A GRAND SILENCE BEER CLUB

As I expected the afterglow from the Closing Residency would fade, I find myself trying to hold on to the ebbing glimmers of sweet memories. It is the air, the view from the mountain top, the bamboo forest, and the wild colors of the spring. It is also the look, the eyes, the teary smiles, shared meals, and just being around people who are on a similar journey of taking their God-given selves seriously, with and for one another, and for the sake of the world.

On one of the nights after compline, a few of the brothers planned to get together during the grand silence. After a few rounds of banter and an exchange of ideas over lunch, five of us decided to kick off an early graduation celebration with a cold brewski together, representing four different countries. The one hurdle was the grand silence that would kick in right after compline. We quickly brushed that aside and rationalized by agreeing that our celebration was more important.

I do not know how I forgot about the celebration, but after receiving a text message from one of the brothers, “Chong, are you coming?” I bolted from my room to the secret spot they found, a small kitchen tucked away in the men’s wing. As I entered, the room was already glowing and “flowing,” and the guys were merry and boisterous, far from being silent. I slid right into the mix, amused and excited, and someone promptly popped a can and handed it over to me, shouting, “Congratulations, Chong!” We clinked our cans; theirs were mostly empty already. The beer tasted sweet and smooth to boot. Some guys were already in their comfortable pajamas and white tank tops, signaling that this was the last event of the day. Our conversations flowed like decades-long friends. We exchanged our stories, sharing first impressions during the Opening Residency and during online learning. As if to embrace grand silence, the night “slowed down” (sports lingo to say we were in the zone) and we savored our precious time. Though this was technically our second face-to-face meeting, since we had bared our souls during the previous 18 months, we might as well be bosom buddies.

We regrettably ended our celebration after midnight. After saying goodbye to them, I needed to make my way back to my quarters, which were about 100 meters from one end of the building to the other. I left their building, then quickly realized the connecting doors to other buildings were all locked. I decided to venture out altogether and walk across the labyrinth and the yard to see if I could enter from the other side. The security guard did his job meticulously, as I could not find any openings, including the windows. My head was scanning for plan B or C—what would Jason Bourne do? :) I knew my wife was asleep, so waking her up was not an option. Besides, I did not have my phone with me. I glanced at the building and saw that some lights were still on in the building where my room was.

Cupping my hands to muffle the sound, I called out softly toward the lit second-floor window, "Hello? Is anybody there?" After a few desperate pleas, to my delight, I saw someone looking out the window. Then, just as quickly, the curtain was drawn closed. I did not have time to say, “Hey, it’s me, Chong.” My heart sank. Just then, my wife whispered from inside our room, “Honey, what are you doing?” I walked to the other side of the building, where the entrance door was, and another woman had also heard the commotion and was about to open it. After my wife told the woman she had everything under control, she could not help but laugh about the incident. I felt like a rascally teenager, but I was still basking in the men’s secret beer party.

After the adrenaline settled and thanks to the beer, I slept like a “teenager” baby. The next day, after Lauds and during breakfast, when I met the brothers’ eyes, we exchanged mischievous, approving smiles, as if to say we now had our own proud secret. After hearing my locked-out story the night before, they busted out laughing.

Soon thereafter, I found out who had been looking out the second-floor window and shut the curtain. She told me she was scared because she thought I was a hooligan. We also busted out laughing. It was a fine day. It is a sweet memory.