A Flutter of the Heart

I headed to college orientation alone, carrying my luggage and wearing the distinctive mark of Tibet on my face: the red flush caused by the high altitude.

The campus was packed with people, and I wandered around looking as lost as a headless fly.

Just then, a box came hurtling toward me.

I swiftly drew the riding crop wrapped around my waist and whipped the box to pieces in midair.

A dozen or so pairs of underwear went flying in every direction. As luck would have it, one landed right on my forehead…