Mani

“Boys, you need to watch little Mani carefully. Don’t let him drown. I suppose he can swim, coming from the island.”

Mo’s father addressed the group of boys whom he had escorted to the lake for their swimming workout.

Mani had filled out after being taken in as an emaciated little creature, and Mo’s father finally felt that he was ready to try some swimming.

The boys all sprinted from the beach to the water, barely heeding Mo’s father’s words, as they were all eager to be the first to reach the platform.

Mani stood knee deep and confused, watching the boys dash off. He walked deeper, dove in efficiently, and began swimming skillfully. But he was not headed toward the platform, which was about two hundred yards straight out from the shore. He swam to the left, where one could see an outcropping of land far away on a distant shore of the lake.

Mo’s father suddenly felt panic.

“Mani, where are you going? Not that way!” He knew that there would be trouble if Mani made landfall at that location, as it was near to many military outposts skirting the far side of the Great Lake. He watched Mani swim with efficiency and speed and was shocked to realize that it was going to be difficult to catch him. By now, the fastest of the other boys, including Mo, were on their return swim to shore.

Mo’s father waved his arms furiously. “Let’s go! Faster!

C’mon, boys!” But he knew that nothing he said or did would make any difference. The boys were all in a full sprint, each vying for number one. As Mo and several other boys exited the water, Mo’s father rounded them up quickly.

“Look there, boys! Mani has gone mad. He’s swimming off to the far shore. He’s fast, and with that kind of lead, it’s better to run around and intercept him on the other side.

Let’s go!” cried Mo, and several boys tore off on foot. A second group of five boys ran with Mo’s father, only a couple of minutes behind the lead pack. Their aim was to protect Mani from the army, whose soldiers were known to often overreact and cause a great deal of physical harm, and given Mani’s skin color, they might overreact a little more than usual.

“C’mon! Faster!” Mo urged.

The boys sprinted barefoot through the low brush and dirt trails. After urging the others, Mo passed the lead boy and set a faster pace. He was worried about Mani and bewildered.

The distance in the water was about three miles, but the distance on land was much more. To get around the end of the lake, they would need to cover ten or twelve miles. Mani was fast, and he had a good head start. They all feared that he might reach land first, and they were scared of what might happen next. In addition to entering a prohibited area, they would need to pass the city border and try to quickly get clearance to run into forbidden territory as a training exercise. They also needed to do this without being delayed.

This was the biggest risk, because some checkpoint guards took it upon themselves to act slowly and in a domineering manner so as to demonstrate their superiority. But Mo’s father would need to feign complete patience so as not to arouse suspicion. In addition to his sense of urgency, Mo’s father felt slight panic as he had another thought as well.

“Rico!” he shouted to the boy just ahead of him. “You go back and turn back all the other boys who will be coming after us. I need to keep the group small and together when we meet the army.”

Rico complied and immediately doubled back to intercept the ten or so boys who were following them.

Mo’s father was himself a seasoned former military runner and was mentally agile in these situations. He knew that if another ten boys suddenly showed up while he was haggling at the checkpoint with the eight or nine boys in the front, the whole affair would be slowed down, and they would all be detained. Meanwhile, Mo and his lead pack had settled into a blistering pace.

A view of the lake could generally be maintained from the lake, but the group had to veer significantly to the north to follow the shoreline, while Mani was swimming nearly due east toward the nearest shore. As they came around one of the turns, since they were up in elevation, they could see him in the far distance, plying the water, and in his mind, pursuing his freedom. Mo called out uselessly, as he must have been at least two miles away.

On a normal day, they wouldn’t have been able to see Mani at all. But this was a crystal-clear fall day, and the latemorning sun made everything sparkle. Mo suddenly yelled a primal call to summon his strength, will, and endurance, and he picked up the pace even more, causing a nearly collective gasp among his followers. After another twenty minutes, they saw the checkpoint in the distance.

Mo slowed the pack, and they jogged up to the small structure. They did not see anyone, but they knew that the soldiers were likely inside because checkpoints were never left unmanned.

“What are we supposed to do?” asked one of the boys.

There was no time for Mo to seek instructions from his father, who was five minutes back and having similar thoughts, wondering how Mo would handle any encounter. But in addition to being brilliant, Mo was street smart to a degree that was well beyond his years. He knew that showing up early needn’t be a wasted effort. He would try to use this lead to facilitate a faster passage by engaging and explaining in advance. Just jog up slowly, he thought.

“Okay, let’s do some stretching right here at the trees as if we are at the end of our run.”

They were at the outer perimeter of where Edenites were allowed to venture, and it was not unusual for distance runs to terminate at this point. Mo had in fact been to this very spot several times.

Two guards jogged up from to the checkpoint gate, coming from the other side. They were also panting, likely finishing a training run, which was a daily affair for them. The men were bronzed and muscled, so highly trained and conditioned. They were laughing and talking as they approached.

“Don’t stare, guys. Just act normal,” Mo instructed.

When the soldiers spotted them, their levity immediately subsided, and they started to chatter.

“What’s up, boys? Aren’t we a little far away from Mama?” the first soldier taunted.

“You guys should head back. This is pretty far out for you. Where’s your dad?” the second soldier asked, more seriously.

Mo stepped forward. The other boys had stopped and stood staring back at the soldiers while still breathing heavily.

“Keep stretching!” Mo commanded firmly in a whispered tone as he strolled toward the gate.

“My father’s coming. He is Commander Oberon. We just got a little ahead,” Mani stated while walking closer to the gate.

“Oberon? Do you remember him?” he turned to his partner.

“Of course, you idiot. I was trained by him, and so were you. Moron,” his fellow soldier returned.

“That’s cool, little man. When he gets here, tell him to say hi.” The soldiers turned and started to walk away, heading toward the guardhouse.

“Sirs?” The guards paused and half turned, slightly annoyed. “My father wants to know if he can take us beyond the gate to show us the outpost. He is always trying to get us excited to try out for the army. That’s why we like to run.”

Moey used his charm.

“Has he got a permit?”

The question hit Mo like a punch. “I thiiiink so,” Moey speculated.

“Okay, little man. No problem,” said the smarter soldier.

“What if he forgot it?” Moey asked.

“Did he?”

“Uh oh.” The dumb soldier snickered.

“Maybe.”

“Well, I’m sure it’s okay, buuuut … crap! My commander isn’t here. It’s not cool. Maybe you guys should try it another time when he’s carrying the permit.”

Moey lowered his head in disappointment. He hadn’t accomplished anything, and a half a mile, at the very least, had just been lost.

As Rico hurried back to intercept the other boys, he was passed by four soldiers coming the other way and making incredible time. Three of them were younger, and the older one was barking military running chants as they ran along. Rico stopped and stepped off the trail as they hammered past him.

He watched them run off with the cloud of dust behind them as he wondered what would happen now.

The three soldiers and their commander outpaced Mo’s father and his group of four boys, and they were soon upon them. Oberon could hear them approaching from the rear, and he pulled off with his team to let them pass. He felt pangs of despair, not quite sure what this would mean, but his hopes were sinking, along with the fate of little Mani, given this new development. But he immediately recognized the commander, who was one of his junior officers and a former star athlete. Commander Yuba was very well known in Eden. Yuba stopped immediately, and the men embraced. The boys felt relief, and all smiled nervously, still not sure whether this was good or bad.

“Let’s keep going. We can chat at the gate.” Oberon wasted no time, his mind working feverishly on a solution.

“Okay! Let’s move out!” Yuba commanded, and the new expanded platoon pounded toward the gate in a line. The soldiers were at the front, the boys were to the rear, and Oberon positioned himself alongside Yuba. He was genuinely glad to see the commander not only because of the situation, but also due to the bonds that had been created as a result of their experiences together. Because of these joint experiences, they had forged mutual respect, and although they were not close friends, they would forever be on good terms.

“Still training up the next wave of runners. What a patriot.”

“I have my son too; he is up ahead. I can’t keep up with him anymore, and he’s only twelve,” panted Oberon. “I have to get him sorted out, then I will sit on my ass.” Both men laughed.

“Say, Yuba, I was thinking. I really want to show the boys the northern outpost and see how Eden looks from that vantage point. It’s so bloody clear today. It would be pure magic.”

“Normally, you would have a problem, unless you arranged it way ahead of time. You know all this.”

“But?”

“But I happen to be going there. Where else would I be going? Ha ha. So, we will escort your group as long as they don’t slow us down.”

“Yuba, that’s terrific!” But Oberon’s stomach tightened; he had no clue what this would all amount to.

As the group rolled into the checkpoint area, the first set of boys were still shaking off their run and were starting to mill about. The boys were shocked and excited to see the soldiers with their team and coach. Moey ran over to quickly update his father and to understand what was going on with these soldiers. But there was no opportunity.

“Let’s rest here for a while, and then we will head out.

You guys didn’t bring water? What’s up with that? That doesn’t sound like Commander Oberon. Let’s get a drink over at the house,” suggested Yuba.

As they all passed through the gate, Oberon took the opportunity to try and get ahead of the soldiers. This would potentially allow Oberon and the boys to intercept Mani before the soldiers noticed anything wrong. “Yuba, we will take a quick drink and then why don’t you let us go first so we don’t slow you down? You know you’re faster. You can pretend you’re running down some nomads.”

Oberon knew that this would play on Yuba’s ego.

Letting them go ahead and then pushing themselves to overtake them was a competitive challenge. It was an irresistible scenario for running men.

“Okay! It’s about six miles. I will give you a half-mile head start, and then we will take your asses down! Ha ha!”

“Oh, c’mon! That’s all? Twelve-year-olds? One mile at least!” challenged Oberon.

“Done! No water! Now, move out!” barked Yuba with a testosterone-backed smile.

The boys shrugged, but Oberon was elated. Among the members of the team, only Moey could share his relief, for they both knew that having a head start meant more than just getting their first. They needed to minimize their time with the soldiers. They hoped that there had not been enough of a chance to count the number of boys and, even more importantly, examine and become familiar with them. As it was, Moey was still sure that if they saw Mani, the soldiers would scratch their heads and wonder why they hadn’t noticed the “brown.”

Oberon nodded to Moey and the lead boys, and they sped off immediately, with the second group falling in behind them. It wasn’t necessary to explain to Moey that there was a need for even more speed. But what had seemed to Moey to last an eternity had actually been only about one and a half miles of lost time. He had made a mental estimate, and he knew that there was still a chance they could pull it off. His fear was that once Mani exited the water, he could run and hide anywhere. But as long as he was in the water, he could be easily spotted.

Despite their best efforts, the boys were growing tired, and their pace had slowed slightly. They were also thirsty and hungry. At about five miles, Oberon, who had fallen to the back of the pack to shout words of encouragement for all to hear, could feel the soldiers approaching from behind. It wouldn’t be long now—any minute. As they neared the outpost, he felt like a hunted animal with hopeless prospects.

Then, the trail suddenly came out from behind small hills and trees and joined the lake along a low cliff. Suddenly, Oberon and the team were shocked to see Mani swimming nearly beside them, not even a quarter mile out. They had caught up to him after all, but collective panic ensued. Oberon couldn’t think of what to do. He couldn’t say that the boy had swum there from the checkpoint, as that would have been impossible. Suddenly, Moey called out from the front.

“My group! Follow me right now!” There was a small trail from the ridge down to the water’s edge, and the first boys bolted down the thirty feet or so. Moey made a running dive into the water and swam aggressively, followed by the other four boys. Oberon would have loved to fall to his knees in prayer and admiration for his son’s quick mind and his sense of relief as the soldiers rounded the corner and came out onto the open bluff. Oberon could hear shouting behind him.

“What the hell are they doing?”

“Hey!”

He heard the soldiers laughing and talking as they approached. They were not feeling overly alarmed, as far he could surmise.

Oberon took the offensive as they overtook his team. “Yuba, you didn’t let them have any water. You see what happens when boys don’t get water? They get water!” Yuba laughed.

“Oh, man! It does look refreshing. How did that one boy get out there so far?” he asked, referring to Mani, who was still separated from the others by at least two hundred yards.

“He was the thirstiest, and he is also the best swimmer,” replied Oberon.

“What the …? Is he a … a brown?” Yuba looked over at Oberon as they ran along, still at a strong clip. “I don’t recall seeing him.”

“He was in the lead group … must have been taking a piss when we were at the gate.”

Yuba looked down, not satisfied. They ran along for a while in silence. Then, Oberon saw Yuba raise his eyebrows, and his mood suddenly changed.

“You remember that time we were doing a night swim, and we were supposed to evade Eagle Squad?” Yuba questioned.

“Oh, yah! How could I forget that? Man! You were totally crazy.” The men chuckled as they rounded the last bend and saw the outpost straight ahead.