Chapter 6: Meeting Pablo Reynolds

Aliana jolted as if touched by a live wire. Her lashes trembled, and her heart seemed to quiver with them. She met Santino's fervor head‑on, her red lips pressed hard against his. His large hands slid up as he drew her close. "Mm... Ahh..." Aliana gasped, color flooding her cheeks. "Santino, stop... We're moving too fast... Please don't. I feel so overwhelmed..." At her words, with tears gathering at the corners of her eyes, the heat in him died at once. He gently pulled his hands back. When his hands fell away, Aliana, still flushed, smoothed her rumpled clothes. Yet a faint hollow feeling seemed to linger inside her. Santino pressed a light kiss to her lips. "If you don't want to, I won't." He twined his fingers with hers and led her toward Stream Village. At the village entrance, Aliana, a little shy, said, "Santino, my grandpa has a bit of a temper. Please be patient with him." "It's normal for older folks to be a little prickly," Santino said. "Thank you, Santino!" Thrilled, Aliana tugged him by the hand and broke into a run toward home. Creak! Aliana pushed open the very old, weathered gate and stepped into the courtyard. Santino followed. Two trees stood in the yard. From each, a thick rope was tied up as a clothesline, with a few pieces of laundry hanging from it. Among them swayed a pink bra. Judging by the size, it was on the large side. Aliana called out, bright with excitement, "Grandpa, come quick! I brought a doctor!" "I'm not going. Who told you to bring a doctor?" A stern, aged voice came from inside. "Get back to school. You don't need to worry about my health!" At that, Aliana's eyes welled up with tears. She glanced at Santino. "I'm sorry, Santino. That's just how he is." Tears threatened to spill. Santino could not bear to see women cry. "Hey, don't cry. I'll go talk to him." He took her hand and headed into the house. Inside, he saw an elderly man in a green army uniform, propped up in bed. Judging from his bearing, Pablo had served as a soldier in his youth. His frame still looked powerfully built. But his legs were a little bent, and that seemed to be the source of his trouble. Seeing Aliana bring in a young man about her age, Pablo frowned, then asked, "Aliana, who is this? Your boyfriend?" Aliana blushed. "No, Grandpa, this is the doctor I found for you." "Doctor?"  Pablo sounded unconvinced that someone that young could be a physician. Noting the doubt, Santino sighed.  "Mr. Pablo, when it rains, your whole body aches, right? And your legs feel weak and go numb often." "Yes, that's right. My legs do go numb at night." Pablo stared, surprised. "That's impressive, young man! Can this be cured?" Watching Pablo, stunned by Santino's skill, Aliana's heart leapt with joy, and her gaze on Santino grew even more admiring. "It can be treated," Santino said, his expression grew serious, "but it's a bit difficult." "Really? You can really fix my legs?"  Pablo's voice trembled with hope. "Do whatever you need. Even if you fail, I won't blame you." "Don't worry, Mr. Pablo. I'll do my utmost," Santino said with a nod. He stepped to the bedside and had Pablo lie flat on it. His fingers moved swiftly, tapping several acupoints along Pablo's legs, then he sent his inner energy coursing back and forth through the meridians. Since Pablo had barely walked for years, many of his meridians were blocked. Santino decided to use his inner energy first to clear the meridians and get the blood moving on its own. After that, he would pass a little more inner force into them. That should about do it. "If only I had my silver needles. With those, this wouldn't be such a hassle." He thought. "How do you feel?" Santino asked. "I feel a warm sensation flowing up and down my legs, and the pain seems gone." Pablo's face lit up as he ran his hands over his legs. "Young man, you're a miracle worker. I feel like my legs are already healed!" Santino smiled. "Not so fast. I've only stopped the pain. In a bit, I'll give you a proper massage, and then we should be okay." "Thank you, young man. I can't thank you enough," Pablo said, hastily offering his thanks. "No need to thank me. I'm Aliana's friend, after all." Santino shot Aliana a slightly smug look. She blushed, and she turned aside, her eyes full of tenderness. "Mr. Pablo, I'll start the massage now." Santino drew on the Dragon Phoenix Imperial Technique, guiding fine threads of inner energy to circulate within Pablo's legs. Channeling inner energy into someone else is draining, and soon Santino's forehead beaded with sweat. Aliana watched, her heart aching. "Santino, are you tired?" "I'm fine. Aliana, could you pour me a glass of water?" "Please don't overdo it, Santino. I'd feel terrible," she said, seeing his face go a little pale. "I'm fine. Almost done. Your grandpa should be able to stand." He drew a deep breath and quickened the flow of his inner energy. Relieved, Aliana hurried to the kitchen to get him a glass of water. "Thank you, young man. Making you work this hard for an old wreck like me." Pablo looked at Santino's sweat‑slicked face and felt deeply guilty. "It's done," Santino said, wiping his brow. "Mr. Pablo, try getting up and see if you can walk."