Read Online Tiger's Quest by Colleen Houck - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Colleen Houck
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kept stealing glances out the window at Ren’s car.
“So, Ren, I see you have a Hummer out there.”
Ren looked up at Mike. “Yes, I do.”
“Do you think you could take me for a ride some time? I mean, I’ve always wanted to ride in one of those.”
Ren rubbed his jaw. “Sure, but I can’t do it today. I have to get settled in at my new residence.”
“Oh . . . you’ll be staying here for a while?”
“That’s the plan, at least for the term. I’ve signed up to take a few classes at Western Oregon University.”
“Well, that’s great. You’ll be going to school with Kelsey.”
Ren grinned. “Yes, that’s right. Perhaps we’ll bump into each other there.”
Mike turned his attention to the car again with a big smile on his face. Sarah was watching me closely. I tried to maintain a neutral expression, but, inside, I was a mass of questions.
What is he thinking? Staying here? Where? Going to school with me? What am I going to do? Why is he here?
Ren slid a large gift over to Sarah and Mike. “This is for you two.”
Mike helped Sarah open it, and they pulled out a brand new red mixer with every attachment known to mankind. I wouldn’t be surprised if she could create an ice sculpture with the thing. Sarah began talking excitedly about all the organic wheat-free baked goods she would now be making.
Ren picked up a smaller package and handed it to me. “This is from Mr. Kadam.”
I opened it and found leather-bound copies of
Mahābhārata
from India,
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
from China, and
The Tale of Genji
from Japan, all translated into English. There was also a short letter wishing me a merry Christmas.
I stroked my hand over the leather covers and made a mental note to call him and thank him later.
Ren handed me another gift. “This one’s from Kishan.”
Sarah looked up from her mixer and asked, “Who’s Kishan?”
Ren replied, “Kishan is my younger brother.”
Sarah gave me a motherly look of exasperation, to which I shrugged sheepishly in response. I’d never mentioned Ren or Kishan to her, and she was probably wondering how I could fail to remember someone like him.
I’d be wondering why I’d been so close-mouthed too.
I opened the box and found a small jewelry case from Tiffany’s. Inside was a thin, white-gold necklace. The card was very carefully handwritten:
Hey, Kells,
Miss you.
Come home soon.
I figured you’d like something more girlish to wear with my amulet.
There’s also an extra gift in the box, just in case you need it.
Kishan
I set the necklace aside and dug through the box. A small cylinder was wrapped in tissue paper. Unrolling it, a cold, metal canister fell into my palm. It was a can of pepper-spray. On it, Kishan had taped a picture of a tiger with a circle and a slash across its face. At the top were the words “Tiger Repellant” in big black letters.
I giggled, and Ren took it from me. After reading the label, he frowned and tossed the can back in the box. Reaching down, he picked up another package.
“This one’s from me.”
His words immediately sobered me. I glanced up quickly to measure Mike and Sarah’s expression. Mike seemed happily ignorant of the tension I felt, but Sarah was more in tune and was considering me carefully. I closed my eyes for a second, praying that whatever was in the box wouldn’t raise a billion questions that I’d have to answer.
I slipped my fingers under the heavy wrapping paper and opened the packaging. Reaching my hand inside the box, I felt smooth, polished wood. The kids helped me yank the carton off. Inside was a hand-carved jewelry box.
Ren leaned toward me. “Open it.”
I ran my hand nervously across the top and carefully tilted open the lid. Rows of tiny drawers were lined with velvet, and inside each little drawer was a coiled-up hair ribbon.
“The segments come out. See?”
He lifted the top section and the next one. There were five sections with about forty ribbons per
“So, Ren, I see you have a Hummer out there.”
Ren looked up at Mike. “Yes, I do.”
“Do you think you could take me for a ride some time? I mean, I’ve always wanted to ride in one of those.”
Ren rubbed his jaw. “Sure, but I can’t do it today. I have to get settled in at my new residence.”
“Oh . . . you’ll be staying here for a while?”
“That’s the plan, at least for the term. I’ve signed up to take a few classes at Western Oregon University.”
“Well, that’s great. You’ll be going to school with Kelsey.”
Ren grinned. “Yes, that’s right. Perhaps we’ll bump into each other there.”
Mike turned his attention to the car again with a big smile on his face. Sarah was watching me closely. I tried to maintain a neutral expression, but, inside, I was a mass of questions.
What is he thinking? Staying here? Where? Going to school with me? What am I going to do? Why is he here?
Ren slid a large gift over to Sarah and Mike. “This is for you two.”
Mike helped Sarah open it, and they pulled out a brand new red mixer with every attachment known to mankind. I wouldn’t be surprised if she could create an ice sculpture with the thing. Sarah began talking excitedly about all the organic wheat-free baked goods she would now be making.
Ren picked up a smaller package and handed it to me. “This is from Mr. Kadam.”
I opened it and found leather-bound copies of
Mahābhārata
from India,
Romance of the Three Kingdoms
from China, and
The Tale of Genji
from Japan, all translated into English. There was also a short letter wishing me a merry Christmas.
I stroked my hand over the leather covers and made a mental note to call him and thank him later.
Ren handed me another gift. “This one’s from Kishan.”
Sarah looked up from her mixer and asked, “Who’s Kishan?”
Ren replied, “Kishan is my younger brother.”
Sarah gave me a motherly look of exasperation, to which I shrugged sheepishly in response. I’d never mentioned Ren or Kishan to her, and she was probably wondering how I could fail to remember someone like him.
I’d be wondering why I’d been so close-mouthed too.
I opened the box and found a small jewelry case from Tiffany’s. Inside was a thin, white-gold necklace. The card was very carefully handwritten:
Hey, Kells,
Miss you.
Come home soon.
I figured you’d like something more girlish to wear with my amulet.
There’s also an extra gift in the box, just in case you need it.
Kishan
I set the necklace aside and dug through the box. A small cylinder was wrapped in tissue paper. Unrolling it, a cold, metal canister fell into my palm. It was a can of pepper-spray. On it, Kishan had taped a picture of a tiger with a circle and a slash across its face. At the top were the words “Tiger Repellant” in big black letters.
I giggled, and Ren took it from me. After reading the label, he frowned and tossed the can back in the box. Reaching down, he picked up another package.
“This one’s from me.”
His words immediately sobered me. I glanced up quickly to measure Mike and Sarah’s expression. Mike seemed happily ignorant of the tension I felt, but Sarah was more in tune and was considering me carefully. I closed my eyes for a second, praying that whatever was in the box wouldn’t raise a billion questions that I’d have to answer.
I slipped my fingers under the heavy wrapping paper and opened the packaging. Reaching my hand inside the box, I felt smooth, polished wood. The kids helped me yank the carton off. Inside was a hand-carved jewelry box.
Ren leaned toward me. “Open it.”
I ran my hand nervously across the top and carefully tilted open the lid. Rows of tiny drawers were lined with velvet, and inside each little drawer was a coiled-up hair ribbon.
“The segments come out. See?”
He lifted the top section and the next one. There were five sections with about forty ribbons per
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