First Day

The Bushido Code was inscribed on the first wall of the temple. It was still quite early, four thirty, Golmak checked by his watch.

Mau took them to an inner room with no doors but with thick stone walls and this area was quite warmer than the rest.

There were some loose wooden slabs on the floor and each of them were clean. Mau passed on some soft blankets, one was to be spread on the wooden floors and one was to be wrapped around.

They all drank and ate what they had and slept off. Golmak covered his head as he felt a chill rise up his leg and reach his back.

There was no noise that they could hear and Golmak was the first to open his eyes. When he woke up he saw Mau was exactly at the same place where he saw him before closing his eyes.

He looked around, others were still knocked out. Golmak looked at his watch, it was 11:00 am which means they were almost out for 6 hours. He felt he slept like never before and there was nothing that touched him that night. He felt so good that he had slept the entire night. After his father was gone, this was his first night when he did not feel like waking up in the middle of the night nor did the night his father went replayed in his memory.

“Good morning.” Golmak shouted loudly hoping the others would wake up. But all lay around him like logs of wood except Mau who nodded and smiled at him and then beckoned him to the door.

Golmak followed the man out.

After a point he stopped and turned to Golmak.

“You can use the bathroom here and let me know if you need anything other than the arrangements we have made.” He smiled.

“Thank you.”

Golmak went off and then slowly walked into one of the bathrooms.

It was quiet and had everything…shampoo, a pair of cotton wrap, a bamboo slipper pair, soap, a nice smell, liquid soap, a clean towel that smelled good, a floral scent Golmak quite did not know much of, a bamboo toothbrush and a toothpaste.

He brushed up huge trees and then cleaned up, pooped, peed and bathed slowly. Once done, he flushed the toilet  again to ensure it did not look less clean when he left it. He didn’t want that, instead, he wanted it to be as clean as it was when he entered it. Warm water felt refreshing.

He wore the long robe and beneath the robe another robe and a pair of baggy, palazzo pants.

He walked out and saw Mau was far off. Walking up to Mau he realized Mau stood at a point from where he could see him as well as the others.

It was 12:15 pm and the troop still slept.

“You must be hungry. Come with me.” Not far away Mau and Golmak caught the smell of warm broth.

There was a man cooking and they said quietly at a table. They were served a meal and Golmak wasn’t sure what was what since he had not read the names of the Japanese dishes when he read about their culture.

A quiet meal, followed by a sun walk and then a small library that had few small electric bulbs for light is what made Golmak’s day perfect.

By the time Golmak finished reading a compilation from the Ming dynasty, it was dinner time and now he could see the other two heads around the eatery.

He walked to Branga and Tahiti who slept more than him and planned to spend the entire night in the library while Golmak ate some veggies and went off to sleep. It was 10:40 pm and Golmak was glad he was going to bed early.

Before going to bed he ensured he spoke to Branga about what they spoke in the evening.