LeOmi's Solitude

by Curtis, Gene

  “I’ll be there with you for your first guided tour, in case you need some assistance, but I think you will be just fine. Nein?”

  LeOmi nodded, and Mrs. Kirby nodded too.

  After LeOmi’s time with Mrs. Kirby, Bekka was able to have a short chat with her before she had to shower and change into the uniform of the Magi. Survival or ruin.

  * * *

  The first class of the first day was with Mr. Diefenderfer. She got to class with a few minutes to spare. The room was filling up fast. Mr. Diefenderfer stood on a low stage. There were older students standing beside him, two per tribe. Twelve large oval tables were in the lecture hall. Placed in semicircle fashion and facing the black board, reminiscent of the semi circle that the horses made on Choosing Day.

  The students gathered by tribe and so LeOmi found a seat down in front.

  The first hour was Motivation and Methodology.

  “Ah …it is time to begin…Close the door please…It will be beneficial…for new students…to be seated in groups …with their own tribe. … Take the time now …to affirm …that it is so.”

  No one moved from their seats, it seemed the proper thing to do –sitting with your tribe and years.

  “Very well. This is a mandate...to be performed… whenever you begin a new page…in your notebooks. You will write…at the top of each page …words…to this effect… The Magi’s power is derived from… the secret acts of kindness…shown to… another individual.” This will be done… when the page is turned. It will not be …pre-inscribed …on any page. Fail to do this…and you will…fail this class.”

  Second hour was History of the Magi skills and powers.

  Magi are very secretive. A spouse will keep the secret away from a non-Magi spouse, unless they have children that are called to be Magi.

  Third hour was on the first skill to be learned: Aaron’s Grasp.

  Mr. Diefenderfer said, “Aaron’s Grasp…is the easiest skill…to learn. It is… the ability...to carry things…invisibly…Not living things…movement from living things…cause them…to be brought…out of hiding...dropping to the floor…injuring whatever…may be in …your…Aaron’s Grasp. Inanimate things…stay put …until they are…consciously grasped…Continue practicing...consciously inserting…and withdrawing…items behind your… invisible shield.”

  * * *

  Lunch came none too soon. She grabbed a quick sandwich and then changed into work tunics. Her black and white hair was not spiked. In fact she wore a headband that pulled her hair flat and away from her face. She looked like a completely different person.

  I wonder if anyone will notice.

  Ms. Vanmie was waiting for her at the Combat Class. There were two other students trying to climb their way up the wall and two more came in as she greeted LeOmi.

  “Before you,” Ms. Vanmie made a flamboyant gesture, “You see an inside wall corner. Inset into this corner, are stones protruding two inches and eight inches.”

  Ms. Vanmie pointed at the stones.

  “You will notice that the protruding stones on opposite walls alternate. This forms a type of ladder or stairs.” She demonstrated by going up a few stones and she stopped and jumped back down.

  “You will use this to get into class.” She walked up the wall and walked back down with little effort at all.

  “There are seven other corners here. This corner is for freshman.

  “You will notice that the protruding stones get progressively smaller.”

  “The eighth and final corner is smooth.”

  “For those of you that are counting the stones, the walls are forty feet high. There are thirty protruding stones in each wall, sixty in total. For the next class, I expect each and every one of you to be in class, on time. If it takes you two hours and you have skip lunch, I expect you to get up the wall. Whatever it takes, however you do it, I expect you in class on time.”

  After she finished, she effortlessly went up the smooth corner to the top.

  “Who wants to try first?”

  LeOmi went to the smooth corner and after one failed attempt made her way up and back down the wall. She did it again and joined Ms. Vanmie up on the second level of the Combat classroom. Several of the others were already at the top with bamboo batons sparing with one another.

  LeOmi joined the row of students that was slowly forming. Ms. Vanmie smiled and nodded at LeOmi.

  “Grab a baton, and take turns sparring with one another.” Then she made her way back down the wall. LeOmi heard her begin…

  “Before you, you, see an inside wall corner. Inset into this corner, are stones protruding two inches and eight inches thick.”

  * * *

  Flags Practice on Monday was strategy. Krisa drew diagrams on a chalk board and explained the concepts. There were extra technicians that participated as guards and coral workers; they were also used as alternates at practices and sometimes games, when they were needed.

  * * *

  The morning routine was good. A short breakfast with Bekka and a run to the Wildlife and Game Preserve Wall where Mrs. Kirby escorted her to the shack.

  “Tomorrow I will not be there to meet you; if you have anyone stop you just tell them to check with me.”

  LeOmi nodded, and Mrs. Kirby nodded too.

  She was there for about an hour reviewing the placards again. She never saw any other students, but she knew that there was a back entrance behind the cliff and lagoon. Like Mrs. Kirby said, “There was always someone there monitoring.”

  * * *

  The second day of class, Tuesday Morning, was Mrs. Julia Diefenbuacher –Ancient Languages.

  The first hour was Hebrew in Ancient Languages.

  Mrs. Diefenbuacher covered the story of Mushi, a family of Levi most popular during the Exodus of Egypt. She spoke of the Four Divisions of the Levites.

  She gave the lecture in English then she translated it into Hebrew. The next hour was the same study of Mushi done in Ancient Greek. The next hour was the same study done in Ancient Latin.

  Some of the students were actually falling asleep from her flat monotone voice.

  The afternoon class was Algebra and Numeric Logic with Harmonious Thorpe. This was a difficult class.

  All classes were passed and failed on the accumulated number of points earned on tests and assignments: 1000 to pass, 1400 for a perfect score.

  * * *

  The hard part of the everyday schedule, was avoiding Slone and his friends.

  They had become persistent.

  LeOmi kept thinking that maybe they would change, but their superior attitude just seemed to get worse and worse making their meeting unbearable to LeOmi. But it seemed to be just what some of the other students wanted to hear, and the number of students attending the meetings just kept growing.

  Some things just had to take their course.

  She tried to think of pleasant things like Flags Practice on Wednesday–and, Time with Fireball.

  * * *

  Saturday came and the first guided tour wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be. The tours were geared to the well being of the animals and no more than twelve people could tour at one time. This was completely manageable.

  Bekka was on the first tour and LeOmi found herself calm and patient. Bekka and Mrs. Kirby walked along and smiled encouragement to LeOmi.

  As soon as it was over Mrs. Kirby patted her briskly on the shoulder and said, “Good job LeOmi. See you tomorrow. Nein?”

  “Yes” said LeOmi.

  “I believe that is the most words I have ever heard you say—and I mean ever. It was great.” Bekka giggled. “Nein?”

  Chapter 9

  Communicate to Stay Enlightened

  Routine, the best thing for LeOmi was routine, like jogging, one foot in front of the other. However, the festival of tents was a welcome distraction from the usual classes. It started one day shy of three weeks after classes had begun. On a Friday, the beginning of the weekend, tents started to pop up on the groun
ds of the school. The tents were small, only big enough for one person. They were a simple design to keep the sun and rain off–if it rained, which hadn’t happened during tents for the entire recorded history of The Seventh Mountain. It was agreed by the freshmen that it had to be divine intervention.

  “All students…are expected to live…in their tents…for the duration of the fest.” Mr. Diefenderfer’s lesson hit upon some of the highlights of the fest. There would be a Hot Air Balloon Show and competitions.

  Slone’s group was getting bigger. Almost every day, LeOmi was asked to come to a get-together. His small troop hung around him as if his words were more educational than any teacher’s, but the free food was a big draw. Food wasn’t expensive, but it started adding up.

  When the first list of expenses were sent, Slone used it as one of those points of contention in his ever growing list of how to make The Seventh Mountain better.

  “I have seen some of your expense sheets, and I did some calculating. We all know that the expense for a year’s tuition is weighty—one hundred ounces of gold or two years of your life.”

  It was as if everyone sagged from the weight of the burden, he continued, “Add that to the living expenses and after eight years, that is one hefty amount to repay.”

  He asked, “How can we make this better?”

  The question and answers varied from, “Just not pay it,” to “Why does it cost so much?”

  At the end of lunch, Slone said, “I will do everything possible to reduce your expenses in the coming eight years.”

  He sounded like he was running for office, but he did make a lot of sense.

  For tents, Slone’s group inhabited a large area in front of the moat. His followers or whatever they called themselves had doubled after the two week financial statements.

  There was a large pile of rocks that had been removed from the area that the tents had been put up on. The rocks were probably to be used for fire rings, but Slone had perched himself on top of it and Ralph and Keith had taken up position at the bottom. It was a king of the hill type thing, like in the principal’s office where his desk is so much higher and bigger than any other seat in the room.

  Chapter 10

  Better Rewards and Better Punishments

  Slone saw Mark and Chenoa first. They were walking towards the school entrance. He nudged Ralph with his foot and pointed with his eyes at Mark. LeOmi was out of the sun in a tent, just outside of the rock pile. Ralph took a running start and bulldozed Mark from the back.

  Other students approached as Mark was recovering from the assault.

  Slone said, “It would be funny to roll him in a blanket and toss him in the moat.”

  The suggestion brought two other students that LeOmi didn’t recognize; they headed for Mark and Chenoa.

  LeOmi stood and faced Slone from the bottom of the rock pile, “You can’t do that. He’ll drown.”

  Slone had come down from his perch to stand beside LeOmi. He smiled, “Your point is?” Then he made a hurry-up motion with his fingers to Ralph.

  LeOmi landed a reverse roundhouse kick to Slone’s face. Immediately the heal of her right hand slammed into his nose sending blood everywhere.

  “You call them off.”

  He was still smiling through the blood.

  Someone tackled LeOmi from behind, it was Ricky Barns. He had knocked the air out of her and had pinned her to the ground and he was sitting on her stomach.

  “Be still and you won’t get hurt.”

  “You only get one warning. Get off of me now.”

  Ricky chuckled.

  LeOmi brought her legs up to make him think she would struggle out. He moved down to pin her legs to the ground and lost his grip on her arms. That was all she needed. She quickly rotated onto her stomach and pushed up with her legs while Ricky was still on her back. He immediately lost all traction and was left to simply tumble to the ground. When free, she spun around on top of him returning the favor of the loss of all the air in his lungs. Then she heard a splash.

  Ricky was getting up. LeOmi dealt him a barrage of kicks and punches. He almost fell over and she grabbed him by his tunic, she felt a little rip in the fabric. She grabbed his belt and pulled him towards her and then she pushed his neck up and away to make him loose his balance. Then she walked him backwards step by step to the moat. There was nothing he could do to stop it. He tried to grab her, but each time he did, she pushed his neck up a bit more. With her pushing his neck up and tugging him forward with his belt, it was all that he could do to keep his legs upright, at least somewhat precariously.

  “If you ever touch me again,” one step.

  “I’m going to hurt you.” another step.

  “Real bad!” he was teetering at the edge.

  “Do you understand me?” LeOmi jerked him a little to make her point.

  At that moment the surface of the water agitated and then broke. A large gray creature burst out of the water and deposited the blanket bundle on the shore.

  As Mark rolled and clawed his way out of the blanket, LeOmi scratched a line in the sand with her sandal daring any of Slone’s troops to cross it.

  The side I should have been on from that first day outside of the bank.

  Chenoa stood on the other side of Mark as he stood up dripping and catching deep gulps of air.

  …Stretch it out …upon the Line …of Confusion…

  LeOmi said, “I know how you feel. He is just trying to tick you off.” LeOmi and Mark were both so angry at Slone and his group that you could feel it in the air.

  “He succeeded.”

  Slone called out to Mark, “Ralph wanted to get back at you for what you did to him and his friends. In my opinion, this evens the score, unless you think different.” He had stepped back up on his rock pedestal when he said that and then, “If you want to go one on one. I’m right here.”

  “Are you challenging me to a duel?”

  Slone took the mighty man stance and said, “I guess you could say that.”

  Mark couldn’t help but laugh at the attempt at superiority.

  LeOmi heard or thought she heard Mark pass an idea to Chenoa and she just barely caught a glimpse of a wink.

  Heard …or felt?

  Mark replied, “Okay. I’ll fight you on top of the hill on the Island. You swim across with me. That way I know that it is just you and me.”

  He’s baiting Slone, knowing that he will not accept.

  “Are you kidding me?” The mighty man stance dissolved, “I saw that thing come out of the water.”

  “What no backbone? I have been in there and I am willing to go back again.” Mark was smiling now.

  “Yeah, you go ahead. There is a difference in being brave and being stupid.”

  Chenoa motioned for LeOmi to lean in, “I hate letting him get away with that.”

  LeOmi said, “You’re outnumbered.”

  Mark turned to her, “Listen at you…you sound like…like…”

  Chenoa rested one hand on Mark’s arm and motioned towards Slone’s face with the other.

  “Mark, take a look at Slone’s face and then take a look at Ricky Barns, she means what she says.”

  “You mean to tell me that you beat up Slone and Ricky while they were throwing me into the moat?”

  “I wouldn’t say that I beat up Slone. I just slap kicked him and punched him in the nose. He just stood there until Ricky tackled me.”

  Taking stock of Ricky limping towards the tent and Slone’s blood oozing down his face, Mark said, “I know I want to be your friend.”

  She was happy she hadn’t disappointed Mark but just as quickly, the uneasy feeling came back too.

  “We’ll see.” She turned her head and smiled at Mark. She grabbed her stuff out of her tent and walked off towards the other side of the mountain, as far away from Slone as she could possibly get.

  This is what she came for. To find out who she could be…Leave the bad path or remain. The Plummet and the Signet.


  * * *

  LeOmi wandered around looking for an unoccupied tent. She wasn’t surprised when she heard Bekka say, “I have saved you a tent over here, away from the stables–that horse manure might smell good to some, but it sure doesn’t smell good to me.”

  “I have…something...”

  “If you are going to tell me that you have been fighting, you don’t have to, news travels fast here. I have already seen Mrs. Shadowitz and it has been acknowledged that you are guiltless of any wrong doing.”

  They walked towards the edge of the tents. Beyond was the wide open dessert.

  “I just wanted you to know that I have put in a request for you to receive David’s Crown of Courage. I think that you deserve it after today.”

  “I didn’t do anything, I tried...”

  “Yes you did. You probably saved Mark’s life. Those idiots could have thrown him back in there again.”

  “I hadn’t thought about that.”

  “The only bad thing is that now you are on the same list as Mark in Slone’s book.”

  “I don’t care, it was wrong and he knew it.”

  “Everyone knew it, but you were the one that stood up and did something about it. Chenoa tried, but she was in as much danger as Mark.”

  “A while back you asked me if I thought you were a bully, and I told you that sometimes you have to step back and reevaluate. Well let me ask you, who is the bully now? I think you can answer that question without hesitation.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Okay?”

  LeOmi nodded as they looked out over the open dessert.

  “I thought there were dangers out there.”

  “There are, but there is also safety in numbers and other precautions as well.” She turned and motioned for LeOmi to follow.

  Bekka spoke loudly from the unlit fire ring. There were more than a dozen tents facing the would-be fire.

  “The whole reason for Tent Fest activities is to make you think about being prepared for anything. You are furnished with a tent,” she pointed to the tents in the circle beyond her fire ring, “And your counselor–that’s me. I am here to be a guide for you.”