WAITING IN LINE

As Mekkar listens to the AC/DC song – Down Payment Blues, it takes him back in time to when he first heard it in the background. The Arctic Warrior wanted to buy the album - Powerage right then and there because he thought it rocked in a fantastic way. However, his wish was not granted during that particular stop on another Hockey Tour away from home. Mekkar was kept from making that purchase in person, due to the team bus was departing for the arena as part of the game day morning skate. All players on the team were required to be on that particular bus as to not miss the trip. In reality, the morning skate always ended up as a light practice instead of a familiarity skate in the rink. The idea was to get the team acquainted with the facility before participating in the game later on that day.

Sometime in the future, Mekkar heard news that a limited number of copies of the same album were going to be made available locally for purchase. He knew exactly when and where to be, as well as, hoping that no unforeseen obstacles were placed in his way. Mekkar was a creature of habit like many of his fellow citizens. However, he was very stubborn in his way and would be unamused if his plan did not work out as planned.

Mekkar was already living, down south, in the capital city and being employed by a local hockey team in the area. On the appropriate date, The Arctic Warrior woke up early and walked a few blocks to be outside the Import Shop. He was the first person there and waited for the small business to open its front door. Soon afterward, other stragglers shuffled up and formed a line behind him. This had occurred before, remembered Mekkar, when he concluded previous purchases there before. So, he did not expect any surprises. Yet, on this cold morning he was first in line with cash ready to be spent. There would be little time to waste once the store opened. The native from the north wanted to take care of this transaction quickly and be out the door. Ironically, Mekkar needed to head back to the arena to prepare himself for another morning skate. He felt this might be his last chance.

IS THERE A POINT?

Sometimes, Mekkar feels guilty and wonders why he is still alive, while people he knew died as a result of radiation exposure from a nuclear power plant explosion. Not to mention additional similar facilities have had “leaks” that most of the media have ignored reporting about.

Mekkar feels many times the reason why he survived and continues on to this day is to exhibit wisdom to others. Especially, helping younger individuals by teaching them how to avoid some of the mistakes Mekkar has made in his life - Well, at least the ones where he has found solutions.

The continuation process of his life does have some drawbacks. He still suffers in a physical and mental manner. Even though Mekkar, himself, admits that some of the debilitating effects were self-induced and stem from his sports style of play. Plus, heavy drinking, which was used to combat the pain. It was a normal practice, during the era of his career, but now is seen as taboo.

Then, there are some chronic effects that one can visibly see and beyond his control, which were forced upon him. Family members also blame the Arctic Warrior, as the oldest sibling, for the loss of their material possessions as a result. Unfortunately, Mekkar does not have a clear view that what he thinks his purpose might be or is it being fulfilled. He is not sure that any support, encouragement, & imparted wisdom he has supplied has taken root in any shape or form.

Who knows, all that Mekkar has imparted in relation to others around him might be tossed aside or discarded. Thus, he often asks himself, in his frequent daily bouts of depression, the question – “What is the point of continuing in and not surrendering?” Chiefly, since Mekkar could have encountered the same fate as fellow people he knew.

It is too bad that Mekkar’s many issues, built up over time, unintentionally chases away most people from his life. He is similar to a walled city that has been targeted by large artillery shells and some that occasionally pierce the wall. Next, the damaged areas are strengthened by a strong shield to keep invaders out. The Arctic Warrior suspects the main reason why most flee in the opposite direction is because they cannot relate to the situations he has experienced in the past. In other words, there is no desire for most to come face-to-face with their own morality.

SEEKING ANALYSIS AND INFO

Once in a great while, Mekkar might ask a person's opinions he trusts for an honest analysis & information regarding him from the viewpoint of that person. It serves two purposes at the same time – one is accuracy of perception and observation awareness (some people call it – intuition). The second is Mekkar is receiving useful data of how other individuals see him and the impressions that he might unknowingly exhibit. That knowledge can be valuable for Mekkar to improve in areas where he is having difficulty or weak areas in need of improvement – Since no one is perfect! Just another one of the lessons Mekkar learned from Aslak the Shaman long ago while on a reindeer trek.

ANSWERING THE BELL

When Mekkar was younger, his mama brought him along on quite a few magazine and runway modelling gigs with her. many people directed compliments his way. She reminded her son to respond back in a blunt way that would surprise them. Tell them, "I hope you continue to say those nice things, when I get older and date your daughters!"

Sirga had a motive behind her actions, despite the fact that Mekkar did not understand the quip flowing from his mouth nor her intent behind it. She attempted, in this small way, to control his ego from getting a swelled head. Mekkar's mama retained a rationale that her son was still young enough to formed and keep grounded.

It was all part of Sirga's growth preparation process with regard to her sons, especially the oldest one – Mekkar. She was well aware that adulthood can surprise young people when they reach it and find out how hard it can be. Often reality strikes and life knocks a person in the teeth unexpectly and repeatedly. She wanted her offspring to learn the key is always how an individual answers the bell and be ready for the next time.

WORLD WIDE HOCKEY TOUR - PRE TOUR (A)

The exclusive upbringing in a sparsely populated area, the time period, and cultural background Mekkar grew up in dictates his views. He looks at many things from a very different perspective than most other individuals. It is not saying whether one way is better or not as good as the other; it’s just from a different cultural inclination.

For one thing, Mekkar doesn’t compare himself in a physical sense in either size or stature to other people. It wouldn’t make any difference anyway. The contrast he makes is to bears, even polar bears and other wild animals in nature. Mekkar does that with all people, no matter how large or small they are. To Mekkar, everything in life is a matter of perspective and affects their individual outlook. Plus, Mekkar already takes the position that most people are taller than him anyway, so it rarely crosses his mind and is a non issue to him. Thus, he is not intimidated by humans and has regularly throughout his life dated women much taller than himself.

Sometimes players on other teams, as well as, their more vocal fans would taunt him. A few of those shouted out statements were in a derogatory sense. Some of those words directed at him were regarding his statue and native background. Mekkar figured it was the case because he has some native traits compared to most of the people he encounters.

Comments would come down from the stands like fireballs from a magician. A few signs with cutout pictures of The Arctic Warrior in compromising positions, swear words, and worse were aimed specifically at the teenager. It would sometimes make Mekkar seethe with anger and want to go into the crowd and kick some butt. At the same time, Mekkar would also use those negative darts as motivation to heighten his intensity on the ice. It meant that Mekkar would amplify his in-game nastiness far beyond his usual feisty disposition. This could be problematic for him due to the fact his attitude change would cause Mekkar to take more penalties and leave his team shorthanded more often. Goalies and coaches were not always happy with him crossing over that fine line between effectiveness and disruption to the overall game plan.

Mekkar would moreover use any cheering and support for the home team’s exploits as fuel for him. On the road he would accept actual crowd applause and make his own. A sort of deceptive mind game, if you will. In any case, Mekkar tried to apply any whistling or booing directed at him as targeted toward another player. It was not always a successful endeavor because Mekkar has incurred a variety of food and liquids dumped on him while spending time for his actions in the sin bin. These mind tricks eventually made forays on the road more bearable for Mekkar. Even so, Mekkar can’t stand to lose and it is much more difficult to be victorious in games away from the comforts of home.

Later on, The Arctic Warrior was given a piece of advice in a meaningless exhibition match by one of his hockey heroes that was a well-known defenseman. His idol told him, “Just let it (the statements) go, don’t worry about it, you can’t change or fight everyone.” Sirga, his mama, repeatedly gave Mekkar the same advice. Still, the native from the far north brushed aside the advice and continued to do things his own way. Outwardly, Mekkar still continued to play effectively on the ice. Inwardly, the comments continued to bother Mekkar enough to make him want explode with fury. Added to that, it stewed a desire to inflict retribution against all who crossed his path. Once in a while, after incurring objects tossed at him from the stands, Mekkar would boil over. Then, he and other teammates would climb over the glass or metal gates (which he referred to as chicken wire) above the dasher boards. They would seek out those responsible for starting the melee and pay them back with a physical beatdown. Players venturing into the stands and having altercations with fans was not uncommon in that era. The most well-known example was the Philadelphia Flyers, who were also dubbed the Broad Street Bullies. Still, there was a risk for all parties involved. Unfortunately, Mekkar’s angry behavior forced the squad to frequently play shorthanded, while he spent time in the sin bin.

Trouble was, Mekkar was extremely headstrong and received that trait from his mama and grandmama. He was young, dumb, and full of ... [John C. McGinley as Ben Harp character in Point Break, 1991]  Mekkar even replied back to his idol’s wise advice that was given to him by muttering under his breath, “Wanna bet, I will kick all of their butts, all that taunt me, those stupid morons.” Oh! The wisdom and sage counsel wasted on the young. [Kurt Vonnegut, 1997 MIT graduation ceremony speech] However, that freely given advice turned out to be absolutely correct as Mekkar matured, got older, and became more aware of his ever changing surroundings.

The fledgling young man had heard all kinds of crass remarks and jokes directed his way regarding reindeer. Alf, on the other hand and most probably because he did not resemble any outward native characteristics, avoided this abuse on purpose. The younger sibling of Mekkar hid any aspect of his native status or background including using a different last name than Mekkar from the legal birth choices available.

These factors eliminated negative preconceived ideas, perceptions, and bias towards Alf. Mekkar embraced his uniqueness and would on occasion correct others as to their misconceptions. At other times, he would outwardly brush off ignorant statements of the unknowing. That depended on his mood at that time.

Taunts showered upon The Arctic Warrior throughout the season and multiplied as the Christmas season approached. Fables such as Rudolf the red nosed reindeer and more direct personal attacks heightened for the duration of the winter. Mekkar knew better and was intimately aware that reindeer drop their antlers on a yearly basis. This normally occurs with males after the rutting or mating season in the late fall/early wintertime. Yet, it is not unheard of still having them later on in the calendar year. Remember, there are always exceptions to every rule. [Marcus Tullius Cicero’s defense of L. Cornelius Balbo in 56 BC; alt-usage-english.org/exception_proves.html]

He had also been present during many instances when the female reindeer drop their antlers earlier in the year. Females normally grow them back after calving time in the very late winter/early spring. Mekkar got sick of the constant barrage of those stupid myths retorted over and over from many directions. Mekkar would comeback with sharp remarks such as, “If a reindeer has a red nose it probably came about from either being attacked by predators or in the process of being slaughtered.” Sometimes, Mekkar would get the business from fellow teammates as well. Usually, in a jovial setting. Mekkar says that he has heard it all, especially the wisecracks regarding herder occupations and native stereotypes.

When it came to dishing out the physical punishment Mekkar never held back. He should have played smarter earlier in his hockey career, but Mekkar was too young to realize it at the time. In other words, letting his frustrations out by dishing out vicious bodychecks at every opponent as retaliation for the abuse he received. Sirga warned her many occasions by telling him that he is one person and can carry out a limited number of actions. While, there are more individuals who can avenge in return. Mekkar surely does understand his folly now, in the distant future, as his body is crippled and falling apart. Some days it is a chore just to get out of bed for the day. However, The Arctic Warrior was aware of the potential risks and accepted them willingly to play a game he loved. Mekkar to this blames no one else but himself for the results. He just wishes the miniscule salaries of his time would have been comparable to the current era.

It is too bad the bullheaded Mekkar didn’t listen to others who had counseled him through their own past experiences about the prospective physical results. Mekkar now wishes he could have looked in the future and observe the consequences. Yet, he had to learn his lessons the hard way. He now attributes it as being juvenile with the thought that it will not happen to him. As the paraphrased saying goes, “Those who do not learn from past history are doomed to repeat it (and its past mistakes).” [Edmund Burke, 1729-1797] or something to that effect according to Mekkar.

Sirga told Mekkar flat to his face on more than one occasion, “No matter how much you give, you always receive more in return. That is because there is only one of you and so many more of them ready to return the favor.” This statement or a variety of it had been passed down to Sirga by her mama and through their family lineage. Sirga also related this piece of wisdom to her oldest son regard to a physical health. But, of course the young Mekkar did not take it to heart nor apply the message into his play on the ice.

There is an adage used frequently during the Christmas season – It is better to give than to receive. Mekkar preferred this application instead. It showed itself to be especially true when he would throw his body around on the ice. From time to time, Mekkar would wipe opposing players out with hard body checks of all types. Some might have been crossed the line of fair play.

Yet, Mekkar like most other teenagers are prone to blow off much of the advice and sage wisdom given to him by adults. Mainly because he thought it was so old school thinking and the times had changed. Mekkar was growing up into adulthood, so he thought he knew better. Young people in this stage of life tend to think they know it all and much more than anyone else. Mekkar felt that no parent or relative could relate to him during this stage of his own life, as well as, his own chosen direction. There is the tendency, for young people, to forget that all adults have already gone through those experiences beforehand. They have made it past that age.

The result usually is that each individual, as Mekkar eventually did, has to stubbornly learn the grim realism of various lessons in life. Yes, Mekkar would find out that when he thinks he knows it all, that attitude will soon make him look foolish. Life has tested him and humbled him through trying circumstances. Trials and tests would materialize sooner than he ever imagined. It was destined that the boy would become a man by gaining the necessary life instruction and attributes to journey on to the next phrase.

It was beneficial that Mekkar had been previously prepared for this upcoming hockey tour. Even the right wrist and hand that had been injured earlier in the year in the snowmobile race was fully healed. Mekkar was unaware that he was a cog in the wheel and part of an overall evolution process in life and sports. His own native culture emphasizes this belief of individuals are part of a larger design in the world itself. Fortunately, the extremely tough training regimen helped shape Mekkar into the player and person he would become.

This was a period of time where he would normally play for various clubs throughout the year and then take a five week hiatus. The break from hockey would occur during part of the summer. Mekkar would participate in other sports to still keep in shape. Many players in those days took a true off season break from athletics in general or work more hours at their place of employment. Very few superstars could claim sports as their fulltime employment. Lower pay dictated that Mekkar had to work for a living like everyone else. The idea was to get as far away as possible from their primary sport endeavor to avoid complete burnout.

Some players like Mekkar would increase their daily alcohol intake during this time. It was more for enjoyment and pleasure. Sometimes it appeared as if he were deprived of it and trying to make up for lost time. When in reality Mekkar drank quite a bit during the season. Many players used booze as a pain killer to numb the senses along with medications. That is, when he wasn’t partying with his buddies. After the sabbatical, many players like Mekkar would return with a fresh attitude and a renewed appreciation for the game. Training camp was primarily used to get back into hockey game shape. Mekkar loved the games themselves, not the daily grind.

Very different from today where year round sport specific training and tailor made workouts are the norm for athletes. Numerous individuals hire instructors to have them come into pre-season camp already in fantastic shape. Mekkar refers to it as a refining process into full sport and specific preparedness. This is not to say that all dry land exercise was avoided altogether back in the day. However, it was nowhere near as prevalent as in current times. It was a different mentality than because the majority of hockey players and professional athletes in general received a small salary in comparison. Most had to work at jobs during the off-season just like the rest of society.

Mekkar is of the opinion that some of those factors made pro athletes more in-touch and relatable to their fans of yesteryear. It was an environment that is very dissimilar to many detached athletes of today who can afford to take off-seasons to sculpt their bodies on a full time basis.

The young man himself played other sports during his time away from ice hockey. He would play some soccer (futbol) even though he was not nearly as good at it. His hockey defenseman mindset compelled Mekkar to position himself as a defender on the pitch, as well.

Alf has said that Mekkar was also a decent tennis player who could easily move around the court and chase down shots in an efficient manner. Plus, he had a wicked first serve that more than one hundred twenty miles per hour {193.12 kph) at times. The problem was that the serve was erratic at best and fantastic when he got it in. Mekkar would mess around with inconsistent second serve. Occasionally, he could put an outrageous chop spin that would sometimes barely cross over the net and die inside the service court on the other side. It didn’t happen often. Plus, Mekkar double faulted frequently due to his unwillingness to adapt his serve. He would try to his the ball as hard as he could. It didn’t always matter where the ball landed. Mekkar used the notion that force is everything revealing his feisty nature on the court. He did not apply himself with the same drive in tennis, as ice hockey. Alf commented that his older brother only used racquet sports as a distraction from his main sport. At times, his competitive nature and fiery disposition would take over and express themselves in a variety of ways.

The adolescent had observed a bit of live match play and many games. Mekkar also watched some tape and films featuring top notch professional tennis players. Bjorn Borg, Rod Laver, Jimmy Connors, Roscoe Tanner with that fast serve, and more were present as visual tutors to help improve his game, if he so desired. Mekkar attempted to incorporate what he could and modify it to his own game abilities.

Mekkar was a poor volleyer at the net. His reaction time was fine, but racquet control to keep the ball in the court was an issue. At first he followed the mainstream use of the smaller head wood frame. Then, later to the newly introduced oversized metal rackets. [Wikipedia] They both contributed to many tennis balls flying out of bounds on Mekkar’s part.

He was basically a baseliner and learned the extreme top spin forehand shot by watching Borg. Since Mekkar had very strong wrists developed in ice hockey timing of the ball meeting the racket strings at the correct point was the goal to get the desired effect. Bjorn was at the top of his game during that period. Mekkar was unable to copy Borg’s two handed backhand. Instead, he would try to emulate Connors left hand cross court deep returns, especially when receiving serves.

To cover more ground on the tennis court Mekkar might receive a serve from his opponent with the racquet in his left hand and switch the racket from one hand to the other. This had to be done quickly and frequently depending on the situation during a point rally. He got good enough to do this during individual points without looking and still have the proper grips on the tennis twig.

This was effective for Mekkar. At first, some others watching this thought it was a very odd technique, but Mekkar used anything that most useful and adaptable for him. By watching Rod Laver on film, he learned better footwork for efficient movement around the court. The Arctic teenager also had hockey quickness in his arsenal. Even though Mekkar was at the time slightly more dominantly right handed he was basically ambidextrous in many areas. It would freak out people on the opposite side of the tennis surface when Mekkar would return serves with the racquet in his left hand. His groundstrokes were better and reached closer to the back line from the left side.

Previous injuries had forced Mekkar to be able to use both arms and hands more evenly. One side would be enhanced while the injured part is recovering back to full strength and use. This was helpful for the advancement of his hockey career. Mekkar customized these additional developed abilities into his imaginary games like throwing a ball from both sides of the body. Due to more serious physical setbacks later on, those formerly developed skills have all been negated.

The adolescent’s understanding of the game and fairly competent tennis ability helped him get a job for a short time. The place of employment was at one of the premier sports clubs after he moved to down south to the big city to play hockey for one of the local teams. Mekkar considered the possibly of forming important contacts, at this exclusive place. Anything to help Mekkar reach his goal of playing pro hockey.

He has developed a philosophy that eventually you might need a skill or something facet you have learned for a particular future instance in your life. Akin to a reindeer no part is wasted. The trouble is Mekkar never knows when or where it might be required or exercised. The hope was Mekkar retained some of instruction previously given by Aslak, back in the village or while on the reindeer trek.

EXPANDING HIS VISION (C)

[This story is an improved version from mini cassette recordings of Mekkar’s actual voice in 1990 while hiking and walking as a University student; then, it was converted to a Windows Media Audio File and transcribed in 2011. Mekkar’s spoken English skills are nowhere near as polished as Saavo’s are. Continued from the first PART (B) in July, 2015.]

The two of them left the scene and scurried back to their hotel on foot. Soon afterward, Henrik arrived back from his meeting. Well, Mekkar assumed that his father came straight back from the important appointment. However, the boy did wonder why it was so long considering the events that recently had taken place. Mekkar’s questioning was never voiced because he trusted his papa. Eva was very stoic, as was her normal disposition, and unlike her vocal exhortations during the explosions earlier in the day.

 

Early the next morning, Mekkar, Henrik, and Eva left their temporary quarters while being escorted by armed solders in a small convoy to the airport. They went through all of the many checkpoints with no hassles. Along the way, the Arctic youngster thought to himself - that his papa must know some important people in this place. From Saigon, they boarded a commercial jet and flew non-stop to Bangkok, Thailand. When they were out of range of the fighting on the ground below, Mekkar finally breathed a sigh of relief. After their arrival in the Thailandese capital, the wait for their connecting flight out was long. Mekkar became irritable, restless, and uncomfortable while stuck in the airport. On the occasions when he did not take naps, Mekkar noticed the harried and crowded environment. In and around the airport was quite similar to where they had left. The major difference he observed was the lack of large number of troops everywhere. This one factor provided some solace to Mekkar as he grew more impatient.

A few people were bold enough to approach and discuss with Henrik and his secretary regarding their situation. Some would pat Mekkar on the top of his head or rub it, in front of them, and boy did he hate that. Others would ask the adults to describe what transpired in the war zone of Saigon. Many were stranded while waiting to leave Bangkok. Mekkar was too young and didn’t understand the concept of delayed flights and what that entailed. Well, for now at least. During this time period, Henrik left Eva and his son at the airport for another business engagement. Mekkar’s papa assured the boy that he would return in plenty of time for the next journey on their itinerary. Mekkar believed him, yet still missed his papa and felt assured that he was going to see him again soon. Mekkar just figured that the next trip would be a return back home. Contrary to the impression Mekkar had, this was not to be the case. Henrik had more adventure in mind for his son.

After what seemed to take forever, Eva and Mekkar saw his papa rush and arrive out of breath to meet them again. Approximately ten minutes later the overhead speaker blared out the correct flight information and passenger loading gate number. Mekkar was still in the dark regarding the next stop. If Eva knew, she wasn’t telling the boy anything about it while all three of their small group proceeded to the proper boarding location. The next flight immediately became a very rocky adventure, soon after takeoff, in the commuter plane. One time, Mekkar looked out the window where he was sitting, then pulled the window covering down quickly. He didn’t like what he saw outside. Since the plane’s elevation appeared to lower below the clouds than he was used to, Mekkar thought he saw small objects on the ground as they reached the next city of their expedition. It was quite obvious to anyone who had military training that some of those popping sounds outside the aircraft sounded like anti-aircraft gun fire rounds. The little Arctic Warrior had questions that couldn’t be answered such as why would anyone be shooting at us?

All of the passengers and crew could hear the rumbling of explosions that were taking place which grew louder upon their arrival. The boy was lost and had no idea where he was, the only thing he could do was trust his papa’s judgement. Mekkar voiced his concerns to his papa sitting next to him. The son asked, “Why are we are getting closer to the military action again?” The dangerous environment was obvious even to a young person such as Mekkar as the activity was more frequent. Henrik told them, “Hang on because it is going to be a bumpy ride before they land.” When Mekkar looked at Eva, he saw her apprehension and concluded that something was definitely not right. Mekkar’s mind raced and he didn’t know how to stop it. The boy thought to himself – here we go again. The last part of this flight circled a few times while the boy from the Far North was stricken by inner turbulence. It was almost with a sense of comfort when the flight touched down on the landing strip in Hanoi.

The three of them rode a shuttle near the center of the city. Henrik explained to his son while they motored together. Thus was exactly what Henrik wanted him to see. Both sides of the conflict from two different viewpoints. Henrik wanted to drive the point home that war is hell and it is not a pretty sight. The lesson that his papa wanted Mekkar to learn was that many things are not as they seem in the media and very divergent from real life. Additionally, the intention was for Mekkar not to lose his compassion for others due to becoming desensitized as a result. Suddenly, Henrik had to go to a separate area for another briefing. It was just the two of them now in an unfamiliar city.

Then, a stranger to Mekkar approached Eva and gave her some local currency. Mekkar never did figure out why. The boy began to have directed conclusions that his papa arranged everything and had it taken care of. Mekkar glanced at Eva and she looked more relaxed than on the plane. He figured that his brain was telling him that some rest was in order after the recent tense experiences. Mekkar let it slip out loud from his lips, “Where is this unlimited energy that all children are presumed to have because it was non existent right now”. Eva reassured him and tracked down the next mode of transportation. They gave the driver money and off they went back out of the main part of the capital city. The youngster didn’t recognize this type of transportation vehicle and thought it was distinct, but cool. At first, Mekkar thought it was a motorcycle, but it really wasn’t. The transport was similar to a bike where you have the peddler guide in front and the passengers sit in the back. The closest object Mekkar could compare it to a desert three wheeler machine. On the other hand, since the mode of transport was not motorized like a snowmobile back home, Mekkar thought it looked real flimsy and not sturdy at all. He compared the vehicle’s construction to the paper machete kites he saw previously. The Arctic lad squirmed and was not comfortable during the ride either. Still, he hoped this vehicle could take him where he needed to go, despite not knowing where they were being led. At least, the both of them were away from the utter confusion they had witnessed down south. The boy from the Arctic knew that he was special and extremely intelligent for someone his age. The problem was the youngster was not as smart as he thought was and was in unfamiliar territory to boot. Mekkar would soon find out that he was sorely mistaken in his assumptions and more would be in store for each one of them.

Their destination took on a lonely path some distance to the city. Mekkar missing his papa and was hoping to see him again. They youngster had that inner sense that he was going to reunite with Henrik at the end of this jaunt. About 5 minutes after disembarking from the transport and seeing his papa, the air raid sirens blared to warn the surrounding people. Mekkar wondered what was happening. Henrik said to Mekkar and Eva that a bombing sortie from sky was about to transpire soon. All of them followed other residents into the entrance of a make-shift underground bomb shelter, where they would be safe. Before long, the blasts began to pepper the area. The people in the temporary quarters below ground could feel reverberations and shock waves from bombs that exploded nearby. The lights in the dwelling flickered on and off continuously. 

At that moment, Henrik began to explain to Mekkar what was happening, why, and the various parties involved. Part of the intent of Mekkar’s papa was to reassure him, so he would not be scared to death. Henrik described the reasons behind the air bombing campaign. He said to Mekkar, “As in other wars in this century, one side is using this type of strategy to break the local population’s morale and willingness to continue to fight this war. There are only two possible outcomes against an enemy through the adoption of these tactics of total conflict. You either drive the people to be more dug-in and strengthen their resolve to outlast your forces. In other words, the side that carrying out the air raid is attempting to force the opposition, on the receiving end, to crack. If it is not successful, the tenacious spirit of the defenders counts on securing eventual victory. Their goal is to employ any means to hang on until the attacker’s will to fight achieve victory in the conflict has waned. Past history has shown that air campaign bombings alone never win wars. Instead, public resolve among the targeted population usually increases exponentially and resistance becomes stronger the longer the methods are employed against them. The stubborn will of some people is ingrained in different cultures to overcome and never surrender.” Mekkar’s papa spoke additional wise words to his son until the bombing had stopped. In single file, the people emerged from the shelter in a single file line. All three in their small group survived the chaos to continue on. Now, it was time to go home.

EXPANDING HIS VISION (B)

[This story is an improved version from mini cassette recordings of Mekkar’s actual voice in 1990 while hiking and walking as a University student; then, it was converted to a Windows Media Audio File and transcribed in 2011. Mekkar’s spoken English skills are nowhere near as polished as Saavo’s are. Continued from the first PART (A) in April, 2015.]

Anyway, they were only in that city for a couple of days. On one of the nights there in Saigon, Mekkar commented that he had heard a few noises that made a boom sound in the distance. Those events continued to bother Mekkar as he stayed up most of the night while sitting by the open window as if he were on wolf watch on the trek. Added to his concern was that his papa, Henrik, had gone off somewhere unknown to Mekkar for a late night meeting.

The next day Mekkar and Eva, his chaperon, were walking down one of the streets not far from their hotel. They surveyed the open market to kill time and soak in the urban flavor. One booth had hanging pots and similar wares for sale. The stand was swamped with many customers, so the boy assumed the demand for those items was really high. By the crowd behavior he observed there, Mekkar believed that people greatly needed these goods because their homes were being destroyed by the ongoing warfare.

Eva and Mekkar strolled on and examined the different wares and food offered by the street vendors. Paper machete items caught Mekkar’s eye at one stand. In his mind, some of the featured articles appeared to be dragons and totally out of place here. Sure, maybe not exactly like the medieval creatures, but there were some similarities. There were plenty of objects that resembled monsters or displayed supernatural beings on them. Mekkar decided that he couldn’t leave until he purchased one that was made in the form of a flying kite. The Arctic boy figured the local people must be having a celebration or a holiday, just like back home. What seemed out of place to Mekkar was the number of soldiers here. Right then, he remembered his papa’s warning - that wherever there are troops, there is trouble and battles nearby. Mekkar even blurted out his thoughts to Eva and said, “Soldiers don’t buy kites. They shoot at things. I think those kites are going to be destroyed. What a silly thing to have here.” Mekkar was not grown up enough to understand the concept that often people use coping mechanisms to try to find meaning in the midst of chaos. For example, if a person lived in a war zone environment, one might attempt to find or do anything they could to forget about it. In a matter of speaking, escape from where an individual is and not focus on the hell and destruction around you. Any type of distraction could be a good thing for mental health. If that same individual is rewarded with a little bit of pleasure at the same time – that is an added bonus.

Well, Mekkar progressed onto the next booth that had meats and other food items available. Next to it was a cigarette and tobacco kiosk. Quite a few soldiers surrounded that particular stand and purchased those products. Smoking supplies were in great demand, while at the same time little product for purchase was available in that marketplace. Mekkar observed the continuing to grow long lines to that booth. The smell drove Mekkar to begin stepping away and attempt to stay some distance away due to the negative tobacco effects to his still developing body filtering system. Mekkar was intrigued by the increased frenzied activity as he and Eva wandered slowly along the street. The boy from the far north had never seen this much hustle and bustle in such a small area before. Mekkar had plenty of experience to compare it with and thought he had observed a lot of chaotic movement in his previous travels. Places like India with his papa, a couple of times to Brazil, a few places like that. However, those exhibited goods were far different from the novelties offered in this place. The Arctic youngster had traveled quite a bit in his young life, but had mostly spent the majority of his travel time on the same continent. So, this was a new region of the globe for him. Henrik was aware of this and wanted to expand his worldwide exposure to diverse places and people.

On one occasion in the outdoor bazaar, Mekkar and his chaperone Eva were stopped and questioned by the soldiers there. One of them asked him, “What are you doing here?” and went onto say, “You are too young, you don’t need to be in a place like this”. Mekkar didn’t fully comprehend the true meaning of that comment. Even though Mekkar was already learning the language and knew many of the words spoken to them, there was a lack of grasping the meaning behind the phrases. Mekkar was unable to distinguish the subtle messages as part of what was being said. The soldier’s real directive to him was get out of here before you get hurt or get killed. It appeared to Mekkar as though the infantryman looked at him with confusion. The serviceman assumed that Eva was a newspaper or media reporter instead of Mekkar’s guide. Anyone could easily see the young boy was out of his element and not a native. The other concern also expressed by the servicemen was why Eva would bring a child along with her to a war zone. Plus, expose the child to gruesome and dangerous visual images. Eva, on the other hand, nodded her head in the affirmative as Mekkar saw it. The boy believed she knew the purpose for both of them being here. In this situation, she acted demure as if she didn’t fully understand what the soldiers were saying or what was happening around her. However, Mekkar noticed the opposite was actually the case.

Anyway, both of them continued walking along down the street. All of a sudden, Mekkar and Eva heard some potshots. A couple of the gunfire rounds were fairly close too! Mekkar, crazy soul that he was, did not immediately duck behind cover. Instead, he just stood in the same spot on the sidewalk of the street they were previously strolling on and surveyed the surrounding area. He mistakenly figured since he was small enough that he would be hard to aim at and hit. Of course, it was not the smartest course of action and Eva told him so. Still, he did not seek protective cover for himself. He stayed right where he was while everyone else around him was scurrying to hide. Despite hearing the shots ring out Mekkar didn’t move. If he was an esteemed adult, it would have appeared as though he was posing in a majestic movie scene, but this was real. In this instance, other people sensed the boy was frozen, stiff, and scared. Soon, everyone’s attention was grabbed by the large flames shooting high into air. Then, a loud explosion happened with a resounding boom! Mekkar saw the flash and items flying, it seemed, everywhere. The soldier was right, some gruesome stuff. A collection of arms, hands, legs, an eyeball, and other debris were spread out along the ground. If it wasn’t the case before, Mekkar was in shock and definitely frozen in his tracks now.

Another couple of shots could be heard by the nearby corner. At that moment, a second explosion rang out. After this, Mekkar was absolutely unmoving as if he was frozen solid as ice. Mekkar was a brave boy, yet his mind was racing. He thought to himself, why can’t I move? It appeared the boy lost many of his senses and didn’t grasp the environment he was in. Mekkar was concerned that he might a target. Mekkar asked more questions in his mind whether he was next. His body still did not respond with any movement. Fight or flight syndrome had failed him.

Mekkar was made aware that the soldiers were powerless to protect him and Eva from harm. He had no idea which side the troops were on either. These were things that Mekkar’s papa had been speaking to him prior to this journey. Henrik wanted Mekkar to learn specific lessons. Henrik also wanted Mekkar to be able to use his mind and reason under duress. Very heady stuff for a young boy to experience in an unfamiliar environment. Instruction in life survival skills that would be necessary later on. The experience would be invaluable because everyone in the area Mekkar comes from has to fight for survival. Most definitely during the long winters. Not only that, they have to serve in their own country’s military for a time as well. There are not enough people for any healthy individual to get out of that type of service to their nation.

The authority’s even use physically challenged people in various tasks to fulfill their military obligations. They will find a person to meet a need or place them in tasks despite the disability. The idea is to maximize the abilities and blend them with the resources that are available. It is a necessary strategy because there are just not enough people to meet all the gaping holes in the region’s defense system, while still providing a perceived deterrent to any possible enemy. Women, along children that can stand up and walk, also have to serve in some capacity, even if is just to provide support to the soldiers.

Up to this point, Mekkar did not grasp what was materializing in front of him, although he saw it with his own eyes. Stupidly, Mekkar was fixated on the second explosion undeterred by flying objects from the wall of the affected building landing nearby. The burning building and spreading fire fully consumed all of his attention. People all around him were as if mad in a flurry of activity. Yet, he was still in a trance-like state. The Arctic boy wasn’t taking a step or going anywhere on his own. It was Eva’s responsibility to pull him away from danger. Mekkar gazed at the folks littering the street; they were like blurs at this point. He was mesmerized and distracted by the unwelcome sight that had unfolded before him. After what it seemed like forever, but actually was a short time, Eva grabbed him by the hand and they rushed for cover. This action finally snapped Mekkar out of the haze he was in. She told Mekkar, “There might be more to come. We have to protect ourselves just in case.” Mekkar was not feeling very brave anymore. Nonetheless, he tried to not show outwardly. Mekkar didn’t how to neither deal with nor react in this type of situation. The little Arctic Warrior started to think of how he could show more bravery in the face of another situation such as this. Trouble was, there might not be a next time.

Cautiously tracing their steps, Eva and Mekkar made it back to the hotel, which wasn’t far away from the damage zone. The day’s activities the young boy witnessed kept him frightened throughout the whole night and affected his sleep. The non-stop thoughts ran through his brain wondering if he was safe in defiance of the many soldiers currently patrolling this neighborhood. He remembered when there were a lot of troops in close proximity back at home, he felt much safer against harm. Mainly, Mekkar felt comfort in the fact the enemy that could be identified easily and early in the wide open Arctic region. Although opposing forces might be well above us dominating the air space, while at the same time, exposing home guard troops on the ground. These are concerns that northern hemisphere individuals, such as Mekkar, were not occupied with all that often. In contrast, these were daily worries that directly affected the local populations and mentality of many soldiers in Vietnam. If ignored, the alternative was to not adequately protect one’s self and ending up returning home in a body bag.

One of the soldiers told him and Eva, “We can’t have you walking around anywhere you want freely anymore because we fear for your safety. We are unable to guarantee your personal safety anymore”. The mood became tense, uptight, and restless. It seemed the explosions, accomplished their goal by creating a more restrictive and hostile environment for everyone in that area of the city. By this time, quite a few people had heard about the explosions and subsequent fire. Unfortunately, Mekkar got to see it with his own eyes. He had no idea regarding who did it or why. The little one from the far north was ignorant as to the combatants on each side and who opposed who in this conflict. He could only judge by his sight alone and attempt to mirror the locals who lived there as best as he could. This was still a large metropolis where most of the inhabitants were not dressed in military uniforms. The perceptive boy that Mekkar was, he decided that he would observe the city dwellers to determine when something was wrong. The indifferent conscripts appeared to keep any developments or news to themselves. In his mind, the troops only seemed to bark out warnings or orders in a heartless manner.

It is well to note, that Mekkar already had started playing sports by this time, so he was aware about being on the same team with other people. Working together toward a common goal was not foreign to him, despite the fact that the extremely stubborn Mekkar is not the most agreeable or cooperative individual. In the far north, Mekkar learned how to ski, skate, and walk all at the same time which provided early advantages for him and many in his age range.