Last Scene -+- Next Scene
Scene One
The glare from the sun over Jamaica was so intense, it was almost blinding. This was often my excuse for not seeing an attack coming, but this time, (in combination with the sweat dripping in my eyes) I really couldn’t see.
Thump.
Yamato Myoshi’s fist connected with my stomach. I stepped back, but kept my balance resisting my urge to cry out in pain. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him begin to follow up with his right leg. Instinctively I dodged, and more consciously I jabbed my fist toward his exposed rib.
To my surprise I landed the hit, but he didn’t falter. He grabbed my hand and twisted it around. I knew he’d have me if I didn’t get out instantly! I spun with him, fast, and slipped out of his grip, narrowly maintaining my balance as I wiped the sweat from my eyes. I attempted to strike but there was no place open and he easily deflected my rash attack.
It was always hot, and always sunny, but on this particular day, I couldn’t take it. Sensai often trained me like this, and I should have been used to it, but something was irking me.
It wasn’t a lesson with any particular direction or attack, and I never won of course. I had received my red belt with two black stripes only three months ago, and was, at this rate, still a couple years away from my black belt. Yamato had been training since he was five, and had been training me since I was six.
"Raina, you must keep focused. You’re not thinking," Yamato said to me. It wasn’t often he was so kind to me, usually he just yelled at me, or kept striking me until I became a little more focused. It was astonishing how he could encourage me to move a desired way by coming towards me in a certain way. Like a flowing dance, he taught me to fight.
"Sensai, I’m really distracted today. Maybe I should come back tomorrow. I have a lot upon my mind."
"As do I."
"Forgive me..."
"No matter. Come back tomorrow well rested and with a clear mind, there are things I wish to speak with you about."
Sensai hardly ever wanted to talk about anything, so this statement intrigued me. The last time he had said he wanted to talk to me he was actually fooling me to let my guard down, trying to strike me by surprise. I had caught on though, and managed to deflect the attack into a role away from him.
However, this time he was serious, I could tell. I looked at him; Yamato Myoshi wasn’t a tall man, but still much taller than me at my miserable five feet and five inches. I estimated him to be five inches taller than me, but his broad shoulders, extremely muscular build, strong jaw line and deep set forest green eyes made him seem much taller, and very commanding. I studied him for a moment, trying to figure out exactly what made him so intimidating, maybe the light wrinkles of wisdom, maybe the tone in his voice.
We didn’t say goodbyes, we were too close in a unique way for such formalities. His goodbye was the twinkle in his eye, and mine was the slight angle of my head to the right. Slight movements, but we understood each other.
I went into the temple and gathered my things, and then left out the front entrance. It was still hot, but soon I was strolling under the shade of the jungle. I wasn’t expected home for hours, so I decided to climb a tree.
I picked a challenge, one that would be very difficult to climb, and set my things down at the bottom of the tree. I jumped grabbing for the lowest branch. I missed. Sensai is right, I’m not focused at all. Why did I tell him I have a lot on my mind? I’m always making excuses... Maybe because I don’t know what is wrong with me. Why won’t my body act the way it should?
I jumped again, thinking about the branch and concentrating. Both my hands grasped it firmly. I hung there for a moment, letting myself sway back, and then forward, and swaying harder. My bare feet enjoyed the cooling of the air. After a minute or two of swinging I thrust myself forward and didn’t let go until I was almost upside down. Originally I had intended to land on a different branch, but I lacked the momentum to make it to the next branch and I ended up on top of the one I had been hanging from.
I don’t have a lot on my mind. The only thing on my mind is that my body is acting weird. Is this a second puberty? It can’t be, that ended when I was fifteen, two years ago. I’m my full height, full shape, and I know it. Why can’t I get over that? I’m not going to be growing any bigger of a front, so I might as well get over it.
I shook my head, why was every little thing bothering me? I turned my attention back to the tree; The next branch was easy. It was protruding from the main part of the tree at almost exactly ninety degrees, and was only a foot higher, and half a foot away from the one I was on. I stepped onto it, with one hand on the tree for balance. The height didn’t bother me at all, I was too used to it. My mind wandered away from the climbing as it was easy trip. I had meant to pick a more difficult tree, but the fact of the matter was that I was too good at climbing trees to really pick a difficult tree. Tree climbing had been part of my early training, now Yamato set up obstacle courses for me and had me spar other young boys in front of his brother’s temple.
Once I reached a branch about forty feet from the ground, and about ten feet from the top, I sat comfortably in a place where the main part of the tree had split into two branches, almost forming a perfect chair just for me. I noted the comfort of the spot and told myself I would come back to the particular tree I was in again. It was a nice one.
I pulled out of my belt pack a snack. Jerk chicken, cold, and two days old, but perfectly fine wrapped in a plastic wrap with some stray rice still clinging to it. I ate the whole drum stick and let the bone fall to the ground, putting the plastic back in my sack. It was one of ten plastic wraps that we had, I couldn’t loose it, and I certainly wouldn’t litter the forest floor with it.
I returned home feeling relaxed, but tired. The day had gone well enough so far. I opened my front door, and walked into home sweet home. Most would call it a shack. We had lived in a beautiful house on the outskirts of Kingston before my farther died, along with his paycheck. It left my mother, my sister and I alone, without any money, or any where to go. My mother never knew her family, and my father’s family hated my father, and said he was a disgrace. The only reason we had managed to get by is because of my Sensai. He had provided us with food, and the shack we lived in, and for the most part we were happy enough.
I headed for my room, which was more like a curtained off area of the living room, or dining room, or kitchen. Which ever you prefer to call it.
[Nina, Raina's Mother]
"Honey? Is that you?" My mother asked me this in Patois. She couldn’t speak English, and my sister only knew the basics of English. I had learned from my friends and Sensai. “Yes, mother,” I answered her in Patois.
“Did you find somewhere that you or I might work?” She asked me, cutting right to the chase. She asked me this whenever she was feeling frustrated, and I wondered exactly what it was today that had made her think about the situation again.
“No...”
“Have you even looked?”
“No...”
“Raina! If I wasn’t so tired I take a belt to your ass! How many times have I told you that you need to spend less time wandering off by yourself, and playing with your little friends and spend your time looking for a future for yourself before it’s too late for you! Do you want to live in this shack the rest of your life? Do you? Answer me girl!”
“No mother.” I wanted to argue with her. I didn’t have “little friends” that I hung out with. Tullie had stopped hanging around me over a year ago, and Jennifer had moved back to the states. Who did she think I was hanging out with?
“Then what has gotten in to you? You think just because Yamato told you that you have a talent for fighting and took you under his wing that you’re going to make yourself some sort of future fighting?”
There was a long pause. I had never thought of my time with Yamato a waste before, but now, for the first time, the sting of reality hit me. I love training with Yamato! But it’s not going to ever give me a paycheck. Mom’s right, if I don’t do something about getting a job I’m going to be in hot water.
“I’m sorry mother. Starting tomorrow I will spend all of my time searching for a job.”
“Don’t think you’re getting off the hook that easily! This is the last straw. You know how vex I am that you’re seventeen and still have not grown up? You come home with at least enough money to pay for supper tomorrow or I’ll put you out on the street! You hear me?”
“Yes mother.”
“Me vex! You understand? This isn’t a joke. I’m tired of this nonsense from you. Out on the street with you! You do nothing but eat the food I work so hard to provide for, sleep in the bed I work for, and be a bad influence to your sister!”
I heard my mom muttering as she went back into the second room of the shack. It was our bathroom and laundry. It sounded something like, the girl is already seventeen and she still hasn’t faced the facts.
Last Scene -+- Next Scene
                                           |