“Like what?”

“Problems at work, when I broke up with Lisa, after she’d aborted our son, the car accident…” As if realizing something, he suddenly stopped in midsentence.

“What car accident?”

“I don’t want to talk about it now.”

“Now is the only time, Michael. What car accident?”

His face looked pained. “The one that caused Lisa’s limp.”

Before I had time to absorb the shock, Michael said, “I was driving.”

“Oh heavens, what happened?”

“We were on the way to a gallery opening, quarrelling over her abortion. Then I missed a red light and the car crashed. Miraculously I was not even scratched, but poor Lisa…”

Jealousy swelled inside me like a dam about to burst. “Michael, do you still love her?”

“No! What kind of a question is this? I’m in love with you!” He paused to smooth back his hair. “Do you know how it feels to make someone-someone you care about-a cripple? You have no idea!” He paused, then said, “Anyway, I do feel I owe her because of the accident.”

“Was that the reason you stayed with her for so long?”

“Yes, partly, and maybe to pacify Professor Fulton.”

“Did he blame you for that?”

“Yes and no. But of course he was heartbroken.”

“But the whole thing is not entirely your fault!”

“This is not a question of whose fault it was, Meng Ning. The result is that it cost Lisa her leg.”

“Then what made you finally decide to leave?”

“Enough is enough. After that, she went back to Philip Noble.”

“What?” I could hear my voice, sharp like a thrusting Zen knife.

“Philip and Lisa were high school sweethearts. The most handsome couple, they were chosen by the school’s drama club to play Romeo and Juliet over and over. But she only went back to him for a short time. After that, she started sleeping with lots of people, both men and women, so I hear.”

My ears felt on fire while I remained silent, completely shocked and drained by this unexpected and unwelcome revelation.

Michael changed the subject. “Meng Ning, I believe it’s good karma that Lisa finally left. Otherwise I would never have met you. Now you know my past, and please, let’s just leave it at that. Will you?”

I nodded, still too shocked to say anything.

Michael looked more relaxed now. “And you’re not going to be a nun, Meng Ning. Sorry, but I just don’t see a nun in you, except in your head. Time now to wake up from this nun dream. Besides, just as you think that the monks are not a very good influence on me, I’d tell you neither is Yi Kong an entirely good influence on you.”

“Why?”

“All these prejudices against men.”

“But she’s guided me since I was thirteen.”

“I’m just telling you things you’ve been choosing to ignore. Yi Kong may be a good nun, but her calling is completely different from yours. You could have become a nun years ago, but you didn’t. Besides, being a nun won’t get rid of men, if that’s what you think.”

“No, Michael, Yi Kong doesn’t care about men!”

“You really believe that?”

“Of course!”

“Maybe she doesn’t,” Michael said matter-of-factly, “but I’m sure that won’t stop her from wanting their money. If Yi Kong is as successful as you say, I’m sure she has to deal with men all the time, helping her with her projects or donating to her temple-”

“Michael, you don’t know her, so don’t criticize her!”

“You really believe she got all her donations to build a school, an orphanage, a nursing home, a museum, and to reconstruct the whole nunnery only from women?”

I was speechless.

Michael went on. “Instead of just letting you worship Guan Yin and recite the Heart Sutra, I think your mentor should have encouraged you to meditate more.”

“She did. But I don’t care about it.”

“But that’s the only way to free yourself from your prejudices. I don’t say your devotional feelings are bad, Meng Ning. But, after all, Guan Yin is just a symbol.”

A long pause. Then Michael’s voice turned gentler. “Meng Ning, you don’t know what Yi Kong really had gone through before she entered the empty gate. If she has no idea what it’s like to be loved by a man, then how can she be so sure that that kind of love is illusory?

“We’re all going to die someday, whether inside or outside the empty gate. We cannot avoid death, but no one should die filled with regret over denying one’s heart. And don’t judge all men by your experience with your father. Nobody has two Buddhas as parents.”

Suddenly I felt mortified and eager for physical intimacy. Yet Michael, sitting easily beside me, didn’t seem to have any idea what to do.

Finally he asked, “What do you want me to do, Meng Ning?”

I remained silent.

He reached toward me, pulling me to him, and kissed me. Then, as if suddenly thinking of something, he stood up, walked to his briefcase, took something out, and returned to hand me an embroidered Chinese pouch. “I bought this for you in Boston.”

“What is it?” I asked, unzipping the pouch.

It was a jade bracelet.

I felt tears stinging my eyes and a pebble stuck in my throat so I couldn’t talk.

Michael looked at me tenderly. “You like it?” His eyes were green, translucent, and flawless like my grandmother’s jade bracelet.

I nodded.

“I’m sorry you lost your jade bracelet. I hope this can cheer you up a bit.” He cupped my face; my heart pounded at his soft breaths.

“You break my heart when you look so sad,” he said, then kissed me again.

He went on: “I know your father gambled away the bracelet you meant to inherit. I’d love you to have another one.” Lovingly, Michael slipped the bracelet onto my hand. But it hung pathetically loose on my wrist.

“Can we size it?” he asked, now looking extremely dejected.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think so, Michael.”

“I feel so bad. What…are we going to do with it?”

Silence, then I said, “Why don’t we give it to my mother as a gift?”

Michael’s face seemed shrunk, his voice sad. “If that’s what you want-”

“Michael, I’m sorry…”

He looked completely crushed.

My heart, like a knocked-over shelf of condiments, spilled a hundred different feelings and flavors.

25. The Funeral

The next morning, the air between Michael and me was still tense. We ate our breakfast quietly, without much talking. After that, he planted a kiss on my forehead. “Meng Ning, I’ll be coming home a little early tonight, around six.” Then he left like a breeze.

Toward four in the afternoon, I suddenly realized I needed to go grocery shopping to replenish the almost empty fridge. By the time I arrived home, it was five. After I’d closed the door behind me I saw, to my surprise, Michael. He was sitting on the sofa and looking very pale. My heart started to pound. Something must have gone wrong; otherwise he wouldn’t be home so early. Had he found out what happened between me and Philip, or me and Lisa?

I put down the groceries by the door, then hurried to sit next to him on the sofa, feigning calm. “Michael, you all right?”

“Some very bad news,” he said, looking pained and on the verge of tears.

My heart flipped. “What is it?”

“Professor Fulton died this afternoon. I tried to call you, but there was no answer.”

“Oh, my God…I’m sorry…so sorry. How…did it happen?”

A shadow fell across Michael’s kind face. “Massive heart attack. They tried to resuscitate him but it didn’t work.”

My initial shock was now replaced by a flood of guilt. I had spoken ill of the man, Michael’s substitute father! Why had I been so insensitive?

“The funeral will be held in three days,” Michael said darkly.

“Michael”-I took his hand-“I’ll be there with you.”

“Thank you,” he said, then nestled his head against my chest. I thought I could feel a sob, but could not see his face.

Later as we made love, I was aware of Michael’s sadness. His fiery passion and hunger for affection, instead of pleasing me, made me think of him being with Lisa. I couldn’t help but imagine how he had made it with her, or she with him. Had she led Michael on as she had me? Then a new jealousy hit me. Her shriveled leg-caused by the car accident when Michael was driving. Although it marred her beauty, paradoxically it also enhanced it. Perfection tires the eyes, but a little flaw can be an opening into something more exciting. Was Michael still enticed by that vulnerability, that perfect imperfection?