The One – “Song 4: Separation” Segment 2

Originally published April 15, 2019...

With this segment, the second portion of “Separation,” we reach the next unfolding of events within this fourth Song. Our main character has matured significantly; however, much of the childish remains. Perhaps the most delightful aspect of this segment is that the protagonist at last speaks in the language of conventional reality – approaching quasi-adult. In addition, two new characters enter the story – one roughly the main character’s age; the other their teacher. These three mix it up almost immediately. Jani, the young friend, suggests a “caper,” and our main character goes along – until something unexpected happens.

Jani appears to ignite something in our hero. Whether it is a positive ignition or not will unfold, but won’t have an easy interpretation. The other new character, their teacher, presents a twist on the usual teacher-student relationship.

Please enjoy this expanding narrative complete with plot and dialogue – at last.

In the bright days after summer I sit

        before the next teacher – just another

        in a long line of them, droning and dull.

I drum my fingers, hang my head, look out

        and away – far away – from him and books,

        tune my ears to muffle his sound drowning  

                this old puddle drying up from white-hot

                silver-wire tone – this constant colored dance

                        my faithful note of hidden consonance

Most others around me sit up straight like

        the blunt and obedient ones they are

Some slant their disapproving looks toward me

Most do not notice, do not care, or worse

Only one person holds my attention

            and we exchange glances full of meaning

            but speak only with signifying eyes

            sharing a secret that is understood

When we are let out like so many sheep

            I approach the stranger and give my name

“Jani’s mine. J-A-N-I, like Jan plus

             an eye.” underscored with index fingers

            pointing to each green eye, and going on,

  “I’m glad you are here.  You aren’t like the rest.”

  “Two months we’ve been here because we had to

 leave the last place – something my brother did

           is all I know.  This town is nothing like

                        where I’m from – even its name is real dumb.

  Who’d think of naming a place Sparrowtown?”

“I know,” I say. “Imagine living here

            since you were born – like me – trapped, chained and stuck

                        with idiots pointing and making fun

            You are lucky to be from somewhere else.  

We laugh together and avoid 

        the others playing with sticks and red balls

“What a bunch of kids they are,” I turn.

“Look at them,” I pronounce. “We’ve got to find

            better places to spend our time, all right.”  

 “I know!” says Jani stamping a foot hard.

“Since most the time we’re with this old teacher,

            let’s go and tell him how boring he is.”

“We can’t do that!”

“Why not?”

I think hard ‘why not’ but I come up dry

So, shrugging my shoulders I say, “Let’s try.”

Silently I’m disappointed if this

        is the best Jani can do.  I’d started 

                to think here might be someone like me who 

                could show the path to get away.  But I 

        say nothing because what Jani has said 

                is better than the nothing in my head 

We find the old teacher sitting reading

        a book under a tree.  He looks up when

        we wander toward him – Jani first – then me

“Hello there,” he says, but doesn’t get up

Yet he closes his yellow-paged book and

        waits for us to say more – to say why we

                are here standing around scuffling our feet.

Suddenly, Jani puts hands on hips, glares

        and says, “You’re boring.  We thought you should know!”

Jani’s voice makes me brave and I pipe up,

“Yeah!  You’re boring.  You’ve blathered enough!”

The teacher nods, puts a finger to lips,

        tilts his head right, eyes slide up and to left.

He rises slowly.  We take two steps back.

More silence. What are we trying to prove?

We three stand there, no one making a move

The teacher strokes his chin, looks down on us

        “Yes.  I wondered when you two would notice

        I’ve been waiting for you since the year’s start

        Good!  Now what do you think we three should do?”

Jani and I look at each other, stunned

This is not at all what we expected

        but then we hadn’t really thought this out.

I poke Jani signaling something needs

        to be said and with eyebrows say I’m not

        the smarter one whose idea this is

“We’re different, you know,” Jani says at last.

“We are not like the others,” I chime in.

“I saw that right away,” says the teacher.

        (He is serious, I begin to think.)

“We’re not interested in playing with balls,”

        says Jani puffing up and standing tall

        and straight and shifting shoulders left and right

“What interests you?” the smiling teacher asks.

Jani looks at me.  The hot coal’s been passed.

            The sound in my head flares up in a blast

            That means something’s here, I say to myself

“We want something different from what they get.”

Jani looks at me with a furrowed brow.

The teacher nods, “Of course! You are clearly 

        different from every student who is here!”

This makes me blink, rapidly shake my head

        but I won’t show I don’t know what he’s said.

“Yes. Right.” I tender. “But can you give it?”

Jani stares – drops out of the verbal joust.

The teacher purses his lips, nods twice, looks

        straight at me and says, “Yes, but not in books.”

Now as if shaken out of a deep sleep

            the teacher remarks, “Look what time it is!”

He turns and strides long, clapping his big hands

            a slow rhythm that gathers others in

            from their balls and games, and Jani and I

            bring up the rear most certainly chagrined

Jani hisses in my ear, “What’s all this!?”

            “What stupid game have you got us into?”

            I return the sizzle, pushing Jani

            “You’re the one who started it, oh great brain!”

“But there’s no telling what he will do now!”

            “That is the point.  Or are you backing out?”

“You can count on me. I’m all in with you.

            You are so right; we can’t know what he’ll do.”

But I’ve decided to see where this goes.

Back in the room, all the sheep take their seats

            but Jani and I stand right at the back

The teacher ignores us – pulls out a book

Things we study seem the same as before

            but now something is changed.  Something is more.

I can’t help listening and watching for clues.  

Jani droops, head on chest – pretends to snooze

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Three days go by much the same.  Finally, I

        cannot stand it and it is clear to me

        that the teacher and Jani are content

        to ignore us talking under the tree.

I tell Jani what I intend to do.

“Go ahead.  Suit yourself.  Pick that old bone.”

Jani’s parting words as I’m left alone

At the third day’s end all are gone but me

            and the sphinxlike teacher straightening up

He shuffles papers – doesn’t look my way

I make a noise in my throat to signal

            I’m here but I get no response or talk

Finally, I can stand it no more and I

scuffle toward the tall old man who now is

            humming a quick tune to himself.  I must

                        stand staring right at his chest before he

                        sees me and then he simply looks and waits.

            Well, I’m here now and have to say something!

            This old man will wait until I am dead!

I scrunch my shoulders – give my forehead lines

I put my left hand on my hip and look

            up straight into his glittering gray eyes

“You said you could,” is all I’ll say, hoping

        in this way to force him to speak out first

“Could what?” he says. His eyebrows rise an inch

“Give us something different,” I coolly say.

“Oh yes! But of course! But who is this ‘us’?

 I see only you.  Where is your young friend?”

He shades his eyes – looks over empty room

“It is only me,” I say quietly

He pauses, exhales slowly, says, “I see.”

More silence – I begin to feel a fool

I turn and make to run away, but his

        big hand holds my shoulder and whirls me round.

“Very well.  Let’s begin! You looked. You found.”

Background

Remember your early youth? What first comes to mind? Surely, some memories are about dubious and unwise deeds; but this is the nature of youth, is it not? The personal transition from very young to middling young brings tests to most people. Carving out an identity, although not realized in those terms, becomes paramount. Exploring the existence of possibilities and of the flexibility of beliefs raises delicate inquiries, and discovering new values is the order of the day.

After the first encounter with the teacher, our hero silently observes: “Things we study seem the same as before, but now something is changed. Something is more.” This is probably an opening to that “something more.” Like all good heroes, the journey has begun in earnest, and experiential travels spark an air of adventure. Again, recall this time of life for yourself. Advantages? Real deficits? And why have lines of italics (the main character’s inner life) declined to a dribble? Could engagement with the “real” world be altering?

Exploration 1: The protagonist observes those in the cohort, and thinks, “Most others around me sit up straight like the blunt and obedient ones they are.” Does this seem a fair description of the group? Does the description speak to the main character’s view of the world? Of self? If so, what might those views be?

Exploration 2: Does the relatively quick connection between the main character and Jani come across as believable? If so, what is it that brings them together?

Exploration 3: What do you think of the way the teacher handles the two youngsters?

Explorations 4: What exactly is it that these two young people are looking for, and why do they single out their teacher to try to get it?

NEXT: Encounter with the teacher.