E.J. Ra - The Enthusiast! - A Disturbing Development II
(Solemn Japanese flute music is heard as WHAM, a foot connects with the face of a young Oriental man. The camera follows his head as a bit of blood spurts out of this mouth and, glassy-eyed, he falls to the matted floor with a WHUMP. E.J. Ra, wearing a white karate outfit with a white belt, whose foot has caused this mayhem, takes a step back, and bows, first to the unconscious man, and then to his teacher, The Defensemaster, dressed completely in black with a short-cropped crew cut, who is sitting in the lotus position on the sidelines, contemplating an orchid blossom, which he holds gently in his hand. Two Oriental assistants, dressed also in white, drag the unconscious man to a side room, and slide the shoji screen shut.)
E.J.: Master, how is my training progressing?
DM: (looking up from flower) What do you think?
E.J.: Well, I would like to test for a black belt.
DM: (getting up, lays flower aside) E.J.-san, you know I don’t award belts. A belt only furthers the ego.
E.J.: But it would help me, should I decide to enter competitions.
DM: What you want with competition, E.J.-san? Your only competitor is yourself.
E.J.: (picks up white towel and wipes sweat from brow) I think it would be good if I could test myself outside of our dojo.
DM: (grimaces) Come with me, E.J.-san. I want to give you something.
E.J.: (looking perplexed) Uh, OK.
(DM slides another shoji screen aside and both walk down a narrow corridor. DM slides open the shoji at the end of the hallway, and they both walk into a sunny courtyard, complete with zen rock garden and fish pools.)
DM: Wait here, E.J.-san. I be right back.
(DM disappears around the corner. E.J. looks into a fish pool from a gravel walkway, and sees a stingray swimming in it. Fascinated, he stares at the fish, watching it glide along the sandy bottom. E.J. reaches in to stroke the stingray’s back. The DM returns.)
E.J.: The stingray, it’s beautiful. This saltwater pool must be incredibly difficult to maintain.
DM: (smiling) Ah, E.J.-san, beauty often takes a lot of work. Look at what we Japanese create: zen gardens, flower arrangments, bonsai trees…all are beautiful, yet all are an illusion. They aren’t nature, they are man-made. We take nature, and then arrange it to look like it occurred naturally. For the Japanese gardener, the ultimate challenge is to make the transition from the man-made and natural invisible.
E.J.: (gazing at stingray) He is so peaceful.
DM: Another illusion…and it’s a she, by the way. I wanted to tell you, she is quite deadly. You never know when the barbed tail will strike and fill you with poison.
E.J.: (alarmed, laughs nervously) That’s, uh, good to know.
DM: (chuckles) Yes, it is. Ah, yes, I wanted to give you something, E.J.-san. I don’t know how much more training I can give you. You have come quite far since you showed up at my dojo ten years ago. I think it would be best if you continued your training under a new master.
E.J.: (shocked) Master, I didn’t really mean that with the black belt and all…
DM: Oh, yes, you did. Your ego wants it. And, truth be told, in the outside world, you deserve it. But I cannot award it to you.
E.J.: But I feel I still have much to learn.
DM: That you do, but not from me. I have taught you everything I can.
E.J.: My meditations, however…you told me that I still have a long way to go.
DM: E.J.-san, even I have a long way to go. We all do. Satori is difficult to obtain…very fleeting, and if you think you have it, you don’t!
E.J.: (dismayed) What about Billy’s training?
DM: Billy, of course, can stay here. His training has just begun.
E.J.: Master, I don’t know what to say.
DM: (pats E.J. Ra on back) Say nothing, E.J.-san. Here. (hands him card) I wanted to give you this. This man will guide you to the next step on your journey.
E.J.: (looks at card, which says nothing more than)
G. Onar
Imports
E.J.: But, master, how am I to find this Mr. Onar?
DM: Don’t worry, E.J.-san, you will find him. He knows you are coming.
(At this point, another shoji screen opens and approximately 15 chattering boys and girls, all around 10 years of age, enter the courtyard. Billy runs up to E.J., bowing first to DM.)
Billy: E.J.! Today we learned how to fight with the bo staff!
E.J.: That’s great, Billy.
DM: Billy, your sensei tells me you are doing quite well.
Billy: Yes, master. I really like it here.
DM: Good, I am glad. (turns to E.J.) It has been a pleasure being your teacher, E.J.-san. Now, I must depart. (both bow to him, DM returns bow) Good bye.
(DM turns away and disappears around corner.
E.J.: (not sure what to think) Uh, come on, Billy, let’s hit the showers.
(E.J. puts his arm around Billy as they walk toward the locker room.)
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