I know, I know -- you want to hear all about Cali. On the east coast, people treat you a little like you've died and gone to a sunnier, more casually dressed heaven where everyone is tan, eats organic produce, does yoga and no one is fat when you move to California. And yes, it is sort of like that. More on that theme later.
First, a look back....
He turned to leave and then circled to face me, blocking the door. He looked at me as if committing my image to memory and then, glanced quickly down at the polished bottom step. My travel sword rested there, curled into itself, asleep before the long journey west.
"You know, I've never seen you do that."
I looked at the sword and then at him. I answered with a side shrug and guilty smile.
"I want to see you do it," he said. To my raised eyebrows, he said more urgently, "I do -- I want to see you do it -- just once."
I stepped over the the sword, picked it up and quickly snapped off the cap -- tossing it a bit carelessly for dramatics on the couch. I started moving toward him, holding his eyes to mine. With one sharp movement from my elbow down -- "You want to see this?" -- I extended the sword to its full length like a giant switchblade.
"Yes," he gasped.
"Alright then. Well, you'd better move back." He moved to the side in the emptying living room and I too took a few steps back. I lunged into an opening stance, arms at warrior length on either side of my body. He looked flush with apprehension and excitement. To manage expectations, I paused and said, "I don't usually do this in heels..."
He acknowledged my apology and nodded for me to continue.
I swept into Leap Over Obstacles which features a lot of swooping arms and high kicks. I swung into a few Beat the Grass in Search of the Snake. His jaw dropped. Beginning to have a little fun, I said, "let's go out on the front porch. I can show you one of my favorite sequences I'm working on right now."
We choose opposite sides of my house's veranda as the sun set and the sultry southern air began to cool. I pulled up onto one leg with my sword overhead and began Battle of Wits Between the Eagle and the Bear (in which the bear imitates the eagle and wins) finishing into the deceptively innocent-sounding pacing legs, arms over head hacking from shoulder to groin -- Swallow Pecks at Mud. I'd moved from one end of the porch to right in front of him, my sword and shoulders pointing down at his feet.
His gaze said volumes. It was the look of a man who, having just recently bagged, tagged and (partially) tamed a baby cougar, having cuddled with her, stroking her soft stomach, making her purr in his arms, licking his face and neck affectionately --
who now watched that same cat chase down and bring down a wild antelope of about his size, leaping with speed and grace, fangs ripping mercilessly into another animal's thick hide pouring blood over both animals.
It was a look that mingled wonder, pride and sheer horror. I came up from my lunge and offered him my sword to try it out. He blushed as if I was offering him the best part of the antelope's haunch in my bloody teeth and politely shook his head. . . good kitty.
I'll bet in California you people go meditate at the Zen center in the morning and then go out for vegetarian omelettes for breakfast afterwards...
Oh wait, that is what we do here! Heh heh heh.
Posted by: Shabbir | October 02, 2007 at 02:25 PM
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Posted by: oz | July 13, 2009 at 04:54 AM