Chapter 1: Walking the Path!

Seattle, Washington:

Peter was walking home after his martial arts class. Today he earned his brown belt. Ten years of training and his instructor, Master Sun, told him in front of his dojo he was far beyond his brown belt. He’d been held back because he hadn’t asked to be tested during the last almost two and a half years since his mother’s sickness and death. Master Sun looked at him and shared he’d been one of his most devoted students over the last 10 years and in front of all the dojo, Master Sun asked him if he would become the dojo’s number one assistant. Peter realized he would be getting a paying job that would last him through college.

Peter talked with Dan just a few days ago. Dan Phillips was current Assistant to Master Sun and set to get his BS from the University of Washington and had been offered a paid internship with Boeing where he could work part-time as an Aeronautical Engineer Assistant and continue working towards his MS at the UW. Peter remembered when Dan had become the number one assistant seven years ago. Dan had been offered the position when his predecessor Jim had graduated from the UW and moved on with life.

As Peter was walking along smiling and thinking that maybe he was finally in God’s favor he heard crying. It was faint, only a trained ear could have heard it above the wind and city traffic. He decided to investigate. His mind said it was familiar. It was May 27th, 2018 in Seattle and the temperature was 48 degrees but with the wind and rain, the chill factor was probably more like 30 or 35. It was possible to die of hypothermia if one was on the streets and not dressed properly. He stopped and listened again. He was just turning the corner at 50th and Roosevelt cutting through the grocery store parking lot. The wind was coming right at his back from the west.

The building that was home to him and his dad was only three blocks towards the east on the corner of 50th and 15th Ave. NE. They lived on the top floor in a six-story building. Their condo in the southwest corner shared the floor with seven other units, making a total of forty residential units for the complex with the street level dedicated to 10 commercial offices. The building had been scheduled to be completed just before the downturn in the economy and only six of the units were occupied. The builder and contractor had both gone bust and the second, third, and fourth floors were only partially completed, and no one lived on those floors.

Peter saw Max, the neighborhood bully, along with two of his idiot buddies. They were over by the dumpsters, smoking half-used cigarettes. He was hoping he wouldn’t have to deal with them to make his way home. He was about to turn in that direction when he heard the muffled cry again. He looked to his right and saw a lone figure huddled on the ground wrapped in a heavy dark blue coat. He stopped for a second. The bundle was next to the building behind a parked van in the grocery store’s parking lot.

Peter cleared his mind and asked, ‘Do I get involved?’ What his mind heard surprised him, “This is your soul’s companion!” Peter looked around wondering who had been talking. It sounded like his dead mother.

His mind got a picture of Patty, his neighbor of long ago. Peter had learned to trust his instinct, so he asked, “Patty?”

The bundle moved.

“PATTY?” a little louder this time.

The bundle lifted her face and looked at him. In a flash, she was on her feet and had wrapped her arms around him. Peter had never been hit that hard in his life and thought maybe he really could play football as he fought to keep himself and Patty standing upright.

“Thank you, God. Oh, Peter, please help me, please.” Patty cried.

“Let’s get you out of the rain, you’re shivering.” Peter turned the two towards home, “We live about three blocks from here.”

“Wait, I got stuff.” Patty turned back to where she’d been sitting.

Patty had been sitting on a cloth travel case that had wheels and had another large black plastic garbage bag full of items.

Peter picked up the plastic bag and Patty grabbed the handle of the suitcase and the two of them turned east in the direction of where Peter lived. Peter had been paying attention to Patty on his left when he felt something to his right. He dropped the plastic bag and crouched as one of Max’s buddies came running at him at full speed.

“Patty, get down!” Peter screamed.

The first young man, a good 30 to 40 pounds heavier than Peter seemed to take flight as he met Peter. Peter simply used the man’s own inertia and a bit of lift. The man came down hard about 15 feet from where Peter and Patty were. Max’s buddy was in agony and Peter later heard that he’d snapped both bones in his left forearm. He also had a bloody nose, along with knees, hands, and forehead.

Max’s second buddy came at Peter but tried to stop, so Peter helped him with a forearm to the solar plexus, laying him out on his back, unconscious.

Max was next, and Peter had to dance with him for a few seconds before he too was down and out. Max was not fully trained but did know some techniques. Peter had always been the smallest in his class and attracted bullies. Therefore, his father took him to the dojo and signed him up to learn self-defense when Peter was six.

Peter looked over at the first victim and frowned when he saw Dan helping him to his feet and out of the driving lane for the parking lot. Dan looked at Peter and smiled with a nod.

Patty was wrapped around Peter when Dan came over to talk.

“Sorry, you had to see that Dan.” Peter shook his head, “Just when I thought I had my life going well again.”

“Peter, are you concerned about Master Sun?” Dan smiled.

“Yeah, I know the rules, no fighting.” Peter choked.

“Why don’t you ask him yourself, about what he thinks this was?” Dan smiled and looked towards the corner of the store where he had come from just seconds behind Peter. Everyone saw a policeman and Master Sun coming towards them.

The policeman was on his radio calling for reinforcements. Soon Max and his buddies were hauled away.

Patty was able to stay out of the limelight and only had to give her name and contact information (Peter’s cell number) in case they needed her testimony.

Max and his buddies all had juvenile records and had been warned to stay out of trouble. Dan, Master Sun, the policeman, and an old guy with a Marine Corps cap all gave statements as to what they had witnessed.

Peter faced Master Sun. He bowed and spoke looking at Master Sun’s feet, “I have broken your rules, Master Sun. I will remove myself from your dojo tomorrow.” Peter said in front of everyone.

Master Sun looked first to the policeman and then to Dan. He centered on Peter, “Am I mistaken, Peter? I did not see you throw a blow or hurt anyone here in an aggressive manner. All that I observed were you defending the safety of you and this young lady. Officer McCormick, did you see any threatening actions taken by my young student here?”

“No Master Sun,” Officer McCormick responded, “He only did what he had to do to protect himself and the young lady. Self-defense in my book.”

Peter did not look up.

“Dan?” Master Sun asked.

“No Master Sun!” Dan almost laughed, “I concur with Officer McCormick’s and your assessment.”

“I believe it is time for you to ask to receive your black belt. I request your father is present when this is to be done. Please advise me when this can be accomplished.” Master Sun said in his usual sing-song manner, “I expect my number one assistant to be wise in what we have to teach. You are more than ready! To defend oneself against four times your weight is why I originally started my school. Someone else without your training may have ended up near dead with the young lady taken.”

“Yes, sir!” Peter was able to breathe again.

“Master Sun, are these two young men an example of your training?” Officer McCormick asked, looking at Dan and Peter.

“Officer McCormick, I have only had a small number of students reach beyond level one black belt status, you are looking at two of the best.” Master Sun turned as the paddy wagon was hauling Max and his buddies away. “Although I can confide with you, none of my students have ever ended up where those three are going.”

“Master Sun, I will be there in the morning with my two sons at 8:30 am.” Officer McCormick said as he shook hands all around.

“Officer McCormick, are you going to be able to stay and watch your sons tomorrow?” Dan asked while glancing at Peter.

Officer McCormick nodded.

Peter took the hint, “Sir it is best for the students if the entire family understands what they are doing.”

“I have a daughter who is three. What about her?” Officer McCormick asked continuing to hang onto Peter’s hand as they shook.

Peter smiled, “Including their little sister, sir.”

Officer McCormick looked to Master Sun who smiled and nodded.

“I will make it so then.” Officer McCormick said as he released Peter’s hand.

The four stood quietly and watched as the last of the officers left and things went back to normal.

“Well grasshopper, will I see you at eight?” Master Sun asked as he looked at Peter.

Peter bowed with his hands together, and a big smile on his face, “Yes, Master Sun.”

“Good, take care of Miss Donaldson, she is very important to you.” Master Sun and Dan turned as one and moved so quickly, it almost seemed as if they were floating. Within seconds, they had turned the corner of the store and had disappeared heading south.

Peter and Patty were still standing as Patty asked, “How did he know my name?” “He looks into the future at times and knows things.” Peter had the black bag as Patty grabbed her travel case, “He knew that Max was going to be here today and without Master Sun and Dan finding and bringing Officer McCormick, I too, may have been arrested for assault.”

“Oh,” Patty said.

Instead of going to Peter’s condo, Peter took Patty into a nearby Starbucks.

Once they had ordered and had taken up residence at Peter’s favorite table, Peter asked, “Why are you here Patty? What’s going on?”

“That girl has the hots for you.” Patty looked in the direction of the counter where a good-looking girl with a name tag saying “Sandy” was working.

Peter choked on his coffee, sputtering, Peter said, “That’s not what I was expecting you to say.” After Peter got control of himself again after wiping coffee from his nose, “What happened Patty? It looks like you’re running away.” Peter noticed tears starting to form in Patty’s eyes.

Patty took a bite of her pastry and a drink of her hot chocolate and felt the first real food in a day and a half, “Sorry Peter, this is the first thing I’ve eaten in a while.” Peter took half of his banana bread and moved it to Patty’s paper plate.

“We’ll stop and get you a burger or something on the way home.” Peter thought about how he had said home. His unsaid meaning was ‘our’ home.

“I ... I think my sister is gone. I think she was taken ... No, I think she was sold to some bad men.” Patty’s sister was her stepsister. Jenny was six months older than Patty and they seldom did anything together and ran in different crowds, even though they were in the same class together. “It started two weeks ago, mom found some stuff in Jenny’s room and they had a really bad fight. It was dinner time and she hit mom in the face and bloodied her nose and she even pulled a steak knife on dad.

Dad took it away from her and threw her across the dining room so hard that when she hit the wall, a picture fell off and broke.” Tears were streaming down Patty’s face now. “Dad was so mad; I thought the chair was going to break when he slammed her into it. “He told mom to get some rope and Jenny tried to make a break for it and dad hit her so hard with his open hand across her face, it sounded like ... like a gun going off. All the time, Jenny was saying over and over that the stuff was not hers.”

“Is she alright?” Sandy interrupted with a heated jelly roll in her hand while looking at Patty. Sandy had been trying to get this good-looking guy to notice her for a while now. It took her almost a year to find out he was into martial arts and even gone to the same high school as she had. Sandy motioned with the paper plate with the jelly roll and Peter nodded his head.

Peter said, “Thanks. I’m a friend, we use to live next to each since we were three or four years old, and she was there for me when my mom died two years ago.”

“That’s when you moved into this neighborhood,” Sandy said, sitting down next to Patty and putting her arms around her. Sandy asked Peter without making a sound, “name?”

“Dad and I couldn’t stand living in mom’s house, so we sold it and moved nearby.” Peter added, “Patty is the sister I never had.”

“What’s wrong, Patty?” Sandy hugged her.

“I think they sold my sister and I overheard them talking to the same guy again, I think his name is Rasmussen ... And they mentioned my name ... I think they are going to sell me too.” With that, the stress of two days came to a head and Patty cried her eyes out. When she became aware again, she was sandwiched between Peter and Sandy.

“Do you have a place to hide her?” Sandy asked looking over Patty at Peter.

“Yes, I have the perfect spot.” Peter nodded.

“Get her off the street, don’t let her pop up again for at least two weeks or maybe even a month.” Sandy was thinking as she went, “Don’t break your routine, like coffee in here Sunday mornings, school, and your martial arts training.” Sandy thought for a minute, “In two weeks, after she becomes less hot, maybe I can bring my uncle into this and he can help. How old are you Patty?”

“Fifteen ... I’ll be sixteen in a few days, May 21st.” Patty had gathered up all the napkins and was wiping her eyes.

“Why would your parents sell you?” Peter asked, “Or your sister?”

“They’ve been doing drugs.” Patty choked, “Dad doesn’t have a job anymore. My stepsister and I didn’t get along, but she wasn’t into drugs. Jenny kept accusing them of planting the drugs!”

“Would they really do that?” Peter asked, “I thought your dad was on medical leave?”

“He was suspended because he tested positive for drugs. They just told everyone it was medical leave. All last year, first he was into counseling and then he went to a rehab place, and then when he tested positive for the third or fourth time, he was terminated or blacklisted or whatever they call it. And I think we are about to lose our home.”

“When mom died, dad drank for a month and before he went back to work, he went in and got his own test. He didn’t drink for three days, just coffee and water for three days and a lot of vitamin C.” Peter looked off into space as he thought out loud. His dad had been working 12-hour days, seven days a week ever since. His dad had buried himself in work five weeks after his mom had passed away with cancer.

Peter remembered, “She was fine one day and then she went through a time of being tired and then she went to the doctor and after that, she went to more tests and then they were told she had cancer and then more tests and then she died. All within six months.”

“What does your dad do?” Sandy asked.

“You’ve seen those giant cranes down at the waterfront that loads and unloads ships?” Peter asked.

“Oh!” Sandy looked to Patty, “Your dad?”

“He use to run crews unloading the ships.” Patty sniffled, “With Peter’s dad.”

“Okay.” Sandy looked at her watch, “Yipes, you guys need to scoot, now.” Sandy said, “My uncle is a detective on the Seattle Police force, and this is his beat, and he usually comes in around 6:00 for coffee and a pastry.”

Peter and Patty made ready to go as Sandy brought a plastic bag to put the uneaten pastry and banana bread into, “Peter, better not tell your dad. They still might be close,” Sandy shared.

“Thanks, I agree. Better safe than sorry!” Peter picked up the pastries and black bag, “Thanks, Sandy.” As Peter and Patty left the coffee shop, he turned his awareness on and opened all his senses to feel any threats or even if anybody was watching. They only had four blocks to go, and he was going to use his key to enter the emergency exit at the back of their condo building instead of the more frequently used front entrance on 50th street. It would mean using the stairs, but there was a good chance no one would see them once they made it into the building.

They crossed 50th street and headed south on Roosevelt and then east on 49th Street, “Patty, give me your suitcase, and walk ahead of me about half a block. No one is looking for a runaway guy, but they might be for a runaway girl.”

“Where are we going?” Patty asked.

Peter pointed east, “See that six-story building, two blocks over? Just go straight until you see the regular door next to a garage door.” Peter backed the two of them up the little-used residential part of 49th street so they were not on the corner in plain view unless someone was driving through the intersection.

Patty moved to the corner and headed across the three lanes of Roosevelt as the traffic headed south. Peter held his breath as his friend made it to safety by just a slim margin of not being hit by a truck. As Peter saw Patty waiting for him half a block away, it was his turn to cross. The traffic seemed to eliminate any possibility of safely making it across.

“Shall we go together?” An older man with white hair and a white beard asked. Peter noticed where some people might have dark circles around the eyes, this man had almost white circles. The man had a Marine Corps cap on. Peter thought he looked familiar, but for the moment could not place where he had seen him.

“Sure Fath...” Peter started to answer.

“You may call me Father John if you so choose.” Father John smiled, “Although we have had many names over eons of time, my name during this lifetime has been John ... John Taylor.”

“Are you a minister?” Peter asked as they shook hands.

The giggle that Peter heard was almost drum-like as he nodded his head yes, “Like you I am simply a Child of God, making his way home. My intention is simply to help a few others by pointing the way.”

When the two of them stepped to the top of the curb, Peter felt almost as if a miracle had been performed. The traffic stopped and allowed them a safe crossing. As soon as they were across the street, Peter looked back and did not understand how all three lanes of traffic seemed to be moving at the speed limit. Peter shook his head and continued. He was glad to see Patty moving ahead of them in the right direction. “What do you do for a living Father John?” Peter asked.

“I’m a retired accountant, but I’m also a third-generation carpenter and I always will be a carpenter at heart. I’m following another carpenter of long ago.” John shared and then asked, “What do you want to be when you finish college?”

“I don’t know. My mom died two years ago, and since then, time feels like it has stood still.” Peter shared.

“Didn’t you want to study all the religions of the world once upon a time?” Father John asked.

“I did once, but if I become an engineer, I can make a lot more money.” Peter shared as he looked in the direction of Patty.

“Follow your dreams, you will have no concerns for money!” Father John stopped at the next corner and looked at Peter when he said this.

Peter quietly said, “Wow!” He glanced again at Patty thinking about what he really wanted to do in this life, “Father John, you don’t even know my name.”

“I believe your name is Peter, although that is what I called you long ago in another time, another life!” Father John smiled as Peter confirmed with a nod of his head.

Peter and Father John continued without incident until they reached the corner of Peter’s building.

“In three days, you will be confronted with two armed men. You cannot take them in a head-on battle, you must wait until they have their guard down. Your abilities are better than the bigger of the two, but the smaller man is equal to or better than you. Be patient, and then be ruthless. These two men are wanted in other states for major offenses.

Take care of the young lady and tell her to take notes. Her name will be on a book very soon. Your mother is very proud of you and says to tell you she loves you and says to tell you June 21, 2016, 10:00 AM, so you would understand.” The gentle old man brought his two hands together as if he was going to pray and slightly bowed his head, “Blessings and Namaste!” He then turned north toward the front of the building.