Cody Carries On
Chapter 5: Archetypes and Icarus
Sensei watched Cody as he came into her classroom for the mythology course, followed closely by the secretly protective Yolei. He seemed ashamed to be there after the incident during the Lunch period earlier, in spite of Sensei's assurances. The boy sat, uncharacteristically slumped in his desk. Head down, eyes down. Cody fended off the approaches of the other students Sensei knew were also Digidestined: TK, Kari, Davis, even the enigmatic boy Ken tried. The younger boy rebuffed them all with silence. Yolei gave them all a look that told them not to pry further, so effective that even Davis took the hint.
Sensei greeted the class and launched smoothly into a lesson plan. She engaged everyone in the class for questions and answers, including but not especially targeting Cody. Her youngest student did, at least, answer when she spoke to him today. Halfway through the period Yolei began to wonder if Sensei was backing out of helping Cody because the teacher had made no move toward any scheme to involve the boy. Sensei could tell that Yolei was getting anxious, but the girl would have to be patient just a little longer. If the whole idea was to help Cody without compromising his unique sense of self-control, it would take time. The youngster could sense patronization better than most kids his age could spell it. By keeping this class session normal Sensei was already putting Cody at ease, distancing the earlier confrontation she had used to test him, and waiting for just the right time to --
"Alright class." Sensei said. "I'd like to introduce a new topic for discussion, let's see where it takes us, OK? Who can tell me what an archetype is?" She was surprised when Davis wanted to answer first.
"That's what they call people who build buildings, right? Gee I didn't know those guys had anything to do with mythology." Well, maybe it wasn't surprising after all. Most of the class laughed, and even Cody rolled his eyes. Davis responded, "Hey, what did I say?"
"Davis," Kari giggled, "Those are architects, not archetypes."
"I knew that!" Davis insisted. More laughter.
"Nice try, Davis." Sensei restored order quickly. "Kari, since we're clear on that difference, can you tell us what an archetype is?"
"Well, I think its some kind of really big symbol, only it's special because it can mean mostly the same thing to a lot of different people."
"Yes, basically, Kari. Very good." Sensei approved. Kari's inner light shone mostly in her personality, but she was also a mentally bright kid. "Many wide-spread cultures do seem to share common general imagery that play into different mythologies These images seem to reach people around the world on a very deep level that they probably don't even think about. Yolei what do you think explains how these images can reach us at such deep levels?" Be ready Yolei, Sensei thought.
"In dreams Sensei?" Yolei offered hopefully, for more than one reason.
"Yes, that's the general idea Yolei." Sensei saw Cody react nervously to the word dream. "However, a better term really is subconscious. Now I had planned a volunteer demonstration, just to show you all how easy it can be to put someone like yourselves in touch with the subconscious, it really works well for young minds. But, I see that our time is almost up today. It's a shame though, I only have the demonstration tools on loan for today. I was really hoping to try it, but some other time I suppose. Anyway, time's about up now. Please read the next chapter of the text, and be ready to discuss it next time. You may read quietly now for the few minutes we have left. Remember, I said quietly."
Sensei returned to her desk. She saw Yolei looked puzzled again. She gave the girl a quick, wry smile and a look that promised that the ways of the Sensei were mysterious indeed. Less than a minute later Cody was up from his seat and walking toward Sensei's desk. He was hesitant, but the teacher knew he would make it.
"Excuse me, but Sensei?" These were the boy's first unsolicited words of the entire period, and he barely spoke them at all.
"Yes, Cody?" Sensei's hushed tone perfectly complimented the boy's own.
"You know the demonstration you wanted to try? If you can only do it today then I'll ... I'll do it ... if you'll let me."
"Cody ... that's very sweet of you to offer, but school's almost out now." Sensei smiled but sighed.
"Could we do it right after school Sensei? ... Without the class?"
"After school? You know, I suppose we could, just to do it. You don't have other plans this afternoon?"
Cody cast a solemn look back at the other Digidestined. He looked back to Sensei. "No, the 'computer club's' connection is closed today," he said with a knowing nod that was as close to a wink as the boy would ever come.
"Oh." said Sensei, retuning the nod. "Well in that case, I think we can. Would it be OK if we ask Yolei to be there too? That way she can walk home with you when we're done. It wouldn't take that long, but would you want me to call your mom or grandfather as well?"
Cody thought for a moment. "I'll ask Yolei, but mom's working and grandfather's at his dojo until dinner. I'm glad it won't take too long, though ::because I still have to feed Upamon::" he finished with a whisper.
"I understand." Sensei whispered back. Cody went to Yolei and whispered something in her ear. Sensei saw that saw that Yolei had no trouble agreeing to her friend's request, or moderating her reaction to actually accomplishing her covert goal. The dismissal bell rang.
Ten minutes later, with Upamon and Poromon both safely tucked away and munching on what was to have been the teacher's after school snack, Sensei finished setting up for her demonstration. There was a small cot, a small table by the foot of the cot, and on that table were an oversized lamp and a metronome. Two chairs to the side of the cot completed the arrangement.
Sensei started, "Well I think that should do it. I want to thank you both again for going through with this. Cody, are you ready?" The boy nodded and Sensei continued, "Great, please come over to the cot and lie down." Cody approached the cot, then stopped.
"Lie down? In school? " The boy asked uncertainly. Sensei smiled
"Sure, relax the body to relax the mind. It's OK, we're off duty now aren't we? It's good form for this kind of exercise." Sensei assured. That clinched it. Cody laid down on the cot. He was surprised that the cot was so comfortable. It felt good to lie down. Still, as tired as he might be, Cody fought showing that to Sensei. The boy on the cot looked like some kind of stick figure, remaining ramrod straight. "You've got to relax Cody." Sensei told him, putting a fluffed up pillow under the boy's head. The teacher began to take him through a series of tense-and-release stretches while positively insisting that these were, "not silly." As they did this, Sensei asked Yolei to draw the shades in the classroom. By the time the girl had finished Cody looked much more relaxed on his cot.
Next, Sensei asked the boy to take deep breaths, and while he did this she raised the front of the cot to an angle that brought Cody to eye-level with the metronome on the little table. She asked, "Are you comfortable Cody?"
"Uh-hm." the boy sighed, sleepily.
Sensei didn't want him too deep yet, so she roused him a little with a couple of firm question, "See the metronome Cody? Do you know what it does?"
"Huh, oh. Yes, Sensei, it ticks like a clock but it can be set to different beats for music."
"Yes, that's right Cody." Sensei confirmed and walked over to the metronome and turning on the table lamp above it. Sensei asked Yolei to get the lights and the room went dark, only the metronome remained illuminated. Sensei started the metronome marking a slow a slow, steady beat.
"Tick". "Tick" "Tick." "Tick". "Tick" "Tick." "Tick". "Tick" "Tick." "Tick". "Tick" "Tick." "Tick". "Tick" "Tick."
"Now Cody," Sensei prompted, "I want you to watch the arm of the metronome. Just follow it with your eyes and take slow, deep breaths." The boy complied. Sensei took her seat nearby, joined by Yolei. Cody's eyelids drooped lower with each swing of the metronome's arm. Then they were closed.
"Cody," Sensei said, "Keep your eyes closed, they' re too heavy to open anyway. You can still hear me right?"
"Yes, Sensei." His voice was calm and steady.
"Good, Listen carefully to my voice Cody. You know that you are here with me and Yolei, and you know that you are safe. You're drifting into your subconscious mind, but you are always still here with me and Yolei and you are always safe, so you can always say the truth. Nod if you understand." The boy nodded. "Good, now to touch upon your subconscious I want you to think about your dreams. Have you had dreams lately Cody?
"... Yes," he admitted with effort, "a ... bad dream." The first barrier fell.
"Remember that you are here and safe, then tell me what happens in the bad dream." Sensei and Yolei waited as Cody's subconscious tamed another conscious barrier.
Cody heard the ticking of the metronome become the clashing of kendo sticks, and so it began. The boy related the entire dream: the initial sparring, the appearance of the dark man, the questions, the savage uncontrolled blows the dream Cody used to dispatch this opponent, and finally the realization too late that the dark man was actually his late father. As bad as Upamon had made the nightmare sound earlier, Sensei now realized it was actually worse than the Digimon imagined. The small body on the cot shook and flinched tears trickled from beneath closed eyes. Yolei was crying too. Sensei caught herself blinking back tears, because senseis aren't really made of stone after all. Deep breaths for all of them. She brought Cody up to a level of subconscious stasis, and just let the boy rest for a minute.
Sensei told Yolei, "I think Cody still has some basic, natural resentments because his father died. He was too young to express it at first, and now devotion to his dad's memory makes feeling these resentments seem wrong. So he's buried them down deep.
"Oh, I think I understand." Yolei said. "But why won't he just tell someone that it's really getting to him."
"Let's find out." said Sensei. "Cody ... You're right, that is a bad dream. Have you told anyone about it?"
"Just Upamon ... and I left out the really scary parts." Cody revealed.
"What about your mom and grandfather Cody? Why not them?"
The words flowed, "Mom has to work now, and grandfather is old. I cannot be a baby and bother them with childish fears and nightmares. When I'm actually big enough I'll work and I will take care of them. I'll make up for the time they had to wait for me to be big enough." Poor kid, thought Sensei. Cody continued, "Until then I'll be as grown up as I can for them, they will not be troubled, and dad would be proud of me."
Sensei thought for a moment. Suddenly she realized that Cody was separating his mother and grandfather from the loss of his father and the answers his dream demanded in order to protect them at the boy's own expense. She had to show him another way. "Cody, remember the dark man in your dream. That's your father isn't it?"
"Yes."
Sensei continued, "You were asking him questions. You need answers to those questions. It's OK to have tough questions, as long as you know there aren't always easy answers. Do you understand that?"
"Yes."
"OK Cody, here's the tough part." Sensei encouraged. "I think your father would try to answer those questions if he could, but I think the reason he doesn't do that as the dark man you fight with is because he can't. Your father can't be with you now as the man you remember. He can't fight with you and he can't answer your questions that way, and I'm so sorry but he's just not here like that anymore." In his present state, the boy had to see and accept the truth of what she had said. Sensei braced herself and cautioned Yolei because she knew what was coming. From deep within the small boy on the cot, there came a loud, unchecked, pitiful wail of words
"NO! I WANT MY DAD! HE HAS TO TELL ME! HE HAS TO STILL BE HERE!" The boy wrenched and thrashed and reached out longingly. It was all Sensei could do to keep Yolei from rushing over to scoop him up and hold him, and she felt the same way. Instead, Sensei patiently brought the despondent boy back to subconscious stasis.
"Cody, are you OK now?" Sensei asked.
"Yes." The boy's voice was weak but calm.
"I'm glad, Cody." Sensei continued, "Now, I know it's not the way you want most, but there is a way that your dad is still with you. I'm telling you the truth. So, I want you to see the dark man in your dream again, but this time think about how your dad can really be here now. You tell me what you see."
Cody saw and described. The dark man loomed over him again, then something different happened. The man glowed, turning into bright light that divided into three shafts. In the first shaft Cody saw his mother. He saw his grandfather in the second. Standing in the third shaft was Cody himself. The three shafts merged again into the man, who wasn't dark at all anymore, but was clearly the boy's father.
"Mom, grandfather, and me." the boy exclaimed in understanding "We each have part of Dad with us, and when we're together he's with us too." Sensei let go a deep, grateful sigh.
"Yes, Cody, exactly. So, when you need your dad to answer those tough questions, who do you really need and who really needs to hear from you?"
"I need my mom and grandfather, and they need me." Cody resolved.
"Absolutely, and Cody remember this, you share your dad with your family, and they want and need your dad like you do, so when you share feelings about your dad with them you are not bothering them. You are helping them, and you will let them help you. Got it?"
"Yes Sensei." The boy confirmed.
"OK Cody," Sensei said "Mission accomplished then. When I wake you up you won't remember what we've talked about for now, but when you need it your going to remember two things: how your dad can be here for you now and it's not bothering -- it's helping. Understand?"
"Yes, Sensei."
"Very good. When you wake up you'll feel very rested. Now listen to the metronome, with each tick your eyelids get lighter and lighter, and in just five ... four ... three ... two ... one -- you're awake."
Cody blinked, then stared wide-eyed as Yolei turned the room lights on. Sensei asked, "Are you OK Cody?"
"I'm fine Sensei. Aren't we going to get started now?" Sensei and Yolei both laughed and the boy wondered why.
"Actually, Cody we're done."
"We are?" The boy was skeptical, but he looked at the clock on the wall and saw that nearly half an hour had passed since he had last looked at it, and he had no idea how that time had gone."
"Did it work?" Cody asked, a bit embarrassed.
"Well enough to tell me that you're a very deep ... young man Cody. Don't worry you didn't say or do anything undignified at all, promise." Sensei assured.
"No." Cody agreed in a strong, matter-of-fact tone. "Why would I?"
This time Yolei did Sensei the favor, "Hey sleepyhead." She teased, "Do you want to lie on that cot all afternoon, or are you ready to go home?"
Cody self-consciously realized he was still on Sensei's cot and got up. He and Yolei gathered up their things, and said goodbye to Sensei. Cody bowed and Sensei smiled.
"See you both later, oh and thanks again for trying this out." Sensei told them.
"Your welcome, Sensei, and thank you." The children chorused, but Yolei and the teacher shared a look that Cody didn't see. The children left, but for a while Sensei remained in the room thinking that some days -- no make that some kids made it all worth while.
Yolei was soon dropping Cody off at his apartment. His mother and grandfather weren't home yet, so Yolei joined Cody in checking on Upamon. When Upamon wasn't in his bed, Yolei helped Cody look for him and she "found" Upamon in the closet just as the boy was looking under his own bed. The yellow Digimon hopped over to Cody and the boy hugged him. Cody said, "It's good to see you Upamon, I'm sorry I haven't seen to you lately, but we're together now."
"You bet Cody!" Upamon purred. "I'm so glad you're back."
"Yes he is Upamon!" Yolei agreed, beaming.
Cody saw a strange, happy gleam in his Digimon's little black eyes. The boy wondered to himself what it meant because Upamon, Yolei, and Sensei had all had that same happy gleam.
Epilogue 1:
The next morning Yolei came by to pick up Cody. He and Mrs. Hida met her at the door. The boy took his leave, letting his mother kiss him. She said, "Take care Cody."
Her son bowed to her. "I will Mom." Then he returned his mother's kiss and hugged her."
"Thank you Cody." She said, finally letting go of the boy. "Go get the elevator, please. I need to talk to Yolei for a second." When Cody had turned the corner Mrs. Hida looked Yolei straight in the eyes and said, "Cody said something about doing a demonstration with you and the mythology teacher yesterday after school."
"Oh, that?" Yolei stammered "I can explain everything Mrs. Hida, somehow."
"No need Yolei." Mrs. Hida interrupted. "Whatever it was ... thank you." Her eyes glistened. "Last night Cody woke me up to tell me about a dream he started to have. It seems he's had one like it since his father died. I think you know that Cody was too young then to get all the pain out. I've wanted to help him with it but. he never let me -- until last night. Last night he cried , and let me hold him and tell him how proud of him his father would be, as proud as I am. He let his grandfather tell him stories of his father as a boy, and how much like Hiroki he is. Then he drifted off to sleep, and slept better than I know he has in a while. He's still Cody, serious and formal, but last night he was my little boy again, and now I can help him. I know you had something to do with it, and I'm so grateful to both you and that teacher." Mrs. Hida embraced her.
"Gosh Mrs. Hida, I told you I would take care of Cody."
"Yes you did." Mrs. Hida replied "I know you children and your friends have your little secrets. This will be ours. You just go right on taking care of Cody. I'm glad he has friends like you." The woman sent the girl after the boy.
When Yolei finally joined Cody he had to ask, "What was that all about?"
"Oh, just woman to woman stuff." Yolei replied.
As the elevator door began to close, Cody Hida rolled his eyes and muttered, "Girls."
Epilogue 2:
When Cody got to his home room he found a small note in a plain white envelope addressed to him in his cubby square. He looked around for a moment, thinking one of the other kids might be playing a prank on him. Finding no smirking conspirators watching, he took the letter back to his desk. He opened it and read:
Dear Cody:
I just wanted to tell you that I was thinking a little more about the conversation we had on Icarus yesterday. I've decided that you and I are both right in a way. Icarus forgot what his father had told him, and Dadylaus got too far away from his son. The thing is neither of them really wanted to do those things, they just kind of happened because they obviously forgot to talk to each other, they were both flying solo even though they flew near each other. Pretty soon Dadylaus was too far away and Icarus had forgotten. It happens to parents and children a lot -- not sharing, not calling on one another enough. But Cody, it doesn't have to.
If you ever feel the need to "sing out" something as you test your own wings, remember to call out to your family and friends. Even if that includes an old woman who teaches -- because it does. Not everybody has to be Icarus.
See you in class,
Sensei
Cody looked up from the note and thought. Girls are strange. He'd never understand women in a million years, but Sensei he had to like. Cody Hida smiled, briefly.
