Chapter 3 - Three Lessons

Lee Sai got tired sitting in one place, but he did not move, so she would not wake up. Lee Sai did not know what pain was. He never felt pain. However, He did not like his mother being in this condition or crying for that matter. She woke up after a very long nap. She called him with very low and weak voice.

"Sai!"

"Yes Mother! I am here." He got happy and a little relieved.

"I love you." Mother said.

"Hee-hee." Sai laughed

"My Genius son! I love you." Mother poked him in his ribs.

"Hehehehehehe." He laughed more. Her love always made him laugh.

He waited but She did not say anything. She fell asleep again.

She woke up with a long coughing session. He rubbed her chest for some comfort as she told him to. After a while, she stopped. She caught her breath and in the same low and weak voice as earlier, she said:

"I love you Sai!" He laughed again.

"Sai!" She called.

Yes mother?

"Sai! My Genius Love." She said with adoration

"Yes Mother! I am here." He replied a bit loudly

"My love! I love you the most! More than the Most! More than anyone can imagine." She was breathing audibly

"Hehehehehehe." He laughed again

"Sai!" She called

"Yes Mother!" He looked in her direction

"Sai! Do you know, if this place were a kingdom, you will be its king?" She said.

"What is a king? Mother" He asked with innocent oblivion.

"King is the most powerful; Someone, who is responsible for lives of everyone weaker than himself; Someone, who empowers weak and controls strong; Someone, who is just and kind and forgiving." She paused to catch her breath

"My Genius son! you know! I have taught you everything to live and exist in this place. However, today, let me give you three life lessons for your future." She sneezed.

"Yes! what is it?" He asked. He was curious.

I will teach you three lessons and you must fulfill my three wishes.

"Okay!" He replied with confusion. She never talked like that before or so much, other than "I love you", for that matter."

"First! Promise that you will not forget. It is alright if you don't understand but never forget! Okay? She said authoritatively.

"Okay Mother." A response with determination

"Good. Love! 1st lesson is "LOVE". Do not hate. No matter what the circumstances are, never hate anything, never hate yourself, never hate this land and the skies and what's between them and most importantly Never hate me. Love everything you see, Love everyone you meet. Don't forget to LOVE. Got it?" She started Coughing.

He felt lost. He could not say anything. "So, what's the first lesson?" Her cough had ceased a little.

"Love" He resisted his urge to ask too many questions. Mother was not in good condition.

"Okay. Second Lesson: Forgive. Don't seek vengeance. Vengeance is when you want to bring pain to someone who gave you pain. Forgiveness is when you forget your pain and let go of painful people and memories. So, forgive! Okay?" Mother said slowly.

"Yes mother. I will forgive." Sai was utterly lost.

He wanted to say, "I did not get it". But he could not. He just needed to get through with it for now. There was no-one in this world who could bring him pain and vice versa.

"Good. Third Lesson: Protect. Son! Don't let anyone take what's yours. Be a little selfish. Protect what's yours. Rather than living like a loser, die protecting." She got a bit louder and angry.

"Okay Mother." This one he understood.

"I am strong and smart. What is selfish?" He thought to himself.

She paused a little. He wanted to hear the new things she wanted to say. So, he was getting a little impatient.

"Okay Sai! Before I tell you my three wishes, Shouldn't I tell you three inevitable realities of life. The realities that you must face in your life sooner or later." Her voice saddened.

"You can tell me later mother." He was concerned about her condition.

"I might not be there son." She sniffed.

"Why? Are you going somewhere?" He got curious and asked with excitement.

"Yes, my son. Far Far away." She started crying.

"Then take me with you." He got extremely excited.

"Maybe they were going to the land of ghosts." He thought to himself.

"No. you cannot come with me. It is a path, on which everyone walks alone." She said in same sad voice.

"But..." Sai tried to argue

"Do not argue with me and listen carefully." Mother interrupted.

"It is getting more and more complicated." He thought.

"First Lesson: Becoming a man". Mother continued

"Man?" He said in surprise.

"You are going to become a man, someday." She said with a hint of naughtiness in her tone.

"I am?" Sai was flabbergasted. He had never known.

"yes!" Mother was amused with his reaction.

How? He was surprised at the revelation.

"By Kissing a woman." She said.

"What? What is a woman?" His surprise was only getting bigger.

"I am a woman." It was interesting. She forgot her pain for a while.

Whaaaaaaat? He was extremely surprised.

"You are not same as I?" He was unable to comprehend.

"No. You are man, and I am woman." She was obviously enjoying this.

"Reeeaaaaalllllyyyyyyyyy? Wow? How are we different?" He was thinking really hard.

And Mother laughed and laughed and laughed.

Sai was confused and embarrassed. He did not know what to say. But more than that he was relieved to see his mother laughing. It was her first laughter, after a very long time. Especially, in her current painful condition, it was a like cool breeze in hot wilderness.

Soon her, laughter changed into uncontrollable coughing again. Coughing left mother breathless.

"We are different in every which way. I wish we could see each other. I am sure, we will, one day." She paused to catch her breath and continued.

"So, If I kiss you, I will become a man?" He wondered.

"Yes and No." She amusingly replied.

"What?" He exasperated

Mother chuckled.

"Okay! Now Second Reality: Life. Live! No matter what. If you live long enough the darkness will turn into light; you will be able to see colors; No matter how lonely you are, you will find companionship. Live! As much as you can. With life you can smile after crying. Live! With life you can be happy again. Live! with life this world is yours. Everything exists when you live. If you are not alive, nothing exists for you. So, no matter what. Do not stop living. Live! Keep on going with life. Understood?" She said

Light? Colors? See? What is she saying? His confusion increased. His mother did not wait for his answer.

"Third Reality: Death. Do you know what death is and what to do when someone dies?" She was out of breath for some reason.

"No…" He replied.

"You die when you are not alive. When someone, you love, dies. You take their cold body on some muddy ground. Dig a hole big enough to fit the person in it. Kiss that person goodbye and put that person in the ground and fill the hole with the mud back again." She interrupted and continued.

She was crying.

"What?" He exclaimed.

"What in the world is dying? It sounds horrible and why is mother crying." He thought. He could feel her tears flowing down his thigh.

Understood? She asked again.

"Okay". for now, he thought.