Walk The Path

Chapter Six

Aang woke up with Katara's glowing, brown skin and blue eyes dancing in his mind. It's been four days since their date and he has thought about her no less than once every hour. He elicited a small moan at the memory of her in that dress and then in her underwear. He thought, no, he knew, he liked being close to her. It felt right but it scared him at the same time. He was supposed to be a monk. This time last year, before his birthday, he was making plans to train at the monastery. He had found girls pretty before, sure, but he never wanted to take anything further with them.

Part of this, he sensed, was because he was on track to be a monk. He wondered if he might have wanted to pursue girls more if not for this vocation. The other part of him, the piece that was planting seeds of doubts in his mind, told him that maybe he was never meant to be a monk. The Avatar Spirit, that is attached and bound to the world, will not lead him down the path of enlightenment. He remembered requesting to speak with Avatar Yangchen shortly after his parents died. He was depressed but even worse, he felt guilty because he 'couldn't detach' from his parents. Avatar Yangchen informed him that he would always be attached to the world and all living things. He heard her voice in his head, "Selfless duty calls you to sacrifice your own spiritual needs and do whatever it takes to protect the world."

While his parents were married, it was still not the norm in his culture. Most Air Nomads procreated out of necessity but spent their lives traveling alone. The nomads' offspring then are raised by selected guardians across the city. The rest of the Air Nomads were divided in two groups: committed life partnership and individuals who join a monastic community. His parents told him the basics about sex but it all seemed very scientific and sterile. He knew nothing of what to expect or where to begin if Katara wanted to have sex. He needed answers but unfortunately, he was confident that Gyatso would only reiterate the same information as his parents. Then again, Gyatso has never known traditional family and parents, but has taken on the parental role pretty well. Maybe he'll give it a shot and ask him after school.

Almost in sync with the sun rising in the sky, Aang bended himself out of his bed and landed softly on his feet. He grabbed his meditation pillow and sat in the lotus position, with fists pressed together. After his normal meditation was complete, he added techniques suggested by Ms. Wu. He visualed a boat on the water, carrying things that he could not control and that no longer served him. He put the death of his parents, his previous life, and his panic attacks on the boat and watched them sail away. He envisioned light entering his throat, filling his lungs. He felt like he was bursting with energy. Aang was barely touching the pillow. He was weightless and free. Getting up slowly from the meditative state, he began to get dressed. He smiled thinking of Katara and how much his life has improved since meeting her. He thanked her in her mind for suggesting therapy. He has had one panic attack in the past two weeks, but it was mild and he was able to work through it without passing out.

Arriving at home, the smell of leek dumpling soup filled the air. He sighed contentedly in gratitude for one of his favorite meals being prepared. He slung his backpack on the couch as he headed into the kitchen. Gyatso was in a good mood as usual. He was hummed while stirring the large pot of soup. "Oh, Aang, thank you for gracing me with your presence! I have only known tall, orange blurs these past few days." Aang laughed, "Yeah, sorry about that. School has been pretty busy." A twinkle shone in Gyatso's eye as he , "Or, maybe spending time with a certain young waterbender has been the focus of this busy schedule?" Aang blushed but couldn't contain his smile, "Well, maybe her too. Um, speaking of Katara, can I ask you a question?" Gyatso's brow furrowed in thought trying to not make it apparent that he already knew what the boy would ask him. "Of course, Aang, let's have a seat."

The two airbenders sat down at their kitchen table. Aang nervously pumped his leg with his gaze away from Gyatso. "So, uh, Katara is my girlfriend now, as you know, and um, things are going great. But..uh..." he rubbed his neck nervously. He lowered his voice to a whisper, "How much do you know about sex?" Gyatso barely understood what Aang's quiet, mumble detailed but his intuition told him all he needed to know. "Oh, well I suppose it is that time. I do know a good amount even though I am celibate. What did you want to know?" Aang's eyes widened in surprise, "You do? How? I wasn't taught anything!" Gyatso laughed and answered, "Information is information, even if we don't use it in our personal lives. And, of course, you know my temple brewed beer to sell without having imbibed ourselves." This train of thought made sense to Aang, who became a little less worried.