Under the Mulberry tree

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Under the outstretched and leafy limbs of the mulberry tree that grew just outside the school’s campus sat the student body president of public high school 259, Zachariah Rose. In the near distance he heard the ringing of the school bells the chatter and movement of the collection of students that attended that very institution. So why was he not pacing back and forth to class like many of them? He had a free period, of course. It wasn’t difficult to see him as long as you looked, his large white coat made him easily noticeable not to mention he wasn’t trying to hide. The sun was bright and shining from high in the sky like a prototypical California day that so many movies and television shows portrayed when the viewer first sees it. A gentle sea breeze blew in with intermittent stronger intervals that caused the branches shift and alter the shadows they cast on the figure stationed against the trunk.

As the wind played with the branches, Saint shifted his gaze up toward them with his usual gentle smile gracing his face. For a moment he remained staring at the wavering limbs and shifting shadows with not a care in the world. Slowly the green eyes shifted back to the book that was resting in the body’s hands, a book on Buddhism, which would be odd to anyone who knew simply anything about Saint. He was a Catholic and usually wore a golden cross around his neck. Beside him were more books, some on the same topic, some on others such as Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and even lesser known religions for Wicca to Shintoism. It was a regular library of religion. Why? Saint’s ideals and perceptions were changing in a way that made this knowledge necessary.

Slender fingers shifted the page as the bright green eyes peered through delicate reading glasses to absorb the text printed there. Never having a problem taking in information, Saint seemingly flew through the text with little effort while every morsel of information was tucked away and filed within his mind for later access. Once in a while he would pause and gaze into the distance as he reviewed everything, extrapolated everything to this world, and brought together ideals from across the world and time. Caught with his studies, it seemed as though young Zachariah was dead to the outside world, however this was not that case as he was quite aware of the presence that was nearing his location. He paused his reading to look up to the being from his position sitting with his leg crossed before, with his same gentle smile.

[Zana]

Zanathos sauntered across the grounds, which were adjacent to the school, towards a young man whom he had espied a moment ago. As he neared the figure, who was dressed in a noticeable white coat, Zan called out to the person who seemed to be absorbed in a book of some sort.
"Hello!!," shouted Zan as he started to run towards the person in eager excitement.
"Nice weather we have today- hows life? Do you like flowers?!," Zan babbled incoherently as he finally arrived at his destination.

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A small laugh escaped the pillar as he saw the approaching boy brimming with excitement over what seemed nothing more than meeting a new person. It wasn’t often that students like that entered these halls, or kept that disposition very long. Saint placed a bookmark between the pages to mark his place as he shut the book and rested it in his lap while nodding politely to the young man before him. Another short laugh came about as the young man quick fired a few questions at Saint that left him trying to catch up.

“I believe it’s customary to introduce one’s self first, no? I am Zachariah Rose, but most call me Saint. Yes, I do like flowers. Now who might you be?”

Saint remained sitting as he spoke in a polite and friendly tone to the newcomer. It was far too comfortable and relaxing to get up right now.

[Zana]

The cordial greeting from Saint made Zan feel quite welcome. As he approached the tree, Zan saw Saint laugh, mark his book, and close it as the student spotted him. The student remained sitting as he replied to Zan's rapid questions.
“I believe it’s customary to introduce one’s self first, no? I am Zachariah Rose, but most call me Saint. Yes, I do like flowers. Now who might you be?”
Grinning at this statement, Zan answered excitedly ,"Yes!! That's true! My name is Zanathos Lervim, but you can call me Zan if you want. I'm new here and you're the first person I met! What luck- The first person I run into is really, really nice!"
The enthusiastic student quickly made his way over to Saint and sat down with a thump on the grass next to Saint.
"Nice to meet you Saint. What grade are you in? And...you said you liked flowers!!," Zan exclaimed.

His first impression of this student, who was clad in white, was very positive. The absence of hostility from this student made Zan feel quite comfortable.

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In all honesty Saint had never seen such an enthusiastic student when it came to… anything… never. He found it quite refreshing that at least one existed. Of course, Zan was luck, like he said, because there were far more students in this school who would have tried to start some kind of fight. Indeed Zan would most likely soon find out that Saint and himself were rarities here. Nonetheless the smile never left Saint’s face as the newcomer took a seat beside him.

“I’m finishing up my freshmen coursework… I took some time off for personal reasons and have to make up the work. And yes, I said I like flowers.”

Saint spoke with his usual gentle demeanor, though there was an underlying emotion that failed to reach the surface. His ‘personal reasons’ being the fact that he just left the country and drifted around the world for four months after his mother’s death. It was part of the reason he was so thin under the jacket, he had barely eaten. Deciding to do a bit of inquiring of his own Saint tilted his head to glance at the new student.

“So, what brings you to Long Beach and this school?”

[Zana]

Zan lost himself in the leafy undergrowth of the tree as he heard Saint talking about his mother's death and his wanderings. Nodding to Saint, Zan replied ,"Well..my parents moved here a while ago- due to my father's business dealings. It was quite nice back where I lived-...all those flowers and bright meadows and hippies. They made me quite happy actually-"
Pausing for a moment, Zan organized his thoughts.
"What type of flowers do you like? I have some daisies with me right now- if you want some. I mean- i'm not homosexual or anything-," Zan stuttered. Afterwards he laughed jovially and wiped a few tears away from the corners of his eyes.
"Its a nice day outside- you could just sit here and let the day go by..."

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Saint listened quietly to Zan as the young man answered the question that had been asked of him. It seemed like a lovely place, the kind of place that one would never wish to leave if they could avoid it. Obviously Zan had not been able to do so. He shook his head politely to say no to the offer of a flower before laughing lightly at the boy’s befuddlement. Saint had an open mind and avoided judging anyone in an unfair manner. To him people deserved to be happy… the only happiness that should be frowned upon was the one brought about by the killing of others.

“Indeed… that is why I spend a great deal of time here, many students do not come this way so it is a rather peaceful place. It has caused me to be late to class on occasion.”

The pillar laughed to himself as he spoke. True enough that someone could easily lose track of time under this tree, it seemed to have a kind of power about it in that way.

[Zana]

"Ahh....it must be hard. This is the first time i've came here, this tree I mean, and took the time to sit down and let the world go by."
Zan espied the school as he took a moment to glance over there. As he did so, he put the flowers away into his coat pocket, somewhere in the abyss which he called pockets, and relaxed his body.
"Why do you tolerate my happy personality? Most people i've met seem to get annoyed by it, and so far only a few have been cordial toward me like you have."
Staring at the ground he mumbled something about public standards as he played with his smiley flower keychain.
"Peace is something which should be more abundant in this world and there should be less violence, yet sometimes....you know?," he gestured in a very vague manner as he clenched his fist.
"It gets to me sometimes. I have this insatiable urge to knock a few heads, maybe break a few bones- you know? Its hard when that urge comes up, its almost...unreal. I feel so dual minded sometimes, I get scared."
Pausing, he sat silently for a moment before he said ,"I hope I didnt bother you too much."

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Sitting there, Saint listened silently to all that Zan had to say. None of it seemed all that odd to him as many other students went through similar thoughts and feelings, though with less restraint. The only bit that he found slightly odd was the seeming surprise at his own tolerance of Zan. Saint was tolerant of everything and everyone, compassion to all so that they could feel someone cared, it was part of the reason he had his nickname… Saint. Letting the young man finish, the pillar tilted his head up as he formulated his words carefully.

“Have you heard the expression ‘a breath of fresh air’? That is what I compare you to… a breath of fresh air. The students here often walk around so angry over every little thing, be it the school administration, the teachers, the system in general… not only that but things they can change, their lives… they don’t think to remember how lucky they truly are. True, this system may be harsh but at least they have food and shelter to go home to… a hospital with qualified doctors… things that people half way around the world and even right next door do not.”

He paused to let what he said sink in, his gaze still pointed up toward the sky and the shifting branches. Again he worked to arrange his words well since the only thing that bothered Saint was unnecessary violence.

“Violence and peace are… let me see… like leaves that have fallen from the branch, both become caught in a breeze and begin to twist and dance with the wind. They spin around each other, switch places, interchangeable in nature and, unfortunately, unable to exist as they are without each other. People would forget the beauty and value of peace without war to remind them of its beauty.”

Again he pause, this time more to gather his point again.

“Often people who choose to do what profits only them and causes others pain and misery rise to power. How can you change such a situation without violence? Without a war? Unfortunately, there are people who get enjoyment from causing pain and suffering… they often can gain mass amounts of followers because others feel it is safer to serve than stand against… and they are right. And the cycle continues. Some say it is in our nature and they are right… to an extent. It may be in our nature, however, we do have the choice to resist the urge… some do, some don’t. It is a choice we all have to make… which will you choose?”

[Zana]

Sighing, Zan pondered the question as he listened in awe at Saint's philosophical speech. Slowly, he thought the question over as he replied.
"Eventually, I will change from my experience in this school as the years progress, for the better or worse, but nevertheless what you say about violence and peace coexisting is true. They fortify the other, so nature remains at equilibrium, but we must avoid violence at all costs," Zan replied.
"About people following power....yes, they are under the impression that they will not stand a chance and will bow beneath overwhelming power, such as...Satan or a giant demonic figure, but those who manage to fell the evil will also cause the servants to fall with them. The group goes down together, as their leader goes down. We need courage to continue on- we must keep going,"he said with much energy.
Sitting back, he stared up at the sky with Saint as he became lost in thought.
"Hmm....I choose to go against overwhelming power- to follow a different route than most others. Hackneyed alibis, agendas and excuses do not appeal to me, I prefer a different route, one which can define me as my own person rather than a minor figure who applies social conformity to his life," he said with a smile.

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Saint listened again with a patient and understanding ear, as was his nature. Zan’s words were poignant and well as wise, perhaps he would not end up the angry rebel that so many others did. It was reassuring that there could be a change in the way things went, and that his job as pillar would not always be the one of enforcement, though he never did any ‘enforcing’. Turning to the boy beside him, Saint spoke in a heavy almost foreboding tone.

“Whatever path you choose I want you to do me a favor… never lose the person you are now. Always keep your positive attitude, despite what others here may try to do to strip you of it. Can you promise me that?”

It was an odd request but Saint’s reason was simply enough. As he had mentioned, the abundance of students who were angry and filled with hatred, even those who were the lone wolf type, were often too numerous in 259. There needed to be more students that cared about others, much like himself though he’d never even think such a thing. He watched the cheery student to gauge his response not only by words but action.

[Zana]

Nodding in acknowledgement Zan replied ,"Alright. I will maintain a positive attitude- I promise."
He grinned as the daylight started to show signs of retreating, the rays of light slowly started to recede. Looking at the orange glow which started to appear on the horizon, Zan pondered over Saint's question. It wasi nteresting that a student would ask him to remain optimistic- it probably meant that the school itself was very pessimistic. Or the school makes people pessimistic. Thinking back to flowers, Zan reached into his pocket, and pulled out a few daisies and handed them to Saint.
"Keep these, they will help to bring joy back into your world when your feeling down. At least thats how it works for me..it should work for you too."
Sighing once more, Zan looked over at Saint and asked ,"Hey, shouldnt we be getting to class now? It's getting kind of late. If we run we might still make it on time!"
As he sat, he stretched his legs and arms, shoulders and back. Sitting there talking with this new, positive student made his body stiff, yet there was something about this student which aroused curiosity. He was an interesting fellow, this Saint, and his friendly demeanor was supposedly, like he said, rare around the school, as most were sullen and gloomy.

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Inwardly Saint was immensely glad that Zan had decided to promise him. This school, the students, everything was likely to try and strip him of that optimism with every passing turn. Undoubtedly it would be a hard promise to keep. If that wasn’t enough, 259 seemed to be a target for a plethora of deviants and psychopaths to wreak havoc on. Saint took the flowers that had been offered to him with some bit of puzzlement. It was a gesture the he would never have expected, a gift of flowers. Gingerly he placed the flowers within a pocket in his coat before turning to see the changing and nodding in agreement.

“Yeah… we should be going.”

Slowly Saint began to gather up his belongings, including the stack of books, and jammed them into his bag before beginning the stroll back to the school. There was no urge in any of his actions simply because there was no need, not because he wouldn’t be late but because the teachers barely noticed him. It was an advantage of his long and frequent disappearances, he was unnoticed by much of the students. A ghost… an observer on the outside looking in…

[Zana]

Zan looked up just in time to see Saint starting to leave. Standing up himself, Zan started walking to catch up with the student ahead of him. Upon reaching Saint, he slowed his pace and strolled beside him, looking around the area. They passed courtyards, leafy trees, shrubs, meadows, and buildings in the far distance could be seen. Soon, Zan saw the school up ahead and broke into a run, leaving Saint to stroll liesurely onwards. Waving his arm at Saint, Zan yelled ,"See ya around Saint!!" as he disappeared into the school building.