Abandoned

Abandoned (Part One - Chapter 7)

CHAPTER 7: Father Mikalson ...... "I was introduced to the book, Abandoned, by the author. It's not often I find a book, or person, that is open to the beauty of the Source, in whatever form it takes. The book is well-written. It's an inspiration to all seekers of any religion. Thank you, Ron!" (Judi Dawson Miles)

For the first time since arriving at the monastery Nick was feeling much better—his head had finally stopped throbbing and he was putting more weight on his injured leg, each and every day. Waking one morning, one of the monks had left a pair of handmade crutches near his bed. Admiring the workmanship, he was actually more than a little eager to try them out.

For breakfast Rama brought Nick some fresh fruit. Later that afternoon he was going to have lunch with Suryavarman. Nick was anxious to thank him for saving his life. These strange men had ignited in him so many questions. Who was Vishnu? Nick had heard of Buddha, of course, but he had never heard of Lord Vishnu. Nick thought that Buddhism was the only religion found in Southeast Asia. Vietnam was full of Buddhist temples.

Although Nick had now been with the monks for a considerable number of days, Suryavarman hadn't spoken at any length to Nickolas while he recuperated from his severe wounds. But now that the injured American was better, Suryavarman instructed his disciples to prepare a nice feast for their guest of honor. Surya also had a comfortable seat prepared so that Nick would be able to rest easy during their meeting. Lunch was going to be served under a large tree just outside their cave's entrance.

Of course all of the young men wanted to be there, too, and everyone felt welcomed. This is what they liked about Surya—in the most charming way, each man genuinely felt that Surya was their best friend, and this innocent intimacy is what filled them with such a wonderful joy. As the hour approached, it was only natural that together they helped with the various chores so that they could all be there, undaunted by their complete lack of English.

With the help of two men, Nick felt the support of their strong hands under his arms as they gently lowered him onto his seat. Nick felt embarrassed as Surya placed a flower garland around his neck.

* * * * * * * *

Pulling a cigar from its leather case, Major Sutton could hardly believe what he was reading. Adjusting the pillow under his head, Sutton was eager to find out more.

"Eleni, eventually I reached the point where my health returned to normal and my injuries no were no longer such a grave issue. Every morning I was invited to take a walk with the religious leader who found me. He is an elderly monk whom I grew to love very much. Everyday I worked in a small garden and spent a lot of time praying. In the late afternoon we would all meet again for dinner and inevitably we would talk about God, our different religions, and the value of prayer."

* * * * * * * *

Trying to regain his composure, Nick thanked Suryavarman for the flower garland.

"You are most welcome Nickolas. We are honored that you are now able to join us." At that moment one of the monks brought the two men some hot tea. Nick could smell its delicate aroma and said thank you.

Once again Nick became aware of his many questions but before he could ask them Surya started to speak.

"When we first found you, the little metal signs that you wear around your neck were outside your shirt. I took the liberty to read what they said and noticed that they mentioned your religion is Greek Orthodox."

Nick replied, "Yes Sir, my grandfather came to America from Greece, long ago. Although in America you will find many churches, Greek Orthodox is not found in great numbers. Both my mother and father are very good Christians and raised me in the Orthodox tradition and at one time I even considered becoming a priest, but my father insisted that I join the Army. During WWII many American soldiers died trying to save our country. My father wanted me to help repay America, just as he had as a young man, when he had fought the Germans in France and Italy."