Duplicate Custodians

Chapter 8

The school announced vacations. 

This time, Mr. Gregory, our principal's husband was in ICU and his conditions were getting worse day by day. Miss. Pump lumps said they would end the term quickly. So we had our year finished in October rather than in November. Two-month vacations and then from January's second week, a new session starts. We usually had our exams in November, but this year the staff made a quick move.

"Grandpa, I want to know more about the other half of Blove world," I said that evening. He was turning on the heater, here in SunDraw Island our winters always came in mid-October and ended in March. The rest of the year it remained hot and warm and sunny. He unfolded a quilt placed on the chair and sat on the sofa perpendicular to me.

"What do you want to know?" he asked gently, his eyes fixed on the newspaper which was delivered minutes ago.

"About how to go in there. I want to go there. Just once. Please?" I requested.

"It's dangerous."

"I am ready to take risks," I said in a confident voice. Grandpa lifted his head and looked at me and then smiled. Got his attention back to the newspaper.

"See, here. Yesterday a girl got hospitalized because she was skating on the street and was ready to take risks. Her parents are upset because of her."

"But, Grandpa..."

"No, Ifs and Buts. We told you to prepare for it. Not to let you go anywhere without preparation." I did not understand this for once but the other minute I knew what he was saying.

"Oh, Grandpa," I got up and hugged him, shoving some beans in my mouth.

"You need to learn archery," he said. Took a break and said, "For your defense and attacking," he said. I shrugged.

"Okay, and when are starting our training?"

"What about 10 minutes from now?" this time I was shocked.

"You roll it down a bit and jump. Cartwheel, Jasper do cartwheel and jump on your feet. Not on hands. This way you'll get your enemy's grip to lose on you." Grandpa yelled from above the tree. He climbed up there and was wanting to stay there. Part of me knew he was scared to come down.

"Stay Away From Tactical Hell. Muay Thai legend Saenchai is one of the greatest muay femurs to date. Think Long Term. Visualize Failure In Advance. Be Ready For Anything. Catch Your Opponents By Surprise. You've got to learn all these. I bet your sister knows them in her veins, Jasper."

I was sweating and found it hard to breathe while Grandpa kept yapping about martial arts.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, or BJJ, is a martial art based on ground fighting and grappling and is one of the fastest-growing arts in the world. ...

Krav Maga. ...

Muay Thai. ...

Aikido. ...

Muay Thai. ...

Silat. ...

Lethwei...

He kept reminding me of these techniques ad it was 3 weeks or a month since I have been risking my skin for this all. The more the time lapsed, the more I learned and the more I crept my excitement and tingling capacity of adventures towards either side of the world. I was more than nervous to meet my sister but more than excited to find things.

And then the final day, what more mattered was my final match with Grandma Zoe, I know it's creepy. But she has been my martial arts teacher. She was skilled and more than just an old strict grandma that knows how to knit.

"Okay now, Jasper. Listen to me carefully. Can you see this diamond? And this mirror?" Grandma asked.

"Yeah. I most probably can Grandma."

"When you fly over the town, to the seas, shine this mirror on the sky and let the sun reflect the rays. The reflected ray should be shown on this diamond. And the ray from the sun to the diamond should reflect back to the way the ray came from. You get it inside your brain Jasper?" She asked me. She was standing straight but the world around her kept spinning. I nodded.

"And be careful, this can burn your eyes and hand. Unconscious can take over you. Get it?" I nodded again.

Jet got over me and licked my face. I cuddled into him and got him on my shoulders. We both headed towards the seven seas. where my everything seemed peaceful and beyond the capacity of hardcore people. 

And then, I dived.