Ning came staggering into the temple garden the other day, looking very tired.
"Ning, are you alright?" I asked.
He flopped down onto the ground, then looked up at me.
"Da, I'm hurting all over. My back is aching, my legs are aching, I don't know what's happening to me!" he groaned.
"Ning, how many times I've told you that you drink too much and all that booze is affecting your health," I cried.
He snorted, then snapped, "Don't nag me, Da."
"Ning, I don't mean to nag or sound like your mother but if she were here, she would definitely give you a good piece of her mind," I said.
He looked at me sharply, then his expression changed.
"My mother! What do you know about my mother!"
He continued hoarsely, "My mother abandoned us soon after we were born. She never came back and we, the four of us, grew up on our own. Two didn't make it, they were killed by dogs and I haven't seen my only remaining sibling till today. All these years I've been struggling on my own. Now you know why I drink so much....."
"I'm ... I'm sorry, Ning," I stammered. "I didn't know. But that's all in the past. Forgive her, maybe she had a good reason for doing what she did. Don't go through life with all this anger and hatred in your heart."
Ning laughed. "Spoken like a monk! Forgive her? Never!" With that he stormed off.
After Ning had gone, I sat down, feeling quite sad. Ning had never spoken to me about his mother before and I could understand how he felt. Suddenly thoughts of my own mother came into my mind. I hadn't seen her for several years now, not since she made up with Pa. I began to wonder how they were. Mum was aware of my spiritual goal and she knew she had to cut the strings of attachment and let me go. That was why she refrained from visiting me, oh how difficult it must have been for her!
I sighed wearily and walked slowly back to the temple. I bumped into Head Nun and thought I would ask her if she knew about Ning's childhood. She looked at me and nodded.
"You know about Ning and his mother?" I gasped, wide eyed. "But how come you never mentioned it to anyone?"
"Vege Cat, sometimes we have to let things be and not dig up old, sad memories."
"Please tell me the whole story, Head Nun," I pleaded.
"Well, some years ago, I think you were very young then, one of our devotees brought home an old bedraggled cat and asked me to help take care of the poor creature. She was blind and very thin. I cleaned her up, treated her wounds and fed her. She was very ill, I knew she didn't have long to live. One day when I was nursing her, the poor thing told me her story. She had given birth to four kittens but their father, an alcoholic, had tried to drown them by throwing them into the river. She managed to save them by diving into the water but he, in his drunken rage, dragged her off and beat her up, blinding her and leaving her in some deserted place. Being blind, she lost all sense of direction and wandered around, not knowing where she was going. She never found her kittens and in her desperation and misery, she threw herself in the way of a passing car. It narrowly missed her, and the driver, our devotee, then brought her home."
"But how did you know she was Ning's mother?" I asked.
"She told me that all her kittens have a small mark in the shape of a cross on the inner side of one ear and begged me to take care of them should they cross my path. I then remembered with a start that I had seen that mark on Ning when he first came to the temple. I told her the good news that Ning is one of her long lost kittens and you should have seen the joy on her face, and of course tears started flowing from her sightless eyes. But when I said I would bring him to see her, she stopped me and made me swear never to tell him about her. She said she didn't want to be a burden to him and it was better he thought she was dead."
Head Nun continued sadly, "She died shortly after. I wished I could have saved her but she seemed to have lost all will to live. But I am glad she died happy, knowing that one of her kittens is still alive. I buried her under the Flame of the Forest tree near the river. I pray that she has found peace."
The next morning, I asked Head Nun's permission to visit Ning's mother's grave. I brought with me a small bunch of flowers and found the tree easily enough as it is the only one of its kind there.
As I neared the tree, I saw that a cat was sitting there. When I looked closer, I found to my surprise that it was Ning! Before I could say anything, he looked up and I saw that his eyes were glistening with tears.
For a while he remained silent. Then he said quietly, "I overheard what Head Nun told you yesterday....." and he suddenly burst into a torrent of tears, his whole body shaking like a leaf. I ran to him and hugged him, at the same time softly consoling him.
We both sat there for a long time, hugging each other. It seemed like time had stood still and all we were aware of was a gentle breeze blowing.
Then Ning said, "Thanks, Da. I know the truth at last. I only hope she will forgive me."
I whispered, "I know she will."
A beautiful orange flower suddenly dropped from the tree and landed at Ning's feet. It was like a sign from his mother telling him that she had heard. He picked up the flower, kissed it and put it on his mother's grave.
"Rest in peace, Mum," he said softly.
I didn't see Ning for several days after that. I heard that he wasn't at the Club either.
Later I found out that he had been spending time by the river every day, making up for lost time with his Mum.
"Ning, are you alright?" I asked.
He flopped down onto the ground, then looked up at me.
"Da, I'm hurting all over. My back is aching, my legs are aching, I don't know what's happening to me!" he groaned.
"Ning, how many times I've told you that you drink too much and all that booze is affecting your health," I cried.
He snorted, then snapped, "Don't nag me, Da."
"Ning, I don't mean to nag or sound like your mother but if she were here, she would definitely give you a good piece of her mind," I said.
He looked at me sharply, then his expression changed.
"My mother! What do you know about my mother!"
He continued hoarsely, "My mother abandoned us soon after we were born. She never came back and we, the four of us, grew up on our own. Two didn't make it, they were killed by dogs and I haven't seen my only remaining sibling till today. All these years I've been struggling on my own. Now you know why I drink so much....."
"I'm ... I'm sorry, Ning," I stammered. "I didn't know. But that's all in the past. Forgive her, maybe she had a good reason for doing what she did. Don't go through life with all this anger and hatred in your heart."
Ning laughed. "Spoken like a monk! Forgive her? Never!" With that he stormed off.
After Ning had gone, I sat down, feeling quite sad. Ning had never spoken to me about his mother before and I could understand how he felt. Suddenly thoughts of my own mother came into my mind. I hadn't seen her for several years now, not since she made up with Pa. I began to wonder how they were. Mum was aware of my spiritual goal and she knew she had to cut the strings of attachment and let me go. That was why she refrained from visiting me, oh how difficult it must have been for her!
I sighed wearily and walked slowly back to the temple. I bumped into Head Nun and thought I would ask her if she knew about Ning's childhood. She looked at me and nodded.
"You know about Ning and his mother?" I gasped, wide eyed. "But how come you never mentioned it to anyone?"
"Vege Cat, sometimes we have to let things be and not dig up old, sad memories."
"Please tell me the whole story, Head Nun," I pleaded.
"Well, some years ago, I think you were very young then, one of our devotees brought home an old bedraggled cat and asked me to help take care of the poor creature. She was blind and very thin. I cleaned her up, treated her wounds and fed her. She was very ill, I knew she didn't have long to live. One day when I was nursing her, the poor thing told me her story. She had given birth to four kittens but their father, an alcoholic, had tried to drown them by throwing them into the river. She managed to save them by diving into the water but he, in his drunken rage, dragged her off and beat her up, blinding her and leaving her in some deserted place. Being blind, she lost all sense of direction and wandered around, not knowing where she was going. She never found her kittens and in her desperation and misery, she threw herself in the way of a passing car. It narrowly missed her, and the driver, our devotee, then brought her home."
"But how did you know she was Ning's mother?" I asked.
"She told me that all her kittens have a small mark in the shape of a cross on the inner side of one ear and begged me to take care of them should they cross my path. I then remembered with a start that I had seen that mark on Ning when he first came to the temple. I told her the good news that Ning is one of her long lost kittens and you should have seen the joy on her face, and of course tears started flowing from her sightless eyes. But when I said I would bring him to see her, she stopped me and made me swear never to tell him about her. She said she didn't want to be a burden to him and it was better he thought she was dead."
Head Nun continued sadly, "She died shortly after. I wished I could have saved her but she seemed to have lost all will to live. But I am glad she died happy, knowing that one of her kittens is still alive. I buried her under the Flame of the Forest tree near the river. I pray that she has found peace."
The next morning, I asked Head Nun's permission to visit Ning's mother's grave. I brought with me a small bunch of flowers and found the tree easily enough as it is the only one of its kind there.
As I neared the tree, I saw that a cat was sitting there. When I looked closer, I found to my surprise that it was Ning! Before I could say anything, he looked up and I saw that his eyes were glistening with tears.
For a while he remained silent. Then he said quietly, "I overheard what Head Nun told you yesterday....." and he suddenly burst into a torrent of tears, his whole body shaking like a leaf. I ran to him and hugged him, at the same time softly consoling him.
We both sat there for a long time, hugging each other. It seemed like time had stood still and all we were aware of was a gentle breeze blowing.
Then Ning said, "Thanks, Da. I know the truth at last. I only hope she will forgive me."
I whispered, "I know she will."
A beautiful orange flower suddenly dropped from the tree and landed at Ning's feet. It was like a sign from his mother telling him that she had heard. He picked up the flower, kissed it and put it on his mother's grave.
"Rest in peace, Mum," he said softly.
I didn't see Ning for several days after that. I heard that he wasn't at the Club either.
Later I found out that he had been spending time by the river every day, making up for lost time with his Mum.
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