Destiny

Returning Home: Part 3

Aoi refilled her teacup before speaking again. "Will you tell me why you left?"

    "I need to find my mother," Raelyn answered. "She left when I was younger, and I was placed in foster care because they couldn't locate her. I've looked for her before, but this time was different, I knew I had to leave the dojo."

    "You felt that they were holding you back?" Aoi questioned.

Raelyn nodded. "They can't help me." She took a drink of her tea. "I don't belong there anymore," she whispered and lowered her head. "Can you tell me where my mother is?"

Aoi was silent for a moment. "No," she said calmly.

"What do you mean, 'No?'" Raelyn asked angrily. "Isn't that why I'm here?"

"No."

Raelyn crossed her arms. "I don't understand." She was completely doubting herself now and she wondered if Aoi was actually a crazy old lady. "You said you would help me find my mother."

Aoi shook her head and chuckled. "No, I said I knew your mother and that I would help you find your path. There is a difference."

"My path is to find my mother," Rae said, more to reassure herself than anything else.

"Stop lying to yourself," Aoi said, pointing a wrinkled finger at Rae. "If your mother wanted you to find her, you would have done so by now."

    Raelyn shut her eyes, trying to deny what she had known for weeks now. Her head started to spin, and her stomach turned sour. She was no longer able to hold back her tears. Aoi reached out and took one of Rae's hands in her own.

"Why doesn't she want me?" Rae sobbed, clinging to Aoi's hand as if her life depended on it.

"Oh," Aoi sighed. "It's not you, dear." She gave Rae's hand a gentle pat. "She doesn't think you need her in your life anymore. She doesn't want to hurt you anymore than she already has. She wanted me to tell you to stop looking for her, to go on with your life and let her be."

    Those last words hit Rae like a blow to the stomach. She exhaled sharply then gasped for air. It took her a moment to catch her breath again. "She said that?" Her head swam with so many questions. Finally she managed to ask, "Do you know where she is? Why can't I see her?"  She wiped her wet cheeks with her sleeve.

    Aoi sighed. "She forbade me to tell you anything more. I know you have many questions, but I can only tell you so much." She hesitated to continue. "I've known your mother for many years, she spoke of you often, and she regretted leaving you. She thought it was what was best for you. But I know you will see her soon, right now you must follow your destiny and it does not lie here."

"Are you saying she does want to see me?" Raelyn asked. "What do you mean my destiny isn't here?"

Aoi smiled and ignored her first question. "When you walked away from being a Ninjnerd you lost your way completely. There is a time for you to find your mother, but it is not now. You must return." Her gentle expression suddenly turned to one of grief. "He needs your help.

"Who needs my help?" Raelyn asked, more confused than ever. "Sensei Taylor?"

    "Hmm," Aoi closed her eyes. "No, not your Sensei. But someone you care about." She opened her eyes and eyed Raelyn knowingly.

Rae took a deep breath. "Alex?" She whispered. She bit her lip and sighed. She was not proud of the way she had left things with him. "I don't think he'll want to see me right now."

    "You need to make things right," Aoi smiled. "He has lost his way, just as you have. Tell him how you feel."

"I can't." Rae shook her head. "It'll just make things worse."

"Either way, you need to return to the dojo, as soon as possible." Aoi stood up, she had nothing more to say.