Will of Man - Part Three (4 page)

I wanted to start right away. Balow looked surprised and agreed to give me my first lesson. He said my first goal was to pin him on his back.

We took off our backpacks and jackets. Balow taunted me with a crooked grin and a wave of his hand. I smiled back, and then in a burst, I charged at him and tried to tackle him. He grabbed me and threw me across the sandy ground.

"Never go in head first or head down." Balow said, "Come at an angle, be balanced, and under control."

I nodded and came at him again. I grabbed him and pulled him side to side. He is a much larger man than me and I could tell he was taking it easy on me. I came at him over and over, and each time he'd give me just enough not to crush my spirit, but also enough to show me I had a lot to learn. We went on for a long time and I think he was impressed with my stamina. But I came to a point where I was exhausted and ready to stop and this is what Balow said.

He said, "You're exhausted and ready to quit, now is when the training begins. Fight me now and try to put me on my back. You can't rely on your strength or stamina anymore. You used them up. The only tool you have left is your WILL. It is your will to win that will make you victorious. NOW FIGHT TYLER! THE REAL FIGHT STARTS NOW!"

Balow pushed me to the ground and looked at me like a bear dominating a rabbit. He said, "GET UP AND FIGHT! Or else you will lose! Now is where you test yourself Tyler! Push through the urge to quit and fight. This is where so many will quit and lose. You have it in you!"

I pulled myself up and released a growl that came from deep within. I wrapped my arms around Balow's waste and picked him up a couple inches off the ground and toppled him to the ground. Balow fell onto his side and held his arms up in defeat.

With a loud chuckle, Balow patted me and said, "Excellent Tyler! A very good start for your first lesson."

I rolled onto my back and gasp for air. I felt physically sick, but in my mind I felt awesome.

Balow had me practice striking with his tomahawks. He coached me to exhale when striking and breathe in when moving to one side or the other.

"Strike and move. Strike and move." Balow kept saying. "Never move backwards. Stay out of your opponent’s striking range. Always move to one side or the other. Move away from their power hand."

We did this for a good hour and I was really into it. Not only was it cool handling Balow's tomahawks, but everything he said made sense and I could see the usefulness. The PULL was a little less scary today.

Balow had me write down this rule:

BALOW'S RULE #1

"When striking, breathe out instead of taking a breath. This helps if your opponent counters with a blow to the mid-section. A blow to the mid-section with a lung full of air is very painful and brings most to their knees.

This method also helps with regulating your breathing. Many fighters have a natural reaction to hold their breath during fights. Your muscles and brain need oxygen to function properly. You will tire quickly if you don't breathe correctly.

When boxers throw a punch and you hear a hissing noise, it's not air escaping the boxer's gloves; it's the boxer exhaling when they throw a punch.

The steamboat singled for us to board and we walked the long dock to board the boat. As we strolled down the dock, we passed a few people (men, women, and children) standing on the dock. As I approached them, I felt a disturbing sensation. I caught myself staring at them, and feeling angry and disgusted with them. I didn't know them, but I sensed they were not on “my side.” By what Balow told me, they were the TAKERS.

Balow sensed my discomfort and put his hand on my shoulder. He nodded to let me know that he knew, and then gestured for me to keep going. As he passed, the people and Balow stared each other in a grimacing way, but never spoke a word.

When we were far enough away, I said to Balow, "They're the enemy right? Why don't they attack us? Why didn't you attack them?"

Balow replied, "It hasn't yet come to that. We still mingle with the other side. Occasionally a fight breaks out, but for the most part, we stay out of each other’s way. There's plenty of fighting when people are PULLED."

"You mean we have to travel with the very people we may have to fight someday?"

"Tyler, you will run into the TAKERS many more times, than just today. The GIFTED foresee that one day the world will be separated, and we will no longer live amongst the TAKERS. But until then, we have to tolerate them, and them us. Our hate for each other is not strong enough yet, that we feel the need for an all out war. Both sides are still confused about the PULL and wish it wouldn't happen. They have families like us, they love their children the same way we do, and they wish for peace in the world. But something has divided us into the GIVERS and the TAKERS. We are two separate teams fighting for the same prize. Judging by the moon last night, it's a tied game."

As we entered the boat, I noticed the two floors of the boat were segregated into two groups - the Givers and the TAKERS.

Ours was the second floor, and I was glad, since the view was better. I could see the workers on the boat loading the coal in the burners of the steam engines. They were covered in silt, but looked like they were having fun joking around with each other. The captain was the only one with a uniform and seemed to have a good relationship with his crew. He patted everyone on the shoulder as he passed and said, "Keep it going men. We leave soon."

I could hear the TAKERS shuffling below us. There were sounds of children laughing and playing, men and women talking, they didn't sound like bad people at all. But I still couldn't shake the feeling of disgust. Why did I have these feelings towards these people? They are just like me.

But nowadays, I've learned to worry about things within my control (which isn't much), and for the rest - what happens, happens. I can only prepare to react to what's happening around me, I can't prepare to control it.

The sun was directly overhead, and that signaled noon. It was time to cast off. The steam engines slowly started, then a loud whistle sounded, and then the boat began to move. I couldn't help but think of the train I boarded a couple months ago. I hoped this trip had a better ending.

Balow said the boat ride will last a few days. We will make a few stops along the way, but mostly it will be full steam ahead. Traveling by land in this area is dangerous. The people are extra aggressive and traveling by boat has proven to be safer. However, he said pirates have been picking at the ship from time to time, and I needed to be careful.

I asked Balow whose side the pirates were on? He said most of the trouble makers are comprised of the TAKERS. He said he's yet to have any trouble with a GIVER.

I asked Balow if the pirates will pirate the TAKERS who are aboard the steam boat. He said they don't discriminate -TAKERS take from everyone. That's why they are called the TAKERS. Balow pointed to guards standing along the deck of the boat. He said they are made up of both GIVERS and TAKERS.

I said I notice no one has any guns. Balow laughed and said, "You have been by yourself for a long time, haven't you? Guns do not work anymore. Gun powder is useless. Any fighting is done hand-to-hand, by hand-held weapons, bare fists, strength, wits, but most of all - by THE WILL OF MAN. I guess this way, the playing field is leveled.”

He pulled a junk of jerky from his satchel, took a bite and said, “Anyone with a gun can shoot anyone from a distance; it takes true WILL to beat someone in hand-to-hand battle.”

Tyler's Journal Entry: 387

Date: July 29

Day: Monday

Weather: Rainy and hot

Miles to go: 600

Balow must know the captain, because the captain gave us a room of our own, more like a closet, but still it was our own space. The swishing sound of the steam engine was comforting, and along with the gentle rocking of the boat, I was able to sleep quite well. Balow however, was tossing and turning all night, and I thought I heard him moaning under his breath.

When we woke up, I could tell something was wrong with Balow, but he wouldn't say at first. After an hour or so of watching him sweating profusely and shaking, I asked him what was wrong. He reluctantly divulged that he had been PULLED in the middle of the night. The SURGE nearly threw him in the air. He said not to worry though, that he would make sure I made it off the boat and into a safe area where I could wait for his return.

I had only been PULLED once, but I knew what he was feeling. He was not going to be able to tolerate the PULL. Balow needed to get off the boat so he could start his journey. Otherwise he was going to suffer.

I went to the captain and told him of Balow's situation, that he had been PULLED. The captain gave his condolences, but said it was too dangerous to pull the boat to the shore.

He said the banks are littered with sunken trees and boulders that could puncture the hull of the boat.

The captain added he has spotted pirates following them via the edge of the river through the woods. He reassured me that Balow was strong and could hold on till we reached a safe zone.

Balow was pacing the deck clutching his chest as he walked. He was in noticeable pain and most everyone seemed to notice. The GIVERS on board came to his support and tried to comfort him. Balow seemed to know a lot of people on board. I guess he's traveled this route before, apparently many times.

I made Balow a comfortable nest in our room (closet), where he laid down. The farther we traveled, the worst he got.

He told me not to worry - but I did. Balow had me get my atlas. Together we decided on a place to meet after he returned from his PULL. He said he could tell his opponent was close and it shouldn't take long to find him. How Balow knows this, eludes me.

Balow said for me to wait for five days. If he doesn't come, then I should leave and continue on north on our preplanned route. He never said if he dies, he just made it seem like his PULL may take longer, and I shouldn't wait for him if it does. He said he’d catch up.

Tyler's Journal Entry: 388

Date: July 30

Day: Tuesday

Weather: Crazy Storm!

Miles to go: 580

Balow suffered through the night. I don’t think he slept at all. I was worried he was going to try his luck and jump ship. But he didn’t.

However, Balow’s suffering was the least of his worries for today. Mid-day a crazy storm hit us and all heck broke loose. The Cumberland River has a moderate current as it is, but with today’s storm, moderate turned into a roller coaster ride.

The river must have rose five feet in depth. The winds were gusting near hurricane levels. People were laying on the deck holding on to dear life. The captain actually had the propellers going in reverse to slow the boat down against the pulling current.

I caught glimpses of the captain trying to steer the rocking boat. He looked like a wild man trying to control the boat. A couple times the boat spun around in a complete circle.

A crew member came around and handed me and Balow life jackets. He said the river is moving too fast to try and dock near the river bank. The current has made it impossible to stop the boat. I asked when we would be able to stop. The man just looked at me and shrugged his shoulders.

He said things will get worse before they get better. The man warned that the river narrows, and making it through without running aground or capsizing, would be very difficult.

Balow and I grabbed our life jackets and proceeded to put them on. I made sure to put on my wetsuit before I put on my life jacket. Even though Balow was sick, he managed to chuckle when he saw me in my wetsuit. He said I looked like Batman in a life vest.

It was dark out by now, and I could catch glimpses of the river when ever lightning would strike. The rain was pouring and the wind was rocking the boat violently. There was no staying put in one place. I was working hard to just stay on the boat.

I saw the river starting to narrow. It went from about a half mile across, to about thirty yards. Once we entered the narrowest part of the river, the current picked up even more.

By now I was watching the trees fly by in a blur. Many of the oil lamps went out because of the rain, and I could hear the crew members franticly shoveling coal into the burners in attempts to keep the engines going.

The captain yelled out, “Fallen tree, dead ahead! Brace yourselves!” He barely finished his sentence when the boat came to sudden stop. Everyone and everything shot forward while the boat stayed in place. We had hit a tree that toppled over into the river.

The current was pushing the boat downward and into the swirling water. The entire boat leaned to it’s side since it was stuck on this huge fallen tree.

I could feel the boat lean, and then I started to slide across the deck towards the edge of the boat that was emerged under water.

I grabbed a railing as I watched water pour into the hull where the steam engines were. Steam rolled out of the opening of the hull, and then there was a loud explosion.

The explosion threw me back across the deck where I started from. The explosion was large enough that it jarred the boat loose from the fallen tree. We were upright again, but taking in water, and now moving down the river sideways with no running engines to straighten our course. We were out of control!

The boat twirled around in circles as it barreled down the river. I went flying each time it clipped the bank or a boulder.