by Sarah Kassem
There was silence again.
“We’ve considered the matter and sent them a message with a request for a conference in Galiläeo to discuss it. We’re waiting for their answer, and until then we have proclaimed the highest state of alert.”
Viktor kneaded his fingers, hesitated, then finally said. “I just don’t get it, I just can’t figure any of it out!”
Cristobal snuggled up against Viktor’s neck and said, “Me neither. I’m 29 days old and have only just started my training and it’s all overwhelming me. We’re all overwhelmed by it. No one would have thought that it could ever have happened so fast. We are constantly watching, constantly waiting for an attack – when I first started to visit you, we knew that there could be a confrontation one day, that’s accepted as part of the job, but that it could happen so fast... no one was prepared for that.”
“Why am I being visited?” Asked Viktor.
Cristobal thought about it and finally said, “The League and the Union are enemies at war, but we cannot fight each other directly. The Reptiles Association is just too strong. They have the crocodiles and alligators and anacondas and cobras and a lot of terrible armies, all of which are very strong and very dangerous. They are so strong, you can’t even imagine it. But we can fly and they can’t, so they can’t touch us if we only take care. The whole thing then just creates a stalemate and this is what helps us all to survive. They are strong and we can fly. We can’t attack because our strongest and largest birds, all the birds of prey and ostriches and albatrosses and condors, none can beat the crocodiles and alligators. But then they can’t attack because they can’t follow us into the air. There was a battle once, but I’ve not learnt all about it yet. In any case: it was terrible and bloody and all of us were almost wiped out, then there was the Treaty of Abramskaya and we agreed to a cease-fire. So we went out of our way and each developed on their own so we settled in peace. Well, not always. There has always been conflict between Abramskaya and Copernika – that’s their stronghold, it lies somewhere in the jungle of the Congo, but I’ve never been there. Because we have to defend ourselves, but can’t fight each other, we have to look for allies. So we visit people. And they visit people. And we are trying to build and maintain alliances ready for when something happens. And sometimes...,” Cristobal looked unhappy. “Sometimes it happens that we choose the same allies by mistake and then a dispute arises. Or they are watching us and using a malignancy, they infiltrate our alliances and steal our people to be on their side.”
Viktor nodded. “But I won’t be friends with the reptiles, I promise,” he said.
“It’s not that simple,” Cristobal said softly before saying nothing, instead just staring straight ahead. A few birds were chirping and an owl called. Cristobal suddenly flew away and Viktor saw him hovering by a tree before he frantically flew back a short while later.
“It’s late, I have to leave and you have to sleep. Come on, I’ll walk you back.”
In his room, Viktor stood in the dark outside the window, Cristobal stood on the window sill and they looked at each other. No one said anything and the Magpies watched the surroundings.
“I’ll go now, Viktor,” Cristobal said.
Viktor nodded.
“Take care of yourself. Don’t be afraid of the birds, they are there to protect you. Always remember to check you room, even when it all looks clean.”
Viktor nodded.
“And don’t forget that you have to tell me everything. No matter what happens, you have to tell me. The more we know the better we can act. So if a lizard or a chameleon or a gecko or any kind of reptile comes your way, tell me that instant. As quickly as possible. If I’m not there, then you can tell the magpies or any other birds, it doesn’t matter who, it’ll get back to me.”
Viktor nodded.
“Ok?”
“Ok,” Viktor said. “What can I do?”
“Nothing. Take good care of yourself and be attentive. Observe everything and always have your eyes peeled. And continue to do karate! That’s very good. You have to physically train and be strong, that’s important. Ok?”
“Ok,” Viktor said.
Cristobal flew up to him and hugged him. Viktor hugged him back. “I’ll always watch over you, always. I promise. I will take care of you. We, the birds, we are now your best friends,” Cristobal said.
Once Cristobal had gone, Viktor remained at the window. The magpies outside ignored him and watched instead the backyard, turning their heads back and forth like a pendulum. He saw a few larger birds that flew from tree to tree. They came and went, disappearing into the bushes before coming out again to walk around on the lawn. High in the sky he saw blurry movements.
He closed the curtains and turned on all the lights in his room: the ceiling lamp, night lamp next to his bed, the goldfish lamp on his dresser and the two flashlights that he possessed. Once this was done he looked under the bed, climbed on a chair and looked on top of the cabinet, pulled all his clothes out of the closet and looked in every corner, stuffed the clothes back into the closet and looked through all his toy boxes. He looked in his backpack and in his shoes, looked in his tractor and the pirate ship and the plane and in the cars and diggers and fire engines, but no one was there. The room was clean.
He pulled on a pair of pajamas, brushed his teeth and wanted to lie down, but decided to do a few pushups first. He managed 14 before he thought his arms would explode and burst into fire. Then he crouched down and performed the welcoming ceremony, whispering “Ossu!” He tried to control his mind. His thoughts were a cloud of birds and reptiles, each thought coming so quickly that he was not able to gain any control over them and calm himself down. So he sat down on the bed with his children’s encyclopedia and looked up the entry about reptiles.
He learned that reptiles are cold-blooded animals, meaning that they always have differing body temperatures. When it’s cold, then they’re cold. When it’s warm, they’re warm. People always have the same temperature, around 36 degrees. But with reptiles it’s always different and so they are constantly changing their temperature. Viktor was creeped out by that. On top of it all they have scaly skin and funny eyes and a tail and four legs, except the snakes, who don’t have any legs. Snakes, lizards, turtles and crocodiles are reptiles. A snake can grow up to nine meters long and can weigh up to 200 kilos (the Great Anaconda of South America). Snakes can smell with their tongue, have poison in their fangs and their mouths can open so far that they can swallow their prey whole.
Viktor slammed the encyclopedia shut, threw it in the corner and lay down. He couldn’t sleep and he was thirsty but he didn’t dare go into the kitchen. He had to go to the bathroom, but he didn’t dare go there either. He heard some noises from outside, noises that were probably just from the magpies marching on the window sill, but it was all too much for Viktor and so he buried his face in his pillow and wept.
Meristem
“Second rule” Angh Park called out. “The second rule is: In karate there is no attack!”
The boys nodded their heads obediently.
“Every first and every last movement is defense. A karate fighter is not fighting to beat an opponent, not fighting to hit them nor even fighting to win. A karate fighter is fighting not to lose. A karate fighter controls his mind, controls his body and thus controls every single move. Nothing surprises him, nothing throws him off course, nothing scares him, nothing intimidates him. The one who attacks is weak. It is he who defends himself, he is a true karate master.”
Viktor liked that.
“You are now men of Dō. The better you become, the less importance you place on yourself. Gichin Funakoshi was the greatest karate master who ever lived. The True Sensei. He developed modern karate and created the 20 rules of karate, Shoto Niju Kun. Do you know what he said about the second rule?”
No one answered.
“Master Funakoshi said, ‘If a man of Dō receives the first Dan, he is full of gratitude and bows his head. When he receiv
es the second Dan, he will bow his head and his shoulders. When he receives the third Dan, he will bow to the waist then quietly go home, so no one sees him.
“But, if a little man receives his first Dan, he will run home and tell everyone. If he receives his second Dan, he will climb on the rooftops and shout it to everyone. If he receives his third Dan, he will jump into his car and drive through the city honking his horn.’ Do you understand?”
No one nodded.
“What is the first rule in karate?” Asked Angh Park.
“Karate begins and ends with respect!” everyone cried.
“Correct! The second rule is similar. A karate master is always respectful and not a mindless killing machine that beats people up. Are you going to be stupid? Are you going to use karate to hit those around you?”
“No!” they all cried.
“Will you be like the little man?”
“No!” they all cried in chorus.
“Will you be aggressive and disrespectful like the little man?”
“No!”
“Are you going to strike first like the little man?”
“No!”
“No! You will never strike the first blow, for the second rule states that there is no first attack in karate. What is the second rule in karate?”
“In karate there is no first attack,” they all cried.
“What is the first rule?”
“Karate begins and ends with respect!”
“And the second rule?”
“In karate there is no first attack!”
“Very good! And why is there no first attack in karate?” asked Angh Park.
A boy named Emil raised his hand. “Because we have respect and we don’t beat people up. We are only defending ourselves when someone else makes the first attack.”
“Very good,” cried Angh Park. “What is the first rule?”
“Karate begins and ends with respect,” they all cried.
“And the second rule?”
“In karate there is no first attack!” They all shouted as loud as they could.
“Wonderful. And what do we do now?”
All were silent and looked at Angh Park with open mouths.
“What we always do before we do karate?”
Viktor put his hand up and said: “Welcome ceremony and Ossu.”
“Yes, we do that as well. But what we do before we start karate?”
Emil pointed out. “Warm up.”
“Right! First we must warm up. So let’s run ten laps around the hall. Not fast. It’s not about who is the fastest. We run two laps as slowly as we can. Here, the slowest is the best. Then we run two laps a little faster. I set the pace and you run after me. Then we run a little faster, just a little bit faster than the round before. Then the very last round, that round we run as fast as we can.”
They all ran together. Angh Park ran in front and the rest followed him. Now and then he shouted, “What’s the first rule?” Or “What’s the second rule?” And they all called out the answer. Then he would cry, “Are you a small man?” And they would all declare, breathlessly, “No!” Angh Park would then call out, “Are you true men of Dō?” And they would all shout “Yes!”
When they were finished and stood around sweating and out of breath, Angh Park asked them what they will do now. “Stretch”, answered Viktor and Angh Park replied, “Very good!”
Angh Park circled his shoulders and circled his arms and wrists and touched his toes and did some squats, some pushups and sit-ups and stretched out on the floor and made many strange movements. He showed them something called the ‘Sun Salutation’ which was a sequence of different movements, and they did it until everyone had memorized the movements. Then Angh Park said that the Sun Salutation is a very good exercise for controlling the mind and that they should do this exercise as often as possible at home.
Then Angh Park showed them the Senkutsu Dachi, the basic position. They stood with an angled front knee, stretched out their arms and clenched their fists. Angh Park went around and corrected anyone who didn’t have it quite right. He pushed their backs straight, put legs further apart or closer together, angled knees, stretched legs, showed how fists should be clenched, moved shoulders and complained about long fingernails, saying that long fingernails are not a part of karate and that instead they must always be short and clean.
Then they had to shake a little and jump on the spot before getting into the Senkutsu Dachi position again. Angh Park in turn went back and corrected their stances once more. Then they had to shake and jump around before again going back into the basic position. Then they had to form pairs, stand in front of one another, and greet each other saying “Ossu”. They then positioned themselves in Senkutsu Dachi again. After, they performed two Sun Salutations and Angh Park dismissed them. He stood in front of the group before they went, bowed and said “Ossu”, to which all of them did the same, bowing and saying “Ossu”.
On the way home in the car with Oded, Viktor told him in great detail what he had learned in his karate hour. At home he showed his mother all the movements and explained to her the second rule. She was very pleased at his enthusiasm and, as a reward, she allowed him to ride his bike for a bit outside.
He cycled on the sidewalk of Aquifolium Street, heading up and down while looking at everything. Other than two parked cars however, there wasn’t much to see. It was evening and very quiet. He wondered if he should go a little further, perhaps to the Pacific Road. But he didn’t, knowing that if he did Helena would find out and that would be the end of his life as he’d be under house arrest forever. Helena always found everything out. Everything! No matter how secretly he tried to hide it. It was even as if the more secretively he tried to do something, the faster she would find out. Viktor was a bit creeped out by that. Adding to his creeped out feeling was the sense that the birds were at that very second watching him. He looked at them sitting in the trees and rustling in the bushes or flying in the sky and didn’t dare do anything illegal.
That evening, in his room, he performed the Sun Salutation. Even though there was no sun, as it was evening, he knew that it was somewhere in the sky and that it would come back the next day, so he did the exercise in the hope that it would speed up the sun’s return. Maybe people in Canada should also do this exercise, he thought. If all the people in Canada performed the Sun Salutation all the time, maybe the sun wouldn’t leave so often and it wouldn’t be such a strange, dark land.
He stood straight, folded his hands over his chest, then stretched his arms up, bent down and touched his toes, crouched down and held the back of his right leg. He moved his right leg forward and stretched his left leg backward, making an upside down V with his body. Then he lay down, made an upside down V again, touched his toes, stretched his arms up and clasped his hands back to his chest.
Then he formed the welcome position, put his hands on his thighs, whispered “Ossu” and closed his eyes. Behind his eyelids he saw Angh Park, the boys from the club, Oded, his mother, Cristobal and all the birds, the lizard in his shoe. Then he saw snakes that were nine foot long with gaping mouths that could swallow everything. Crocodiles and beasts with gaping mouths. Viktor was very nervous and anxious, but he tried to control his mind and focus. He thought of his father, and that he would go to the company tomorrow. Marco would be there and they would do their homework. Then he would talk about football with Gerald and tell him about karate. He would see Emilia, who he knew would be looking pretty, and the cleaning lady who would tell him something unintelligible, and he was glad. It occurred to him that Linda had not come to his birthday. This thought surprised him, he had completely forgotten. This frightened him. Linda! She didn’t come to his birthday, even though he had invited her. This made him sad. Maybe she didn’t know where he lives. He wondered when he would need to have his hair cut again and made up his mind to get her to write down his address. Maybe he could go with Oded to Samuel’s, just to visit Linda. A couple of crocodiles and snakes and lizards
crept into his thoughts one by one, and he tried to push them aside, but it all made him grow nervous again. He made a list in his head of what he had to do the next day:
Tell Oded his decision about Linda. Tell Gerald about karate. Say to Galina, the cleaner, ‘Dobri dien’, the exotic new words he had learnt from Rocco’s mother. Tell his father about karate. Tell Gem about karate. Perform the Sun Salutation. And go running. He decided to go running every day. He decided to practice the Senkutsu Dachi, so that he would be the best next week in karate. It occurred to him that Angh Park didn’t want any of them to be the best. Only the little man wants to be the best. But if he secretly practiced at home and then in the karate hour was the best inconspicuously, perhaps Angh Park would not notice. He thought about when Cristobal might come by again, thinking that perhaps he would come the next day. He wondered if he should put some honey out for the Magpies, but he didn’t dare. He thought that he hadn’t been wearing his Darth Maul costume enough, with the make-up and everything, and so he made a mental note to ask his mother if he could wear it during school time. He thought about the circus and that it was due to come very soon. That made him happy so, with closed eyes, he smiled a little to himself.
Viktor stood up, bowed, whispered “Ossu” and went to bed. He read in his children’s encyclopedia about karate and then about China and Japan, and then about Batman. Then he decided to take the book with him to the company to show Emilia.
He got up from bed and went over to the window. He looked at the trees and the sky. It was windy outside, and so the birds had all fluffed up their feathers and held the trees’ branches with their claws. He looked down into the courtyard, but couldn’t see any reptiles. He searched his room, but also found no reptiles.
He didn’t dare sleep in the dark that night, so he turned on his goldfish lamp, lay in bed and looked at the shadows of the goldfish and the starfish as they glided on his ceiling and walls. He couldn’t remember who had given him the lamp but guessed it must have been Helena and so he made a mental note to ask her tomorrow. He tried to count the starfish, but got confused because they moved and revolved along the walls and across the ceiling. He stopped at 56, thinking that he was sure there weren’t that many starfish on the lamp. He wondered if fish and starfish were reptiles, but as far as he remembered none of them had been in the children’s encyclopedia. He decided to look it up again tomorrow, or to ask Marco or Cristobal. He thought about the Magpies in front of his window who, from time to time, made noises. He wondered if chickens were reptiles but he was pretty sure they were birds, for they had wings. He made a mental note anyway to ask Cristobal, just to be safe. If they were birds, he would then ask if it was ok that he eats chicken. A few days ago Andala had made roast chicken, a week before it’d been stuffed chicken. He remembered how the stuffed chicken had been positioned on the plate as Hamid had cut it with a knife. That stuffed chicken was very tasty and Viktor also thought roast chicken was great as well, but he did not know if he was allowed to eat someone from the League of Birds. He wondered if perhaps it was good to eat reptiles, because that would mean that there were then fewer of them in the world. He decided to ask Andala if she could cook a reptile.
