co mai was sitting beside me on the bus to yen tu mountain. on our way there, she appeared cold and hostile. when i had ascended halfway up the mountain, i lost contact with the plum village brothers and sisters. i was overwhelmed with fear as i was very exhausted and there was no one familiar around me. when i finally got down to the bottom of the mountain, everyone was on the bus waiting for me. i bursted into tears. co mai comforted me and stayed with me that night. her husband and son were ordained, and like me, she had been following the sangha from saigon.