistant was doing good job so he will take the charge. At least money problem is fixed now. We have lots of money now.”
“Bye Mitsuki San.”
They bowed to each other and to the all four directions and to the sky and went away in opposite direction.
Tuesday, April 19
When Cynthia brought Kiyoshi and Rarisa to her home, Russet Frazier’s estate, at the entrance they saw Mike McDonald sitting in his car and wiping his tears.
Cynthia shouted, “Hey Uncle Mike, Rishi is fine, nothing happened to him. I just talked to him.”
Smile appeared on Mike McDonald’s face.
“I though he might be lying strangled somewhere in this titanic, haunted home of yours. I saw your father’s ghost with my own eyes.”
“Come on Mike McDonald,” Kiyoshi said, “there are no ghosts, our fear projects them to out mind.”
“Mikey, follow us and check Rishi with your eyes,” Cynthia said punching codes in the keypad.
Mike followed their car. Cynthia’s eyes caught Rishi; he was wearing all his clothes, lying on the float with his legs dangling in the water, wetting his trouser. He was drinking something from some three liter plastic bottle that was resting on his chest. It was very funny. She saw it strange that float was moving. I couldn’t be the air. Now they were all wondering how the float was moving, it stuck to one edge of the pool and then moved back in the water in all directions and so on and on. They walked to the pool and looked in the water and laughed. Rishi had tied a rope to the scrubbing machine; it was pulling the float to wherever it went at random.
He shouted, “Hi.”
“You scared the hell out of me.” Mike McDonald said, wiping his tears, “I saw ghosts gnawing you, and vampires sucking your blood all night.”
They all laughed.
Rarisa asked, “Rishi what are you drinking?”
“Club soda.”
Cynthia asked, “All three liters of it?”
“Nah, it serves two purposes.”
Soda bottle was tied to a string. Rishi threw it on the pavement; it rolled and got stuck to the other edge of pavement. Rishi pulled the string and brought the float to the pavement. They laughed. They all followed Cynthia to the inside of her home.
Cynthia again begun crying and went straight to her father’s room but it was locked. They all were following her. It was perceptible to all that Rishi locked the door to prevent Cynthia to enter in the room. Cynthia also knew it.
Rishi pointed to a scratch mark on the sheetrock and a monkey wrench was lying on the floor below the mark. They all laughed including Cynthia.
Cynthia and Rarisa made tea and fixed the breakfast for all. Both ladies toasted bagels and spread them with cream cheese mixed with minced vegetables.
Cynthia asked Rishi to lay down on the sofa and checked his blood pressure, pulse, temperature. His liver was still inflamed and affected but kidneys were normal. She was relieved that he had made a remarkable recovery in short amount of time.
After his medical was done, Rishi went out and again resumed his pose at the float, Mike followed him eating his bagel and then all followed him and sat in the pleasing sunlight. Rishi was floating around in the water on the pool.
At sharp 11am helicopter roared and landed on the helipad. Trees shook ferociously, water of swimming pool shoot to eight feel high spilling at least one third of it on the area around. Rishi was dislodged from the float; a wave of water put him gently on the grass and returned back to the pool. He lay there and resumed sipping soda from the bottle. Everyone was laughing.
Mitsuki, wearing his monk’s clothes, jumped out of the helicopter first followed by three men. One person was architect and other was Chief Financial Officer and third was an attorney, they all were on the payroll of Russet Frazier Corporation.
“He is the same monk whom I gave ride with you,” Mike McDonald cried, “Is he Takahari? I heard on the news on TV.”
“Yes he is Takahari.” Kiyoshi said to him.
Mitsuki came to them, he first bowed to Rishi and then to all other including Mike McDonald. Cynthia had put some bagels with crème cheese, prepared in a tray. She gave one to each new visitor.
Rishi went in the home to change his wet clothes.
Mitsuki had no time; he made a quick circle around the home with the people he brought with and then took them inside, they reappeared after twenty minutes.
A stretch limousine came, they four sat in it. Cynthia and Rarisa sat in Kiyoshi’s car and they all followed Mike McDonald, Rishi was sitting with him on the front passenger seat.
All three cars entered in a Mike McDonald’s driveway, by the garage was a large unpaved parking area enough for ten cars.
Mitsuki fell in love with the place with tearful eyes.
He sighed and whispered in Rishi’s ears. “I will never have time to sit here to enjoy.”
Attorney opened his briefcase and pulled out some documents, Mitsuki, Cynthia and McDonald signed some papers. Rishi and Kiyoshi, signed as witnesses. A fair amount of escrow money deposit check was given to Mike McDonald, who promised that the title was clean as a whistle. Final closing was agreed in one week, provided title search and comes out clean. Mike McDonald knew that his property was sold to good hands. He shook hands with them.
Mitsuki rushed back with his accomplices to Russet Frazier’s estate, helicopter was still waiting for them. He was getting very late; a number of problems as well people were lined up, seeking him in his office.
Mike McDonald ordered pizza for all they all sat on the two picnic tables drank coffee. Rishi took the rake and resumed his work where he left it last evening. There were more rakes, Kiyoshi, Cynthia and Rarisa also picked one and the all cleaned the whole yard. They packed leafs in the paper bags that township had provided.
Mike McDonald was very excited; he was calling each of his son, daughter and grandchildren and giving them the news.
Pizza came and they ate it with ice tea.
Cynthia was getting late; she had to reach to Russet Frazier’s head quarters. They rose, first they were to go to her home, and she didn’t want Rishi to stay there anymore. Mike McDonald asked her to bring Rishi’s belongings at his place.
When they arrived at her home, she looked at her Mercedes. She was used to driving her Mercedes and loved it. She had no car, she had severe temptation to take Mercedes but her fiancé was driving a Toyota, it was inappropriate for her to drive an expansive car. She turned her face away from it. Kiyoshi was sensitive enough to look through her dilemma. He pulled her by hand to Mercedes.
“Cynthia please take your car, you have to have a car?”
“Kiyoshi San, I can’t. When you drive a Toyota, it is not fair for me to drive a Mercedes. I will gift it to Buddhist Center.”
“No Cynthia, please no. What yours is mine and what mine is yours. Please take the car, it is not yours but ours.”
“OK, as you say Kiyoshi San,” she replied in relief, her heart was lightening up.
She said, kissing him on the cheek, “Thanks.”
Rishi bunged in, “So whey you guys are getting married?”
“Well I proposed her and she said she will think about it.”
“I never said I will think about it, you imposed me to think about it.”
Kiyoshi clarified, “I never imposed but I wanted you to make sure you want to marry me with clear conscious.’
“No it is you who want to postpone things,” she said, “you always postpone things.”
“Yeah, I postponed some things in my life but I was not postponing this thing.”
“Yeah you were postponing this thing, like you postpone everything else in you life but this is now a matter of my life.”
They started fighting and Rishi and Rarita escaped from there. When Rishi and Rarita retuned, Cynthia and Kiyoshi were hands in hands.
Rishi order, “You should get married tomorrow because I am leaving tomorrow.”
They all simultaneously cried, “Where?”
“Well a friend of mine drives eighteen wheeler trucks, he got a trip to New York, I am going with him in two days. We may return after ten days.”
“Oh nooooo.”
“Oh yeeeeaaa.”
Kiyoshi said, “OK we will marry tomorrow at Buddhist Center.”
“Good,” Rishi said to Kiyoshi and Rarisa with authentic relief, “now she is your problem. I have things to do.”
Rarisa laughed.
Cynthia shouted in despair, “Like what things to do?”
“Many things - you know this and that.”
“Like - what - this and that?”
“One thing or other – you know?”
“You have nothing else to do except roaming in the streets and making fun of people.”
She began fighting with him; she was depressed knowing that he will be leaving soon. Kiyoshi understood this, he reminded her that they were getting late at Russet Frazier Corporation HQ.
“I must go inside to pick up my car keys, and other stuff.”
“Then go and bring keys,” Kiyoshi said, “we are getting very late.”
She was scared to go inside alone, fearing her father’s ghost. After all two people claimed seeing it. Rishi was something special, he was an exception. She said, “I can’t go in there alone, who knows what my father is up-to.”
Kiyoshi laughed. “OK, I will accompany you to fetch the keys. There are no ghosts; they are the projection of our fears.”
They both went in the house.
Rishi said to Rarisa, “You sure your brother is not scared of ghosts?”
“Yes Rishi, there is no sense in trying.”
He whispered, “Then get inside we will have some fun.”
Rarisa wanted to have some fun. She walked behind Rishi. He went to the bar and picked three china plates, handed one to her.”
He said to her, making a circle of a table cloth on the tiled floor, “OK, here is the deal, when you see them running here you crash your plate. Most ceramic will be contained within the cloth.”
“Yeah, if they come running? But that’s not going to happen.”
“Just stand here.”
Rishi took bar stairs those led him to a living room. He heard Kiyoshi and Cynthia coming. He tossed a glass plate in their direction.
Cynthia filled up one suitcase with her clothes and then picked up her car’s keys from kitchen drawer. They walked back to downstairs, Kiyoshi carrying her suitcase. They heard a hissing sound like something was flying, followed by a loud crash, they saw a plate was lying shattered in front of there. Kiyoshi’s spine was chilled, Cynthia almost fainted. He though he will be having a heart attack, but he was responsible for Cynthia too so he controlled himself.
She screamed, “Daddy, stop it. Please leave us alone.”
They heard a devilish laugh.
Suitcase fell down from Kiyoshi’s hand, he took her by hand and they ran downstairs, he was screaming, “I have seen him, I have seen him. He is here, he is here.”
She yelped, “Yes he is here, he is here.”
“Daddy go from here, please leave us alone. Go live among dead”
They came running down the stairs and then they heard another crash in downstairs bar area.
Kiyoshi shirked, “Now he has appeared here in downstairs. Now he has appeared here. Cynthia let’s get the hell out of here.”
“I saw him. He is here.”
“I too,” he said, “I saw him he is here.”
Holding each other’s hands, they ran out of door.
Rishi carried that suitcase and walked to Rarisa she was in a frenzy of laugh. They too came outside. Dr. Kiyoshi and Cynthia were standing far away, holding each other in arms.
Kiyoshi screamed, “Rarisa and Rishi, run, run. He is in there, in the home. House is haunted.”
Rarisa and Rishi walked to them, both were laughing, when they were near Kiyoshi and Cynthia Rishi tossed the third plate on the tarmac there it crashed with a clang.
Now Kiyoshi realized that he had been made fool. He didn’t know if to get angry or laugh. Cynthia was still confused but gradually realized that Kiyoshi was made a big time fool. She fell to laugh. They were all laughing except Kiyoshi.
“So, you saw him,” Cynthia said to make fun of him, “what color jacket he was wearing.”
“There are no ghosts, they are the projections of your fear,” Rarisa said, to add injury to insult, “You, silly Zucchini.”
Kiyoshi finally laughed, he left with Cynthia in the Mercedes, and they were already late. Rarisa and Rishi stayed to clean the broken plates. When they were leaving on Kiyoshi’s Toyota, Cynthia called her, ordered her to bring Rishi at Kiyoshi’s home, not let him at the estate home or with Mike McDonald. She told her not to let him roam in the streets. Cynthia was still laughing while talking.
2
Cynthia and Mitsuki signed more documents in Russet Frazer HQ. They were given brief about each document; their attorneys had already reviewed the paperwork. Luckily at 6.30 Cynthia was relieved for the day, but Mitsuki’s end of day was not even in the sight. He was gradually grasping the business and was meeting and talking with people, calling or taking calls to making day to day decisions. Russet Frazier Corporation’s offices and installations we located all over the world. Day had ended in one part of the world, it begun in other and so on and so on. Mitsuki was paying great attention to his mind, not to be sucked in the business emotionally but play with it as it was a board of chess. Cynthia felt pity on him.
Cynthia and Kiyoshi left the building to his home.
“I have a prank for Rishi in my mind,” he disclosed.
“It better be good,” she said, “He must be given a dose of his own medicine.”
“I have a scheme in my mind it never failed so far.”
“Oh yeah!”
“You better believe it.”
Kiyoshi began barking like a dog, Cynthia felt he was scary, he was barking like some ferocious dog.
“How I bark?”
“You bark so well,” She said laughing. “If thieves come to our home, you just bark, you will jolt the hell out of them. Your bark is ferocious than a real dog.”
“Then let’s see Rishi tonight, I need your cooperation too,” Kiyoshi said, he was full of emotions, “We can’t trust Rarisa she is his lobby.”
“Yep, it is I and you. Let’s give him a dose of his own medicine tonight.”
“Whom he thinks he is?”
“Yep, yep, yep; whom he thinks he is? Hah.”
They reached home at 7.15pm. To Dr. Kiyoshi’s relief, Rishi and Rarisa were gone to do shopping. He pulled out a real looking, full and big dog sized, stuffed pit bull dog.
“Doctor Kiyoshi San, it is scary.”
“I will make it scarier. You will see. You will see.”
Kiyoshi found a real opened looking dog teeth; He opened the dog’s mouth and inserted those teeth. Now dog’s mouth was open, its brutal teeth in the attack approach.
“Oh no!” She said, “Poor Rishi may have a heart attack.”
“He is thick skinned.” Kiyoshi said, dreaming, “I doubt if he will have a heart attack. He may pee in his trouser.”
She laughed. “Kiyoshi San you do have an attitude.”
“Yep, yep, yep, ype ype ap ape.”
“Kiyoshi San you have dyslexia too.”
“Noly when I ma xeited,” Kiyoshi said, “only hwen I ma exited.”
She laughed because she though he was making this up, pretending to be dyslexic, but such excitement always made him dyslexic.
Now he was singing a song, with all messed up or missing words.
Cynthia called Rarisa.
“Where are you?”
“We are just two minutes away from home.”
“See ya.”
“Hey Kiyoshi they are only two minutes away from home.”
She and Kiyoshi began looking from the window. Toyota arrived.
Kiyoshi called Rarisa, “Rarisa, oyu go to Mr. Miyagi’s useho, go tecfh our moverlawn.”
“You are again excited Kiyoshi, what is happening?”
“Dannmit, lwanvermo, rbing.”
“Calm down Kiyoshi, calm down. I will bring your lwanvermo or moverlawn or what ever from Mr. Miyagi’s home.”
She got down from the car and went to adjacent home. Rishi came to door and pushed it, it was open and then a ferocious dog jumped over him. Rishi ran, he ran for his life. He didn’t look behind because the dog was following him, barking like crazy, to the hell. He was gasping and panting. Finally he jumped to catch a branch of tree and hung over there, shrinking his legs. He was struggling to climb on the tree but was too tired.
Then he saw Dr. Kiyoshi was too panting. He understood that he was made fool. Cynthia and Rarisa too came there. They all laughed.
“I didn’t go to Mr. Miyagi’s home,” Rarisa said, “I knew something was cooking up here, I hid behind the fence.”
Rishi said laughing, “You almost gave me heart attack, man.”
Kiyoshi said, “Itt for att.”
“You mean,” Cynthia clarified, “tit for tat.”
Kiyoshi nodded, he was not yet married with Cynthia, and he thought he should better keep his mouth shut, or she may change her mind to marry a dyslexic however in excitement. He feared she may take it as his excitement dyslexia as a handicap, he loved her and was dying to marry her.
For ten minutes he was only replying in sign language till his excitement was over.
Rarisa said, “Wish, Mitsuki were here to see his King of Kings running scared from a stuffed doggie.”
“Don’t worry,” Rishi said laughing, “I will get you?”
They walked to the home, Rishi and Rarisa had bought Indian spices, flat breads and vegetables from one Indian Store. Rishi chopped tomatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, coriander leafs and vegetables. He fried onion and garlic first, and then added ginger, stirred it and waited for a while, then added spices, stirred it and waited for a while and then tomatoes, stirred it and waited for a while and then added vegetables in the same mixture, stirred it for five minutes. At the end he added water to make curry.
Rarisa prepared rice in a special rice-cooker she bought from Tokyo.
Rishi asked for the empty bowls, kept some curry, rice and breads separate for Mitsuki.
Cynthia and Dr. Kiyoshi served the dinner.
They never ate such tasty meals in their life, they finished all they had and licked the plates.
Then they had a long walk in the streets and parks, ate frozen yoghurt from McDonald’s Restaurant and returned home to sleep.
When Mitsuki arrived there at 11pm his food was still almost warm. Rishi heated it up and served to him. He ate licking his fingers.
He was very tired, just two days made him look older. Rishi took him for a walk in the park.
“How was your day, Mitsuki San?”
“It was very long but I am surviving, learning to work without a cause.”
“Wish I could help but I will mess up everything. Once I bought a Camel to do whole India, but I ended up carrying his fodder and my stuff on my back.”
Misuki laughed. “You are laying Rishi San.”
“No I am not laying, Mitsuki San. We only did hundred miles and then restored the Camel free to its previous owner who sold him to me.”
“I know, you don’t have the character to run things.’
“But you have it.”
Mistuki nodded in approval but not in conceit. “I am learning to live without a cause.’
“Mitsuki, do not learn anything. You go and you go wrong.”
He was again shocked to hear this.
“What do I do then?”
“Live, just live without an effort. Do not make effort, let the things happen to you. You are the Creation, you are the Creator, and we all are nothing but the dance of Creation.”
“I see.”
“When you say I am learning, this means I,I,I,I,I am learning. There is no I, that is false.”
“I get it what you just said, I get it.”
Mitsuki’s mind was peaceful and clear; he looked at his watch and rose.
“Rishi San, I got to go, I must wake up at five in the morning. Tomorrow I have to find a new manager for the monastery, my assistant was doing good job so he will take the charge. At least money problem is fixed now. We have lots of money now.”
“Bye Mitsuki San.”
They bowed to each other and to the all four directions and to the sky and went away in opposite direction.
Chapter 18
Chapter 18
Monday, April 18
Cynthia, Kiyoshi and Rarisa took a week off from their work to help Cynthia in her tragic loss of her father. Funeral was set for 23rd April, Saturday.
Russet’s CEO Levin took the charge of making funeral arrangements.
2
Police had another session with Rishi. Picture was clear that someone tried to assassinate him by making it seem like a carjacking hit and run accident but things went terribly wrong for the assailants because Rishi had his own cunning but suicidal plan.
Detective said with a frog like smile pointing to the baggie trouser that Rishi wore hide fire-hydrant to fool the assailants, “Why did you buy this specific trouser?”
“Man got to wear a pant.”
“How many trousers you got here?”
Rishi said, counting on his finger, “three including this one.”
“I know, I know, I know, you had a scheme ready in advance, however suicidal. You dodged a man but there was another. You fool, you got lucky. Water saved your life.”
“I know, I know, I know.”
“How you know?”
“How I know about what?”
“That a hit is being placed upon your head?”
“Buddha told me. My room is behind the temple.”
Detective had another frog like smile. He was now whistling now. He was trying to comprehend what Rishi said. Many crazies claim that god speaks to them. Buddha told this crazy - it was a possibility too after all he is staying in the temple.
“I see, Buddha told you to buy this specific oversized trouser.”
“No, I bought it because it was the best value for the money.”
“In what sense it was the best value for your money?”
“It has lots of fabric for seven dollars. I can put all camping gear in its pockets.”
“You have any camping gear?”
“I had to buy the pants first to make a room for the stuff that I will buy from some yard sale.”
Froggie had no idea if this fool was pulling his leg or was a genuine crazy.
“Where do you plan to camp?”
“Next Saturday, hope I get lucky to find the camping gear in the yard sales, I will fill up my pants and then take a hike.”
“You should take a hike now Pal, they may be coming after you again.”
“Buddha will take care of me.”
“Mr. Buddha may be busy this time taking care of others.”
“You are right too.”
“Yeah, I am right too. I suggest you pack up your pants and stay somewhere.”
“Thank, anyway I don’t like food here. I am living on tea.”
“See that makes it easy.”
“Can I have my cell-phone back?”
“Sure, you can have it back.”
Rishi was expecting him to leap but Froggie rose slowly, adjusted his suspenders and pants on his oversized belly.
“Want to have another tea; I am going to make it with my own recipe?” Rishi asked him.
“Like what?”
“I put a pinch of everything that grows here, like thuja, arnica, poplar, jasmine, rose, grass, pine, cypress, rhododendron, euphorbia, eucalyptus, phytolacca, calendula and all. I boil the water till half is gone.”
“Probably that tea gives you visions.”
“Want to have some?”
“No thanks. You enjoy your tea.”
They checked Rishi’s phone records and Buddhist Center’s records and also took the testimony of Misuki. Russet Frazier was a suspect but he was dead. Police was checking his phone records too. Both assailants arrived from Italy and police had got their phones. Pete’s phone was charred but Police was able to know the number. It was understood that it was a paid Mafia hit but things went terribly wrong. They advised Rishi to leave the area and stay somewhere else inconspicuous location.
At 11am Rishi was given his phone. As he turned it on, Mike McDonald was calling him.
“Hello Mikey, what’s up?”
“Did you clean my yard, the day before?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh thanks buddy, but that was not necessary.”
“I can come today and rake leafs if you want?”
“You can come here anytime buddy, you don’t have to rake leafs.”
“OK, pick me up from the BART station; I will be there in one hour.”
Mike said in excitement, “I thought you were kidding to just please me.”
“No, uncle Mikey, I wanted to have another apple-pie.”
“See you at BART in one hour then.”
“See you.”
“Hey wait; please tell Dr. Cynthia Frazier that uncle Mikey was very sorry to know about her father,” Mike McDonald said, “I know what you feel when you lose a parent.”
“Look can I stay over with your for a night or two. You can invite Cynthia at your place tomorrow; your place is good for healing her wounds.”
“Oh sure, oh sure, oh sure, my home is a very lucky home.”
Rishi gathered his belongings in a backpack and said goodbye to monks in Buddhist Center, Mitsuki was not there. Rishi knew that for some years Mitsuki won’t be having any rest. Rishi felt sorry for Mitsuki but there was no other alternative in sight.
3
Mitsuki was still wearing monk’s clothes, was very busy with Russet Frazier’s executives and attorneys. He was seeing people one by one and gradually grasping the picture of Russet Frazier’s vast empire. There was a fear in the mind of all staffers, about their jobs because Russet Frazier ran his empire with iron-fist and ruthless efficiency. Mutsuki when left his own empire was equaled or greater than Russet Frazier’s, in those times, six years ago.
Mitsuki didn’t like Russet Frazier’s office; it didn’t offer him good view. He walked around in the building, executives tugging behind him and talking and selected a room where he could see the trees. That room served as the computer and communication hub. He ordered to relocate those equipments to be relocated and summoned the architect who was on the payroll. When architect arrived, he gave him rough sketch, architect understood that Mitsuki wanted to design and decorate the room with bare minimum furniture, and cabinets but with many plants. It could take one week to relocate the equipments and convert the room into an office.
He selected a temporary office for him, a small room but with a view to the trees. While he was discussing matters with the Russet Frazier Corporation’s top staffers, his room was being furnished. A comfortable and very expansive looking reclining chair, a mahogany table, and other chairs for visitors were being relocated there from other offices.
4
Rishi arrived at the BART station where Mike McDonald was supposed to pick him up. He tried to call Mike but his cell-phone battery was dead. He waited for him at the curb, and Mike McDonald arrived and picked him up.
He stopped the car at a pizzeria, Rishi ate egg plant Perm with lots of oregano and Mike ate Chicken perm without any oregano. Rishi saw crushed leafs of oregano, first time in his life and loved it. Mike paid the bill and then took Rishi to the real estate company, Rishi waited in his car and Mike returned after half hour looking sad.
“Well, Rishi. I took my home, off the contract with Real Estate Company. I will try to sell it by myself.”
“No body made you any offer yet?”
“I have some offers but I don’t trust those people. Of-course they will sign the contract with me and agree on my conditions. Then they may slowly kill the trees, or just damage them or mutilate them. I can’t keep an eye on them and then for each little thing if I go to court, I will be financially ruined. I can sell my property to only whom I trust, some gentle man like you.”
Rishi laughed. “Mikey I don’t even have two million rupee.”
Mike McDonald stopped his car at the Home Depot. They went inside the store and he bought four large display signs ‘For sale by Owner’.
Mike made last stop at supermarket where Mike bought groceries and a large apple-pie. They reached at his home at 3pm.
Mike McDonald had an aluminum extension ladder; Rishi brought it out from his garage and nailed the signs on the trees on all sides of the yard where people could read.
Mike made coffee at picnic table they had it with apple-pie.
Then Rishi placed the ladder to the roof and removed leafs from his rain gutters around the house. Mike was silently thanking and looking at him in admiration, he could never clean those gutters himself; he was too old to climb on the ladder and to walk over the sloping roofing singles. He had to hire someone and was postponing it to save money. After Rishi cleaned the roof and gutters, he sat on the picnic table and plugged his phone for charging at 6pm.
5
Mitsuki went to other floors of the building, talked with many people, asked them many questions and heard what they have to say. Then he met with the company attorneys, Cynthia too arrived there with Dr. Kiyoshi and Rarisa. They wanted to bring Rishi along but he was wondering in the streets, somewhere and was not accessible. He left his cell-phone in his room. Area around her eyes was swollen with the wailing. She signed many documents to make Mitsuki the sole and chief executor of Russet Frazier Corporation with all the powers. Bank officials arrived there with more documents to replace Russet Frazier’s name with his name on all company accounts. Ordeal was yet not over by 6pm, he and Cynthia were to meet again with banks, insurance companies and officials to make the smooth transfer.
When everybody else left, Cynthia, Kiyoshi and Rarisa were left.
“Come Cynthia San, I will show you my office.”
He took them to top floor where Russet Frazier had office. When Cynthia looked at her father’s office she again wept. She went inside; Russet Frazier had her picture, when she was a little girl, on the desk facing his chair. They let her mourn there alone and stood outside. When she returned, Mistuki took them to the communication room where his new office was to be built. He took them to his temporary office, it 30x20 room, now fully furnished. Two electricians were there with extension ladder, installing communication cables through the ceiling acoustic tiles.
Mitsuki told the electricians to continue whatever they were doing. He walked to the boss’s chair and placed the mineral water bottle that Rarisa gave him on the airport.
Mitsuk bowed to the bottle with tearful eyes. They all bowed to the bottle.
He said, “I work for the Buddha.”
Kiyoshi said, “We all work for him.”
“He is wondering in the streets.” Cynthia sobbed, “Wish we had paraded him here to show him, this billions dollars empire is his now.”
Mitsuki said, bowing again to the water on the boss’s chair, “He is the King of kings; everything in the world is his. Streets are his, parks are his, skies are his, rivers are his, mountains are his, air is his, flowers are his, and fragrance is his. He is the owner and we are the slaves of fate.”
Rarisa said, “Where you will sit Mitsuki San?”
Mitsuki san sat on a chair where he could see the trees.
“I will sit here till they build a new office for the Emperor.”
They all laughed.
They all sat down on the chairs.
Cynthia pointed to the water bottle, “Since the boss is here, let’s decide few things first.”
“Sure.”
“Mitsuki, recently my father was involved in a company in Bangalore India. Its name is LaserGear, please look into the matter. Ask Rishi what he wants to do about it.”
“Consider it is done.”
“Second thing, my home that I left, I want to convert it into a monastery.”
“Consider it is done.”
“Third and last thing, tomorrow, we will all go to a property owned by Rishi’s friend Mike McDonald. I want to buy it for a Buddhist Retreat; we will buy it on the spot pending paperwork.”
“Consider that too is done; anything else?”
“Let’s go Mitsuki San, we all are very tired.”
They rose and left the office.
They found, Chief Executive was waiting for them, he said with a smile, “I can order a chopper if it is convenient.”
“No thanks.”
“Mine is coming, to take me to my home in San Jose; you can join us for dinner.”
Cynthia knew him. She said, “Thanks Mr. Levin, some other time.”
“Anytime you wish. Sorry for your loss, your father Mr. Russet Frazier was a very good man.”
Cynthia was laughing inside her mind and Levin guessed it. After all he was intelligent enough to become a CEO of a billions dollars empire.
Mitsuki said, “Levin I will join you to your home for dinner, we have to talk about few things. Anyway I am used to begging food from other’s home because I am a monk.”
“Mr. Takahari, it would be a pleasure.”
“Please call me Mitsuki.”
They heard the helicopter. It was hovering on the roof to land.
Kiyoshi, Cynthia and Rarisa went to their cars and Levin and Mitsuki went to lobby to take the elevator to the roof.
6
Rishi was raking leafs when Mike came to him to hand him his cell-phone that was ringing. It was Cynthia.
“Rishi where are you.”
“Guess where.”
“I can hear birds. You are with Mike McDonald, Right?”
“Right, he is very sorry about your father.”
“That is so nice of him, say my hello to him.”
“OK.”
“I asked Mistuki to buy his property to make it a Buddhist Retreat. Tomorrow we all are coming to see it again.”
“I will give him news, you can save the Realtor commission now because today I have nailed ‘For sale by Owner’ signs on the trees.”
Cynthia laughed.
She said, “And yeah, also I have to visit to my home tomorrow. There is nobody. You should go there to sleep or make it your home till you are in United States? Police also wants you to stay away from that place.”
Rishi was happy to be at Mike McDonald’s home but he said, agreeing, “Yes, I can do it, I promised Mike that I will sleep with him and I can still keep my promise.”
Cynthia laughed. “Yeah, take him with you there. That home will be a monastery soon.”
“I am proud of you Cynthia, you decide things fast.”
“Not as fast as you Rishi San, not as fast as you.”
“Bye Cynthia San.”
“Bye Rishi San. Hey don’t end the call, let me say hello to your uncle Mikey.”
Rishi shouted to Mike, he was trying to get lawnmower going. Rishi gave him the phone.
“Dr. Cynthia wants to say hello.”
Mike McDonald was enthralled that Dr. Cynthia Frazer was now his friend too and wants to talk with him.
Mike told her how sorry he was to know about her father that he actually wept at her loss because she visited him just one day before. They talked for some minutes, it was apparent that Cynthia didn’t tell him about his property. After final bye he ended the call.
“Hey Mikey, we wasted money and nails for those signs.”
“Why?”
“Buddhist nuts will be buying your property tomorrow.”
“But I have my conditions?”
“Uncle Mikey, if they need to buy a property they can buy any other. They want to buy your property because of the trees.”
Rishi feared Mike McDonald may have a heart attack with joy, but he got over the news.
“Let’s celebrate Rishi; I have a six pack of beers.”
“Yes OK.”
“Hey, hey, hey, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Dr Cynthia Frazier told me not to let you drink more than one beer and asked me to make sure you are taking your medicines.”
“Ok then one beer.”
Mike pressed one eye. “I will let you drink two beers because I am a nice guy.”
“We have to drink it at Cynthia’s home. She asked me to sleep there. You can come.”
“Nah I can’t go, I will be uncomfortable to stay at billionaire’s home.”
“Come on Mike; let’s go there, its empty except a Filipino maid.”
Mike was very excited. This Rishi was bringing him luck after luck. Now he will be staying at Mean Mighty Billionaire Russet Frazier’s home.
“Huh,” Mike said, “you say we wasted money and nails for those signs.”
“Yep.”
“I am sorry that you wasted your time and effort to nail those sign.”
“That was not a waste because that was a joy to hug the trees.”
7
Mitsuki wasted no time in the half hour ride in the helicopter.
“Mr. Levin it is about some company LaserGear in India.”
“Yes, it was Russet’s latest catch.”
“Tell me about it and tomorrow I want to see complete details.”
“Mr. Mitsuki it is big mess right now, Russet was going to sort it out his way.”
They talked about LaserGear, Mitsuki understood that it was not going to be an easy job because there were many secret deals and lose ends that only Russet Frazier knew. Levin also whispered in his ears that many unethical and illegal angles, that Russet was using or used to manipulate LaserGear or many other companies. Levin had no choice but to tell this to Mitsuki because only Mitsuki had to key to the vast coffer and he was only and CEO.
Mitsuki understood that the job to run Russet Frazier’s measureless Empire was not a cakewalk or at least in the beginning. It was only half hour ride on helicopter to Levin’s home. Helicopter waited for him another half hour till he had dinner with Levin.
At the end he instructed Levin. “Let’s see what we can do to restore LaserGear to its original owners in such a way we make money and they get what was theirs.”
“Sure we can find some such solution. It is possible but not easy, it was never Russet’s policy though.”
“Now a monk is running the business, Mr. Levin. Now on our police is: Live and let live.”
Helicopter started and it was impossible to listen and also neighbors were always complaining to Levin and to the authorities about the helicopter noise.
Levin shouted, shoving Mitsukin to the helicopter, “Leave now or let the helicopter go. We have noise complains here.”
Helicopter dropped Mitsuki at the Russet Frazier’s head quarter. He took the elevator down and returned to the Buddhist Center at midnight, in his car.
8
It was noon in Bangalore India, CEO of Russet Corporation called Arvind, President of LaserGear Corporation and asked him to reach San Francisco without delay. He mentioned that new Chairman Mr. Mitsuki wants to restore his company to its original promoters, invited him to come and is keen to workout some solution equally beneficial to both parties.
Arvind was sitting in his office, looking fragile and almost lifeless. He took the news; his eyes were gaping at the window for ten minutes.
Was it a dream or what?
Smile and colors have begun returning to his face. He called his wife and gave her the news.
She said, “Wow! Wow! Wow! Is it the doing of Rishi?”
“How can I know? It is probably him or who else?”
“I will call Jatin and girls, we will party today. I will buy the fireworks.”
“Wait it is too early, first let me go to San Francisco, who knows it may be a practical joke, Rishi is expert in playing jokes.”
9
Rishi threw his backpack in the back of Mike McDonald’s car and Mike McDonald threw his pajama and toothbrush upon it. He drove the car to the T section and made a right to the road that dead ended to Russet Frazier’s gargantuan estate. At the cast iron gate Rishi got down and punched the security code and stood by the video camera. Gate opened.
Rishi sat in the car as Mike was drive to enter in the estate; a car was coming from the estate. It was Elysia, she stopped the car by their car, and she looked very pale and scared.
“Hello Elysia, I though you will be staying in the home.”
“Not me, I am never going there again. Russet Frazier’s ghost is there, I saw him with my own eyes.”
Rishi said with his famous impish smile, “Did he say something about me, if he has to haunt anybody in the world it should be only and only I.”
“No but he is everywhere, very angry.”
“Did he break any china or plates to scare you?”
“I don’t know, I spent only half hour there. I was cooking food and then I felt his presence. I saw him and ran.”
“OK, I will go say hello to him.”
“Please don’t go there. I beg you, please don’t go there.”
Rishi laughed. Elysia drove away never to return to her good paying job.
Mike McDonald was shivering with fear, he too looked pale.
“What thinking are you doing Mikey, let’s say hello to Pop Russet.”
“Errrrrrr dddddddd bubbbbbb. Ghuuuuuuuuu ghoooooooosh, dere.”
“I thought you always wanted to meet him.”
“Daaaaaa daaaaaaa naaaaaaaa naaaaaaaaaaaaaa.”
Rishi said, picking up his backpack, “OK Mikey, I guess you don’t want to see him. Well then we postpone beers for tomorrow.”
“Juuuuuuu sit in daaaa kaaaaaaaaaar byk,” Mike said, putting the car in reverse to run away.
But Rishi was gone inside and motion sensors closed the gate automatically. Mike McDonald sped up in no time.
Rishi opened the door that Cynthia said, would stay unlocked for as long as Rishi was in United States.
“Hoy daddy o daddy, hoy Papa Russet,” Rishi shouted to amuse himself.
Then he said in Punjabi, “Hoy bai Russet, kiddan.”
Then he said in Hindi and then Urdu and in Kannada and then in broken halting Spanish. Wish he knew Chinese and Japanese or other languages.
He went to the room that he was in previously and threw the backpack on the bed. Took a tour of the whole house, visited Cynthia’s and Russet Frazier’s rooms.
“Hello, my dear fellow Russet, how do you do man?”
He came to kitchen, opened the room sized refrigerator, there was a six pack of Heineken beers. He opened two bottles, took one and left other for Russet’s ghost on the glass table in the atrium, in case ghosts do exists and Russet was there. Why take a chance?
He sat on the main sofa in Atrium said cheers to the other bottle and drank it slowly. He went to kitchen, Elysia was making mixed vegetable noodles for him, pan was still on the stove, it appeared that she ran away leaving behind everything as it was. Rishi cleaned up the mess. Turned on the stove to minimum, to cook the noodles, located Soya Sauce in the pantry. Then he had another bottle of Heineken. He had temptation to drink the third one but felt something ballooning in his liver region. Phone rang but Rishi let it ring. It rang again and again, he placed the mouthpiece away from the phone, after some beeping it quitened.
10
Elysia called Cynthia that she saw Russet Frazier’s angry ghost in the home and she was quitting the job. Cynthia was very scared, not one problem has solved another appeared. Dr. Kiyoshi called 411 to obtain Mike McDonald’s phone number. Mike McDonald said he tried to stop Rishi but he passed through the gate, to inside the estate, to say hello to Russet Frazier’s ghost. He said he tried to stop him but he was gone. Also Mike McDonald added he himself saw Russet’s angry ghost making a gesture to them with his hand to come inside. And at the end he told that Rishi had left his cell-phone on his picnic table.
Cynthia called her home, bell rang several time. She tried again and again and then line was dead. She cursed her father – you were always restless, you never let me like before and will not let me live now.
Dr. Kiyoshi was assured that Rishi was safe in the haunted home; he will wrestle out Russet Frazier’s ghost, if it existed. Cynthia was not sure, he may be Buddha for men but wrestling with ghosts is other things. It was not an ordinary ghost but mean Russet Frazier’s.
11
It was 10pm, night had thickened. Rishi ate the noodles, cleaned up the mess and washed the dishes. He went to downstairs and then to garage, light switch were illuminating type, he had no problem in turning on the lights to find the way in the gigantic home. In the garage he found a tool box containing basic tools. He took screw drivers, a wood chisel, hammer, pliers and an adjustable wrench. In the garage there was a closet with a keyed lock, keys were hanging to it. He took a look at the lock and went upstairs to look at the Russet Frazier’s bedroom door, it was keyless lock that could be only locked from inside, all locks in the home were similar except those that led to outside. Rishi unscrewed Russet Frazier’s bedroom lock; inner and outer pieces came in his hands. He went to garage closet and unscrewed that lock and replaced it with Russet’s bedroom lock, came upstairs, installed keyed lock at his bedroom, locked it with the key. He made a scratching mark on the wall as someone has thrown a tool on the wall. Rishi opened the door leading to the deck, he threw the keys in the swimming pool. When he tried to enter in the home, all doors were automatically locked so he went around the home and entered from unlocked downstairs door.
He installed keyed lock on the Russet Frazier’s door, not to let Cynthia enter in her father’s room and weep again.
He cleaned up all the debris he made at both locks. He came to his room but decided to sleep in the atrium. He brought his backpack there, wore his night clothes, brushed his teeth and spread his lion cloth on the laminated tiles and lay down placing his backpack under his head as pillow.
Then he thought may be Elysia had called Cynthia about the ghost, and she might be worried. But her number was in Rishi’s cell phone that he forgot at Mike McDonald’s home. Rishi rarely remembered any phone number. Rishi remembered that once Cynthia wrote her phone number in her email. He went downstairs to the computer that he had used to delete Dr. Ryan’s all emails, and also had emailed Kulcha to format the hard drive of his laptop in Bangalore. In Bangalore when Rishi was researching on Eel Serum, he was using someone else’s wireless internet connection because three unsecured connections were available in the building where they were living in Bangalore. From an email he found out Cynthia’s phone number. He walked back upstairs and placed the mouthpiece back on the phone and called Cynthia.
She cried, “How are you Rishi?”
“I am fine.”
“Did you see my father’s ghost?”
“Yeah, why you asked?”
“You fool, like it is not a big deal, get out of the home immediately. I am calling taxi for you.”
“Remember that sniffing snuff?”
“Yeah I remember about your sniffing snuff; what about it?”
“Your Pa is scared of it, I sprinkled all over in the home and he ran away from here.”
“You sure he ran away?”
“Yeah I saw him running away, myself, with my own tic-buttons”
“What tic-buttons?”
“My eyes,” he said, “you silly.”
She laughed. “Did he say anything?”
“Yeah.”
“He said, Avios Amigo.”
“What did you reply then?”
“I said: you are always welcome in your own home.”
“You should never have said him that.”
“At that time I though I was in him home so …….”
“Where did you see him?”
“First he was all over the place, and then he was changing the lock at a door.”
“Changing his lock? What lock?”
“At some door that led from the atrium to the right, after passing your door, and then taking a left at the bathroom.”
“It was his suite, his bedroom.”
“How I know that it is his suite? Nobody tells me anything. I was drinking my beer in the atrium and minding my own business. I heard a clang and went there to look what is going on.”
“Really he was changing the lock on the door.”
“I guess so, he threw a monkey wrench on me, but I dodged. There is a mark at the sheetrock.”
“Oh really! He tried to hit you?”
“Yeah but then I threw some snuff on him he sneezed and ran away. Have you ever seen him running?”
“No.”
“You should have seen him, oh boy, he is so funny when runs.”
“You always be careful of his ghost Rishi.”
Rishi heard laughing in the phone. “OK I will be careful, who is laughing?”
“We are listening to you on the speaker phone. Kiyoshi and Rarisa think you are making this all up.”
“What about you?”
“Yes I know you are making it up; a little may be true.”
“I can show you the monkey wrench that he threw at me.”
Now everybody was laughing at the other side. Rishi ended the call.
He went to sleep.
12
When Mitsuki knocked on their door at 11.30pm, Kiyoshi, Cynthia and Rarisa were still in laughs that were bursting at their seams. They bowed to each other.
Mitsuki wondered, “Why are you laughing?”
“Mitsuki San, Rishi kicked out Russet Frazier’s ghost from his home.”
“He is staying there. Two people saw his angry ghost and ran away from there.”
Mitsuki was scared, he wiped sweet from his forehead.
“Don’t worry Mistuki San,” Rarisa assured him, “Rishi is having good fun there.”
He sat down.
“It was a very long day for you Mitsuki San,” Cynthia said putting her hand on his shoulder.
“This Rishi had put me to the toughest meditation – running a billions dollars empire but without a cause.”
Nobody knew what to say, they all sat in silence, they all pondered about what he said.
“He asked me to run the things for the fun of it. But it is no fun, I am trying hard.”
“Mistuki San, when Rishi himself is visiting on the earth to have just the fun,” Cynthia said, “why can’t we.”
“I guess you are right, running the monastery was not an easy job too but at least I was in peaceful environment.”
“Were you in peace?” Ririsa said, “You were waiting for the Buddha and he arrived and gave you a job.”
“No I was not in a peace but now I have no time to know if I am in peace or not.”
They laughed.
Rarisa gave him an unsweetened herbal tea that he missed the whole day.
He said to Cynthia with a sigh, “Tomorrow you are expected at the head quarters from two to eight. To sign documents with bankers, insurance companies, accountants and underwriters. Please bear with me for at least ten days.”
“And, Mitsuki San, when you would be visiting the property that should be bought for Buddhist retreat.” Cynthia asked, “I am very tempted to have it for us all.”
“Oh my Buddha, Oh my Buddha; I have no time tomorrow. Not even a single second. I will ask if Levin cam come there.”
“Please Mitsuki San please.”
“OK, then I will arrive at your home at 10 sharp on the helicopter, we will make a quick tour of your home, to see how we can accommodate a monastery there. Then we will go to see this tree home. I will bring our architect and also CFO to arrange a smooth transfer.”
Cynthia clapped with happiness, they all clapped.
At midnight Mitsuki left their home, Dr. Kiyoshi walked with him to the monastery and then returned to his home.
Monday, April 18
Cynthia, Kiyoshi and Rarisa took a week off from their work to help Cynthia in her tragic loss of her father. Funeral was set for 23rd April, Saturday.
Russet’s CEO Levin took the charge of making funeral arrangements.
2
Police had another session with Rishi. Picture was clear that someone tried to assassinate him by making it seem like a carjacking hit and run accident but things went terribly wrong for the assailants because Rishi had his own cunning but suicidal plan.
Detective said with a frog like smile pointing to the baggie trouser that Rishi wore hide fire-hydrant to fool the assailants, “Why did you buy this specific trouser?”
“Man got to wear a pant.”
“How many trousers you got here?”
Rishi said, counting on his finger, “three including this one.”
“I know, I know, I know, you had a scheme ready in advance, however suicidal. You dodged a man but there was another. You fool, you got lucky. Water saved your life.”
“I know, I know, I know.”
“How you know?”
“How I know about what?”
“That a hit is being placed upon your head?”
“Buddha told me. My room is behind the temple.”
Detective had another frog like smile. He was now whistling now. He was trying to comprehend what Rishi said. Many crazies claim that god speaks to them. Buddha told this crazy - it was a possibility too after all he is staying in the temple.
“I see, Buddha told you to buy this specific oversized trouser.”
“No, I bought it because it was the best value for the money.”
“In what sense it was the best value for your money?”
“It has lots of fabric for seven dollars. I can put all camping gear in its pockets.”
“You have any camping gear?”
“I had to buy the pants first to make a room for the stuff that I will buy from some yard sale.”
Froggie had no idea if this fool was pulling his leg or was a genuine crazy.
“Where do you plan to camp?”
“Next Saturday, hope I get lucky to find the camping gear in the yard sales, I will fill up my pants and then take a hike.”
“You should take a hike now Pal, they may be coming after you again.”
“Buddha will take care of me.”
“Mr. Buddha may be busy this time taking care of others.”
“You are right too.”
“Yeah, I am right too. I suggest you pack up your pants and stay somewhere.”
“Thank, anyway I don’t like food here. I am living on tea.”
“See that makes it easy.”
“Can I have my cell-phone back?”
“Sure, you can have it back.”
Rishi was expecting him to leap but Froggie rose slowly, adjusted his suspenders and pants on his oversized belly.
“Want to have another tea; I am going to make it with my own recipe?” Rishi asked him.
“Like what?”
“I put a pinch of everything that grows here, like thuja, arnica, poplar, jasmine, rose, grass, pine, cypress, rhododendron, euphorbia, eucalyptus, phytolacca, calendula and all. I boil the water till half is gone.”
“Probably that tea gives you visions.”
“Want to have some?”
“No thanks. You enjoy your tea.”
They checked Rishi’s phone records and Buddhist Center’s records and also took the testimony of Misuki. Russet Frazier was a suspect but he was dead. Police was checking his phone records too. Both assailants arrived from Italy and police had got their phones. Pete’s phone was charred but Police was able to know the number. It was understood that it was a paid Mafia hit but things went terribly wrong. They advised Rishi to leave the area and stay somewhere else inconspicuous location.
At 11am Rishi was given his phone. As he turned it on, Mike McDonald was calling him.
“Hello Mikey, what’s up?”
“Did you clean my yard, the day before?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh thanks buddy, but that was not necessary.”
“I can come today and rake leafs if you want?”
“You can come here anytime buddy, you don’t have to rake leafs.”
“OK, pick me up from the BART station; I will be there in one hour.”
Mike said in excitement, “I thought you were kidding to just please me.”
“No, uncle Mikey, I wanted to have another apple-pie.”
“See you at BART in one hour then.”
“See you.”
“Hey wait; please tell Dr. Cynthia Frazier that uncle Mikey was very sorry to know about her father,” Mike McDonald said, “I know what you feel when you lose a parent.”
“Look can I stay over with your for a night or two. You can invite Cynthia at your place tomorrow; your place is good for healing her wounds.”
“Oh sure, oh sure, oh sure, my home is a very lucky home.”
Rishi gathered his belongings in a backpack and said goodbye to monks in Buddhist Center, Mitsuki was not there. Rishi knew that for some years Mitsuki won’t be having any rest. Rishi felt sorry for Mitsuki but there was no other alternative in sight.
3
Mitsuki was still wearing monk’s clothes, was very busy with Russet Frazier’s executives and attorneys. He was seeing people one by one and gradually grasping the picture of Russet Frazier’s vast empire. There was a fear in the mind of all staffers, about their jobs because Russet Frazier ran his empire with iron-fist and ruthless efficiency. Mutsuki when left his own empire was equaled or greater than Russet Frazier’s, in those times, six years ago.
Mitsuki didn’t like Russet Frazier’s office; it didn’t offer him good view. He walked around in the building, executives tugging behind him and talking and selected a room where he could see the trees. That room served as the computer and communication hub. He ordered to relocate those equipments to be relocated and summoned the architect who was on the payroll. When architect arrived, he gave him rough sketch, architect understood that Mitsuki wanted to design and decorate the room with bare minimum furniture, and cabinets but with many plants. It could take one week to relocate the equipments and convert the room into an office.
He selected a temporary office for him, a small room but with a view to the trees. While he was discussing matters with the Russet Frazier Corporation’s top staffers, his room was being furnished. A comfortable and very expansive looking reclining chair, a mahogany table, and other chairs for visitors were being relocated there from other offices.
4
Rishi arrived at the BART station where Mike McDonald was supposed to pick him up. He tried to call Mike but his cell-phone battery was dead. He waited for him at the curb, and Mike McDonald arrived and picked him up.
He stopped the car at a pizzeria, Rishi ate egg plant Perm with lots of oregano and Mike ate Chicken perm without any oregano. Rishi saw crushed leafs of oregano, first time in his life and loved it. Mike paid the bill and then took Rishi to the real estate company, Rishi waited in his car and Mike returned after half hour looking sad.
“Well, Rishi. I took my home, off the contract with Real Estate Company. I will try to sell it by myself.”
“No body made you any offer yet?”
“I have some offers but I don’t trust those people. Of-course they will sign the contract with me and agree on my conditions. Then they may slowly kill the trees, or just damage them or mutilate them. I can’t keep an eye on them and then for each little thing if I go to court, I will be financially ruined. I can sell my property to only whom I trust, some gentle man like you.”
Rishi laughed. “Mikey I don’t even have two million rupee.”
Mike McDonald stopped his car at the Home Depot. They went inside the store and he bought four large display signs ‘For sale by Owner’.
Mike made last stop at supermarket where Mike bought groceries and a large apple-pie. They reached at his home at 3pm.
Mike McDonald had an aluminum extension ladder; Rishi brought it out from his garage and nailed the signs on the trees on all sides of the yard where people could read.
Mike made coffee at picnic table they had it with apple-pie.
Then Rishi placed the ladder to the roof and removed leafs from his rain gutters around the house. Mike was silently thanking and looking at him in admiration, he could never clean those gutters himself; he was too old to climb on the ladder and to walk over the sloping roofing singles. He had to hire someone and was postponing it to save money. After Rishi cleaned the roof and gutters, he sat on the picnic table and plugged his phone for charging at 6pm.
5
Mitsuki went to other floors of the building, talked with many people, asked them many questions and heard what they have to say. Then he met with the company attorneys, Cynthia too arrived there with Dr. Kiyoshi and Rarisa. They wanted to bring Rishi along but he was wondering in the streets, somewhere and was not accessible. He left his cell-phone in his room. Area around her eyes was swollen with the wailing. She signed many documents to make Mitsuki the sole and chief executor of Russet Frazier Corporation with all the powers. Bank officials arrived there with more documents to replace Russet Frazier’s name with his name on all company accounts. Ordeal was yet not over by 6pm, he and Cynthia were to meet again with banks, insurance companies and officials to make the smooth transfer.
When everybody else left, Cynthia, Kiyoshi and Rarisa were left.
“Come Cynthia San, I will show you my office.”
He took them to top floor where Russet Frazier had office. When Cynthia looked at her father’s office she again wept. She went inside; Russet Frazier had her picture, when she was a little girl, on the desk facing his chair. They let her mourn there alone and stood outside. When she returned, Mistuki took them to the communication room where his new office was to be built. He took them to his temporary office, it 30x20 room, now fully furnished. Two electricians were there with extension ladder, installing communication cables through the ceiling acoustic tiles.
Mitsuki told the electricians to continue whatever they were doing. He walked to the boss’s chair and placed the mineral water bottle that Rarisa gave him on the airport.
Mitsuk bowed to the bottle with tearful eyes. They all bowed to the bottle.
He said, “I work for the Buddha.”
Kiyoshi said, “We all work for him.”
“He is wondering in the streets.” Cynthia sobbed, “Wish we had paraded him here to show him, this billions dollars empire is his now.”
Mitsuki said, bowing again to the water on the boss’s chair, “He is the King of kings; everything in the world is his. Streets are his, parks are his, skies are his, rivers are his, mountains are his, air is his, flowers are his, and fragrance is his. He is the owner and we are the slaves of fate.”
Rarisa said, “Where you will sit Mitsuki San?”
Mitsuki san sat on a chair where he could see the trees.
“I will sit here till they build a new office for the Emperor.”
They all laughed.
They all sat down on the chairs.
Cynthia pointed to the water bottle, “Since the boss is here, let’s decide few things first.”
“Sure.”
“Mitsuki, recently my father was involved in a company in Bangalore India. Its name is LaserGear, please look into the matter. Ask Rishi what he wants to do about it.”
“Consider it is done.”
“Second thing, my home that I left, I want to convert it into a monastery.”
“Consider it is done.”
“Third and last thing, tomorrow, we will all go to a property owned by Rishi’s friend Mike McDonald. I want to buy it for a Buddhist Retreat; we will buy it on the spot pending paperwork.”
“Consider that too is done; anything else?”
“Let’s go Mitsuki San, we all are very tired.”
They rose and left the office.
They found, Chief Executive was waiting for them, he said with a smile, “I can order a chopper if it is convenient.”
“No thanks.”
“Mine is coming, to take me to my home in San Jose; you can join us for dinner.”
Cynthia knew him. She said, “Thanks Mr. Levin, some other time.”
“Anytime you wish. Sorry for your loss, your father Mr. Russet Frazier was a very good man.”
Cynthia was laughing inside her mind and Levin guessed it. After all he was intelligent enough to become a CEO of a billions dollars empire.
Mitsuki said, “Levin I will join you to your home for dinner, we have to talk about few things. Anyway I am used to begging food from other’s home because I am a monk.”
“Mr. Takahari, it would be a pleasure.”
“Please call me Mitsuki.”
They heard the helicopter. It was hovering on the roof to land.
Kiyoshi, Cynthia and Rarisa went to their cars and Levin and Mitsuki went to lobby to take the elevator to the roof.
6
Rishi was raking leafs when Mike came to him to hand him his cell-phone that was ringing. It was Cynthia.
“Rishi where are you.”
“Guess where.”
“I can hear birds. You are with Mike McDonald, Right?”
“Right, he is very sorry about your father.”
“That is so nice of him, say my hello to him.”
“OK.”
“I asked Mistuki to buy his property to make it a Buddhist Retreat. Tomorrow we all are coming to see it again.”
“I will give him news, you can save the Realtor commission now because today I have nailed ‘For sale by Owner’ signs on the trees.”
Cynthia laughed.
She said, “And yeah, also I have to visit to my home tomorrow. There is nobody. You should go there to sleep or make it your home till you are in United States? Police also wants you to stay away from that place.”
Rishi was happy to be at Mike McDonald’s home but he said, agreeing, “Yes, I can do it, I promised Mike that I will sleep with him and I can still keep my promise.”
Cynthia laughed. “Yeah, take him with you there. That home will be a monastery soon.”
“I am proud of you Cynthia, you decide things fast.”
“Not as fast as you Rishi San, not as fast as you.”
“Bye Cynthia San.”
“Bye Rishi San. Hey don’t end the call, let me say hello to your uncle Mikey.”
Rishi shouted to Mike, he was trying to get lawnmower going. Rishi gave him the phone.
“Dr. Cynthia wants to say hello.”
Mike McDonald was enthralled that Dr. Cynthia Frazer was now his friend too and wants to talk with him.
Mike told her how sorry he was to know about her father that he actually wept at her loss because she visited him just one day before. They talked for some minutes, it was apparent that Cynthia didn’t tell him about his property. After final bye he ended the call.
“Hey Mikey, we wasted money and nails for those signs.”
“Why?”
“Buddhist nuts will be buying your property tomorrow.”
“But I have my conditions?”
“Uncle Mikey, if they need to buy a property they can buy any other. They want to buy your property because of the trees.”
Rishi feared Mike McDonald may have a heart attack with joy, but he got over the news.
“Let’s celebrate Rishi; I have a six pack of beers.”
“Yes OK.”
“Hey, hey, hey, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Dr Cynthia Frazier told me not to let you drink more than one beer and asked me to make sure you are taking your medicines.”
“Ok then one beer.”
Mike pressed one eye. “I will let you drink two beers because I am a nice guy.”
“We have to drink it at Cynthia’s home. She asked me to sleep there. You can come.”
“Nah I can’t go, I will be uncomfortable to stay at billionaire’s home.”
“Come on Mike; let’s go there, its empty except a Filipino maid.”
Mike was very excited. This Rishi was bringing him luck after luck. Now he will be staying at Mean Mighty Billionaire Russet Frazier’s home.
“Huh,” Mike said, “you say we wasted money and nails for those signs.”
“Yep.”
“I am sorry that you wasted your time and effort to nail those sign.”
“That was not a waste because that was a joy to hug the trees.”
7
Mitsuki wasted no time in the half hour ride in the helicopter.
“Mr. Levin it is about some company LaserGear in India.”
“Yes, it was Russet’s latest catch.”
“Tell me about it and tomorrow I want to see complete details.”
“Mr. Mitsuki it is big mess right now, Russet was going to sort it out his way.”
They talked about LaserGear, Mitsuki understood that it was not going to be an easy job because there were many secret deals and lose ends that only Russet Frazier knew. Levin also whispered in his ears that many unethical and illegal angles, that Russet was using or used to manipulate LaserGear or many other companies. Levin had no choice but to tell this to Mitsuki because only Mitsuki had to key to the vast coffer and he was only and CEO.
Mitsuki understood that the job to run Russet Frazier’s measureless Empire was not a cakewalk or at least in the beginning. It was only half hour ride on helicopter to Levin’s home. Helicopter waited for him another half hour till he had dinner with Levin.
At the end he instructed Levin. “Let’s see what we can do to restore LaserGear to its original owners in such a way we make money and they get what was theirs.”
“Sure we can find some such solution. It is possible but not easy, it was never Russet’s policy though.”
“Now a monk is running the business, Mr. Levin. Now on our police is: Live and let live.”
Helicopter started and it was impossible to listen and also neighbors were always complaining to Levin and to the authorities about the helicopter noise.
Levin shouted, shoving Mitsukin to the helicopter, “Leave now or let the helicopter go. We have noise complains here.”
Helicopter dropped Mitsuki at the Russet Frazier’s head quarter. He took the elevator down and returned to the Buddhist Center at midnight, in his car.
8
It was noon in Bangalore India, CEO of Russet Corporation called Arvind, President of LaserGear Corporation and asked him to reach San Francisco without delay. He mentioned that new Chairman Mr. Mitsuki wants to restore his company to its original promoters, invited him to come and is keen to workout some solution equally beneficial to both parties.
Arvind was sitting in his office, looking fragile and almost lifeless. He took the news; his eyes were gaping at the window for ten minutes.
Was it a dream or what?
Smile and colors have begun returning to his face. He called his wife and gave her the news.
She said, “Wow! Wow! Wow! Is it the doing of Rishi?”
“How can I know? It is probably him or who else?”
“I will call Jatin and girls, we will party today. I will buy the fireworks.”
“Wait it is too early, first let me go to San Francisco, who knows it may be a practical joke, Rishi is expert in playing jokes.”
9
Rishi threw his backpack in the back of Mike McDonald’s car and Mike McDonald threw his pajama and toothbrush upon it. He drove the car to the T section and made a right to the road that dead ended to Russet Frazier’s gargantuan estate. At the cast iron gate Rishi got down and punched the security code and stood by the video camera. Gate opened.
Rishi sat in the car as Mike was drive to enter in the estate; a car was coming from the estate. It was Elysia, she stopped the car by their car, and she looked very pale and scared.
“Hello Elysia, I though you will be staying in the home.”
“Not me, I am never going there again. Russet Frazier’s ghost is there, I saw him with my own eyes.”
Rishi said with his famous impish smile, “Did he say something about me, if he has to haunt anybody in the world it should be only and only I.”
“No but he is everywhere, very angry.”
“Did he break any china or plates to scare you?”
“I don’t know, I spent only half hour there. I was cooking food and then I felt his presence. I saw him and ran.”
“OK, I will go say hello to him.”
“Please don’t go there. I beg you, please don’t go there.”
Rishi laughed. Elysia drove away never to return to her good paying job.
Mike McDonald was shivering with fear, he too looked pale.
“What thinking are you doing Mikey, let’s say hello to Pop Russet.”
“Errrrrrr dddddddd bubbbbbb. Ghuuuuuuuuu ghoooooooosh, dere.”
“I thought you always wanted to meet him.”
“Daaaaaa daaaaaaa naaaaaaaa naaaaaaaaaaaaaa.”
Rishi said, picking up his backpack, “OK Mikey, I guess you don’t want to see him. Well then we postpone beers for tomorrow.”
“Juuuuuuu sit in daaaa kaaaaaaaaaar byk,” Mike said, putting the car in reverse to run away.
But Rishi was gone inside and motion sensors closed the gate automatically. Mike McDonald sped up in no time.
Rishi opened the door that Cynthia said, would stay unlocked for as long as Rishi was in United States.
“Hoy daddy o daddy, hoy Papa Russet,” Rishi shouted to amuse himself.
Then he said in Punjabi, “Hoy bai Russet, kiddan.”
Then he said in Hindi and then Urdu and in Kannada and then in broken halting Spanish. Wish he knew Chinese and Japanese or other languages.
He went to the room that he was in previously and threw the backpack on the bed. Took a tour of the whole house, visited Cynthia’s and Russet Frazier’s rooms.
“Hello, my dear fellow Russet, how do you do man?”
He came to kitchen, opened the room sized refrigerator, there was a six pack of Heineken beers. He opened two bottles, took one and left other for Russet’s ghost on the glass table in the atrium, in case ghosts do exists and Russet was there. Why take a chance?
He sat on the main sofa in Atrium said cheers to the other bottle and drank it slowly. He went to kitchen, Elysia was making mixed vegetable noodles for him, pan was still on the stove, it appeared that she ran away leaving behind everything as it was. Rishi cleaned up the mess. Turned on the stove to minimum, to cook the noodles, located Soya Sauce in the pantry. Then he had another bottle of Heineken. He had temptation to drink the third one but felt something ballooning in his liver region. Phone rang but Rishi let it ring. It rang again and again, he placed the mouthpiece away from the phone, after some beeping it quitened.
10
Elysia called Cynthia that she saw Russet Frazier’s angry ghost in the home and she was quitting the job. Cynthia was very scared, not one problem has solved another appeared. Dr. Kiyoshi called 411 to obtain Mike McDonald’s phone number. Mike McDonald said he tried to stop Rishi but he passed through the gate, to inside the estate, to say hello to Russet Frazier’s ghost. He said he tried to stop him but he was gone. Also Mike McDonald added he himself saw Russet’s angry ghost making a gesture to them with his hand to come inside. And at the end he told that Rishi had left his cell-phone on his picnic table.
Cynthia called her home, bell rang several time. She tried again and again and then line was dead. She cursed her father – you were always restless, you never let me like before and will not let me live now.
Dr. Kiyoshi was assured that Rishi was safe in the haunted home; he will wrestle out Russet Frazier’s ghost, if it existed. Cynthia was not sure, he may be Buddha for men but wrestling with ghosts is other things. It was not an ordinary ghost but mean Russet Frazier’s.
11
It was 10pm, night had thickened. Rishi ate the noodles, cleaned up the mess and washed the dishes. He went to downstairs and then to garage, light switch were illuminating type, he had no problem in turning on the lights to find the way in the gigantic home. In the garage he found a tool box containing basic tools. He took screw drivers, a wood chisel, hammer, pliers and an adjustable wrench. In the garage there was a closet with a keyed lock, keys were hanging to it. He took a look at the lock and went upstairs to look at the Russet Frazier’s bedroom door, it was keyless lock that could be only locked from inside, all locks in the home were similar except those that led to outside. Rishi unscrewed Russet Frazier’s bedroom lock; inner and outer pieces came in his hands. He went to garage closet and unscrewed that lock and replaced it with Russet’s bedroom lock, came upstairs, installed keyed lock at his bedroom, locked it with the key. He made a scratching mark on the wall as someone has thrown a tool on the wall. Rishi opened the door leading to the deck, he threw the keys in the swimming pool. When he tried to enter in the home, all doors were automatically locked so he went around the home and entered from unlocked downstairs door.
He installed keyed lock on the Russet Frazier’s door, not to let Cynthia enter in her father’s room and weep again.
He cleaned up all the debris he made at both locks. He came to his room but decided to sleep in the atrium. He brought his backpack there, wore his night clothes, brushed his teeth and spread his lion cloth on the laminated tiles and lay down placing his backpack under his head as pillow.
Then he thought may be Elysia had called Cynthia about the ghost, and she might be worried. But her number was in Rishi’s cell phone that he forgot at Mike McDonald’s home. Rishi rarely remembered any phone number. Rishi remembered that once Cynthia wrote her phone number in her email. He went downstairs to the computer that he had used to delete Dr. Ryan’s all emails, and also had emailed Kulcha to format the hard drive of his laptop in Bangalore. In Bangalore when Rishi was researching on Eel Serum, he was using someone else’s wireless internet connection because three unsecured connections were available in the building where they were living in Bangalore. From an email he found out Cynthia’s phone number. He walked back upstairs and placed the mouthpiece back on the phone and called Cynthia.
She cried, “How are you Rishi?”
“I am fine.”
“Did you see my father’s ghost?”
“Yeah, why you asked?”
“You fool, like it is not a big deal, get out of the home immediately. I am calling taxi for you.”
“Remember that sniffing snuff?”
“Yeah I remember about your sniffing snuff; what about it?”
“Your Pa is scared of it, I sprinkled all over in the home and he ran away from here.”
“You sure he ran away?”
“Yeah I saw him running away, myself, with my own tic-buttons”
“What tic-buttons?”
“My eyes,” he said, “you silly.”
She laughed. “Did he say anything?”
“Yeah.”
“He said, Avios Amigo.”
“What did you reply then?”
“I said: you are always welcome in your own home.”
“You should never have said him that.”
“At that time I though I was in him home so …….”
“Where did you see him?”
“First he was all over the place, and then he was changing the lock at a door.”
“Changing his lock? What lock?”
“At some door that led from the atrium to the right, after passing your door, and then taking a left at the bathroom.”
“It was his suite, his bedroom.”
“How I know that it is his suite? Nobody tells me anything. I was drinking my beer in the atrium and minding my own business. I heard a clang and went there to look what is going on.”
“Really he was changing the lock on the door.”
“I guess so, he threw a monkey wrench on me, but I dodged. There is a mark at the sheetrock.”
“Oh really! He tried to hit you?”
“Yeah but then I threw some snuff on him he sneezed and ran away. Have you ever seen him running?”
“No.”
“You should have seen him, oh boy, he is so funny when runs.”
“You always be careful of his ghost Rishi.”
Rishi heard laughing in the phone. “OK I will be careful, who is laughing?”
“We are listening to you on the speaker phone. Kiyoshi and Rarisa think you are making this all up.”
“What about you?”
“Yes I know you are making it up; a little may be true.”
“I can show you the monkey wrench that he threw at me.”
Now everybody was laughing at the other side. Rishi ended the call.
He went to sleep.
12
When Mitsuki knocked on their door at 11.30pm, Kiyoshi, Cynthia and Rarisa were still in laughs that were bursting at their seams. They bowed to each other.
Mitsuki wondered, “Why are you laughing?”
“Mitsuki San, Rishi kicked out Russet Frazier’s ghost from his home.”
“He is staying there. Two people saw his angry ghost and ran away from there.”
Mitsuki was scared, he wiped sweet from his forehead.
“Don’t worry Mistuki San,” Rarisa assured him, “Rishi is having good fun there.”
He sat down.
“It was a very long day for you Mitsuki San,” Cynthia said putting her hand on his shoulder.
“This Rishi had put me to the toughest meditation – running a billions dollars empire but without a cause.”
Nobody knew what to say, they all sat in silence, they all pondered about what he said.
“He asked me to run the things for the fun of it. But it is no fun, I am trying hard.”
“Mistuki San, when Rishi himself is visiting on the earth to have just the fun,” Cynthia said, “why can’t we.”
“I guess you are right, running the monastery was not an easy job too but at least I was in peaceful environment.”
“Were you in peace?” Ririsa said, “You were waiting for the Buddha and he arrived and gave you a job.”
“No I was not in a peace but now I have no time to know if I am in peace or not.”
They laughed.
Rarisa gave him an unsweetened herbal tea that he missed the whole day.
He said to Cynthia with a sigh, “Tomorrow you are expected at the head quarters from two to eight. To sign documents with bankers, insurance companies, accountants and underwriters. Please bear with me for at least ten days.”
“And, Mitsuki San, when you would be visiting the property that should be bought for Buddhist retreat.” Cynthia asked, “I am very tempted to have it for us all.”
“Oh my Buddha, Oh my Buddha; I have no time tomorrow. Not even a single second. I will ask if Levin cam come there.”
“Please Mitsuki San please.”
“OK, then I will arrive at your home at 10 sharp on the helicopter, we will make a quick tour of your home, to see how we can accommodate a monastery there. Then we will go to see this tree home. I will bring our architect and also CFO to arrange a smooth transfer.”
Cynthia clapped with happiness, they all clapped.
At midnight Mitsuki left their home, Dr. Kiyoshi walked with him to the monastery and then returned to his home.
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