YOU MAY NOT PASS

There was one short term security guard second job that Mekkar worked at when he needed some extra money to afford making a larger item purchase. In one instance on a hot summer day he worked at a very restrictive door at a vintage car show. Only the auctioneers and car owners were allowed through that specific entrance, from outside, that Mekkar was responsible for. The idea was to protect the high dollar vehicles that were to be auctioned off from being stolen before they reached the bidding process.

There was one person in particular that attempted to enter that path without the correct credentials. The guy severely pestered Mekkar for over fifteen minutes. That is, until The Arctic Warrior tersely responded with an ultimatum to stop the grief. Mekkar bluntly said, “It has been explained to you what is required to enter through this way. Say one more word to me about it and you will be picking yourself off of the ground, as I have had enough of you!” Then the middle aged man, after all of this drama, finally pulled out the proper identification allowing him to walk-in directly past Mekkar into the complex. No one else standing there gave the man from the Far North, guarding that path, any trouble the rest of the day.

Later on during his shift, Mekkar’s boss and the owner of the security company that was hired to provide services for the event, came by to speak to Mekkar. The owner asked him, “Does everyone hate you while you have been at this door?” Mekkar replied, “Yes!” Next, his boss told him, “Perfect, you are doing exactly what you are supposed to be doing and what I want as well. There was a reason why I chose you for this spot. I know that you will not put up with any nonsense and are not a pushover. You are not one to just let anyone in areas, where they are not supposed to be. Also, for your excellent performance here, you will be receiving a bonus in your paycheck.” Then, the boss handed him a nice cup of refreshing liquid to cool him off. 

TOURIST BUSINESS & FAMILY RESTAURANT

After working on the fishing boat, his mama demanded that he learn the English language for the family business because there was a need and she thought that he would be a good candidate. There was also pressure on her due to the increasing number of tourists: Yanks (Americans), Canucks (Canadians), Roos (Aussies), Kiwis (New Zealanders), Springboks (South Africans), and most of all Brits (those from the United Kingdom, specifically Great Britain) that had English as their primary spoken tongue.

Thus, her impatience in this regard was understandable. Mekkar was his mama’s choice and she was determined to make him fulfill this role she set out for him even if it killed her. His mama set up home schooling with tutors along with his special foreign language studies. Sirga also felt that this was a good reflection, in one aspect, of her parenting abilities.

When Mekkar’s papa Henrik would go to the United States, Britain, or another nation with English as a mother tongue for business, Mekkar’s mama made requests of him. In her mind, the requests were mainly for Mekkar’s benefit. Sirga would tell Henrik to purchase and bring back English speaking only sports tapes, films, and videos for Mekkar. Mekkar’s mama would gather related items for him during her own modeling junkets as well.

She knew that would the best and quickest way for Mekkar to grasp the correct interaction phraseology was through his passion of sports. Sirga never failed to remind Henrik to tell his translators these things also. She would do this herself on the rare occasions when she met the go betweens directly that would travel with her husband on those business trips. It was important due to the fact that Henrik never learned nor spoke English himself. He admitted being taught a few of the swear words as part of the Allied air group during the Korean conflict, but long since forgotten them. Henrik was able to converse fluently in ten other languages, with business vocabulary in German being most important for his employer at that time.

Henrik would buy in North America, at the behest of Sirga; National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB), World Hockey Association (WHA), National Hockey League (NHL), & English Futbol (Soccer) items for Mekkar. Henrik would bring back whole boxes of items. This was done to encourage Mekkar to continue on and to help him develop the skills needed as soon as possible. She designed it as an incentive program for the boy.

Sirga had confidence that Mekkar would succeed in the immediate and difficult task she had given him. Still she had a plan; otherwise consequences would be carried out. Yet, Sirga was not averse to taking that route and could use harsh measures as a last resort to motivate him. Frequently for her oldest son, Sirga held back whipping his rear end on a regular basis and other forms of punishment until the job was done. That is, in a satisfactory manner up to her standard. These factors caused Mekkar to accelerate his learning curve until his mama felt confident that he was ready enough for continuous customer interaction. Then, she placed him “into the fire” by pressing Mekkar into service for business reasons.

On one of the first days of dealing with the tourists in the family restaurant Mekkar was busing tables and took a couple of orders. One early example was a group of tourists that had arrived into their small 15 table specialty diner. The visitors from the United Kingdom appeared to be astonished when a boy came over to their order. One of the customers commented out load about their order taker’s fairly broken English skills.

Even so, it seemed as though both parties understood each other well enough to converse and get the point across after his first order was received in the foreign language, Mekkar approached the kitchen. Mekkar beamed with confidence, well as much as a little boy could muster. In his eagerness, he sought out more opportunities to exercise his foreign language skills that day.

Later on, another kid from another tourist family taught Mekkar a few new phrases in English. However, Mekkar was given inaccurate information as to the true meanings of some of those expressions. The visitor told Mekkar that one of the words was referred to as a type of greeting instead. Why Mekkar took it at face value, without question, from the slightly older visitor we will never know. Not long afterward, Mekkar thought that he was being cool and uttered that greeting to other travelers. He became confused when he received an appalled reaction which caused them to flee out of the restaurant. When Sirga got wind of it, she was angry at Mekkar and smacked him upside the head. The Arctic boy was puzzled and bewildered by his mama’s response. Mekkar thought that he was being friendly. The young boy was unaware that his specific choice of terminology were used as swear words instead of friendly introductions. Unknown to Mekkar, his mama had been warned by one of her friends who happened to be nearby and spoke English fairly well. She revealed what he was really saying. After some embarrassment and attempts to pass the blame, the lesson was learned. Of course, this was all before Sirga began her own process of absorbing English. She felt it was best for her to be relatable to different tourist groups that might arrive in the future.

This was one of the few slip ups by Mekkar. Overall, he was given praise for a job well done. After closing hours, Mekkar was rewarded with the washing of pots, pans, dishes, & other general cleaning duties. He felt that maybe that this was punishment due to his swearing at the tourists earlier in the day. Mekkar began to come up with alternate justifications and possibilities. He told himself the reason for doing these tasks was that his little brother needed to have an example to follow. For Alf to be groomed to carry out the same tasks, when he got older. The problem was there was a lack of available bodies to fill all the positions at the time to complete the work.

Eventually, the family business expanded into other areas and branched out. Sirga also forced Mekkar along with his siblings and friends to expand their foreign speaking skills by hook or by crook. Employment requirements needed to be filled. Mekkar didn’t go to the formal school anyway and instead had tutors, training aids, plus other methods to help him learn. This way he could spend more time working. Any additional time was spent playing sports and being a kid as much as he could. In this culture, it was expected that children had to grow up more quickly and contribute to the family’s welfare. When he got older formal classroom schooling was also sacrificed on the altar of sports and job assignments.

When he was younger, Mekkar was also in the process of learning not only his native tongue, but another nearby dialect of it, the national language of the country he lived in, a regional speech, a couple of continental languages, along with communication in English as his mama required. His plate was quite full at this time. This was all reinforced by the force of his mama’s personality backed by statements of “Do it my way or I’ll beat your butt!” There was no double standard or dual meaning to interpret regarding Sirga’s words or intentions. She did not speak in double meanings or with a lying tongue unlike today’s politicians. The goals were made very clear and defined. She always meant what she said and their native language was constructed in that manner.

Sirga also made his brothers, when they reached a certain age as he did, learn other foreign tongues to fulfill various other needs according to her perceptions. Alf would eventually become fluent in easily over twenty languages including Hungarian, which is considered by many to be the hardest language on earth. In the course of time, Alf could converse in Cantonese Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Greek, as well as prominent Finno-Ugric, Germanic, Slavic, and Romance languages. Mekkar, on the other hand, was considered a slacker in his family for speaking less than ten languages himself. However, he spoke English which others in his family did not speak at the time. Due to lack of use and practice, in time Mekkar would forget a couple of the tongues he learned when he was a kid. He still remembers odd words however. English was here to stay and would be of more use in the future unbeknownst to Mekkar. This was the case almost exclusively in the future, when he had to flee his home forever due to extenuating circumstances.

Another time when Mekkar was a teenager outside tending watching over some of his reindeer, to keep them healthy for the tourist business, other visitors drove by slowly. The vehicle stopped suddenly where he was and a man, his wife along with two children got out. Mekkar instantly recognized them as non locals because of their clothes. His judgment was based on previous interaction with them in their own language earlier. This time, The Arctic herder kept his back turned toward their group and continued his duties while pretending to ignore the family. The man approached Mekkar within speaking distance. The tourist called out disparagingly, “Hey reindeer boy, turn around and look at us, so we can get a picture of you with the animals.” Mekkar heard him and thought that maybe the out-of-towner had not recognized him from earlier. The young man from the far north surmised that the visitor thought he was speaking to someone else. Despite, the fact there was no other native person with Mekkar at that moment.

Mekkar became perturbed at the condescending comment and responded by turning slowly to his right. He responded, what he referred to as those arrogant bastards, with the native version of flipping the bird at them. It occurred to Mekkar that the visitors might not have understood the meaning behind his reaction. Just to make sure they received his response properly so they would get a clearer picture, he then proceeded to drop his pants to his ankles and moon the tourists there. He even patted his bare bottom in their direction for added emphasis. Mekkar intentionally had reacted with a flippant attitude in this manner. He did what he thought was an appropriate comeback to combat the snobbish attitude and comments on the part of the sightseers.

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.”

ON THE PITCH

Mekkar was in town to visit his youngest brother Niillas. The younger sibling asked Mekkar to come and watch him play, the next day, in a soccer (futbol) match for charity. The game would include other pro players like Niillas that supported a specific cause. Initially, was not interested and came up with excuses to avoid coming to observe the game. To Mekkar, it would be only a glorified scrimmage. He prefers to attend real matches where a victory would count for something in the standings.

So, Niillas threw out another bone by telling his older brother that there would be some former International and World Cup stars in the game. Names that he would be familiar with. Niillas also told Mekkar that one side had his favorite player Giorgio Chinaglia along with Pele, and a German goalie. The other side had one of the greatest players from Germany, as well as, others that Mekkar would recognize from all over the globe (Mexico, Brazil, Italy, England, and more). The sell job worked and convinced Mekkar to agree to go. “After all, it was for charity,” Mekkar quipped in justifying tone as if he was trying to convince himself that he had made the right decision.

The man from the Arctic expected to see a tiny member of people in the stands for the matchup. Boy, he was in for a surprise when about a half hour before the scheduled start time the crowd began to file in. There was a lot more than Mekkar originally anticipated. He then received the news why the event was happening at all. The match was put on in a rather hastily manner to raise funds for a fellow old footballer to meet medical expenses for a recently diagnosed disease. Mekkar made the assumption that the individual was a well respected in the soccer (futbol) community and some of his friends wanted to help any way they could.

However, Niillas came over to the bench to get a drink of water with a worried look on his face. Mekkar noticed this and inquired, “What is the problem?” Niillas told his brother that he was just informed that one of the players for his team was unable to get a connecting flight and unable to make it in time for the match. The younger brother asked Mekkar to play instead and said to him, “We have no subs to fill in the hole (in the lineup).” Mekkar came appropriately dressed in a t-shirt and shorts since it was a sunny day and didn’t need to change his attire. Since, the older brother was reluctant, Niillas now pleaded with Mekkar to be the replacement. He told Niillas, “I am a former hockey player, not a soccer (futbol) player!” The younger sibling responded back, “Don’t you think that I know that, but the choices were either you or that fat sports reporter over there on the sidelines. Not only are you in much better shape, you have played the game a few times and watched hundreds of top flight soccer (futbol) games, a number with me in them.” Niillas continued on, “You already know how to play this game and you don’t want us, especially me, to look bad do you?” Mekkar began to be suspicious, as it is his nature, and thought that this was all a big set up of some type, by his sibling. Even though it was not the case, Mekkar was not convinced.

The other side lacked any additional players as well with only the minimum of ten and a goaltender. Niillas influenced Mekkar by making him aware to not disappoint the crowd that had already shown up. Trouble was, it was too late for emergency reasons to turn back and Mekkar finally agreed. He decided to not make any additional enemies in a foreign stadium. Mekkar was not in the mood, at this point, to have a hostile crowd predisposed toward him. Especially, if they found out he might be the one responsible for today’s event being called off. You never know how fans might react to the news, thought Mekkar.

The Arctic Warrior pressed his relative as to what his position would be and what was expected of him on the pitch. Niillas advised Mekkar, “I know that you were a defenseman in your sport and know all kinds of tricks, especially below the waist with the hips and positioning.” Surprisingly, Niillas had never played ice hockey before and lacked excellent skating skills for the sport his older sibling excelled at. Mekkar’s brother went on to say to his older kin, “Use the tactics I mentioned to you and try not to foul too often above the waist. Do that and you will be fine. You will have to mark number six when he pushes forward into his offensive zone, otherwise you will be a regular defender. Your teammates back there on the field will guide you.” And Niillas went on to say, “During the one-on-one marking, the player you will be covering will get frustrated and probably swear at you. You do remember enough choice words to respond back in his own language, right?” Mekkar sot back with disdain in his voice, “Yes! Great, I get to be embarrassed by one of the greatest players ever and have him hate me forever by the time the match is over. Be a pest, I can do that! I was very good at that in hockey and got under opponents skin.”

Yet, Mekkar had to change his mindset because as a hockey player he could get physical by body checking, even punching opposing players. But, in the Beautiful Game (soccer / futbol) it is the complete opposite and you are unable to manhandle other players. Mekkar could not afford to get red carded and removed from the game, thus forcing his side into a shorthanded scenario for the rest of the time. Unlike hockey, down a man to spend two minutes in the sin bin would be a minimum penalty. Fortunately, it never came to that. Niillas squad, which included Mekkar, won the match with a late goal in the last couple of minutes in regulation time. Mekkar was glad there was no tie score as he hated results where there is no clear winner.

After the final whistle from the referee blew, Mekkar began to approach some of teammates on the field that day. He figured that this might be his only chance to ever interact with some them. He wanted to meet Pele right after the match was over and who was on his side, but never was able to because the superstar was immediately surrounded by a thick throng of people. Mekkar did get to chat with some of the other athletes there that he had previously watched for years. He thought it was pretty cool. Plus, Mekkar got to spend some time talking with his favorite soccer (futbol) player in the whole world, Chinaglia.

MACHINES ARE TAKING OVER

Long before the widespread public accessible World Wide Web, Mekkar’s best friend Lasse had completed his custom made computer system for use at his house. Lasse had taught himself to become up to date in his knowledge of hardware and other related issues. The two boys had used other means to hack into satellites and information databases around the world. The technology and capabilities were expanding very quickly during this time.

Many times in the past, Mekkar and Lasse had both picked Henrik’s brain often since Mekkar’s papa was considered an electronics guru. Henrik was enlisted by the national government and military departments due to his expertise in those fields. Of course, Henrik would share some helpful information and demonstrate their applications to his oldest son and his friends. Mekkar figured it would be an honor for any papa to be able to pass on something to his offspring.

The system was extensive and too up the whole side of Lasse’s bedroom wall with an assortment of tables and various separating constructs. Wires and cables seemed to be everywhere. They were marked with different color tape with written indicators as to function and where to be connected. The servers and makeshift other equipment had symbols on the back as well to identify how all of it must be set up. Lasse had other written his own software to make the whole thing operate as intended. The complete system itself was not cheap and the cost was in excess of sixty thousand dollars. Lasse had worked hard to gather the funds to pay for it.

That same day when a couple of the last parts, that Lasse ordered, had arrived he was excited. He couldn’t resist and had to share the news with Mekkar. After reaching Mekkar’s house, he waited about an hour for his best friend to finish his work in one of the family businesses. Mekkar licked his lips in anticipation upon his hearing his buddy’s news. They went back a few roads over to Lasse’s house to test out the newest prize. However, when these two get together there is mischief to be carried out.

It took awhile for Lasse to sort out the parts to set up the last pieces of equipment and integrate them into his system. Mekkar always hated that part because he expects most mechanical items to be already preassembled and ready function properly upon startup. Mainly, because Mekkar has no tolerance or patience for any nonsense. Plus, Mekkar does not sense how fortunate he was by being surrounded by individuals that are very mechanical. People that can fix or put together most things like Lasse, Alf, and Henrik are able to. Individuals that are closest to him. As Mekkar lacks those mechanical construction and repair abilities. Mekkar has other special talents. Unfortunately, contrary to Mekkar’s wants, this was the not the plug and play era of the twenty-first century. Mach of the required know-how was not common and had to be diligently researched and put into practice to understand its inner workings. Lasse was blessed with an attention to details in his character makeup. Thus, he went through every step of the instructions a few times previously before actually setting up the additional machines. Lasse didn’t want to damage what he already had.

Mekkar’s attitude is let’s play and see what we can do with it. A more haphazard and risky approach in many respects. Mekkar learns by doing it himself; not by merely reading, hearing about, or watching another person doing something. Unknown to Mekkar, his buddy had prearranged for a visitor from somewhere else to show up around that time and show them how to increase and maximize the configuration’s abilities.

Eventually after the helper left, the two boys were able to connect with other aquaintenances. Also, people they knew from hockey in other regions outside of their own. Mekkar and Lasse contacted some going to school or living, with their relatives, in Switzerland, India, Hong Kong, and other locales. There was basic interaction, new jokes received back and forth, and updated news. It was painfully slow, in its infancy, with frustrating delays compared to later online chats like the Telnet Relay, ICQ, Windows Messenger, and later more advanced programs. Another future world was opening up to the Arctic boys, Mekkar thought.

With rapid technological improvements over time, in the computer and communications industries, Mekkar and Lasse further tested the boundaries. They began to access University and United States Department of Defense mainframes, and other places via the ARPANET. They wanted freedom and this was one way for them to get it. The system was restricted for only their use, as no one else in the village knew how to operate it and left it alone. Later on, WordStar was used for creating their own documents and other tasks. There were color limits such as the word processing, messaging, and transmission programs usually had the option of orange or green letters on a black background or the reverse. The black color in actuality appeared to be a dark brownish color instead of black on some screens. Some time later, Lasse did add video game consoles to the mix. Games were not Mekkar’s focus. He observed Alf spend a lot of time playing Zaxxon and Super Zaxxon arcade game at the nearby store. Niillas was consumed by the other video game unit at the store, Donkey Kong and subsequent versions. Mekkar said that, “Those two put enough coins into those machines and played them so often, they could have bought the machines many times over.”   

Mekkar did maneuver his way into a couple of early game company sites. He had done this to help gain an advantage of a few games. Maybe, they could make some extra cash by selling secrets to the unknowing. Both of them were entrepreneurial in many respects. On one occasion, Mekkar thought that he had an answer to shrink the player spacecraft and create a surrounding force field to make the user harder to hit against the oncoming enemies. Instead, Mekkar ruined Lasse’s game after applied the new hack. On top of that, this action by Mekkar, also did minor damage to Lasse’s system. Less costly for Mekkar, his best friend was able to repair his system and get a brand new copy of that particular video game. Still, they would not be deterred.

The next day after watching a western movie from television, Lasse and Mekkar felt that they were in the computer Wild West just like the movie. Mekkar even accidently accessed into a program that was originally used for functions related to nuclear weapons. This online program could track their trajectories, if fired from a certain place to another. There were displays that showed the calculated distances, time of flight, etc. Lasse and Mekkar did play the simulated games a few times. They wanted to see how long it would take to fire a large nuke from various underground silos and reach the intended targets they chose, anywhere in the world. It lost its fascination quickly and they never accessed it again. The original program name has been changed and the former title now is a very different application that is familiar in today’s society.

This is how Mekkar and his best friend gained insights on not so well known underground sites, military installations, and information that governments hide from their citizens. The boys discovered began to learn who had what capabilities and now knew where to find them. They grasped the pervasiveness of the industry and were exposed to plans regarding future, more advanced weapons and systems. Mekkar and Lasse tried to comprehend how much more extensive the internet was by reading and examining its history, but only touched the surface. Thus, little surprised the two when they were required to conduct their own national conscription military service, later on.

The Arctic reindeer herder comments that he is spoiled now regarding the development of The Web. He decided to rid himself, quite awhile ago, of his old hacking ways along with his code and cheat books that Mekkar had developed for himself. Making it easier and shortening the time processes to access anything was important to him. Mekkar stopped hacking because it became to too tempting to steal large amounts of money online. It would have so easy to make him a very rich man. However, he did have to perform a final act before giving up his freewheeling approach in this area. Getting even with some adversaries through satellite services had to be carried out first. It was paramount that Mekkar go out with a literal bang and he did.

AGAINST THE TIDE

Mekkar, Eppu, and the guys were in the mood to get something different for themselves. Kallio mentioned that, but didn’t remember where; he saw an ad about these special colored shorts in the city. These were the 1970’s type not the baggy down to the knees ones of today. Juha heard that they were the rage at the time and thought everyone in their little group should get them. Mekkar’s sibling, Alf was not with them this time. When they finally arrived at the shop for each of them to purchase the item Juha referred to, Mekkar resisted. Mekkar implored the guys not to waste their money on a fad that would phase out quickly.

He was alone in his opinion among the group. In fact, he hated the item and disregarded the shorts as totally foolish. To him, they looked outrageous and just awful: A pink colored garment with a small yellow panther image on the lower left front side. Mekkar wouldn’t be caught dead wearing anything in the color of pink as he extremely disliked the hue itself. He would rather wear his favorite of red instead without the panther icon.

Mekkar was not hesitant to say so either, “I can’t believe any of you are buying these ridiculous shorts for this much money. Are you all crazy, drunk, stupid, or just lost your minds? Maybe it is a combination of all of it!”

The fact was that Mekkar had been previously exposed to the Pink Panther cartoon book character. Alf had some of those comic books in his room back home. The older sibling also knew that Alf was a big fan. Mekkar’s younger brother had watched a show on television and tapes of Pink Panther cartoon episodes in a host of languages. The mystery was that only a couple of people were actually aware of the source where these materials came from. Mekkar wanted no part of that and definitely not at those outrageous prices. All those in their circle, except Mekkar, bought the garb anyway over Mekkar’s objections. He concluded if Alf really wanted to buy this unauthentic apparel he would have to do it himself the next time he was in the area. Mekkar spouted off, “My brother should know better than my insane, drunk friends who waste their hard earned money on almost anything.”

VISITING ALF

After arriving back & visiting his home village for a short time Mekkar was restless. As a result he decided to journey down south to visit his younger brother, Alf. The travel distance was over 400 miles (643.74 kilometers) away. Mekkar, Karku, Lasse, & Niillas took the train to get there and hang with him like they used to back home. Alf was currently going to school in an actual city where everything was much larger. The differences were vast as compared to the village they originated from. The middle child in Mekkar’s family was also now involved in the town’s local hockey system. Alf was progressing quickly and currently playing for a top level team for his age group. They all wanted to witness him in action before surprising Alf in person.

The oldest three of this crew got pretty rowdy during their drinking session while travelling. It was fortunate for them they didn’t have their items confiscated. The gang almost got thrown off of the train for their obnoxious behavior. So, it was a good thing each of them brought extra pocket money for the trip, just in case. Like at home, they made wagers on anything and everything they could think of. Some of it was on stupid ridiculous things too as kids bet on all kinds of stuff. They had their own small version of Las Vegas. The betting that went on was limited to their clique, and always excluded any outsiders, due to lack of trust of strangers. This type of activity was considered normal and routine among their age group back home in the village. Many others observed their actions as strange behavior that should be reserved for fully grown adults. It was normal conduct in their view and they didn’t care what other people thought.

Finally the band of four reached their destination and went to see Alf play some hockey. Mekkar’s brother stood out as the star of his squad. Alf conversed with them near the bench after the game was over. He told Mekkar that he would them back there after he showered and changed. For anyone familiar with a hockey locker room, the foul odor can be overwhelming at first. You know who the new reporters are by their offense at the smell in the air. Most get used to it very soon and they are gone. The boys all played sports, so that wasn’t an issue. Arrangements for lodging had previously been made. The crew set up a time and place to meet Alf after he got out of school the next day. Mekkar thought to himself, and then the real mischief could begin. Would the town be ready was the question.

On one occasion Karku, Lasse, & the ringleader Mekkar put out a dare to the youngest in the group, Mekkar’s youngest brother, Niillas. Part of the conditions was that Niillas had to run out quickly into the middle of a four way stop light intersection. There must be a predetermined minimum amount of traffic present. Another part of the challenge was that Niillas had to pull down his pants and take a dump right in the middle of the junction. After he would finish his business, Niillas would rejoin the group nearby and cleanup with items they had available.

The promised reward if Mekkar’s youngest brother carried out this action in its entirety was that each person in the party would give him forty dollars apiece. The posse was extremely cocky in their proposition. None of them ever thought that Niillas would have the guts to actually carry it out. It was test among the adolescents. The youngest potential members that wanted to hang with them had to show their stuff. They every so often had to show a willingness to ignore their fear and accept a challenge when given. Mekkar thought to himself, this is not back in their country village where they knew most everyone. At the same time, any leading adults back home would chalk it up as a harmless teenage prank. Like anywhere else in the world, human nature takes over to satisfy a need to be a part of something and fulfill a goal to gain acceptance.

There was a risk involved. Mekkar remembered that this is a city where if the police show up they all could get arrested. Mekkar whished that he would have thought of this idea regarding Niillas first. However, Karku came up with it and took all the credit for it. Since, they all had been drinking for awhile the group lost most of their inhibitions. Despite all his concerns, the setting forced Mekkar to display his brave face. Plus, Niillas desperately wanted to prove that he was worthy of hanging out with the older ones.

The gang was drinking, joking, and laughing together, hopefully inconspicuously behind a small berm, on the side of the road. Alf arrived late and finally met them there near the scene of the alleged misconduct that was about to take place. Mekkar thought this was good timing and proceeded to fill Alf in regarding the situation. Alf was game and he wanted to get in on the action. He was in an adventurous mood and desired a piece of the gamble. The money pot increased with another contributor. The crew had basically been eating and consuming non-stop during their waking hours since arriving in town. Thus, they had come prepared and brought plenty of resources for this endeavor.

Niillas got ready and loosened his belt that held up his pants. He briefly waited for vehicles to appear in all directions. Then, he suddenly dashed out into the middle of the crossway. Next, Niillas pulled down his drawers to his ankles, squatted, and left a medium sized pile right there. Without thinking of wiping his bottom, the boy quickly yanked up his pants. The surrounding cars were honking their horns at him. Catcalls and shouts from a few of the drivers came from all quarters. Right afterward, Niillas ran back to the side of the road to the relative safety where the group was. It was hilarious and everyone in the bunch was cracking up. At the same time, all of them were amazed that the boy did complete the dare.

Mekkar spoke to the group and said, “Let’s get out of here before the cops show up or worse. First of all, we need to find a bathroom so Niillas can finish wiping himself and fully clean up.” Subsequently, they fled the scene to avoid any potential trouble and arrived at a nearby restaurant. After cleaning himself up in the restroom, Niillas was ready to collect his prize. Each individual paid the money owed to the young guy for accomplishing the dare. Niillas raked in a total of one hundred and sixty bucks.

Not one of the guys believed enough to wager between themselves whether Mekkar & Alf’s youngest sibling would complete the task in the middle of the road with vehicles there. Thus, no odds on that aspect were set up beforehand. Mekkar commented in front of the group, “Let’s face it, we all lost our rear ends on this one!” Mekkar was also slightly perturbed that he lost the bet that separated some cash from his pocket. He was always ticked off when he lost anything because he hated losing so much. Yet, he had to admit that this was a stunt for the ages and probably was worth it despite the cost. Oh! The things that occur in boys club.