CHAPTER 7: ROOM TO GROW

Cloud had always been small for his age. Being born prematurely, the odds were stacked against him from the start. Watching her newborn struggle to breathe was heartbreaking for Claudia and she was never sure if that little chest would still be rising and falling when she awoke every morning. He had been slow to nurse and slept so much that it scared the young mother. Those were some of the most frightening days of her life; death always seemed to be looming above her son as he fell in and out of fever those first few weeks of his life. She and the baby's father had named him Cloud, for he was always so close to returning to heaven.

Claudia took a pair of Cloud's trousers off the line where they had been hung to dry next to one of her brightly colored dresses. This particular pair had been mended at the knees more than twice and the material at the hem was fringed from use. She grinned as she realized that for the first time in his life, Cloud was growing rapidly. Now eight years old, his legs were growing lanky and long and his lean torso stretched to accommodate that. His hair was growing, too. Claudia had tried to cut it, but Cloud refused and chose to pull it back into a tiny excuse for a pony tail at the base of his neck.

She was proud of her son. Cloud helped her tend the garden, had begun to run some small errands for her and even swept the floors. Slowly but surely, he was growing stronger and even seemed to be gaining some confidence. Although he still isolated himself from the other children for the most part, Claudia was thrilled to see him running and playing with the Lockhart girl almost every day. For the first time, she found herself truly believing that Cloud might end up living a somewhat normal life. It was her fault that he was ostracized after all. The pain of watching her gentle little child suffer rejection again and again due to her marital status was indescribable.

She glanced toward the glade of pine trees at the back of her yard. The kids were currently playing in once of their favorite spots, a gentle stream about 50 meters into the woods. They should be back soon for lunch. Picking up her laundry basket, Claudia turned towards the house.

… … …

"Jason said that his lessons were expensive, but I want to try it! I know I can do it if I try!" Tifa said as she threw a pebble into the stream.

A man named Zangan had moved into town and his arrival had caused quite a stir among the children. The boys had told her that he taught martial arts to chidren and naturally, they all wanted to become his students. She wasn't exactly sure what martial arts were, but she knew it had something to do with fighting. Fighting of any kind wasn't proper for a girl to do, but her friends were going to try it and she wanted to go with them!

Cloud looked pensive as he tossed fat stick into the water from his place beside her and watched it disappear with a loud sploosh. Tifa had been playing with Thomas, Jason and Jim more and more since their first year of school and he felt guilty when the stabs of jealously made him angry. If he told her all the things they did to him when she wasn't around she'd hate them all like he did, right? But he couldn't let her know. If he told her, she'd know how weak he really was.

"I'm sure you could do it," he said. "But are you sure your parents will let you go and learn to fight?"

"I'm not going to tell them about it unless he wants to take me as his pupil. Master Zangan is going to test us tomorrow. Are you sure you don't want to come with me?"

Cloud wanted to go more than anything. He wanted to learn to fight and be strong enough to defend himself from the bullies. Maybe if he knew martial arts, the other kids might even see him as someone worthy of their company.

"I'm sure. Even if he chose me to be his pupil, Mom hasn't got the money," Cloud said. Tifa shifted where she sat beside him and wrapped her arm around his shoulders.

"Don't worry! If he chooses me, I'll teach you everything I learn!"

He tried to smile, but couldn't. Cloud felt wicked and selfish. He didn't want Tifa to become Zangan's pupil. If she did, she'd spend even more time away from him. The summer was coming to a close and soon he'd have to share Tifa with the others every day at school. She played with the others often but spent most of her summer days with Cloud: playing in their yards, wading in the stream or running through the bluffs just outside the south side of the village.

The girl noticed his sullen disposition and tickled his ribs before ruffling his wayward golden hair. She smiled triumphantly when Cloud laughed and she quickly rose to unstrap her sandals and wade into the water. Tifa bent to splash him until he jumped in to join in the fight.

They returned home—trousers soaked and dress dripping—with smiles adorning their faces.

… … …

Tifa bounced in her seat as she wolfed down her breakfast. Today she was going to meet Master Zangan! It was hard not to mention it to her parents but if they knew, they'd never let her try. Once she impressed Zangan and he decided to make her his pupil, then she'd worry about convincing them. Part of her felt guilty. She hadn't told a lie, but she didn't tell her parents where she was going either. Tifa knew Zangan's test would be physical, so she chose to wear her loose pinafore with black leggings underneath so that she could move freely. She scraped the last of her oatmeal out of the bowl and into her mouth before rushing to put her dish in the sink.

"Bye Mama, bye Papa! I'm going to play!"

Tifa kissed Papa's cheek, and he chuckled and tugged her long hair as she moved away from him. After playfully sticking her tongue out at him, she quickly donned her shoes and moved to head out the door.

"Stay out of Mr. Ackerman's hay fields. There are snakes in there! And don't bother the sheep," Lia warned, sipping her tea.

"I won't!" Tifa promised as she rushed out into the late summer air.

In the clearing at the edge of town, Master Zangan stood with a half dozen children sitting at his feet. Tifa hurried to join her friends, glancing at the man as she approached. He was a muscular man with skin that was bronzed from time in the sun. His grey hair and beard gave away his age, along with the wrinkles at the corners of his pale blue eyes. He was dressed like a warrior: studded fighting gloves adorned his hands, his chest was covered by a plated vest and the boots on his feet looked solid and strong. A faded red cape hung from his shoulders.

Jim waved to Tifa as she approached and the brunette moved to sit next to him and the other boys. Their whispered conversation was cut short when the martial artist cleared his throat.

"My name is Master Zangan. You are all here because you wish to learn martial arts. Today, I will put you through a series of tests to judge your strength, your cunning, and most importantly: your spirit. If I feel as if you have sufficiently demonstrated qualities that are fitting for a student of mine, I will take on only one pupil," he paused to survey his small audience.

Tifa thought he had a kindly voice despite his gruff appearance. She hoped he would pick her! How cool would it be to learn from someone like him?

"Stand up," he prompted. "Let's start with a run."

… … …

Tifa collapsed onto the grass, panting and wheezing. Her sweaty bangs stuck to her forehead and she wiped them to the side with the back of her hand. She had done it! Even when some of the boys gave up, she pressed on gave it all her might!

Master Zangan had run the children up and down the steep, rocky hills in the pine forest outside the village, draw water from the well and carry the buckets up hill and down again for a quarter of an hour, then stand holding the bucket about their heads for as long as possible! It was hard work but the boys tried to make it more bearable by joking around, throwing pinecones during the run and telling Tifa there were spiders on her back while she struggled to hold her bucket above her head. She retaliated by poking Jason with a stick or playfully trying to step on the back of Jim's shoes as they ran their laps.

Not once did they stop for a break or for lunch and Tifa felt her stomach grumbling when the sun was high in the sky. She was relieved that the test seemed to be over. She was so tired and if she didn't come home soon for lunch, Mama would worry about her. There were only four of children left when Zangan asked them to sit back down in the clearing—three boys had given up from exhaustion or disinterest.

The martial arts master had one final assessment before he made his decision. He was having a one on one discussions with each of them before sending them home for the day. Tifa quietly plucked blades of grass as she anxiously awaited her turn. She was the last to be called and she eagerly hopped to her feet to meet Zangan.

She smiled up at the man when she reached him, about 15 meters away from the others. Tifa hoped he'd be proud of her! She was a girl and did everything he asked even better than some of the boys. He just had to choose her—she didn't mess up once! All of the boys had been rejected; there was no doubt in her mind that it was her who had done the best.

"Come sit, Tifa," Master Zangan said and she obeyed. He folded his arms as he gazed down at the girl.

"You've done well to keep up with the others, even though you are younger than they are. The fact that you are even here tells me a lot about you," he praised and Tifa beamed.

"Thank you, Master Zangan," she said as politely as she could. This was it!

"I have one last test for you," he said as he fixed her with an intense stare. "Why do you want to study martial arts?"

The smile disappeared from Tifa's face. She didn't expect a question like that—she wasn't even sure what martial arts really was! You learned to punch and kick and fight, right?

"I—uh…well…" she stuttered. She felt her cheeks redden under his gaze and she pulled at a loose thread at the hem of her sleeve, "I want to learn so that I can be strong."

She peeked up to see Zangan close his eyes, seemingly in thought. Tifa waited quietly as he took his time.

"I'm sorry, young lady. I cannot take you on as a pupil."

Tifa's eyes were wide with shock as she took in the older man's features. Politeness forgotten, she hopped to her feet.

"What? Why not?!" she asked with despair in her voice. She had done so well! She'd be a great student, why couldn't he see that?

"You are undisciplined. You spent the majority of today's test distracted and playing with your friends instead of being focused on demonstrating your tenacity," he said with an even tone. "Furthermore, you failed to present an adequate reason for wanting to possess the power that I have to teach."

Tifa's face crumpled into a frown. She had done everything that he asked of her and it still wasn't enough! She felt hot tears prickle at the corners of her eyes and she balled her fists at her sides. Her breath hitched in her chest and she excused herself with a quick bow to Master Zangan. Hiding her tears, Tifa turned and ran back towards her home.