The Boy With Strange Eyes

3 - The Departure

The Departure

~ Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare. ~

Kuni received a reasonable price for the net. The village elder was very successful. He owned three large vessels. The man he bartered with had been a good friend to his grandfather. They had grown up together as boys and fished together.

The village elder was sympathetic to the young orphan. Coins were rare in the tiny fishing village, so they agreed on a reasonable price only if the boy took most of his payment in supplies plus a few coins.

Kuni immediately took the worn coins he had so earnestly bargained for. The youth spent every single penny on more food. Mostly rice and dried, spiced fish strips. The one exception he allowed himself was the luxury of buying two coppers worth of sweet rice cakes.

Kuni then collected every water gourd he could find and trekked to the village springs. In his weakened condition, it took him two trips to return them to his little craft for storage.

Initially, the boy could not eat over one or two bites of rice. Kuni's stomach made funny growling and groaning noises, making him nauseous. Afraid he might vomit some of his precious supplies, the child ate no more the first day.

The following day, he broke his fast and could eat almost half a small bowl of rice. Later that evening, on the second day, Kuni felt ravenous. He ate an entire bowl of rice and a strip of cured fish. The boy had to force himself to stop before devouring his whole food supply.

"Tomorrow, I will leave tomorrow," Kuni said out loud.

🐉 ~Yes, tomorrow is good. There, you may not be judged unfairly.~

The youngster was afraid he would not sleep, but the child slept the best he had in many months. When Kuni awoke the morning of his departure, he cried, "Father!" The boy could not help himself, not after the dream.

The Last Day Dream was about Kuni's last day fishing with his father. It was the final time the boy had ever fished with him. It was the final time he saw his father alive.

That day, Kuni and his father had a big fight, and he had never spoken to his father again. When Kuni allowed himself to think about that day, they had fought so heatedly. He recalled the harsh words they had spoken to each other.

The hurtful, mean, impossible-to-take-back words. It had begun because Kuni wanted to talk honestly with his father.

The boy referred to it as the 'Last Day' mainly because it had been the last day for many things. The last day of youth, of innocence, of love? On the Last Day, he had been truthful about his negative feelings about becoming a fisherman and his growing desire to become a scholar and a scribe. He felt it best not to mention his burning desire to become a warrior. Working as a scribe was enjoyable, and he hoped it was more acceptable to his father.

Kuni rarely thought about the Last Day, and when he dreamed, the lad usually fantasized about the good times when his mother, Kaasan, was still alive—learning to read as she taught him his letters side-by-side.

The two had been inseparable. They were bonded tightly by their love of books and learning. His father and grandfather had called him a 'momma's boy,' They repeatedly told him to grow up and quit being a sissy.

Kuni didn't care what they thought or said to him because he had enjoyed his time with his mother. His mother had succumbed to lung disease. His fond memories of her sustained him for the past eighteen months. All the people of his village knew this disease had no cure. Once someone had it, they either lived or died (mostly died) independently, for there was no treatment.

A tiny eighteen-month window of time, within which the boy had lost, what exactly? He had lost everything. His grandfather went first, his loving mother, and finally, his stern father. He had lost his family and his home. During the dark times, he admitted how much more he had lost. He had lost his sense of himself because if he had no one, would a Kuni remain?

The villagers completely ignored him, and most people walked past him silently. No one spoke to him unless they were forced to, and it felt like he, Kuni, was not even there. With the death of his entire family, Kuni had somehow become invisible.

None of the villagers could see him, so he was the same as non-existent, right? Everyone in this tiny town believed the child was responsible for his father's death, and if everyone thought something, then it became the truth.

Kuni felt sad and sorry for himself as he began preparing for his departure, voyage, and grand adventure. His boat slipped quietly from the dock while all in the village were still breaking their fast. The boy felt like he should cry or do something. No tears came; they never came anymore. The youngster had long ago decided you were only given a certain amount, or quantity, of tears in a lifetime, and he had used up what he had been allotted.

Young Kuni has had many reasons to cry in his short life. He has discovered that many people enjoy hurting others, even children, or making them cry. The boy has also realized that many good people go out of their way to make children laugh and feel joy.

The lad understood how happiness would lose its importance and value without sadness. Kuni's mother had been fond of an old village proverb: 

"One who smiles rather than rages is always the stronger." 

Kaasan had been a knowledgeable young woman...

                                                                        END

Questions to ask yourself:

At the beginning of this quest, Kuni is very young. In many ways, he seems immature. However, he possesses knowledge of the world and people's behavior that many experience and learn in adulthood.

Do you know anyone who is an orphan?

Perhaps you are an orphan or someone whose circumstances have forced you to survive alone.

Why are some members of our society treated as outcasts?

Kuni refuses to cry.

Do you think crying is a sign of weakness?

Have you ever been starving?

Compared to the movies, famished people can only consume a little food. It takes a period before they can eat regularly.

Have you ever wondered why many people, including children, are hungry daily?

Why can't we do a better job feeding those in need?