After having heard so much about CC's discourses, APK expressed her interest to listen to him speak at his temple and with Head Nun's permission, we went there one Saturday morning. CC was delighted to see us and since it was APK's first time at the temple, he said I could show her round and then come back for his talk.
The temple was slightly bigger than ours and probably older. There was a lovely garden with statues of the Lord Buddha and His disciples, some deer and peacocks. APK was particularly impressed by the pictures depicting the Lord Buddha's life which were hung in a passageway. They were beautiful paintings done by an unknown artist many years ago and the temple was indeed very fortunate to have acquired them.
"APK, I think we'd better go, it's not proper for you, a nun, to be seen among these monks," I said.
But APK appeared to be in a daze. She was staring fixedly at one of the monks who was hanging up his robe on the wash line.
"APK," I said again, "Let's go!"
"Wait! That monk - he looks familiar ...." Then impulsive as she had always been, she went up to the monk and said, "Haven't I seen you somewhere before?"
All the other monks stopped what they were doing and looked at her.
The monk was a little startled, then recovered and shook his head. "Sorry," he muttered, bowing his head low and not daring to meet her eyes.
"APK," I said. "The talk has started, let's go!"
"But...but...." she protested. I managed to drag her away and we went to sit with the rest of the congregation in the hall.
"Vege Cat, that monk ...." she whispered.
I could see she was bursting with impatience to tell me something but I hushed her and told her to wait until after CC had finished speaking.
As soon as CC's talk ended, APK drew me aside, her face flushed with excitement.
"Vege Cat, that monk - it's Foo, my ex-boyfriend!"
"What?" I gasped. "You must be joking!"
"He looks a bit different because he has shaven his head and grown much thinner but I'm sure it's him!"
"But his mother said he had left town to take up a new job! Look, APK, you haven't seen him for a long time, you could be mistaken, maybe it's someone who looks like him."
But APK still insisted she was right and after some argument, I told her that she should forget the whole matter and let things be.
"Maybe I could ask Ah Ying to find out more?" she said thoughtfully, ignoring what I had just said. "She has a lot of contacts who may know what really happened to him."
"But why do you need to know?" I asked, quite exasperated. "You're a disciple of the Buddha now and you shouldn't let worldly things like this bother you any more."
She didn't answer and refused to talk to me all the way back to the temple.
When we arrived at the temple, Ah Ying was there visiting Head Nun and I could see APK couldn't wait to speak to her. As Ah Ying was leaving, APK quickly took her aside and whispered something to her. I had no doubt she was asking Ah Ying to investigate her ex-boyfriend's whereabouts and at the same time wanted to keep it a secret from Head Nun. Well, I could do nothing to stop her and hoped she wouldn't get into trouble with Head Nun over this matter.
We didn't see Ah Ying until about two weeks later. APK had been anxiously waiting to hear from her and the moment she appeared, she dragged her and myself to the backyard to get her news.
"So has he become a monk?" asked APK excitedly.
Ah Ying hesitated, then said, "You're mistaken, APK. My source who's a close friend of his mother, confirmed that he is working in Singapore and has been there since last year."
"Oh." said APK, looking disappointed. "I could have sworn that monk was him."
"So now that's settled, I suggest you think no more of the matter, APK," I said.
"Live your life and let him live his," said Ah Ying, gently patting APK's shoulder.
APK nodded. "Sorry, Ah Ying for troubling you and you also Vege Cat. I shall not bring up this matter any more."
Later, before she left the temple, Ah Ying called me aside.
"Vege Cat, I have something to tell you," she said in a low tone.
"Er ... is there anything wrong?"
"Well, I lied to APK just now..."
"You mean about her ex?"
She nodded. "Just keep this to yourself, ok? It's true, he has become a monk."
"What?" I gasped, shocked.
"According to my source, his mother kept her son's decision to become a monk a closely guarded secret as she was ashamed not only because he had been jilted by APK but also because he had chosen to become a monk. Her dream was to see him happily married and she was so devastated that she has not been able to accept what had happened until today. If people ask, she tells them he has gone to Singapore to work. I thought it best not to let APK know the truth, you know how she is, she might do something impulsive like visiting him at CC's temple and cause embarrassment to both CC and Head Nun."
"Good thinking, Ah Ying. We certainly don't want to be involved in a scandal. Well, there's nothing to be ashamed about if someone chooses to be a monk, but unfortunately people see only the material side of things. And it looks like APK still has him in her thoughts even though she said he no longer means anything to her."
"Yes, sadly she still cannot let go of him. Anyway I hope H.N. doesn't find out about this or else I shall be in hot soup!"
"Don't worry, Ah Ying, I won't tell her."
Though APK seemed to believe what Ah Ying had told her, I still had this worry in my head that she might secretly go over to CC's temple to take a second look at the monk to satisfy herself that he's not her ex-boyfriend. I shudder to think how furious Head Nun would be if she found out what had been going on.
So I was very relieved to hear soon after that a group of young monks from the temple, including APK's ex-boyfriend, had been sent to Thailand for further training and would be there for at least two years.
It was the best news I had heard since the whole episode began!
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