by Brad Hopkins
Ivan Faustin the Hero Cannibal
The writer hastily set down a tape recorder and proceeded to sit down on the chair at the other end of the table. The only light came from the swinging light bulb at the center of the room and was not really enough to illuminate the whole room. He lighted a cigar and puffed out a few times before addressing the person at the other end of the table.
“I sure hope I have a good reason to travel all the way from France, monsieur,” he said.
The man he addressed took off his coat but left his hat on, lit a cigar for himself, and also took a few puffs from it. It took about 30 seconds before he gave a response.
“You want this story, do you not, gospodin?” the man said in a thick, Russian accent.
The writer sneered. “Of course, I do. Almost everyone I know in the world of news-making would want to get their hands on a story as good as this one. Should I trust that you are a reliable source of information on this?”
Upon hearing this, the Russian man gave a big, hearty laugh. The writer seemed unmoved with this odd response and chose to keep his eyes locked on the other’s direction, patiently waiting for a response
“Do not worry, gospodin, for I have no reason to waste your time with made-up stories and fairy tales. You came here for the truth, I believe, and that is what I came to you for as well,” the Russian man said.
The writer leaned forward eagerly. “Then you may start telling me the truth now, monsieur. Do you know where the missing kids disappeared to? And who may the culprit be, for that matter?” he asked.
“Why would you want to know those things at once?” the Russian asked. “Would it be more interesting if you knew the stories from way back into history first?”
Taking out a pen and a small notebook he used to jot down important notes, the writer leaned on the table and pressed the Record button on his tape recorder.
“I would certainly like that, monsieur. Please do begin.”
“The place where it all started was a small town called Rukhlovo located in Amur Oblast. Later, however, the town was renamed Skovorodino in the year 1938 in honor of the chairman who was killed during the civil war. In that town, there was an orphanage which had already been standing for a long time yet nobody seemed to frequently visit it.
“The orphanage was very spacious and had a lot of rooms in it. The walls were made of concrete which appeared to have been exposed to all kinds of weather. Almost every month, there would be a lot of new children admitted to this institution. Most of the children here were abandoned from infanthood. One of those children was a little boy named Ivan Faustin.
“Ivan had been living in the orphanage for as long as he could remember. He was used to being alone and having no friends. Ivan was a child who stood smaller than average height. With his confined personality, he experienced difficulty when it came to dealing with everyday situations in the orphanage. Most of his fellow orphans wanted nothing more but to be superior to anybody else in the orphanage and with Ivan’s timid behavior and poor social skills, he was often getting fooled around, insulted, and bullied by the other boy orphans. Ivan accepted all these things done to him and never fought back. The other boys were tall and had big fists and strong torsos. Ivan knew that he was no match for these boys had he decided to fight and defend himself. For years, Ivan trained himself to be an expert in keeping all his anger and depression inside of him, locked away for nobody else to see.
“One snowy day, Ivan went out to the woods to be alone. The other kids had started to become bored and Ivan knew that if they had seen him, he would have been enduring hours of taunting and bullying again. He knew the woods as though he had been a part of it; he would never get lost despite its winding paths. He knew all the trees and would always spot the right trail leading back to the orphanage no matter how deep into the woods he went. Today, however, he experienced something he never had during his solitary trips to the woods.
“Ivan noticed footsteps on the snow, which was odd as the adults from the orphanage kept saying that not person would ever set foot deep in the woods since there were rumors that the whole place was haunted. Ivan did not believe the rumors, and seeing the footsteps only made him feel a hint of astonishment as he was always the adventurer type who wanted to find out the source of all secrets.
“Being the ever-curious boy that he was, Ivan decided to follow the footsteps and soon found the owner; it was somebody who, he noticed, had features different from his. He slowly approached a tree with a trunk wide enough to hide him. From there, Ivan watched the man heave a heavy axe and used it to start chopping a nearby tree. It was really surprising to see a very thin man being able to effortlessly deal heavy blows to a tree and get it down in no time.
“Because of his clumsiness, Ivan accidentally stepped on a dried twig and made a noise, catching the attention of the man. The man slowly approached with a friendly smile and bowed a little as a sign of courtesy.
“’W-who are you?’ asked Ivan. ‘How come I do not see anybody like you back in town?’
“The man set down his axe and answered Ivan. ‘I am from the far land of China. Forgive my intrusion, but I am in search of good wood to use for my home during the winter.’
“The man was slender in build; had slits for eyes; spoke at an almost indistinguishable accent; had skin which seems to give off a yellowish tinge; and had rosy cheeks which were probably a result of the cold weather.
“It did not take long for Ivan to become enthralled with the strange stories of this even stranger man and, being the curious child that he was, started asking a lot of questions. When he arrived at the question of how the man could chop up and carry so much wood on his back despite his lack of a muscular body, this was also the time Ivan learned something sinister which got him revolted.
“’Do you really want to know how I get my strength?’ asked the man.
“’Yes, godspodin,’ answered Ivan enthusiastically. ‘I am always getting bullied and I want to be as strong and as powerful as you so that the other kids would not have to do mean things to me any time they wish.’
“The Chinese man smiled at this and sat on the nearby tree log that he had cut down. ’This is a secret shared by my kind but I will share it to you. I believe you understand why I choose to.’
“’The best way to be able to gain this amount of strength that I have, child, is by consuming human flesh and guts,’ he said.
“Upon hearing this, Ivan gave the Chinese man a scared look. ‘I would rather go on with my inferior, bullied life than spend a lifetime eating human flesh!’ he exclaimed. He finally started to understand who and what the man really was. Ivan ran away from the man and vowed to forget what he had just heard.
“World War II struck out in the year 1939 when two opposing military alliances were formed: the Axis and the Allies. It was a very devastating time, and Russia was one of the countries that had to experience the heavy effects of this global armed conflict. This was a time when all the major participants decided to place their entire industrial, scientific, economic, and industrial assets and capabilities at the service of the war.
“This was also a time when the distinction between the military resources and civilians were erased. The deal toll started to rise, and the so-called ‘right to live’ was not given the topmost priority. Also, during that time, every male in Russia was recruited to fight in the war. It became some sort of a requirement, and the children from orphanages like Ivan were not an exception.
“They were all very young at the time. Ivan was only turning 17 the year he and his fellow orphans got recruited into the Russian forces. His friends’ ages ranged from
15 to 19.
“However young, Ivan and his friends wholeheartedly served their country and vowed to maintain the peace that was taken from them by the ongoing threats of the current global armed conflicts happening. They took up arms and with brave hearts, marched into the battlefield and despite lack of experience, went through many missions successfully.
“However, things began to go dim for Ivan and his fellow soldiers when the odds turned out to be not in their favor.
“The war took its heavy toll on Ivan and his troops. They were surrounded by enemy soldiers and were driven deep into the woods; into hiding. They suffered many deaths; either due to serious physical injuries or lack of food. It was a hard task trying to survive in the woods, for they lacked food supply for weeks.
“To combat the constant pangs of hunger, Ivan and his fellow orphans had no choice but to chop up the bodies of their departed fellow soldiers and make do with eating the flesh off their dead friends.
“It was a horrible scene, especially when Ivan had to see the faces of the dead soldiers while he chopped them up into chunks to be roasted over the fire. Ivan hated every part of it and could barely eat his share. Yet, he had no choice. He could not allow himself to die from the hunger caused by war. It was not a very good memory for Ivan, since the main course he had for his first human eating experience would have to be the flesh of his departed friends.
“Every single day, Ivan had to endure feelings of dread and horror as he guiltily devours the cooked flesh of his departed friends. It was a life-changing event for him.
“Every night, he would wake up from nightmares, thrashing and screaming. He dreamt of his departed friends; alive, yet missing some of their body parts. As though delivering a message and planning to exact revenge in the dream, the missing body parts were actually the ones Ivan and the rest of the soldiers still alive had for their meals.
“Every single night, Ivan would have these nightmares and wake up to find himself drenched with sweat and fear, and he would have trouble going back to sleep.
“In the year 1945, the World War II’s end came as one by one the members of the Axis powers underwent unconditional surrender. In Italy, German troops surrendered on April 29, 1945 and Western Europe on May 7, 1945. Germany surrendered itself to the Soviets on May 8, 1945 with Japan on August 15, 1945. With all the surrender documents signed, the American former President Truman was then able to finally declare an end to all the hostilities brought by war in his Presidential Proclamation on the 31st of December, 1946.
“Ivan was lucky to be able to make it through the war and witness the end of it as well. Although free from permanent, physical injuries, Ivan was not able to erase all the hardships and brutalities the Second World War that had embedded into his mind despite the fact that the people from his hometown now looked up to him as a person who fought bravely for the war to end.
“For him to be able to start anew, Ivan decided to set up a small home in Skovorodino. Here, he was surrounded by a quiet neighborhood with people who possessed simple homes, wonderful families, and warm smiles. Ivan liked it here and, although alone, always found comfort in whiling time away by walking short distances around town and greeting neighbors who would take the time to wave him a simple hello.
“Soon after, Ivan began to feel lonely. He missed the noise of the orphanage from where he spent years of his childhood. After quite some time, Ivan decided to build and assemble a wooden bench to be placed in front of his home. Here, Ivan would sit every day; watching passersby or simply watching the sun rise and set.
“It was simple of Ivan to experience and appreciate plain joys such as these. He thought he could get by the remaining days of his life by just doing these things. However, that changed when a group of children started playing in front of his home.
“It was a normal day for Ivan. Gathering the book he read and his small pillow, he went out to sit on his wooden bench when a group of children passed by. He watched them walk past his gate and sit on the sidewalk. The children were cheerful ones, and they often spoke in a manner which would make one long to become a child again.
“This, Ivan thought, was really entertaining and he decided to walk over these children and try to become good friends with them.
“The group of children all came from families who always advised them to never speak with a stranger, so some of them turned a bit hesitant when Ivan walked over and said hello.
“’Hello, children!” greeted Ivan. ‘What a beautiful day it is today; truly perfect for your playtime.’
“The children took quick glances at each other and were silent for a few seconds. Finally, one of them stepped up and answered Ivan. ‘Good day, gospodin, we are sorry but our mothers and fathers want us to refrain from talking to strangers.’
“The boy who spoke up had very fair skin and blonde hair which curled up to small ringlets and made him look like an angel. From the looks of it, Ivan concluded this child to be the head of the group. There is always one in any groups of children who would always consider himself to be the leader, he thought, remembering his life way back in the orphanage.
“’I very well understand that your mothers and fathers always put your safety in mind,’ answered Ivan. ‘However, I am not a bad person; your parents will be very assured that I am not here to give you any kind of harm. All I would want from you is to become your friend. Will you allow me to be your friend?’
“The children still looked scared nonetheless, and exchanged glances with each other. Sensing their apprehension, Ivan suddenly had an idea.
“’If you children are willing to wait a few minutes while I go inside,’ Ivan said, turning around as he went slowly, ‘I think I might have something that might make you and your parents become pleased with our meeting today.’
“It took Ivan about 10 minutes before he came out of his home, holding a basket full of sweets he bought from the candy stores downtown. The children, being the sweet-loving creatures as they were, gathered around Ivan as he handed out sweets for each of them. There were éclairs, licorice, and even tarts, and all of these were loved by the children.
“Ivan was happy for the friendship he found with these young innocent beings.
“Soon, the neighbors began to notice how close their children had become to the retired soldier next door. Most of the time, they would often see Ivan cheerfully greeting their children and would always hand them sweets when he had some with him. Ivan, they noticed, was happy and also made the children happy. This became the basis of building a foundation of trust and directing it towards Ivan. Yes, they trusted Ivan because of his charm and apparent fondness for making friends with children. Not one of them was aware what trusting Ivan would soon bring upon them – and their children.
“It was a fine, cool night and Ivan was jerked awake by noises. As he was about to stretch his legs, he heard someone loitering outside his home. The years he spent in war had trained his ears to become vigilant at all times, even in his sleep. Straining his ears to hear better, Ivan heard what appeared to be someone rummaging through the garbage bins he placed in his backyard.
“Slowly and noiselessly, he went out his room and silently made his way to the back door. He leaned against the door to make sure that whoever had trespassed into his property was still there. Ivan always kept a rifle near his back door, which he took and loaded with bullets. Whoever was brave enough to enter his property would get a bullet in the head if proven to be doing nothing more than stealing.
“In an instant, Ivan barged his back door open while holding the rifle at gunpoint. The intruder, apparently taken by surprise, dropped the huge garbage bag he was carrying. Ivan kept the rifle pointed at him.
“’Who are you?! Why are you sneaking around my backyard?!’ demanded Ivan with a stern and threatening voice.
“The person, shrouded in darkness, refused to answer but stood rooted to the spot.
“’Yes, that’s right, stand your ground for I will not hesitate to shoot you shou
ld you make any sudden move,’ said Ivan.
“Surprised, Ivan heard a small sob which sounded too high pitched to be coming from a male owner. He carefully lowered the rifle and studied the intruder’s silhouette. The intruder was thin and small; only a girl could have that kind of a body build. Ivan inched closer and started speaking with the intruder.
“’What brings you here child?’ asked Ivan.
“The response was barely audible. ‘Please, gospodin, I mean no harm. I am just a poor girl with no food for the night. Please, could you spare me some change? I will not bother you anymore.’
“Upon hearing this, Ivan lowered the rifle completely. He felt sympathy upon hearing that timid, little voice; especially now that it is coming from a little girl. ‘Do come in for a moment,’ he said. ‘I have a few changes for you.’
“Once the little girl entered the back door and came into the well-lit kitchen, Ivan was now able to see the girl well. The girl seemed to be about 14-16 years of age. She had beautiful, blue eyes and dark, brown hair. Her skin would have been very fair had it not been smudged with dirt. She wore rags sewn together and some parts of it were filled with small holes. Ivan could not help but felt sympathetic towards the girl beggar as he went up to this bedroom to look for his money pouch. He took out a handful of coins before making his way back to the kitchen.
“The girl beggar was still standing on the same spot in the kitchen he left her in. Upon seeing him, the girl averted her eyes and stared at the floor before her. Ivan was amused at the timidity the girl was displaying.
“’Here…Some change,’ said Ivan, handing the handful of coins to the girl. ‘Please do not come in the middle of the night when I might mistake you for a burglar. You may come back here during the daytime when I am awake and I will be pleased to offer you help in even simple ways.’
“The girl beggar gave him a look of thanks and hastily placed the coins into a makeshift bag. She gave him one last stare before turning away and left through the back door without even uttering a single word. This, Ivan thought, was just an indication that the beggar might have been too overjoyed and could not find the right words to say how grateful she really was.
