Soon, they entered the monastery and the familier soothing fragrance of the incense sticks, suddenly uplifted Rhehan"s mood, which was earlier quite nervous. This fragrance was always present at his old man"s house, when ever he came back home after working hard in the cafe.
Rhehan smiled, inhaling the fragrance, and could not help feeling nostalgic. As they entered the monsstery they noticed a beautiful Lord Buddha"s statue right in the front. They all bowed down before the statue in reverance.
Rhehan looked around carefully, noticing each and every detail, trying to remember his past. There was for sure a sense of homely feeling in his heart, as soon as he had entered the monastry. "This incense stick! Where can I get more of these? " Rhehan pointed at the long sticks, emitting fragrant smoke.
"Hahaha!" The monk laughed, hearing Rhehan"s words.
"What happened Phra Basho?" Rose asked in confusion.
The monk picked up a medium sized box from the floor and handed it over to Rhehan. "We have already packed it for you! Old monk said that you will come to take it!"
Rhehan took the box in his hands, looking at its contents. It was full of similar incense sticks, of different colors. "He knew I would come?"
"Offcourse! Old monk senses things, before they are going to happen!" The monk patted his head lovingly.
Rose was silently looking at everything and everybody around her, as if still trying to figure out if it was a dream or a reality.
Several other monks, who were chanting in one corner, looked up at Rhehan in surprise. "It is Rhehan indeed!" They all got up to meet the boy excitedly.
Rhehan and Rose bowed down in reverance, looking at them.
"Ohh! Look at you! Grown into a handsome young man!" One of the monks spoke up patting the boy.
"It is so good to see you boy!" Spoke the other monk.
"Finally you are here!"
"G.o.d bless you my boy!"
"Are you planning to stay here tonight?"
"Rhehan, you have urinated maximum on my clothes! Do you know it?"
"Where are his chubby cheeks gone!" Another monk pulled Rhehan"s cheeks lovingly.
All of them were speaking together in excitement, and Rhehan could not help but smile looking at them one by one. "Ah! We came to pay a visit to you all. May be some other day, I will come to spend the night!"
This was getting too much for Rhehan to digest. The more he got to know about his past, the bigger his family was getting. He was realising that he had indeed the most protected, spiritual, interesting, adventurous and loved childhood, contrary to what he always thought. Yet he had struggled in his life, so that he learns to value all these things!
Suddenly a male voice from the other room came. "Has he come?" Somebody came sprinting from the adjoining room, and Rhehan turned to look at the voice and was instantly left frozen on the spot.
There he was, standing right next to Rhehan. He had tears in his eyes and his usual beautiful smile on his face. His old man!