Origami Tommy

Ah, the joy of another paper crane. Tommy loved making them, so much so that he made a dozen or more every day, out of every scrap of paper he could get his hands on. He was in kindergarten when he first learned about origami, the Japanese art of paper folding. The teacher showed the class how to make a few different animals, but the only one Tommy could get right was the crane. And so that is what he stuck with. He made them of all sizes and decorated his room with them. His prized possession was the miniature one he painstakingly crafted over the course of several weeks. It took him several hundred attempts to get it right, but the pride he felt when he finally succeeded made the struggle worthwhile. His parents were supportive of his hobby for a time and posted pictures of his creations online. Alas, all was not well. He did poorly in school, and his indifference to punishment irked all the adults in his life.

To soothe themselves, his parents developed their own obsessions. His mom took to wine, baths, and scented candles. The house always smelled nice, but the presence of so many open flames annoyed his dad. For his part, Tommy's dad took refuge in beer and TV. The family dynamic in general was just not healthy, though Tommy was content with his life at home and oblivious to the tension. Respite came with Tommy's birthday, which met dinner at hibachi restaurant. They all loved Japanese food, and the delicious meal left them all feeling happy together. Imagine their horror as they were driving home and saw black smoking curling into the evening sky and the blaze of orange flames. Fortunately, an alert neighbor had called the fire department, but not in time to prevent the conflagration from destroying most of their possessions, including Tommy's beloved paper cranes.

Oh, how bitterly he wept that night. He had lost the main joy of his life. His parents tried to console him, but in the rush to file an insurance claim and begin repairs, they were overwhelmed with other things. They sent Tommy off to live with his uncle Jim, both for Tommy's benefit and their own peace of mind. Jim was a lifelong bachelor who had retired early after spending many years overseas on various adventures. Tommy loved his house as it was full of all sorts of exotic curious: wooden masks from Africa, oriental rugs, medieval weapons, and paintings and books of all sorts. It was practically a museum, and Tommy had it almost all to himself, with his friendly uncle as the curator and tour guide. Tommy would pick up or point at something and ask his uncle about it. His uncle would then begin telling a story about it, like "ah, that is a jambiya dagger from Yemen near the Red Sea. The hook on the end of the scabbard keeps it attached to the belt when it is drawn. The Yemeni Arabs are fierce fighter, you know. I tangled with a few during my time in the French Foreign Legion..." and so on, as lazy clouds of tobacco smoke snaked up from Jim's pipe. 

Tommy was so fascinated by his uncle Jim's stories that nearly forgot all about his origami cranes. It was a liberating feeling, and Jim noticed how much his nephew's mood had improved since his arrival. One evening, Jim brought home some sushi for dinner. Tommy liked Japanese and had heard of sushi before, but he had never tasted it himself. Something about just didn't seem right to him. Jim put a Bach record on an old phonograph, and beautiful music swelled throughout the house. A wave of cozy contentment washed over them both as Jim prepared plates of sushi for himself and his nephew. 

"The red one is tuna, and the orange one is salmon", Jim explained. "They're both delicious."

"What about that green paste?"

"Ah, that is called 'wasabi' and it's very spicy. Try a tiny bit first." 

The taste made his eyes water, but Tommy did find it exhilarating, and was pleased with his bravery.

"I've never regretted trying something new", said Jim, "because that's the way I found out what I like and don't like. I see life as vast land to be explored, and that the hardest climbs lead to the best views." 

"Why didn't you get married and have kids?"

"When I was younger, I got upset when people asked me that. It always seemed like they were implying something was wrong with me. I tried to find a wife and wanted to have kids, but I had no luck. Sometimes that happens in life, like the way your house burned down. It's very sad and inconvenient of course, but it also opened you up to new experiences."

"I've had fun living with you and I'm doing better in school."

"See? That fire was a blessing in disguise. Did I ever tell you the story of the Zen master?"

"No. What's Zen?"

"It's a religion from Asia, practiced mostly in Japan. Once upon a time, a young prince fell off his horse and broke his leg. The royal house was aghast and said how terrible it was. The Zen master said, 'we'll see'. Later, war came, and the prince could not go off to battle because of his broken leg. The royal house was jubilant and said how lucky he was. The Zen master said, 'we'll see'. What do you think the Zen master said when something else happened?"

"Probably 'we'll see'."

"Very good. Zen stories can be repetitive. Let's eat, and afterward, there's something I'd like to show you."

"Is it from Zen?"

"We'll see."

After dinner, Jim took a massive tome from the bookshelf, laid it on the table, and opened it to a page in the middle. There was an intriguing drawing with all kinds of bright colors like azure and saffron. 

"What is that?"

"This is called a mandala painting, and it's made out of colored sand. It's something Zen monks like to do. They spend hours to make an ornate drawing, admire it for a few moments, and then brush it all away. It's a ritual that reminds them of the impermanence of all things."

"I'd like to try making one of those."

"I'm so glad you asked, because I have a mandala kit I got as a present and never used. You can have it."

Tommy took to mandala painting like a gasping fish flopping back into the water. He photographed one of his works and showed it to his teacher, who was very impressed and insisted it be displayed in the school art show. His parents and teacher decided that Tommy should be allowed to focus on his art so long as his grades and behavior were good. Tommy and his parents moved in with his uncle, as that was easier than fixing the half-burnt house. After much cajoling, Jim tried online dating and ended up hitting it off with an archaeologist. She liked to joke that older men should date archaeologists, because the older something is, the more interesting it is to an archaeologist.