KPO by Matthew G. Cohen (best book clubs .TXT) 📕

frameless, which offers a fantastic view!” Indeed, the horizon was panoramic from this vantage point. Not a building or obstacle in sight. “Alright, what am I looking at?” Will willfully wondered.
“Just enjoy the moment, for it won’t be here long.” Thich maintained. Together they gazed out over the horizon watching the day turn into night. Stepping away momentarily, Thich began reading from a framed poem on a nearby wall speaking the words in soothing tones,


“Clouds lurked over the sunset smeared sky
Oppressive yet complimentary to the horizon
The great yellow ball in the sky
Closing its eyes on another wonderfully illuminated day
Its job goes without notice, returning on the regular.
No two are the same, so thank you for another wonderful day.”

“Wow!” Will exclaimed. You did say you were a poet. That was amazing!”
“Oh, indeed it is amazing, only that wasn’t written by me.” Thich revealed in a passive voice. It was written by the last person I met with here at KPO, on what do you call this floor…. “S” ?
Will now reverent, responded without taking his eyes off of the horizon, “Yeah the button on the elevator said “S”
At a loss for words, you could tell he now had begun to think differently. It had never really occurred to him that there is a sunset everyday. Often working till 8 or 9 o’clock in the evening, he presumed he had spent many a sunsets eating dinner at his desk. “The same sun sets all over the world” he thought.” “Of course while some countries are seeing a sunrise, others see a sunset.” he not so obviously concluded. But there was something unique and uplifting about the sunset he had concluded. The contentment on his face said it all. While gaping at the sky now smeared with a myriad of colors, orange, red, and even pink, Thich spoke, “Amazing isn’t it?”
Will didn’t reply. It was as if he were alone in the room. Well, just he and his sunset.
What if he’d seen sunsets all his life? What if he’d enjoyed present moments while with his family? Would he be in such a family predicament?
“You know William,” Thich continued, interrupting William’s “what ifs” , “like the very tea we drank this morning all abstract objects tend to have concrete symbols.” Thich maintained.
“Come again?” Will replied not sure of where Thich was going with this one.
“ The tea, you and I enjoyed this very morning, is a real life portrayal of satisfaction and contentment.”
“I think I see what you mean…Will stated beginning to comprehend Thich’s reasoning.
“I’m not sure of your awareness of your surroundings from this afternoon William, but the mats we were sitting on were graced with a flower.” Thich revealed.
“You know, I do think I remember seeing that Will pointed out, they were on each side.”
“William, that wasn’t just any flower, that was the lotus flower.” Thich preached.
“I think I’ve heard of that. But what is so special about that flower?” Will asked obtusely.
“The lotus flower grows in murky, muddy water and rises above the surface to bloom with stunning beauty. At night, the flower closes and sinks underwater, at dawn it rises and opens again. Untouched by the impurity of the soil’s sediments, the lotus depicts the purity of heart and mind. The lotus flower represents long life, health, honor and good luck.” Thich stated revealing its ancient origin.
“Another example William is the turtle pictured on our tea kettle.” Thich continued.
William was scratching his head as if trying to discover what the turtle represents.
“The turtle is a creation of nature that carries its round shell over the ground, like heaven, and has a flat bottom, like earth. At a glance, from a concrete perspective one might think a turtle is a slow and insignificant creature. Thich was beginning to sense that Will was coming around to his position.
˙Sure, they are slow animals, but slow and steady wins the race! William beamed almost boasting hoping to make Thich proud.
“Exactly!” my abstract thinking friend. William, I knew you would see the light Thich praised, pleased at his pupil’s progress. “I’m sorry to disappoint you William, but aparahna-day will soon turn to night.” Will nodded as if he understood the sad but obvious news revealed to him in a foreign language.
He was excited, yet disappointed. Eager, yet nostalgic, for this sunset would be gone soon, obliterated from the day’s existence. Will now knew, when speaking of sunsets what it is they symbolize. The present is here and now, the time to enjoy. There would be many more to come Will concluded, but he would appreciate them once they were here. In the meantime, he was going to cherish this very wonderful moment. Futurize on this one, and she’s gone. Foresight at all times is futile.
The sun was now a perfect half ball melting into the horizon. Its rays gleamed upon the clouds above, cascading them with color as they flowed freely on the disappearing day. Will continued to gaze wistfully as nightfall was rapidly approaching. He refused to look forward. Not on this one. He wouldn’t look back. His time was now.
As the sun bid its final farewell, Will exclaimed aloud, “Wow! That truly was wonderful… you know Thich, I really have to thank you for having me stop to look at this…” he stated, turning to the front of the room. But Will’s words of gratitude had fallen upon empty ears. He was speaking to an empty room. Thich was nowhere to be found. Will was eager to express his thanks towards his newest Buddhist monk friend. But inherently, he knew a monk of Thich’s humility, thankfulness and recognition is not needed. Will knew that turning this into a gratifying experience must not come from words, but from actions. Maybe Thich had returned to his library, maybe he was meditating right now, but it did not matter. The wisdom he had imparted on Will must be internalized and put to use.
All of the wisdom and lessons heeded from KPO must be integrated into the here and now. Will knew his priorities must shift. He had reached the pinnacle of awareness.
The darkest hour of night is the hour just before dawn. Will now knew that. For years, he had lived and slept in ignorance and he had The Karma Police to thank for his awakening. His future could only get brighter by living in this present moment he thought. Prioritizing the thoughts and advice heeded from KPO, he pressed the elevator button and began his descent downstairs. . .


After……

The doors parted once again, inviting him to the elevator, his elevator. The familiar chime was a welcoming sound. At first the chime was an unfamiliar thing, an apprehensive thing. But with confidence now dwelling in his demeanor, he entered the 6X6 square. Before a search was made for the control panel, he noticed far fewer photos adorning the elevator walls. Gone were the photographs of his office building, his Benz, and his timepiece of choice. Still showcased was his brother and sister with their wife and husband.
Missing now were the pictures of his golf clubs, cigar and scotch advertisement, and The Wall Street Journal. Left proudly presented were the pictures of his family, and fairly recent ones too, newer ones. A 4th grade photo of Sam from picture day smiling his toothless grin, a cheerleading picture of Ellie from the past summer’s competition were face to face with him on his elevator. And of course, his heart melted once again over the circa 1983 photo of Cynthia. Will smiled. Understandably, he was picking up the message that KPO was putting down. “What if he’d had this wisdom all along?” he thought to himself.
Pressing the down button, he rode the elevator down to the ground floor… with his family. In a dazed dream, wearing a grin of contentment, Will sauntered through the lobby, anxious to start anew and to say goodbye to the “core values” system police that provided him with such restitution. He paused for a moment thinking of the acquired wisdom he now possessed. An envelope bearing his name was on the table closest to the exit. Inspecting its contents, he discovered three crisp bills, but they were most unfamiliar.
Taking a closer look, he read the inscription on each bill: Diez Mil Colones-Banco de Central de Costa Rica. Flashing back, he remembered his enticing promise of $30,000 for his service. Laughing at the absurdity in him earning money for a service he would have paid thousands for, he was surprised to only discover three bills inside the envelope. “KPO” must be a global institution” he thought thinking of the foreign currency Wondering what kind of conversion to dollars this might yield, his questions were answered when he discovered a small card with valuable information. Inscribed on this very official looking card was the exchange rate and the appropriate values.


1,000 colones= $1.85 U.S. 1.65 CAN
5,000 colones= $9.64 U.S. 8.76 CAN The breakdown was already calculated in his mind, and before he read the last line all he could do was smile.
10,000 colones=$20.28 U.S. 17.84 CAN. Laughing aloud, he counted his three crisp bills and folded them wondering where he could “cash in” his $60 worth of good fortune. The foreign currency, now in his left hand was destined for Will’s wallet but something startled him just before the door. He had hoped that the currency cluelessness on his part would be his final dose of irony. As Will strode toward the automatic exit doors that were now ajar, he was greeted once again with the first thing that welcomed him to KPO. The small glass jar, its contents still empty, but the inscription the same “Tipping for Good Karma”.
Chuckling he said aloud to himself, “Now this would be an excellent location for such a jar.” Retrieving a golf pencil he always kept in his wallet, he took just a few final breaths in KPO. After doing so, he inscribed a single letter with his pencil, etching it on to each bill before dunking the money in the jar. Exiting the building was a new man.
Exuding confidence, contentment, and patience, Will couldn’t help but notice how crisp of an evening it was. The oppressive heat from the day had faded and now the night existed. But for Will, it existed in a new form. Breathing in the crisp twilight air he felt and embraced the coolness of it and how it felt upon his skin.
Ambling towards his car in the parking lot, he was in no hurry. He quickly located his Chevy Malibu, one of several in a surprisingly busy parking lot. He opened the unlocked car door and smirked thinking earlier who might want such a car? Contentment came over him once again for he knew his car would get him where he needed to go. Starting the car, he breathed in. Pulling out of the lot, he let out an exuberant exhale.
Although he wasn’t attempting to think