Liam sat beside Nima reluctantly. Nima smiled at the monk facing them and greeted him with respect. Liam was still in doubt like what really are all these. Yet he made a greeting smile towards the senior in front of them.
The monk gifted each of them with two red Lotus buds as his greeting and then suddenly extended one of the arms towards Nima with the palm folded.
They were surprised by his action and looked at each other.
"What? Don't you like tamarind candy? It's my favorite." The monk smiled widely and within an instant, he rolled a candy under his tongue back to the mouth and started enjoying it.
Nima stared at the monk with her eyes wide opened, like a kid who had just watched a magic trick.
Liam was paused for a moment and then sighed.
"Hey, hey, don't think that. I am.. a ..real monk."
The monk nodded at Liam as if he has read his mind and said with a funny expression, while rolling his candy inside the mouth.
Nima held back her laugh and took a candy.
She liked the monk, who is old and funny and looked different from what she had thought about the typical monks in a monastery.
That person was very old, with his long white hair tied neatly on his head.He wear a white long gown, different from the other monks in the library, who were in grey attire.
Nima found the old monk's eyes deeper and prettier and felt as if they have a thousand tales behind. He smiled warmly with his narrow lips, which seemed to be hitched between his white, cloud-like moustache and beard. In whole total, Nima looked at him without a wink as if she is seeing a wild, old white owl, chewing its prey.
"Ah! It tastes good."
"By the way what would you like to hear? I have good story telling skills. Don't get bothered with my looks. I am not that old." The monk made a funny smile again.
"Actually I didn't have the chance to choose a book as this is a sudden visit. So, if you are ok, can you make a choice for us, sir?" Nima asked politely and Liam remained silent.
""It looks like this young man got a choice." The monk looked at Liam and then winked at Nima with a wicked smile.
Nima laughed and Liam made that 'what?' look.
"Young man, may I ask you which genre that you don't like particularly?" he asked
" I am not into stories or books. " Liam said without any interest.
" If that's the case, you are romantic inside. Then I choose, 'The Tale of Minjare and The White Swan' ", He said. "Young woman, it's a nice romantic comedy. I am brilliant in telling romance.Wah!"
The monk got excited in a moment. Nima is ok with anything. She continued to smile.
"What? Romantic? Me? And...I don't like such buttery romance stories." Liam got irritated.
"Ya, he is romantic, of course; but inside. On Outside he is like a furious lion. May God bless his colleagues to live more." Nima teased him proudly.
Liam gave her a serious look, and she started laughing.
"Let's see, you ferocious lion, what suits you."
The monk thought for a while.
Then he looked deeply into Liam's eyes for a moment and said, " 'The Karmic Sword of Thunderbolt; A Power of Balance'.I will narrate this for you."
They saw a light of wisdom in the old man's eyes. It was bright and light.
"By the way, I am Dae Shim. Nice to meet you."
And the monk introduced himself with a smile.