Cohen of the Rebellion

Chapter 5 - Marfa, Jack, Wilder, Moya, Me and the Rhonas part 1

Screaming, fire and explosion were all around me. There were unknown weapons in my hand, and I’m killing with it. Anyone shot by it will burst out mist of blood from the wound. Fragments of muscles and organs were up and down in the air. Dying bodies fell in all the ways possible. I don’t! I don’t wanna watch any longer! I was screaming, but I felt there was a stone on my chest. I couldn’t speak.

I fell, a disgusting fat man stepped on my chest. He was laughing! He’s laughing! I was filled with hatred, sadness and a little regret.

“Don’t blame me... I have to abandon you.”

“At least with you together!”

My powerless hand held up a silver object shining red. Looking at their dilated pupils, frightened face, and muddled steps. I was extremely excited...hahahahaha...you want me dead! You are going down with me! COME ON!

BOOM… The thing in my hand exploded, my fingers were gone, pale bones were all that’s left on my arm… I smelled death.

Such a drastic explosion… Fire destroyed everything…

“NOOOOOOOOOOO!”

I struggled to life, there were beads of sweat mixed with tears on my face, streamed down. I was shivering in the colde. What a terrible… terrible dream… Who was that man in my dream? Definitely not me… I don’t wanna kill… no killing…

Sun’s coming up! Warm sunshine on my face, drove away all the cold from last night, so comfy!

“Cohen, say goodbye to you father.”

“Yes! See you tomorrow father!”

“Cohen, be a good boy. You want anything from DC?”

“I want books! A lot of books!”

“Sure, I’ll bring a lot of books then.”

“Pinky swear!”

“Of course, father will never forget what I’ve promised to Cohen.”

“Thank you father! Cohen will be a good boy!”

So boring, mom’s with father, brothers are in class. I’m counting birds under the garden tree… What to do? Nobody is playing with me, I’m going out!

Hurried with lunch, I grabbed granny’s book and ran out. I returned the book, and wandering alone on the market. There are some children over there, I’ll go and talk with them.

At a quiet corner of the market, a discussion about “fat sheep” was taking place.

“That guy, take a look. That guy with black hair.”

“Yeah, boss, I saw him.”

“Marfa, can you see how much money he has?”

“Boss, me and Jack saw he has a lot of money, the yellow ones.”

“You stupid, that’s called gold.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Moya, you go and fight with Jack in front of him. Marfa, you and me will take the gold.”

“But Wilder… no, boss! Jack is my brother. I promised my father no bully. Can I beat up Marfa?”

“Shit! If you beat up Marfa then who’s going with me to steal… no… get the gold?”

“Ok, boss, I know. Jack, I’ll go easy on you. Bear with me, we’ll have food once we get the money.”

“Just do it, I’m not afraid of pain.”

The boss, Wilder assigned the job. When Moya was about to fight with Jack in front of the fat sheep. He came to them.

“Hello there! What are you doing?” I said, not knowing anything about I being the fat sheep.

Four kids aging 7, 8 years were stupefied when they saw me going towards them.

“Boss, am I still fighting with Jack?” The slug boy ask the boy with grey hair.

“Fight my ass! You stupid!” The grey hair flapped the slug.

“Hey, you boy! What’re you doing here?” The grey hair asked me toughly.

“Oh I wanna see what’re you guys are up to. I’m alone. Can I play play with you?” I answered honestly.

“Play? Who wants to play with you. We are doing business, go away!” The grey hair looked really unfriendly.

“Business? What business? Can I join you?” I don’t know I’m about to be on aboard.

“Dress like that you must be a noble, what can you do?” The slug said.

“I can do a lot of stuff.”

Looked at me, the grey hair thought about it, then said, “Alright, if you want in, you call me boss.”

“Why call you boss? You don’t look much older than me?” Boss… what a familiar word.

“Are you stupid? Boss means leader!” The slug said, “Wilder is our leader, so we call him boss! Wilder is very brave! Last time when we were hungry. He climbed up the cliff behind the old red nosed man’s garden and stole… no, got apple for us.”

“What? Are you guys getting starved very often?”

“Yes, you have something to eat?”

“Yeah, what do you want?” Luckily I have money on me today.

“You! Really?”

“I want bread!”

“Jack love meat!”

“Marfa want chicken!”

Five kids with their belly full were lying on the grass.

“Wilder, is this the place you climbed last time?” I pointed to a steep hill and asked the grey hair, “looks like it’s not so hard after all.”

“Well why don’t you give it a try.” Wilder said lazily, “on the top it’s the red-nose’s garden, and if you go up there and grab an apple, I’d call you boss.”

“Really?” I asked, “You call me boss?”

“Positive.”

“Ok!” Such a brilliant name will belong to me!

When I saw him walking towards the tiny cliff with his eyes shining, I knew I’m not boss any longer…” Many years later, Wilder, as one of five generals of the empire, said regretfully to his wife.

I climbed and climbed, tried very hard to keep my body close to the ground. Every piece of grass, tree root made a great tool for climbing. Every rock became my standing point. I’ve never climbed anything before. But I’m not scared, excited on the contrary. This is not hard!

When I’m about to finished, and raised my head. What’s standing in front of me, was not trees full of fruits. It was a… a sharp and shining sword!!!”

Looked at the swinging blade, I can’t help stick my fingers into the mud tightly. Sweat was all over me once again. Heartbeat was rising. I was waiting, waiting for my trial. Gosh, someone is coming for me.

“Sis! Come come! I caught a thief!!”

Wait! Sounded like a girl? I raised my eyes, what the hell!

A girl younger than me was staring at me with great interest like I was an interesting toy, she had a pair of bright eyes. The sword looked huge compared with her tiny hands, she had to try very hard to steady it.

Smart enough, she leaned the sword to a rock. I got relieved. I’ve always considered sword as a dangerous thing. I never thought a sword would be any more powerful held by a girl. She could lose the balance and the sword would hit me!

“Sister?” Another girl appeared from behind, “what are you doing?”

“See! I caught a thief!” The girl looked at her elder sister and said proudly. She pointed at me with her finger.

Please lady, don’t lose your sword!

“Really? Let me see” The elder girl looked at me, “he’s just a boy!”

“Aren’t you children! Why talking like adults?”

“Don’t forget you are a thief!” The younger shouted, “I’ll talk to grandpa!”

“I’m so sorry, the two of you kind ladies, can I climb up for now? I feel like I’m going down! If I slip away there’ll be no trophies for anyone.” My body was going numb. But to survive, I had to grab all the good words and say it with the most sincere voice.

“Alright, come up.” Sounded like a nice elder sister.

I climbed up clumsily, and sat down. I was wore out.

“Hey, little thief, what are you doing here?” Needless to think, that tough voice came from the younger sister.

I had no other way but to tell her. I pointed to the tree above my head, and confessed, “Apple.” I said tiredly.

“Apple?? Ahahahahaha!!!”

“Why, what’s so funny?” I have no idea what are they laughing at, but definitely laughing about me.

You know what it’s like to have 2 girls laughing around the floor? Now I see it. Isn’t it that funny to look at a thief like me?

When they were on their feet and had me looked at the tree, I realized how stupid I was… The green and finger sized fruits were swinging on the trees. This… this is apple??

“Hey, you cute and lovely thief, you eat apple like this? Or have you no ideas when to eat apple, don’t you?”

“Sister, don’t laugh at him… look his face is all blushed.”

Dear god, let me die. Stealing apple in spring, what a shame…

“The first time I met him, it was in my grandpa’s garden. Me and my sis were only past 6. He was 7. Black hair, black eyes, delicate face, suddenly appeared in front of us. I didn’t know if he came from the sky or underground. Of course, we treated him friendly. He was so funny. But who would know we both married him.”

excerpt from Diary of Queen Rhona Jr.