Читать книгу Victor Dark - Blaine Sims - Страница 7

“Leave me alone, man,” screams Victor in the nocturnal blackness. “I don’t have any money or drugs.”

“Shut the fuck up.”

Although a moonless night darkened the unlit street, Victor sees the hooded figure wears a mask.

“You shot my brother, douchebag. Now I’ll kill you.”

It horrifies Victor and confusion reigns. He didn’t shoot anyone; in fact, under no circumstance did he hurt another person. What is this crazed dude talking about? The icy blade punctures the skin of Victor’s abdomen and slices it open. He never felt such excruciating pain as the knife cut a path, lacerating his intestines and spilling them out of their cavity. The mystery person runs into the night as Victor crashes to the cold sidewalk, shrieking in pain.

He curses his mother before passing out. If she possessed the maternal instinct a momma should have, he would not be out at this hour. His presence would be in a loving home, sheltered from evil lurking in the world. Instead, it prowls through the house.

A good Samaritan calls 911 and paramedics arrive not a moment too soon. Victor is near death, his body a lifeless mass on the ground. They airlift him to the trauma center at Northside General Hospital Gwinnert, and he remains for twelve days. Infection sets in and doctors find him hovering near death several times. Drifting in and out of consciousness, he hallucinates of his childhood and the torment he suffers. In all his days there, his mother never once comes to see him. Consumed in treachery on acquiring the almighty buck, she has little use for him or his siblings beyond the child support and government help she received. Except for his stay after the stabbing incident, Victor never had a need for hospitalization.

Victor’s parents divorced when he was 12 years old and his father, Drakkal, is a mixed-race Humcent. This man’s father arrived on earth in 1947. Unbeknownst to the U.S. government, Victor’s granddad was a crewman on the spacecraft that crashed in Roswell, Texas. He survived with minor injuries and disappeared before the military and police responded to the scene. Able to assimilate after meeting other Centaurs and Humcents, he settles down. After three divorces, he marries a fourth time. This lady gives birth to Drakkal.

In 1984, Drakkal Dark weds Alvita Jackson. The most interesting thing attracting Drakkal to Alvita is her collection of 50 outlandish and extravagant hats. If you think this an odd reason for a lady to appeal to a man, well, my hat is off to you. They have several children, Victor being one. A younger sister by two years, a younger brother by three, and one older brother round out the Dark siblings.

In 1986, Victor Moon Dark was born in northwest Georgia. Though healthy on the surface, the real challenge of his life will be coming to terms with the chaotic world he arrives in. Or so he thinks.

Victor as a child

His mother, Alvita, was born in Queens, New York, and endured an upbringing of domestic abuse. She passed it to Victor and his siblings. As a youngster, Victor came to learn, “What need is there for monsters under the bed when you live with one?” The ramifications of it will not become discernable until mid-adulthood. Survival will come from the love and comfort of his grandparents.

Victor's mother

In his mid-teens, Victor moves to his father’s and stepmother’s residence. It initiates a short-lived custody battle between his parents. After several dramatic displays from Alvita and ensuing trauma to Victor, a surrender is given by his mother. Victor begins his youth again from the sanctuary of his father’s house.

For Victor’s brothers and sister, there’s always a longing for a closer association between all of them. This is never nurtured by Victor himself, as his three siblings display clear signs of syndromes pertaining to their mother’s malevolence. “Victor’s the smart one,” she would say to random people, bragging she was raising her children to wait on her hand and foot. The thought causes Victor’s body to convulse. To think his own brothers and sister are so far gone they refuse to see it. The shame. Having no recourse, when he starts his sophomore year in high school, he veers away from any bonding, considering their self-destructive programming. He will not be a “Vic-tum” again.

Even with the spectacle of life and family, Victor is under a particular medical anxiety. In medicine, you may learn of many diseases plaguing mankind — many deformities which best the species. For Victor, his is the tumor on the back of his brain, in proximity to the emotional center known as the amygdala. This growth is identified as a “brain-stem glioma.” It develops in children from infancy to toddlerhood and, in frequent cases, is deadly. The benign growth’s adverse side-effects are a distortion of visual depth perception and subtle audio deficiency in his left ear. This explains the number of vehicle accidents he incurs.

Brain-stem glioma

As time passes, Victor compensates well enough and most people can’t ascertain he has issues. The beginnings of his masterful performance of acting “normal.” In theory, these skills serve him well in years to come.

A concept pervades his life for as long as he remembers. Reinforced and reiterated daily, in movies, on television, and by peers and relatives. The perception of “normal” is elusive, in definition, for he does not have a personal comparison. Victor, even in his youth, is an active thinker. It’s just not always the right thoughts. In his mind, as with his friend Andrei, all things must have a clear-cut reason and logical explanation. Many things do not add up to the equilibrium the public teaches. He absorbs information from every source presenting itself. Even if it doesn’t seem useful, his instinct tells him, “You never know.” This inflamed curiosity is aggravating to many people.

In the mention of Andrei, he once told his grandmother, “I think the world of him.” He loved his candidness and loyalty. Andrei’s training in the martial arts and self-defense fascinated Victor, and he was eager to learn from the man. Andrei also turned him onto his favorite group, an Irish ensemble. A powerful song they performed is named, “A Bird Without Wings,” and is a poignant must hear. Their weekly luncheons and outings were refreshing for Victor and Andrei. One eatery they frequented had an excellent Cuban sandwich both enjoyed on a frequent basis.

For those of you who have read Something About Sammy, you will recall Andrei worked as a corrections officer in a state prison. Contrary to the misguided opinions of uniformed or ignorant people, many of the inmates were convicted of violent felonies. His philosophy in dealing with these convicts was simple. If they treated him with respect, he gave respect. He was well aware even the most innocuous ones were masters of manipulation. They just weren’t as good at it as he was. If an inmate violated, he dealt with it according to policy and procedure. He was not there to judge. His job comprised providing care, custody, and control. Andrei Ruchkin was good at it. An irony is the fact before he went to work in a prison, he worked as a security director for a hotel resort. It amazed him it was easier dealing with inmates than hotel guests.

You will recollect Andrei’s harmful draw to the millenial Samuel Pangborn. Although he could not bring himself to blame the young man, and his passionate obsession consumed him, his friends held hope Andrei would overcome the loss as he had so many times before. He was a tortured soul who wept not only for himself but others. He kept so much inside until the time he could no longer do so. His closest friends harbored resentment against some of the regulars he spoke of at the bar he hung out at, feeling they could have done more to help him as they were there. It was not until the end the whole truth became clear. Far from being sociable, he was a private person for the most part. Samuel Panborn’s effect on Andrei was mysterious and deep. There was not a living soul who made him feel the way Sammy did. No one, least of all Andrei, knew the confounding reasons why. Not a person alive could comprehend the purpose of the enigma. With his feelings for Sammy so overpowering, he could not resist expressing them to regulars at the bar.

Victor has a vivid imagination cultivated since infancy. He adores stories, in particular ones about crazy adventures, grand quests, and expanding human spirit. Tales of magic and heroism lull him to sleep, even amongst the terror of Alvita. He fantasizes about being powerful. Of going places and experiencing all the world has to offer. It is these visualizations fueling his world with hope and the promise of possibility. And through these romantic tendencies, he discovers the damage done to him in his earliest days.

The thing with the people you love is, they have no clue how to help or what to say when it comes to coping with your abuser. His mom never condoned her sons even talking with girls. So, as Victor matures, his anxiety around his desires strengthens. Once in a blue moon, he’ll make petty success with a female his age, using approaches he learned from books, movies, or on television. Ignorant, his phycological immaturity remains dormant. He questions, “What is normal?” We get a slap across the face for disagreeing and persons exclude us for doing what we’re taught is nice to do. Punishment is doled out because “… she’s not happy.” And if normal is not on T.V., in the movies, or at least in books, “What the Hell am I supposed to do? I matter.”

How does one explain to a child they come from a family of ignoramuses? Like many households throughout history, they kept their descendants oblivious because “God wills it.” When a family doesn’t relate to one another, how can a child learn to interact?

A friend of Andrei’s once told him, “Live for others.” Another said, “Live for yourself.” The contradiction perplexed Andrei and he voiced, “The statements conflict.”

“Well, we have to say something,” came the reply.

“Some things are better left unsaid if you don’t have the answer,” thought Andrei.

Like other children who grew without a mother figure, Victor collects mother-like proxies during his life. Amid these associations, he broadens his mind to understand family and love, by those who’ve shared food and living space, vouch for him in times of trouble, and help him understand various social circumstances. Most were not lovers, yet these women played a shifting role in his life. He himself still strives to absorb what being a man means. Not any man, a great man.

He and Andrei differed when it came to politics and other subjects. When Victor started on a rant about the wrongs of this country and how corporate America is a cesspool, it was difficult for Andrei to bite his tongue.

The two would discuss many topics. Not among them, professional football. Victor is convinced the Dallas team, Andrei’s favorite, comprises genuine Cowboys. He dislikes pickles, mushrooms, and onions. Pizza, quesadillas, and pork round out his favorite foods. His brand of choice with beer is Yuengling, but he’s gained a taste for sake. Victor likes most genres of music. His favorite groups are the Eagles, Disturbed, and Rage Against the Machine. As with Andrei, a large part has to do with specific songs. If the words and composition strike a chord, it matters not what person or group is singing. Rap is not a particular choice of his, and it was not of Andrei’s.

The two would spend time at Andrei’s apartment viewing DVDs of the group Andrei was a fan of and they made plans to attend, along with Angel, a concert the next time they rolled into town. Andrei’s suicide ended the idea. Victor found Andrei sophisticated and knowledgeable on a wide variety of topics. If a person were willing to listen with an open mind, they could learn a lot from Andrei. The man had a habit of distinguishing between his opinion and truth whenever he entered discussion. One subject he shared with Victor was he had a belief years ago the United States would develop a system to detect a ballistic missile pre-launch stage. The U.S. now has the capability and defensive system in place.

A tenet Andrei held dear and which resonates with Victor is the belief he’d rather be alone and right than wrong in an adoring crowd. There is a lot of truth in these twelve words. The two were deliberating the tradition of celebrating Christmas. While Victor held to the conventional belief, Andrei’s thoughts caused him to ruminate, as Andrei could trigger people to do, and amounted to the following.

If the celebration of Christmas is to recognize Jesus’ birth, then it is erroneous. The Lord Jesus was not born December 25^th. The Bible is explicit in its omission of a date. We know, according to the Holy Book, shepherds were in the fields to watch their flock at the time of His birth. Since December is cold and rainy in Judea they would have been in the fields. This would have been unlikely. In addition, Jesus’ parents went to Bethlehem to take part in a census. These censuses were not conducted in the winter months as temperatures often dropped below zero and roads were in deplorable condition.

Therefore, to consider the referencing of the date Jesus was born as December 25^th goes against the Bible’s teaching of, “Though shall not bear false witness.” To “witness” is synonymous with authenticate, endorse, and recognize.

If a person states, “A date isn’t important. It’s the fact we’re celebrating His birth,” then why don’t we celebrate His birth every day? Why is a specific date, and wrong one to boot, set aside? Forbid we forget the day of His birth. Let’s set aside a day to celebrate it. Yes, forbid we forget. Like we forget the other 364 days a year.

For those who rejoice every day, give praise; among other things, you see the light, and the narrow-mindedness of man-made creations is not lost on you. A man-made creation to appease and please each other with gifts and tidings of joy when there is none; to lie to children about Santa Claus, only to mock them years later for their belief, and if they are lied to about the existence of this being, why should they not believe they are being lied to when taught about the blessing of Jesus and God? The Bible is full of references to lying and its abhorrence by the almighty Creator. Among them, Leviticus 19:11 —Do not lie. Do not deceive one another. Proverbs 6:16-9 — These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed blood, a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift running to mischief, a false witness who speaketh lies, and he who soweth discord among brethren. Proverbs 19:9 — A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he who lies shall perish. “Peace on earth; good will to men?” Where? When?

One thing for sure Andrew Ruchkin had a knack for doing was to make people willing to think, well, think. He could make the most obstinate person reflect on their belief if they were truthful with themselves. Most people are not.

Although neither were fans of fishing for sport, they decided to go angling for a change of pace. Andrei commented it made him reminiscence of the days he’d take his son, Cody fishing. The biggest pleasure for Victor was the freshness of open salt-water air and time to clear his mind, along with the company of a friend he treasured. No fish were caught.

Andrei as a child

Never expressed, he looked upon Andrei as a father figure in ways. The sentiment was not mutual. He considered Victor a ‘little brother.’

Since he met Andrei and got turned on to Ninjutsu, photos, and posters of Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi, 34^th Grandmaster of Ninjutsu, and Stephen K. Hayes, the first western practitioner of the art, adorn the walls. Statuettes of Geisha girls cover his dresser. His wardrobe is casual.

Dr. HatsumiStephen K. Hayes

Short, Victor is a five-foot, three-inch, 135-pound adult. Of medium-dark complexion, jet-black wavy hair covers his scalp and several tattoo etchings display on his body. His dominant characteristic is he embodies ying and yang. At thirty-five, he’s a whirlwind of opposites. Complex; carrying on a discussion often results in a state of confusion for the other participant. Sometimes, it’s as if two different topics are being deliberated.

Victor thinks himself stoic. He’s been through a lot in his 30-plus years and is dressed and ready for whatever comes next, willing to meet it head-on. Little does he know.

Passionate moments occur throughout his on-again-off-again relationship with a female, Fortune. They enjoy pleasure and quality times together, interspersed with periods of adversity. As a youth, Victor never learned how to swim. He had no exposure to pools, lakes, ponds, or the ocean. On an outing with Fortune, the jaunt entails a trip to the Atlantic Ocean. What was to be a fun-filled learning experience proved unfortunate. The chap underwent stings from a school of Jellyfish so painful and foreign to him he thought he was attacked by sharks. A return to the water fails to take place until later in life.

Poor luck precedes or follows good luck in their world. The day Victor receives news of this gal’s tragic death in an airplane accident is hard on him. She was his first genuine love.

Skeptical of modern scientific principles, he believes in conceptual theory but feels something is missing. The biggest riddle is within. He loves animals and nature, and animals love him in return. Give Victor a chocolate éclair and he’ll follow you around like a puppy.