Exploring

It's always enjoyable to explore a new environment. Wandering around outside on a nice day gave me peace. Looking around at how the world had changed and was growing brought a sense of awe and wonder. It was something I needed to still the whirlwind of my mind. Especially when my mind wandered back in time, I tried to focus on the positive aspects rather than the negative. Like when I was a farmer so long ago in England, or a Hunter in early American history. I was even a fisherman off the coast of Japan, a merchant in India, and, as I have mentioned before, I was a monk in China.

All these lives I have lived have brought me great joy and happiness. But some have only brought me pain and heartache. Like when I was a knight in France or a shaman in America before the English came. So many lives, so many stories teaming in my mind. This is why I am so grateful to Master Xu for teaching me the mindful way, or, as in America, the way of the mind. He also taught me how to visualize circulating my energy in my body to achieve optimal strength and flexibility. In ancient times, it was known as cultivation. But this body has no aptitude for that. So I have to work with what I was given.

I walked outside under the crisp morning light of the sun. Breathing in the fresh air, tinted with the smell of pine trees and honeysuckle vines. The green grass sparkled with morning dewdrops. I followed the pathway back to the gardens to get a better look at them and the greenhouse sitting behind them. They spread out in a rectangular shape with even rows sectioned off for different plants. I noticed with delight that they even ensured the right plants were placed beside each other.

That used to irritate me as a farmer when people would mix up the wrong plants and then expect them to grow correctly and abundantly. All the world is a circle. One thing leads to another. If you disrupt the circle, it fails. Just like a mother and father should nurture the child to help it grow and become a good, productive adult. Not using this life's parents as an example. 

They are so focused on their careers that they have missed all the crucial moments of my life so far. Technically, they allowed the house staff to raise me, then took all the credit. I had a stronger connection with the housekeeper, Maya, than I did with them. My maid Amy was like a sister to me. It is also why she was chosen to come with me. So I wouldn't be alone in this environment at this age. She does get some benefits, though, so it's not a loss for her. While she is here, she will learn how to manage a household, including how to order household essentials and cleaning products on a budget, and many other skills. The things she has to do for me are to ensure I arrive at places on time, clean the room, and do the laundry. 

As I walked around the garden toward the greenhouse, I noticed a small shack, which I assumed was either a place for the gardener to sleep or a shed for gardening tools. Maybe both. The greenhouse itself was very tall. At least 10 feet at the top of the roof and about as wide as four city buses. Covered in glass with wood panelling at the base. The glass was fogged up, so I couldn't see inside, though I did try. Moving on, I saw the running track. In the center of the track was pavement with a couple of nets put up at the center. This must be the tennis court. That's one game I never learned to play. It might be interesting to learn.

Moving on, I saw the pool house. It was twice the size of the greenhouse but just as wide. There was a glass panel on one side, and the other looked like a changing room. Swimming was something I knew how to do, but I had never done so in this body, so I would have to pretend to know nothing about it and learn it from the teacher, just like a normal student.

As I looked over the poolhouse, I saw the trees behind it waving in the air, so I went around to a path leading into it. I wouldn't go in there today. Mostly because I was still six and in this body, it would be dangerous to go in without an adult to go with. Who knew what might be lurking in the trees, ready to pounce on someone of my size? No, thank you. I'm not stupid. Having ended several lives as a child, I didn't want to risk it. Death by being eaten is not something I want to experience again.

Finally done with my morning walk, I headed back toward the main building. It was still too early for lunch, and I didn't want to go to the library quite yet, so I headed in search of the gym. Seeing what kind of setup they have in their gym would give me a better idea of how I would want to build muscle.

As it happened, the gym was located in room C-1 on the first floor, next to the nurses' office. It was one of the rooms for which my card gave me access. I reached up with my card and opened the door with a click, then pushed the door open and walked inside. The room was surrounded by mirrors with machines for pulling and lifting, as well as running and squatting. There was even a good-sized mat for what I assumed must be stretching, learning combat moves, or aerobics. There was even a door labeled 'Nurse' next to it. In case anyone got hurt bad enough to need one. That thought made me smile. There were times when I had done something that required a nurse, and none were available. 

I turned toward the mats and walked over. I wanted to feel how firm they were. Just as I got to them, a door opened. One I hadn't noticed because it was blocked by some of the weight stands. I looked over to see a well-built gentleman in a track outfit with the school colors and a school emblem on the front. The green and white looked good on his tall frame and complemented his short, sand-colored hair. He stopped in surprise when he saw me standing next to the mats.

"Well, well, who might you be? I didn't know any students were here this early. I thought you wouldn't arrive until tomorrow at the earliest." He said, holding out his hand.

I took it and shook it lightly. "Hello, sir, my name is Asher. It's a pleasure to meet you. I arrived yesterday. I'm just exploring and came in here to see what kind of equipment this school has."

"Nice to meet you, Asher. My name is Russel Jackson. I'm the P.E. couch survival teacher. This class is open to all students every day except Sunday. That's my day off. You won't see me then. But any time around that, this is where you will find me. Ready to spar or spot for any student willing to learn."

"Wonderful, I would like that. I need to get bigger. I'm still too small." I said with all seriousness.

He smiled playfully, "I can help with that." Then he chuckled. "Just come in here when you have free time or if you want my help specifically, then just sign your name in one of the time slots on this board and I will be there to help you." He then pointed at the board posted by the door I had entered.

"Do you know any martial arts?"

"Yes, I am a black belt in Aikido."

"Really?" I said excitedly. "Can you teach me?"

"That's what I'm here for."

"Yay!" My free time is at 6 pm. Is that a reasonable time for you?"

"Yep. As you know, you're the first student this year, so go ahead and sign your name in the slot for 6 pm then." He said with a grin. "Did you want to start this week or wait until school officially starts?"

"This week, if that's alright with you?"

"Wonderful, then I have some things to do before then, so I will leave you to your exploring and see you at 6 pm. Don't eat a big dinner. Ask the staff to send the rest of it to your room for you for later."

"Thank you, Mr. Jackson. I'll do that."

With a nod, Mr. Jackson walked to the door and left. 

I spun in a circle happily. I always liked learning martial arts of any kind. And in all my lives, that is one of them that I never learned how to do. Aikido differs from Kung Fu in that it is primarily a defensive art rather than an offensive one. This will be fun. I thought to myself.

Then I went back to my room to practice some more writing, since I had about 45 minutes left before lunch started.

I was working on the alphabet in cursive. I was already good at standard script. Practicing cursive is the first step to calligraphy. I almost couldn't wait to have my hands remember the flowing strokes of the paintbrush over the canvas in elegant script. I was very good at it long ago and had been praised enough that others wanted to buy my poems on canvas. Surrounded by lovely artwork in vines and shells and other things that enhance the words on the pages.

Though I decided in this life it would just be a pleasant hobby. Just like many other things that I know how to do but have not done in this life. One must always move forward, learning new things, so as not to get stuck in a rut. When I am older and if I get married and have kids, I could teach them how to do those things so the knowledge can be passed on and not lost in time like so many other things. 

I have noticed that many of the things I learned long ago have been forgotten, and I am the only one left who knows how to do them. I once thought about writing articles or books on those things, just so there would be a record beyond me. Maybe later. Again, it's something to think about, and I have time on my side. Even if I don't do it in this life, I'll likely do it in the next or the one after that. Who knows.

My stomach growled, letting me know it was time for lunch, just as my alarm went off and I heard the lunch bell. "Perfect timing, stomach." I joked out loud. What did they make for lunch today? I got up and headed downstairs to the Dining area with a skip in my step. 

It turns out to be soup and sandwiches with salad. I chose the tomato soup, accompanied by a grilled ham and cheese sandwich, and a Cobb salad. To drink, I went with milk again. 

After lunch, I headed to the library. I wanted to select some language books and see what was available to learn on my own. If they had any in the ones I knew already, I could pretend to self-study in them and show everyone my proficiency in them. Making one less thing to hide from others. I have found that if there is a reasonable way to learn something and people think that's the way you know it, then they don't think of the possibility of that not being the truth. It helps me hide. And makes it so I don't lie about anything in this life. I hate lying to people. But I must do so unless I want to become a test subject. That time in Germany... brrrrr. I don't want to think about that.