The Dark Fights by Alexandra Vinarov

Author:Alexandra Vinarov
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Published: 2020-06-22T04:23:34+00:00

Chapter 13

Sensei is coming back from Japan in a couple days and Liam has us start on the preparations early and do an extra-thorough cleaning. Today he makes us lift all the mats and wash under them. Between Hiroji and me it would take us late into the night to finish this laborious task. Good thing that several of the dojo students, my friend Martine among them, stay after classes to help us. Afterward we order pizza and refreshments for everybody, and I think it is Hiroji who pays.

All day long Liam is following me around the dojo and giving me suspicious glances if I as much as disappear from his sight for a few minutes. When Martine and the others leave and I go downstairs to lock the door behind them and do not come back up right away, he comes down. I am reattaching the anti-slip cover on one of the steps and he watches me work, and even though it annoys me quite a bit, I do not say anything. I have no idea what has gotten into him, but I do not want any confrontation between us, especially today, and try my best not to set him off.

Later in the evening, while Liam, Hiroji, and I are eating and watching a movie in the uchi-deshi quarters, Liam’s strange behavior continues. Every time I get up from the couch to bring something from the kitchen or to go to the bathroom he stares at me with suspicion and asks where I am going. I am starting to feel quite fed up with this and have half a mind to tell Liam in very unequivocal words what he can do with all his questions, but manage to contain myself.

Around eleven I say goodnight and go to my room. A little while later Liam knocks on the door. I am wearing my pajama shorts and a T-shirt. He looks me over with great attention.

“What’s up, Liam?”

“Didn’t you say you were going to bed?”

“Yeah, so?”

“I saw the light coming from under your door.”

“So what? Do you want a full report on what I have been doing for the last fifteen minutes? Here.” I lift up my foot. “See, I’ve been working on my calluses.”

Taking care of the calluses is important for the uchi-deshi. When you just start out, training for many hours on the mat every day makes the skin on your feet crack and bleed. Nothing helps much—Band Aids and sports tape do not stay in place. We go as far as putting superglue into the cracks. With time the cracks heal and eventually calluses form, and you must take good care of them, applying special ointment, making sure they don’t get overly dry. Calluses, such as the ones on the side of your big toes, help you get a good grip on the mat, and are a distinct feature of the uchi-deshi’s feet. We are quite fond and a little bit proud of them.

Liam looks at my foot and nods.

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