White Tiger

down the hall. The door to the training room was open.
    ‘Emma,’ Mr Chen said from inside.
    I went to the door and poked my nose in. He stood in the middle of the room, holding the sword from the entry hall. ‘Come in.’
    I went inside.
    ‘I’m not going to close the training room door any more,’ Mr Chen said. ‘I much prefer it open. But don’t come in unless invited—you could be injured.’
    ‘Sure,’ I said. ‘Why is it better open?’
    ‘I can hear what’s going on outside.’
    ‘You know what’s going on anyway,’ I said. ‘You know exactly who’s coming and going.’
    ‘That uses my energy, and I’ve been told by a certain Lady in White that if I do it too much I’ll be in serious trouble.’
    I giggled. ‘I don’t think she’s capable of being cross with anybody.’
    He moved through the first few steps of a graceful sword set and I watched with awe. ‘It’s worse than cross,’ he said. ‘She becomes sad, like a suffering mother. It’s painful to see.’
    ‘I believe it,’ I said.
    He spun and swung the sword through a perfect horizontal arc. The blade sliced through the air with a clearly audible sound. ‘That’s all, Emma, thank you.’
    I hesitated.
    He stopped with the sword above his head. ‘What?’ I shrugged. ‘I just like to watch you.’ He shook his head and looked away. ‘Not from inside. Out.’
    I went out, but remained quietly next to the doorway, watching him. He didn’t seem to notice.
    Leo came up the hall in black track pants and a white T-shirt. ‘What are you doing here?’
    ‘Watching,’ I said. ‘Why don’t you wear a black uniform like the students?’
    ‘They don’t have one to fit me and I couldn’t be bothered getting one made,’ Leo said.
    He moved to go inside and I stopped him with my hand on his arm.
    ‘Talk to him about teaching me,’ I whispered.
    He bent to speak in my ear. ‘I have been. I’ll get there. Leave it with me.’
    He patted my arm, then went inside and fell to one knee, saluting Mr Chen.
    Mr Chen moved to the weapons rack and handed Leo a long staff. Leo moved through a graceful set while Mr Chen watched, occasionally correcting him. After five minutes Mr Chen handed Leo a different staff; this one had a long blade on the end, like a very broad sword.
    They worked slowly through a set of moves together a few times; Leo with the staff, Mr Chen with the sword.
    Then they ramped up to full blurring speed. The sound of clashing steel echoed through the apartment.
    Monica charged out of Mr Chen’s room, rushed down the hall and scurried into the kitchen.
    I checked my watch. Time to collect Simone.
    Mr Chen and Leo fell silent while I saw the piano teacher out, then the sound of ringing steel echoed again. I took Simone into the kitchen for a snack.
    Monica was cowering at the kitchen table with her head in her hands.
    Simone patted her shoulder. ‘Don’t worry, Monica, they never get hurt.’
    Monica shook her head without saying anything.
    It was quiet when I took Simone back down the hall. We stopped at the training room door. Mr Chen sat cross-legged, alone, in the middle of the mats. His hands were cupped in his lap and his face was rigid with concentration, his eyes closed.
    ‘He’s guarding his energy,’ Simone whispered. ‘We have to leave him alone.’
    I could have sworn he smiled slightly without opening his eyes before I guided Simone away.
    About a week later I heard shouting as I walked past the training room after dropping Simone at her Putonghua lesson in the music room.
    ‘She can help guard Simone!’ Leo yelled.
    ‘She will become a target,’ Mr Chen said.
    ‘The more people around who can protect Simone, the better.’ Leo saw me in the hallway and gestured for me to go in. ‘You want to learn?’
    I went inside. ‘More than anything.’
    I stood in front of Mr Chen and looked up at him. He held his sword in front of him, point down. It was very plain, with no decoration on either the hilt or the blade. ‘Mr Chen, I officially request time off on Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings.’
    ‘What for?’
    ‘I’ve found a school of martial arts in Wan Chai that has a teacher that speaks good English. I’ll be learning tae kwon do twice a week.’
    He stared at me.
    Leo snorted with amusement. ‘Tae kwon do is really useful if you’re ever attacked by a bunch of wooden blocks.’
    Mr Chen stiffened and glared at Leo. ‘All Arts are of value.’
    Leo gestured dismissively.