Smoking Monk
I suddenly remember while waiting for my connecting flight from Narita to New Chitose, I was in the smoking room drinking a can of shitty 120 yen black coffee, lighting a cigarette from the dying tip of the last, when I spotted a skulking monk hovering around outside the room, in the cold, as if looking for enemies.
After 5 minutes of aimless wandering, he took a deep breath and pushed through the glass door. He looked guilty as sin, whipping out a single cigarette from the depths of his mustard robes, and asked me for a lighter. I passed it to him without looking into his eyes, afraid I'd betray a look of judgement I didn't intend. Expertly, he lit the cigarette, took one solitary puff, before asking, "Where's toilet?"
I pointed him to the nearest one, he thanked me again, stubbed out his nascent cigarette, and walked powerfully out of the room.
Moments later -I was still on the same cigarette- I watched him rejoin his group of travelling monks from the window of the smoking room, both hands clasped in greeting. He drew his robes closer to himself, no one else was the wiser.
I wondered if he ate meat.
---
After 5 minutes of aimless wandering, he took a deep breath and pushed through the glass door. He looked guilty as sin, whipping out a single cigarette from the depths of his mustard robes, and asked me for a lighter. I passed it to him without looking into his eyes, afraid I'd betray a look of judgement I didn't intend. Expertly, he lit the cigarette, took one solitary puff, before asking, "Where's toilet?"
I pointed him to the nearest one, he thanked me again, stubbed out his nascent cigarette, and walked powerfully out of the room.
Moments later -I was still on the same cigarette- I watched him rejoin his group of travelling monks from the window of the smoking room, both hands clasped in greeting. He drew his robes closer to himself, no one else was the wiser.
I wondered if he ate meat.
---