“Sure” he shrugged, handing her the book. There were things Gabriel feared and small children mathematics was not one of them. “It is mathematics right?” The girl nodded, he had to be sure.
Three questions later and with the help of their classroom notes, he could confidently say he had conquered middle school mathematics while keeping his dignity somewhat intact. Gabriel went on to help them with their assignments in other subjects including some questions they had about meditation. At their age, meditation was as tedious as eating their vegetables -anunnecessary excise due to a lack of short-term payoffs- added to the fact that they were more likely being hindered by their conditions and it was a battle of wills.
He gave them some tips he used to meditate, guiding them to quiet their thoughts and focus on their breathing, as his father had taught him, to focus on the number zero when he felt the stray thoughts try to overwhelm him. They meditated together, practicing the technique until hunger forced them to go for lunch.
The temple kitchen was at the other end of the temple, close to the dormitory. Making their way there took longer than usual due to the children setting the pace. Along the way Gabriel noticed a lot of disciples moving about, more than usual but he did not put much thought into it, too busy accompanying the children in their play, it seemed they had all warmed up to him, even Kai, the boy who had protested at the beginning was speaking comfortably to him.
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Passing quietly around the great willow tree, he noticed there were fewer disciples mediating underneath it than was usual, this still he ignored. It didn’t feel like a threatening situation or else he was sure he would have been made aware and the children didn’t look troubled so he decided to not mind it as well. They reached thetemple kitchen soon enough, the arrangement of the tables and chairs and decor of the room resembled more of a restaurant than a school cafeteria, the difference being they didn’t have to pay for their meals and there was no menu, everyone had to eat whatever had been prepared.
“Hurry up! We would have been there by now if not for you.”
“The matches have yet to begin, why are you in such a rush?”
The conversation flowed to Gabriel’s table from outside the temple kitchen, he couldn’t see the speakers but from their voices, they were male disciples. There was pause after that statement, Gabriel thought they had walked far enough away from kitchen until he heard them again.
“Sometimes I feel like you act carefree on purpose just to annoy me.”
“Use that annoyance to destroy your opponent.”
“Easy for you to say, you went and threw your match.”
“I don’t know what you are talking about”
“Yes, you do. You think…..”
Gabriel didn’t hear anymore, there was an echo to the last part of the conversation that convinced Gabriel, they had finally walked far enough away from the kitchen.
