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Survivors 3-6


aurelius

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Survivors 3-6: 66-70

 

66

 

When we got to the main arena, Nashuja had to talk with the other leapers, so that we would have access to the bull.  I turned to Lateef:

 

“This is a little scary at first—and it feels strange, feeling the living hide of the moving bull under your hands.  But the leap is the same as on the wooden bull.”  I looked over at Nashuja.  He nodded.  So I took off running.

 

The bull was pretty docile; he snorted a little just before I started my leap.  But I loved feeling his hide under my hands again.  I pushed myself high up, and the sky opened for me as I flipped over.  When I landed I felt like I was the sun itself—I was one big smile.  Once again, Abari was my biggest fan:  ‘That was great Jabar!”  Then he turned to Lateef and said, “See?  Both you and Jabar have the kind of bodies that are perfect for leaping.”

 

By that time I was back to our group at the side of the arena.  “Just remember: this bull will move; his hide moves.  You need to push off hard and flip high so you land clear of the bull.”

 

Lateef nodded.  I ran behind him, just out of his sight, just in case the bull turned on him.  But Lateef did a perfect leap and landed far away from the bull.  It was a docile bull; it didn’t turn.

 

“That was great!” I said.  Lateef smiled, came over to me and put his arm around my shoulders, “And I did feel something when I flipped in mid-air—I felt like I was part of the sky!”

 

“I know!” I said, and I hugged and kissed Lateef.  “That’s the feeling I wanted you to feel—I wanted you to feel the sky open.  Oh, Lateef, we are such brothers!”  And I hugged and kissed him again.

 

Everyone congratulated Lateef when we returned to our group.  Dad smiled and said, “I guess Jabar was right.  Lateef, you made that look easy—and it was only your first leap!”

 

But Garin came up to me and whispered, “Do you think I can ask Nashuja if I can wrestle a bull now?”

 

‘Yes, you can ask me!” Nashuja said. “You know, l Garin, your voice carries.”  Garin blushed a little. 

“But,” Nashuja continued, “your question depends on how many more leaps Jabar and Lateef want to make. Jabar?  Lateef?”

 

Lateef was eager: “I want to make at least three more leaps.”

 

“And I want to make at least two,” I said.  I was having more fun watching Lateef leap; I felt oddly fulfilled, watching him find his joy in leaping.

 

“So,” Nashuja said, “Five leaps.  That will give me plenty of time to arrange for the old, somewhat crazy bull to be brought to the arena.  So, boys, get to leaping!”   He walked off to the other side of the arena, avoiding the bull.  Lateef took aim for the bull and ran toward it.  Another perfect leap, another moment of pure joy on his face.  I leaped too—and loved it—but I loved watching Lateef’s face more.

 

After we had done our leaps, some young men came out and gently placed a harness on our bull and led it from the arena.  As they were leading our bull out, another part of the arena barrier opened, and a new bull emerged.   To my eye, it didn’t look docile at all.  I was worried for Garin.

 

Garin walked out into the arena toward the bull.  Amare walked into the arena as well, but at some distance from Garin.  The bull snorted and pawed the dusty arena floor with its hooves.  Garin moved closer toward the bull, assuming a wrestler’s stance as he walked.  The bull charged.

 

Garin didn’t back away,  He grabbed the bull’s horns in his meaty hands.  But the bull had been running and he kept running—he pushed Garin back several feet before Garin widened his stance and twisted the bull’s head just a little.  The bull slowed and then stopped.  The bull snorted and tried to get free from Garin’s hands.  Garin held tight to the bull’s horns and his arm muscles grew larger than I had ever seen them.  He was in control of the bull.

 

But he couldn’t flip the bull.  He tried once, twice, three times, but each time the bull snorted and pulled back, or it tried to shake its head free—and it almost got free, but it could not.  The bull and Garin were a perfect match.  Garin was truly as strong as a bull—but not stronger.

 

This contest of strength went on for a while, but then both Garin and the bull seemed to realize that neither of them would win.  Garin released his hold on the bull’s horns.  The bull shook his head but did not attack Garin.  The bull moved back a step or two and Garin did as well.

 

But then the bull saw Amare.  It started charging toward him; then it stopped; it started wagging its tail and walking toward our father.  Amare stood his ground.  The bull didn’t charge.  Instead it went up to Amare, stood in front of him, and bowed his head.  Amare went toward the bull and petted his head.  The bull seemed to moan a little.

 

The Kapadarans in the arena erupted in cheers!  They rushed into the arena and surrounded Amare and the bull.  They asked Amare his name.  Somehow, one of the young women produced a garland of flowers and put it around Amare’s neck; another young women put a garland of flowers around the bull’s neck.  The people hugged and kissed both Amare and the bull.

 

The rest of Amare’s family stood, astonished.  Garin had rejoined us and he, like us, had his mouth open.  We didn’t know what to think.  Nashuja rushed over to us and spoke to me: “Your father has been honored by the bull.  Our goddess has honored your father.  He is blessed by the goddess!”

 

“You mean this isn’t just something that a crazy old bull might do?”

 

“Oh, no,” Nashuja said, “We only see this once every couple of years—and it doesn’t depend on the bull.  It depends on what the bull does, and how gentle the man or woman is toward the bull.  Your father—clearly a man of great muscle and strength—is also a man of great gentleness.”

 

“We all know that!”  I said.

 

“But he is also gentle toward all of creation—and the goddess has seen that and blessed him!”  Nashuja was beside himself, smiling.  “We must have a feast for your father.  He and the bull will be paraded through the town and people will throw flowers upon them both and sing their praises. The priestess must anoint your father as beloved of the goddess.”

 

“Is all this necessary?” I said.

 

“I’m afraid so,” Nashuja said.  “Your father has walked right into a great festival of the goddess. Please, go to him right now and explain what has happened!”  So all the rest of our family rushed to be closer to our father; Abari and I worked our way through the throng of people around him throwing flowers at him and the bull.  The bull had become very docile; it seemed to know that it was involved in something bigger than he was.  Abari and I hurriedly explained to our father that he was now part of a religious festival.

 

 

67

 

Nashuja worked his way in toward Amare and said, “We will proceed up the hill by the palace and down to the harbor; then we will come back here for the ceremony.  Amare, your family should walk beside and behind you.  Some of our young men will lead the bull beside you.  The people will sing songs in your honor.”

 

Amare said, “I am greatly honored.”  He motioned for Dad to stand beside him; all us brothers stood behind him.  Garin thought the whole thing was silly; Lateef elbowed his ribs and said, “Your dad is being honored; show some respect!”

 

The procession never made it to the harbor.  Everyone from the harbor—including Masud and some of his crew—came up from the harbor to join the procession.  Once the priestess joined the procession outside the palace gate, we turned around and went back to the arena.  

 

The priestess led Amare into the center of the arena.  The bull came in next.  He broke free of the young men leading him and went to Amare.  Once again, he bowed to Amare.  This time, Amare not only petted but also hugged the bull.  The crowd cheered wildly.

 

The priestess asked Amare to bow his head.  She anointed his head with oil and raised her hands.  Everyone quieted down; the priestess chanted a prayer to the goddess.  The people in the crowd chanted and hummed along.

 

But suddenly, Xander weakened: he falls and Zuberi has to hold him up.  Zuberi whispers, “Xander! What’s wrong?”  Xander cannot speak for a moment.  Then he says softly, “I see Demetrios; he’s in great pain.  I think he may die!”  I and Abari, Lateef and Garin cluster around Zuberi and Xander.  Zuberi turns to Nashuja, “Can you help us?”  Nashuja leads all the brothers away from the throng in the middle of the arena.  He says, “There is a seer in the Cave of Zeus.  Since Xander is Greek, maybe the seer can help.  Jabar, you stay here and wait for your fathers.  When the ceremony is over, tell the priestess that your brother has had a vision of his twin in Greece; tell her we have gone to the Cave of Zeus.  She will point you the way.  It’s not far.”

 

I watch my brothers go off with Nashuja and I suddenly feel alone.  But I go to my fathers and stand beside them.  When the ceremony is over, the priestess puts her small hands on Amare’s big shoulders and leans in to kiss Amare’s cheek.  That is when I go up to my fathers and tell them that Xander has fallen; he’s had a vision of his twin Demetrios in great pain.  Nashuja has taken all my brothers to the Cave of Zeus.  I asks the priestess if she can guide us there.

 

The priestess says, ‘When one of the gods speak, sometimes others do.”  She turns to Amare and Dad: “Go to your son.  The seer at the Cave of Zeus is a good man.  He will help your son.  The cave is up over that ridge”—she points to a ridge behind us.  “Just follow the path as it leaves the arena and bend to your left three times.”

 

Of course Dad is worried about Xander:  “He’s going to want to go to Mycenae.  After we see Xander and the others, Jabar, I want you and Lateef to run down to the harbor and tell Masud we must go to Mycenae as soon as possible.”

 

It wasn’t hard to find the Cave of Zeus.  Several Mycenaean soldiers were coming from the cave as we got closer to it; they all wore thunderbolt necklaces.  Once we were there, we could hear the seer speaking.   As we entered the cave, we saw that he had his hand on Xander’s head and was saying, “He is coming by ship from Troy.  He was deeply wounded in battle.  The ship is carrying the wounded back to Mycenae.  It will carry more soldiers to Troy.  The war is not going as quickly as Agamemnon thought.  Go to Mycenae.  Ply the oars fast and you will reach Mycenae even as your twin’s ship reaches the port.  Go and save your brother!”

 

Xander collapsed in tears, supported again by Zuberi.  Dad looked at me and then at Lateef: “Lateef, go with Jabar.  Run down to the harbor and tell Masud we must leave at once for Mycenae.”  “Yes, Dad.”   Lateef and I set off running.

 

 

68

 

The coxswain gave up trying to keep order among the oarsmen.  Xander rowed like a demon.  Abari was nearly as bad; he knew how much Demetrios meant to Xander and he wanted to help.  Our fathers also rowed like crazy.  Even Garin rowed fast.  I couldn’t tell what Zuberi was thinking.  He wanted to help Xander, but I think he was leery of Demetrios; I wondered if Zuberi was worried that Xander loved Demetrios more than him.  In fact, on a break, I said to Zuberiu, “You know Demetrios is Xander’s twin, right?”  Zuberi nodded.  “This is not something Xander can control—he has to see his twin.”  

 

“I know,” Zuberi said, “But I’ve never seen Xander like this.  And I thought once Xander chose to come home, he was all mine again!”

 

I took hold of Zuberi’s big shoulders and looked him in the face: “And he still loves you best.  I know this.  But Demterios is his flesh and blood—literally.  And he feels the same way about him dying that he would feel about any of us dying—he would fight against it.  In fact, he feels the same way about Demetrios dying that you felt when Xander was wounded—remember how you felt then?”  “Of course.”  Zuberi looked off in the distance. ”You make sense, Jabar, but I’ve never felt further from Xander, and it scares me.”

 

I once again looked Zuberi right in the face:  “I fought hard to get Xander to come home.  It wasn’t easy.  Finding his twin was the most important event in his life.  Coming home to his family was the right thing for him to do, since Xander—as you know—would have hated life in the Mycenaean army.”

 

“Yes, I know,” Zuberi chuckled a little and smiled.

 

“But this is different.  I imagine that Xander will do anything to save Demetrios’ life—including using our island water.  You are not losing a lover; you will be gaining another brother.”

 

Zuberi’s face brightened. “You think so?”

 

“Well,” I said, “it depends on how wounded Demetrios is.  But the seer seemed to think that only Xander could save his life—and I heard that as an invitation to feed Demetrios our water.”

 

That seemed to calm Zuberi.  He gave me a hug and said “Thank you” and we both went back down to man the oars.

 

We made Mycenae in two days.  Masud was very impressed: “I should always have you muscle men as my rowers!”

 

As we headed toward the harbor, we noticed a ship with military markings starting to make its way into the harbor.

 

Xander was the first to put on sandals; he was ready the moment the gangway was lowered to the harbor.  The rest of his family followed.

 

 

69

 

We were all waiting for the military ship as it docked.  I had a jug of our water on a strap from my shoulder.  Leander was on the deck of the ship.  He called down, “Xander!  Jabar!  Abari!  How are you here?”

 

Xander spoke for us, “I know Demetrios is wounded.  I must see him.  Can you allow us to come aboard and see him?”

 

“Yes, of course!”  Leander spoke to some soldiers on deck. They lowered the gangway and soon we were all walking onto the Mycenaean ship.  Leander welcomed us, giving hugs to Xander, Abari and me.  “He’s over here,” he said and he led us to a pallet where Demetrios looked pale and ashen.

 

Xander knelt down and was near tears, but he called softly, “Demetrios, I’ve come back. I’m here, my brother!”  The rest of us formed an arc around Xander and Demetrios.  I stood near Zuberi; I could tell he was already quietly crying,

 

Demetrios stirred and weakly said, “Xander?  Is that you?”  It seemed he couldn’t see well.  I turned to Leander who was on my other side, “How bad is the wound?”

 

“He was deeply wounded in his thigh.  He fought Troy’s greatest warrior, Hector.  When he was wounded, we all rushed around him to protect him.  Hector fell back; he didn’t need to kill Demetrios—he just wanted him out of the battle.  But I think the wound is not as great as Demetrios giving up—he knows he will never be the great warrior he has been.  He had killed 20 Trojans before he fought Hector.”

 

But I could hear Xander talking softly to Demetrios.  “My brother, I want you to live.  I can heal your wound.  But it means you will need to come and live on our island.  My whole family is here.  We will welcome you and love you.  Will you drink some island water and be healed?”

 

Demetrios seemed to hear only part of what Xander said, ”Xander, will you promise not to leave me?”

 

“Of course, my brother.  We can live together for the rest of our lives.   But you must live!  Please say you will drink our water.”

 

Leander leaned over to me: “This water, what does it do?”

 

“It can heal any wound.  It makes a man muscular; it also makes him fall in love with other men.”

 

“And what happens if a man already loves another man?”

 

Amare chuckled and said, “Then they love each other even more,” and he and Dad kissed.

 

I looked at Leander and said, “Are you in love with Demetrios?”

 

“I have been for years.  But it’s not something soldiers in the Mycenaean army talk about.  If they want to fuck a pretty boy, they fuck him.  But they don’t admit to loving each other.  So if he drinks the water, I want to drink it too.”

 

I smiled and gave him a quick hug: “Then welcome, my new brother!”

 

I looked back at Xander and Demetrios.  Xander was feeding some water to Demetrios: one sip, another, another, and another.  Then, as Demetrios drifted off to sleep, Xander hugged and kissed him.  He cried a little as he whispered, “Welcome, my brother!”  Then he asked Leander to show him where the wound was.  Leander knelt down and removed the sheet covering Demetrios’ leg.  Xander untied the bandage and splashed some water on the wound.  It bubbled and fizzed; Demetrios shook a little, but then he slept more soundly.

 

“So then,” Leander said, “Demetrios will sleep and wake a new man—right?”

 

“Yes,” I said.

 

“Then please, let me drink some water too!”  Leander took a big drink of the water.  I caught him as he slumped into sleep.

 

 

70

 

We got Demetrios and Leander onto our ship; Xander tended him; after he woke up, Leander helped.  Masud had wanted a day’s worth of trading in Mycenae, but he realized we really wanted to get home—so we pulled out of the harbor and headed home.  The water would keep Demetrios alive, but we knew he wouldn’t be fully healed until he felt the healing powers of the pool.

 

Demetrios looked a lot better, the more water he drank and the closer he got to home—or maybe it was that he was around Xander.  In fact, Xander, Zuberi, Leander and Demtrios formed a group in the bow of the ship.  Yes, Xander rowed some.  But when he rowed, Zuberi was there with Leander.  And yes, Leander rowed—he gave up his officer status pretty easily and liked using his new muscles on the oars.  But he only rowed when Xander was there with Demetrios.  And Zuberi also rowed, and Xander and Leander stayed with Demetrios.  

 

The rest of the family came by and visited with Demetrios.  Abari and I came by and Demterios remembered us.  I introduced Lateef and Garin, but Demetrios was much more impressed by Amare and Dad.  “You have an impressive family!”

 

“Yes, we know,” said Dad.  “And now we welcome you to our family.  We know Xander loves you, and we all love Xander, so you are our son and a brother to our sons.”

 

“Thank you,” Demetrios said, a bit tentatively.  It seemed to me he was constructing a new identity.  I imagine it took some doing, seeing himself as the son of a Nubian and a barbarian, and with two new Nubian brothers.  He was no longer Demetrios the warrior.  Oh, he would tell tales of his exploits on the plain before Troy, but every time he looked at Xander, it seemed he knew his future was with his brother, and his brother would never join any army.

 

When we got home, Amare took Demetrios up in his huge arms and headed for the pool—just as he had done with Xander, and with Shakir.  It didn’t take long for the whole island to hear the news of the warrior from Greece who was Xander’s twin, a warrior who had been wounded and whom Xander had persuaded to take the island water.  And it also didn’t take long for the island to learn that Xander’s twin brother brought with him a very beautiful man, Leander.  Soon after Amare lay Demetrios’ body into the pool, and Xander started pouring water over Demetrios’ leg, the pool was ringed by curious men checking out Xander and his twin and his twin’s beautiful lover.

 

For when Leander and Demetrios woke on board the ship and saw each other, they immediately called to each other.  Leander knelt down beside Demetrios and took him in his arms. They kissed and hugged—and Zuberi was one very relieved brother!

 

After a day soaking in the pool Demetrios wanted to get out.  Xander and Leander helped him walk out; he walked with a limp—a limp which would always be with him a little.  He wanted to see where we lived, so we went to the bay.  It was nearly time for evening water anyway.  Lateef and I had filled up water jugs.  Xander took his brother and Leander down to the beach.  Like all new men they were pretty thirsty.  All the men of the bay stood up, applauded, and said, “Welcome Demetrios and Leander!”  Demetrios blushed—and even though he had a beard, I could swear he looked just as beautiful as his brother when he blushed.

 

The living arrangements at first were a bit cramped: Demetrios and Leander stayed with Xander and Zuberi.  But soon Garin and Abari brought four more slabs and another room was added to Zuberi and Xander’s house.  Since Abari and I lived nearby, we soon could hear some energetic love-making among the four of them.  Zuberi admitted to me, a day later, that the only difference between Xander and his brother was Demetrios’ beard.  And Zuberi wondered if Leander minded sharing Demetrios with his brother’s lover.  I loved that Zuberi smiled as he was saying this.  

 

Demetrios learned to become a blacksmith like his twin.  He loved hammering spears and swords—it seemed to connect him to his past.  And Leander became an artisan along side Zuberi—in fact, he greatly increased the output of thunderbolts and dolphins headed for Kapadar and Mycenae.

 

And Demetrios joined Garin’s Coconut team.  Even with his small limp, he was an aggressive player.  Whenever he got the coconut, he barreled ahead, pushing strong men out of his way, often carrying the coconut the length of the field.  Garin loved it.  After Demetrios had scored, Garin told him, “You’re better than your brother!”  The compliment did not sit well with Demetrios.  He came over to Garin, took hold of his big shoulders, and drew his face to him: “NEVER say anything against my brother—ever!  Do you hear? Xander saved my life.”  And he pushed Garin away as if he was some scrawny kid.  Big Garin managed a meek, “OK,” but he never said anything against Xander again.  Demetrios went over to Xander and the twins put their muscular arms around each other’s shoulders.

 

But Garin did learn to use the twins to his advantage.  He went over to Demetrios and Xander and suggested—in the meekest of terms—it was really comic, watching this from a few feet away—that Demetrios shave his beard so that he looked more like Xander.  Garin suggested that the could use their looks to an advantage in Coconut.  Xander and Demtrios looked at each other and said, “This could be fun!”  And so Demetrios shaved his beard.  

 

The effect was immediate in several ways:  Zuberi and Leander agreed that they couldn’t be jealous when one of them fucked the wrong twin—it was impossible to tell the two apart if they were lying down.  The only way you could tell them apart was by Demetrios’ slight limp.  And if Xander copied his twin’s limp, then they might as well have been the same man.  Indeed, beardless Demetrios transformed Xander too: he became much less noble; he and Demetrios cooked up schemes where they would fool any of us brothers—to the extent that Lateef started saying, “OK, which of you is you?” before he agreed to do anything.  

 

And in the game of Coconut, Demetrios and Xander often passed the coconut between them, then one would head the wrong way—and then the other would head the other way—until some on the opposing team stood still, l trying to figure out which boulder was theirs.  Then one of them—usually Xander—would toss the coconut to his twin and Demetrios would barrel down the field and score.  

 

And I knew Demetrios had really changed Xander when I saw the two of them teasing the opposition, making a game of Coconut become Go-go-nuts. I never would have imagined Xander ever playing Go-go-nuts.  Garin’s teams almost always played straight Coconut.  So when I saw the twins showing their butts and kissing and teasing the other side, I looked at Lateef and said “What?  Who? How?”  “Well,” said Lateef, “This teasing is being done by your brothers Xander and Demetrios, and they are teasing very well—just look at how confused the other side is!”  And of course, the teasing had a purpose: Garin grabbed the coconut, the teasing stopped, Go-go-nuts vanished and Garin scored.

 

And I should say that Garin’s team was playing the big boys from the quarry.  Some of them looked angrily at me.  I just shrugged and said “It’s not my call—take it up with my father.”  But they weren’t about to cross Amare.  I rather liked Amare as a judge.  It meant more fun for me!

 

 

The End

 

 

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