A large crowd gathered along the road leading from Eden to the north. They were standing several deep, trying to get a clear view while cheering with fervor. Fifty of Victory’s best female runners stood poised and loaded like arrows waiting to spring from a bow. This was the starting line for the Mountain Run, the most grueling and challenging event and the one that closed the summer festival.
There was some shouting by the starting official, who rattled off some rules regarding the checkpoints and time limits.
The official competed his speech to rowdy hoots and whistles from all sides. Then, the loud clanking of a bell signaled the start of the run. They were off like a shot, with the leaders sprinting up the road as if the race were merely a hundred yards. In actuality, the distance was eighty miles and included seventeen thousand feet of climbing along the way. There were four checkpoints, and at each one, a cotton bracelet was given to those passing through, as long as they were already wearing the bracelets to indicate that they had passed the prior checkpoints.
The athletes carried their own food and water, and there was additional water at each checkpoint. It was midafternoon, and the men’s race would begin when the sun was setting. The winning ceremonies for this race, as well as for the other contests during the festival, were the following night, after the conclusion of this final race.
Moey and Mani were still at home preparing themselves. They would have liked to see the women go off, as the group included girls whom they fancied, but they needed to stay out of the sun and stay hydrated and fed until the right moment. It was a ritual that Pa had taught them, and it had served them well. Last year, Moey had finished third and Mani had been sixth.
They were now both nineteen, and this was to be their year. Mani had already won the Crossing a week earlier, and Moey had come in third. Now, Moey was determined to win the Mountain Run, and Mani had declared his goal to be second, although he secretly wanted to be first.
Moey was lying down eating a fresh fig while Mani sipped water and sat cross-legged on the floor nearby. In his mind, Mani was still replaying something that had occurred a week earlier at the halfway point of the Crossing. A young man whom the boys knew was upset by Mani. He was jealous and prejudiced against Mani and during the stress of competition, lost control of his emotions. As he’d exited the water on the far shore, dragging his fatigued body, panting, and searching for a few carbs to support his return journey, he had seen Mani taking his last sip of water and starting to head back into the water for the return journey.
“You fucking brown dog. I hate you,” the boy had panted before continuing his venomous attack. “Looks like you’re ready to swim home.” The boy had been so full of rage that he’d kicked sand. Mani had been shocked. He had been the victim of many such attacks throughout his life, but being subjected to these words in the middle of a competition had thrown him off. He had not even responded to the boy, and after the first comment, he had refused to even look at him.
As he’d run back to the water, his anger had suddenly boiled, and he had channeled it. His run had become a wild charge into the small incoming waves, and he’d dove beneath the surface and let out a yell underwater as he’d surfaced. He’d started pounding the water with both feet and hands, setting a furious pace that none of the others in contention could ever have hoped to match.
“That crazy fucker Joshua. I couldn’t believe him. What a pile of shit,” Mani said matter-of-factly while staring out the window at nothing in particular.
“Saul’s butcher! Forget about that shit. We have something to do. Let’s focus our energy there. Please!” pleaded Moey.
Mani smiled. “Okay!” he said with a positive spirit. Just then, their father, Oberon, entered the room.
“Okay, boys! This is it. Are you guys all set with water and food? Remember: your condition when you start is the most important thing. If anything is off, it will just get worse and worse.”
“All good, Pa!” Mani declared.
“Me too,” followed Moey.
“I want to talk to each one of you alone. Moey, I’ll start with you.” Mani immediately got up and left the room. “Son, I know what you expect of yourself. I don’t need to tell you anything about that. But I want you to realize that I don’t expect anything from you. Whatever happens will be for a reason. You have done this before. You know what it’s like. Anything can happen. You are ready. Your conditioning is perfect. It all comes down to this.” Oberon pointed to the side of his own head. “That’s how you win. That’s why you are so good. You have the right mind-set. Okay?”
“Yes, Pa.” Moey listened, perfectly calm.
“Now, last year, you went out a little hot. What are you thinking now?”
“I’m going to fall back behind the lead pack. I think it will bother the other guys. Some will use it as a chance to open up a lead, but I think some will ease off. I’m more worried about them. Then, the other thing is, I tried to run a lot of the Tempest grade, which was dumb. I think I’m better off walking that whole thing and then really smoking on the downhills.”
“Good.”
“Other than that, chia seeds and flakes on the flats and downhills, lots of water, and short strides.”
“And smile as much as you can.” They both smiled.
“Anything else? You feel good?”
“Yeah … really good. I’m ready.”
“Okay, son. After I’m done with Mani, we will go out and get warm.” They embraced.
Oberon remembered times when Moey’s head was buried in his chest as he wrapped his arms around his young boy. Now, he felt small as he embraced his son. This was the beginning of a new chapter for both of them, for after this festival, his boys would soon be headed off to their compulsory military service. Moey left the room and went out find Mani.
Oberon was almost teary-eyed as Mani came in, at which point, he straightened himself out. “Mani, come. How do you feel?”
“Good, Pa. I’m ready.”
“I know you are. You have already accomplished something so great. There are two ways that this can go. One way is that you don’t feel the same fire because you don’t need to as much as the others. You already have your glory.”
“No, Pa.”
“Let me finish.” Oberon raised his hand. “The other way is that you can use that confidence. Many of the boys have the physical ability to win. But their minds are not right. You can still have the fire, but you must calm yourself. I will tell you something I just told Moey. It sounds crazy, but smile as much as you can. Make it fun, even when it’s painful and hard. This will help you.”
“Yes, Pa. I understand.”
“One last thing. The other boys. Put them out of your mind. You are alone. Forget about Moey too. Don’t try to stay with him or anyone else. Run your own race. If the other boys say something you don’t like, smile. Remember what happened last time someone did that. You can use that anger, but only at the very end. If you try to do that early in the race, it will be difficult.”
“Yes, Pa.”
“Do you need anything from me?”
“No, I’m good. Ready.” With that, Oberon opened his arms, and they embraced. Mani was smaller than Moey but was still eye to eye with Oberon.
“Okay, son. Let’s go get ready.”
They exited the room and passed through the main living area of their house, where Moey was waiting calmly. He rose, and the three of them exited the house and began an easy jog toward the starting area. When they arrived, Parker was waiting.
“Parker, where is your father?” inquired Oberon.
“He’s coming, sir.”
“Have you got enough water? Where is your pouch?”
He was referring to the small leather bag in which they carried their grains, seeds, and dried fruit.
“My pa is bringing it,” Parker answered smiling.
“Pa’s got it. It’s all good,” Moey added, smiling at Parker.
“Well, you three looked relaxed—more relaxed than me. That’s good. Why don’t you guys start your routine?” Oberon said.
The boys went over to another group of runners, most of whom were friends. Just then, Rex ran up with his military escorts. “Oberon!” he called out. Oberon walked straight to him, and they shook hands heartily. They had grown up together and had served in the military together.
“Where is he?” Oberon asked, referring to Rex’s father, RJ, who was the Chair.
“He’s getting slow. He will come down for the finish and the ceremonies, of course. So! This is the event, and Moey is the man to beat. Maybe Mani will hold on for second?”
“I hope so. I was worried that he might not feel as determined after winning last week. But he seems very serious.”
“That’s great to hear. They are both fantastic athletes.
Must be the food we have these days. We were nothing like these kids.”
“No. Things have definitely changed.”
Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by the sounds of a large bell striking three times. This was the first signal. In a while, there would be a second with two strikes.
Finally, the single strike would be the signal to come to the line and prepare to start. The men resumed their discussion.
“So, is RJ ready to step down?” Oberon asked seriously, though not expecting a straight answer. But he was surprised and rewarded for having asked.
“He is getting ready. He is not well. I’m sure he could still run the course,” Rex offered, referring to his father’s ability to pass the running test. “But there is something wrong with him. So, he has started to hand over things and brief me on a lot of secrets.”
“Secrets. I thought such a thing no longer existed,” quipped Oberon.
“Apparently, there are a few. I’m still waiting to find out.” Little did Rex realize how much those secrets would blow his mind. “At the ceremony, come stand with RJ and me. It will be nice.”
“Absolutely!”
The boys went through some stretching exercises with a group of other competitors. They laughed and shoved each other, seemingly unaware of the burden they would soon face.
This was the mind-set of the very best, as taking it more seriously would simply add to the burden.
As two bells tolled, all the boys looked at one another, suddenly sobered and transformed. From this point onward, each man found his own slice of solitude. They milled around, looking out at nothing in particular but never at each other.
As the men lined up following the single chime, Oberon, Rex, and the crowd, which had swelled to double the size that had been present for the women’s start, looked on with excitement, vocalizing their support in a roar of anticipation.
Moey and Mani were among a dozen or so dominating the very front line, which was constrained by the road and a wall of spectators. Parker was just behind them.
It was a magnificent scene of bronzed, tightened, and yet perfectly still muscles. And, then, in the middle of this was Mani, who was many shades darker, leaner than most, and had an even more serious look about him. Finally, the bell chimed, and off they went, to the delight of a crowd gone wild.
As the competitors disappeared out of sight, the supporters began to disband. They went about their evening and most of the following day, stopping occasionally to realize that the men and ladies were still out running. As the first glimpse of a new day added to the soft bath of the full moon, several runners were nearing the final checkpoint, following which there were mainly downhills and a long, rolling flat.
Though the brutal climbs were over, their lingering effects remained, making the final stretch of the race no less painful. Moey exited the checkpoint first, only moments ahead of another two runners. Mani saw them leaving with their final wristbands, just as he lumbered to the checkpoint and gulped some water. He bent over, hands on knees to support his back, and drew a few deep breaths. He then walked over to receive the bracelet from a lovely young lady, who was full of encouragement.
He noticed that she looked a bit darker than average, and it crossed his mind that maybe she was also from some other place. He was curious. His mind was hazy, and he felt as though he was in a dream, but the thought of her took his mind off the pain, and he found himself barreling down the mountain. He caught sight of the two runners ahead. That’s Joshua, he thought to himself. He knew that it wasn’t really the bully he remembered, but he convinced himself that it was. “I will show you something, Joshua,” Mani mumbled to himself, and he picked up speed.
He caught and passed the two men, and only then did he admit to himself, Okay. So, it wasn’t Joshua. He felt disappointed until he realized, Joshua is up ahead! He was once again full of raging determination and had little regard for nuisances such as pain. Later that morning, the massive crowd was building near the beach, where the finish line was and where the runners normally found their way to the water, falling in to begin the process of recovering from the ordeal. The crowd could hear the clanking of bells coming from way up the road and around a bend.
The lead runners were coming. The lead men had passed the lead women several miles earlier, but women finishers would also soon arrive. The crowd was energized, and the sound of the bells sent them into a frenzy. Men, women, boys, and girls … it seemed as if everyone was there.
As the first competitors rounded the corner in the distance, the din escalated and the bells near the finish line clanged wildly as a signal to the crowd but more so for the runners. The clanging bells signaled the last quarter mile of an incredibly arduous test of strength, will, and courage. The crowd could now see clearly that there were only two runners in sight.
One of them was darker, and Oberon realized that it was Mani.
He hoped that the other one was Moey.
Within seconds, he could see Moey’s form clearly, and he knew. His boys were the two leaders. His spirit soared, and he cried out, “C’mon, boys! Yaahhh! Ha ha ha!” He was giddy with excitement. So were Rex, RJ, and the rest of the elite group that was located up on the elevated viewing platform. To all observers near the finish line, the scene appeared dynamic and exciting. But to Moey and Mani, all appeared to be at a standstill. They were locked together in space and time, without any relative motion between them. Even their cadence and footfalls were synchronous, just as they were on any given day.
But one of them had something in reserve. He still had an ounce of extra anger to add to the burn, and nothing could change this. Mani surged ahead.
Moey gasped and pursued, summoning everything he had. But it wasn’t enough. Mani continued to open the gap, fueled by his demons both real and imagined. The crowd erupted, and half of them jumped up and down.
“C’mon, Mo! C’mon, Mo! Go!” Oberon heard himself shouting uncontrollably. As Moey’s biological father, he couldn’t help but want Moey to prevail. At one hundred yards, Moey started to come back, or so it seemed. But he knew it was too late. Mani had beaten him, and whatever he’d had in reserve suddenly disappeared.
The boys crossed the line about ten yards apart. Mani stumbled but managed his fall and made a soft landing, rolling over on his back, knees bent, and staring straight up. Moey ran right up and sat down right next to Mani; the two brothers were inseparable in any circumstance.
Moey got up, grabbed Mani’s hand, and pulled him to his feet. They embraced and held hands, raising them in a sign of victory and solidarity. They were surrounded by the crowd, and everyone laid hands on them, as if hoping that some of the glory would rub off. The next two finishers were on their way in, and as true sportsmen, Mani and Moey greeted them with embraces, acknowledging their phenomenal accomplishments.
The boys and some of the other finishers now headed down toward the lake to submerge themselves in the cool water as part of a longs tradition.
“Very impressive!” RJ congratulated Oberon and his wife as Rex and others looked on. Christopher was watching the scene from a short distance, staring arrogantly. Suddenly, there were more clanging bells, signaling the arrival of the first ladies.
Their pace had been slower than the men’s by a couple of hours or more, which meant that they had spent a great deal of extra time out on the trail. The crowd respected their determination.
Among the women, it was not a close race. A solitary woman approached with no others in sight. Many men were now coming in as well, and then, a second woman appeared. RJ straightened up, as did Christopher. They could see that it was Marina, Christopher’s daughter.
RJ looked around and spotted Christopher. As their eyes met, they shared a rare moment of unity and pride. RJ remained discreet as his wife was beside him, and anything to do with Marina or her father, Christopher, still made her upset, even so many years later.
By this time, Moey and Mani had come out of the lake, and they came back to the line to welcome more finishers.
When Moey saw Marina cross the line haggard and exhausted, he saw nothing but beauty and perfection. He wondered whether and how he would ever be able to meet such a girl.
Night had now fallen, and the large parade grounds near the Chair’s house were outlined by large burning torches.
It was a classic summer evening, and the last traces of the beautiful sunset over the mountaintops were disappearing. The athletes and their immediate families, as well as the volunteers, were on the grounds. They were being treated to a huge buffet, while the rest of the citizenry in attendance was confined to the grandstands or the perimeters of the field.
There was a high wooden platform at the very center of the field, and a musical group played drums and flutes to round out the ambiance. Moey and Mani, along with the rest of the athletes, were tired and aching, but nearly all of them were present. This affair was not only for the participants of the Mountain Run but also for the benefit of all the competitors of the past two weeks, covering every event from Spears, Knives, and Archery to Swimming and Running.
A master of ceremonies started going through and announcing winners. The top three would go up to the stage and have their moment of glory as the crowd applauded. The final awards of the night were for the Crossing and the Mountain Run. Normally, the names of the women would be announced first, followed by those of the men for each of these events. But this time, given the unique nature of the outcome, namely Mani’s double victory, they decided to present both events for the ladies first, followed by both events for the men.
As Moey and Mani waited for their turn, RJ was up on stage. He was looking a little frail but was still able to project his voice when he occasionally had something to say about certain athletes. Oberon and Rex stood with Christopher near the stage, watching and applauding.
“His people would be very proud,” said Christopher of Mani, trying in his own way to be tactful but then making a mess of it.
“We are his people, and we are proud,” responded Oberon.
“It’s just that the memory of what happened is still so fresh … so raw. There’s still a lot of anger and resentment out there,” Christopher came back, not easily giving up the last word.
“Let’s just enjoy the moment,” Rex cut in.
“Mani’s only problem is that some people treat him so badly,” answered Oberon, looking directly to Christopher.
“I respect what you have had to go through,”
Christopher countered.
“For me, it’s nothing. Mani is the one who has had to take abuse all these years. But as you can see, it didn’t make him weak,” affirmed Oberon.
“That’s a fact.” Christopher nodded. “What about your son? He is also exceptional.”
“Moey has a very strong character. I believe he is also a genius. No, I never have to worry about him. He wanted to win badly. But I feel that it won’t change a single thing between them. He has been something like an adult since he was five.
Now, what about your daughter? She is also a talent and quite a beauty as well. What is she like?”
Christopher smiled. “She sounds a lot like your son.
Sometimes I feel like I have two mothers.” They all laughed.
The moment arrived. They had just awarded the decorated ceramic cups of different sizes to the top three female finishers of the Crossing. Now, it was time for the awards for the Mountain Run. Moey and Mani were now standing with Oberon and Christopher. Moey was smart enough to know that if he wanted to meet Marina, he now had a chance if he stayed close to her father.
When she received her second-place award, they cheered along with thousands of others. Just as Moey had hoped, Marina came to see her father immediately. “Marina, I don’t know if you have met these boys. This is Moey, and this is Mani. This is their father, Oberon.”
“Nice to meet you,” Marina said pleasantly.
“Congratulations!” said Moey, not knowing what else to say.
“Yeah … Great job,” added Mani.
“You guys went flying past me. It made me jump ’cause my mind was like … blank. I was so tired.” They all laughed.
There was an extended moment of eye contact, during which Moey thought that if he looked at her any longer, he might do something ridiculous, so he looked away. Then, they heard the call for the top three athletes for both men’s races to go up on stage.
“Good luck, guys. Enjoy the moment,” Marina said to them in a very adult-like manner. Moey was so impressed.
“I rearranged things a little,” said RJ, “because something happened. Something that has never happened in our history.” He paused, during which the crowd was relatively quiet, trying to listen. But unmistakably, somewhere in the crowd, a few people were booing. RJ paused to think.
“Let me tell you about Mani.” The crowd roared, and a chant began to build. “Ma-ni! Ma-ni! Ma-ni!” RJ raised his hand and then lowered it to signal for quiet. “This young man, as far as we know, might be the last surviving member of his people.
He was young when we took him into our care. And now, he is one of us, just as much as any of you out there.” There was affirmation from the crowd about what he was saying, until the roar subsided, and the heckling and sneers began once again.
“He has now made us proud that we did take him in, and I’m sure his people and his family would have been proud.
He has done something that no one has ever done.” The cheering started to build. Let me present the first-ever winner of both the Crossing and the Mountain Run!” The crowd went wild, the cheering ascending to its peak. “Ma-ni! Ma-ni! Ma-ni!”
Mani looked out. He felt somewhat shy, but he was proud. He was also grateful, not for Eden but for Oberon, Vera, and mainly Moey. As he looked out, close to the platform just in front of him, he saw her—the girl from the checkpoint. Darker than the others, she was also more beautiful than all of them, in his eyes. The sense of calm and re-centering he had experienced when they had interacted briefly during the race returned to him immediately. He could see that she was also looking at him.
Of course. Everyone was looking at him. But he was looking only at her.
RJ put his hand on Mani’s shoulder, and he suddenly snapped out of it. He took the large cups that were awarded to the champions of these events, and then he stepped back to allow Moey and others to receive their recognition. He continued to glance at the girl, afraid that she would suddenly disappear.
RJ then said a few final words. “This concludes our annual summer festival. Please enjoy the cider, wine, and food. I look forward to seeing you all here next year.”
Moey went back to where his father was, hoping that Marina had not left yet. But she had just left, according to Oberon. Moey thought that Mani was right behind him, but he was nowhere to be seen, as he had headed straight into the crowd, as if in a trance, looking for the girl. She was still there, as if waiting for him.
“Hi, champion. I knew you would win. I could see it in your eyes.”
“Hi,” Mani replied. “What is your name?”
“Angel.”
“I’m Mani.”
“No kidding. Yah. I would never have known that.”
Just then, he realized how dumb he had just sounded.
“Would you like to hang out?”
“Sure!” She gave him a big smile. This was the beginning of a romance that kept them together nearly every day.
Mani went into the army, but he was in a special category based on his athletic gifts and spent a lot of time training others, which almost always kept him in or near the town. Moey had the same advantage, but they hardly saw each other, as Mani’s free time was monopolized by his obsession with Angel. Within half a year, they were married.
At their wedding, they made sure that Marina was there, knowing how Moey felt about her, and this was the real beginning of their romance. But Moey and Marina took their time when it came to getting married. Marina’s father was always a challenge for Moey—or anyone, for that matter.
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