UNDERSTANDING

One day Mekkar was having lunch, with his younger brother Alf, at an outdoor restaurant. It was in a foreign city where their team was about to play an ice hockey game that evening. The waiter approached the table soon after the brothers had seated themselves. Alf didn’t say a word but just pointed at his selection on the menu. When Mekkar spoke regarding the order in english, the server discovered that he did not speak nor understand the local language. Automatic assumptions about Mekkar were made and disparaging comments were discerned in the waiter’s speech.

It seemed as though there was an expectation that the Arctic Warrior would never find out what was being said about him in the local tongue. Big mistake! The restaurant employee could not have been more wrong in his judgment. Alf spoke the language of the country fluently and understood every word that was spoken. He was even aware of the arrogant tone and proceeded to translate every sentence to his older brother. In his true feisty manner, Mekkar became furious and expressed this in an outward display.

The two brothers ended up not ordering their meal. Instead Mekkar arose from his seat with intent to do some harm. Mekkar got in the waiter’s face and responded with a few choice words in the server’s tongue. Alf had quickly taught him a few simple phrases to respond with during their brief interaction at the table. Mekkar was now sure the waiter grasped that the snide words he had used previously about the Arctic Warrior were exposed. The countenance of the staff member changed to fear and he probably realized that he was in an inevitable position. There was no escape.

Next, the teenager from the far north stopped talking and threw a rapid fist, connecting in the middle of the server’s face. This stunned the taller waiter as Mekkar could unleash a powerful blow from his hands. One more punch to the stomach bent the employee over at the waist. Mekkar exhibited the strength to pickup his adversary enough to toss him into a nearby plate glass window. Flying shards of glass were all over. Mekkar didn’t foresee that much damage, but was in no mood to care. The brothers immediately decided to get out of there as quickly as they could. They wanted to avoid the local police, who they were sure had been called by a bystander observing the activity at the restaurant.

Mekkar and his younger sibling chased down a taxi to take them both back to the team hotel. They figured there was no need for further incidents and they could get some food at the team hotel or maybe even room service. The game day routine followed as usual without interruption.

However, when the match began that night Mekkar was still in a vicious state of mind and he wanted to take it out on someone. He would get his wish. The Arctic Warrior announced to his coaches on the bench for them to be ready to alter their lines. He commented that he was going to play forward and would probably receive an early ejection from the game. Mekkar’s target in this case would be anyone in an opposition national squad uniform, it didn’t matter whom. The bigger, the better!

The side that included Mekkar, his best friend Lasse, and Alf was far superior talent-wise. Thus, the team would have no problem winning the matchup without Mekkar, even though they would be one defenseman short for the whole game. Right at the beginning of his first shift, Mekkar exploded like a heat seeking missile. He sought out the toughest opposing player on the ice. After charging in and forcing a one-on-one tie-up, Mekkar unleashed a beatdown. The other guy quickly prostrated himself into a turtle position, but Mekkar continued his barrage. Mekkar, on this occasion, was sent to the sin bin for five minutes. His team scored a couple of short handed goals in the meantime.

When he was set free from the box, Mekkar did not join the flow on the ice. Instead, he chased after another potential victim and released the beast within. The intent was clear to all people in attendance. Mekkar’s own squad knew what his fate would be on this night. He threw many right hand blasts at the head of his opponent. Blood was streaming from the face of the other player. Since, Mekkar adrenaline was escalated, along with his boiling over anger; the young man was charged up and felt neither pain in his hands nor anywhere else. His teammates quipped that his smashes likely broke his opponent’s protective headgear at the same time. Mekkar didn’t notice and had no capacity for any mercy during the encounter. The Arctic Warrior’s attitude was taking no prisoners and Mekkar obeyed his fury.

It was ironic that Mekkar was ejected from the game, in the initial period, not for the pummeling he dished out. The action of picking up someone’s hockey stick lying nearby and subsequently swinging it like a club is what got him tossed. Even though Mekkar missed connecting with anyone, his baseball bat striking attempt sealed his fate this night. Alf afterward commented, “Beware of what comes out your mouth because you never know who is listening and there might be consequences, especially around Mekkar.”