But then the really cool stuff started. Ethan had been hooked since the first class. Aikido was like using your enemy’s power against them. They move to strike you; you step, grab, and pull and they go flying. They grab you; you lock on, pivot and push and they go down.
He could have used these skills last year as a grade-tenner trying to find his place in the jock hierarchy at Kennedy.
Ethan observed Jack and Nat getting taken down. They both actually managed to get their hands on Keith, but the guy knew how to use his body to break grips. Ethan could see that Keith was allowing his students to try some of their new skills.
At one point, he had a grip of the front of Nat’s shirt.
“Pivot!” he stated in a funny voice. “Pivot!” he repeated.
Nat did as she was ordered and managed to break the hold. Melissa laughed like it was the funniest thing she’d heard all day. Ethan had no clue what that was all about.
The lessons always ended with some stretches that gave people a chance to chat.
“Hey, Keith, what’s ‘pivot’?” Nat asked, imitating the nasal voice Keith had used.
Melissa laughed again when she heard it.
“You know. Friends!” Melissa uttered excitedly. “The one with the couch?” She had another good laugh at the blank stares, then regained her composure. “Ah, never mind. Before your time.”
The group continued stretching in relative silence, until Ethan had a question.
“Hey, Keith, how long have you been doing this aikido stuff? Do you have, like, a black belt?”
Keith considered this before answering. “Over fifteen years now and, yeah, I guess I have a black belt. But in aikido there are many black belts. My rank was third dan.”
“Huh, who is Dan?”
“Not a person. In aikido you’re either a kyu, which is like a student, or a dan, which is like a teacher.” Keith smiled as he thought about it. “Funnily enough, the guy that taught me — his real name was Dan. Dan-Dan.” His expression sobered. “I wonder if any of those guys are still alive...”
The rest of the group nodded silently, all wondering about their own people. This lasted for a minute, before Jack piped up with a question.
“So, are the hammers part of aikido too?”
“Heh. No. That’s my job. I’m a carpenter. ... Or I was one, anyway.”
Keith looked up at his students. They looked back at him expectantly.
Chapter 4
Keith’s Story
It was the day that they announced the epidemic. October twenty-first. It was Keith’s first day back on the job after the accident.
“Stay home. Or better yet, come over here and stay with me.” Keith could hear the authority in the voice over the phone. Cindy had used that voice many times in the past. Maybe that was why it didn’t work this time. Also, her apartment was downtown, and Keith hated downtown.
“‘You talking to me?’” Keith’s response didn’t ease the tension, though.
“Keith, this is no time for some silly movie quote.”
“Hey! That’s Taxi Driver you’re talking about. It’s a classic!”
“Yeah, exactly. ... Keith, seriously: This HAPS thing is for real. They are now calling it an epidemic, you know. There is some weird stuff going on.”
“Honey, I already told you. I feel fine. I don’t have any symptoms at all. Besides, I’ve taken four days off already. They’re going to pull me from the job if I don’t go back today.”
Keith’s mind was made up. Cindy said something in Chinese under her breath. Keith could just make it out.
“Ah, but you love this stubborn mule.”
More Chinese swear words followed.
“OK, honey. Take it easy.” He waited for her to finish her tirade and continued, “Look, I will be safe — don’t you worry about me. You should be worried about yourself. I heard that there is a protest going on later this morning. You’re not going to be covering that, are you?”
“No, they got me going out to some ranch today to do a story about the sick cattle. I think Jeff is going to cover the march.”
“And are you still feeling fine?”
He could practically hear her rolling her eyes.
“Yes, Keith, I feel fine. No symptoms.”
“OK, good. I have to go get ready, or I’ll miss the bus. Are you coming to class tonight?”
Cindy was also a member of Bridgerock Aikikai Dojo. She might be a tiny woman, standing at about five foot two, but she had the moves to back up that personality of hers.
“Depends on when I get back from this ranch. But I’ll call you. Love you!”
And with that she hung up. She always made sure she had the last word. Keith smiled as he put his phone away. She was a firecracker, but he loved her. Truth was, he needed to keep working so he could afford that ring...
That day was standard as days go for Keith. He caught his bus, nodding at all the regulars before secluding himself in the back. He got to work and only got a bit of flak from his foreman and the rest of the crew. He worked hard all day — just a little bit harder than usual — to recoup the imaginary loss of respect he thought he’d suffered. After work, he caught the bus home and had supper — although, thinking back, he did notice that it tasted slightly different. Not like it had gone off. Just a bit bland.
After supper he watched the news, showered, grabbed his gear, and was out the door on his way to his dojo. Cindy did not make it to class. She was running late. As usual. A lot of people skipped that class.
Keith didn’t realize it, but this would be his last class as well.
It was during the next day that Keith started noticing unusual things. A couple of guys did not show up for work. And the radio was going on and on about unrest all over the
