Stephen Zimmer - Crown of Vengeance

She was studying to enter a career in social work, taking a path whose adherents truly had to have some passion about what they were doing. He certainly knew that those working actively in the field did not enter it for any hopes of attaining a great level of compensation. Erika was no exception, exhibiting the type of motivations that went well beyond the financial. She had very firm beliefs and attitudes about the rightness and necessity of what she had set out to do, and was very dedicated to acting upon them.

Though there was no warrant for it, he had never been able to elude the sense of intimidation that he felt whenever he was in her presence. That was his own problem to sort out, he knew, as she never did anything to intentionally make him feel awkward. If anything, she had always extended a welcoming attitude and warm kindness to him.

“Hi, Erika,” he responded, his tone coming out a little meek compared to her own. He managed a grin as he came out of his foggy dreaminess. “So, you caught me napping.”

Erika sat down on the ground before him, cross-legged. She was wearing a yellow, long-sleeved shirt and some dark jeans that followed her shapely contours very faithfully. Mershad felt a pang of guilt at having consciously focused upon her attractiveness right away.

She grinned at him. “I should have figured I would run into you out here. I usually don’t go this way, but I just had an urge to cut through tonight, for whatever reason. I shouldn’t have woken you up, but I haven’t talked to you in a while, and I wanted to say hi. Hope you don’t mind. What have you been up to today?”

Mershad certainly did not mind her decision to awaken him, though he felt awkward saying so. He gestured to his satchel. “Mainly, a lot of study. At least, until dark came. And good that you came, as I might have slept the entire night outside here otherwise.”

“You are dedicated, and on the weekend too, when you should be relaxing a little,” Erika quipped.

“No, not overly dedicated, it’s more about anxiety with grades, I think,” Mershad replied, suffering a laugh and still unable to shake the slight, underlying sense of unease. Small talk had never come easy to Mershad, not even with someone that he knew was a person with good intentions.

Erika laughed softly, with an understanding expression on her face. “I know the feeling, Mershad… believe me, I do… So, what’s been going on with you lately? You’ve seemed pretty down in class this week.”

“Not much, just trying to stay out of the way of trouble. You know, with the war and everything,” Mershad said morosely. “You know what I’m talking about. The stuff I told you about a couple weeks ago”.

Erika’s brow furrowed, as her mouth grew taut. Her voice had an edge to it when she replied, “Just people with very small minds. I suppose that it doesn’t help, even when you tell them that this is your country, and has always been your country… that you were born and raised here.”

“I’ve told a few people that, including the fact that I’ve never even been out of this country. But there’s a whole lot of people that just will not listen to anything,” Mershad replied sadly, shaking his head. “They treat me like I am going to suddenly wrap myself up in bombs and blow myself up. I really wish I could escape everything for awhile. Probably would be much better to be anywhere but here.”

“People are looking for ways to lash out. Everything around them is playing on their fears, every time they turn on the television or go online… But it definitely doesn’t excuse their behavior,” Erika said.

She grew quiet, as if reflecting upon something bothersome, shaking her head slowly as she looked up through the trees for a moment. Erika brought her eyes back down after the extended pause and looked back to Mershad. “I have no way of knowing exactly what you are going through. I just know that you are caught up in the brunt of it all. And not by choice…”

Her voice trailed off into silence as they sat quietly together. After a few minutes had passed, Mershad finally broke the discomfiting stillness.

“Doesn’t seem like its all going to end anytime soon. Like it’s all becoming a never-ending war,” Mershad murmured. He glanced over to Erika. “And it’s not like I wouldn’t support going after murderers with a vengeance, especially ones doing it in the name of my religion. I’m not trying to impose anything on anyone, and I’d expect to be resisted if I was.”

Erika suddenly elbowed Mershad playfully on his arm and grinned brightly. She then teased, “Like if I ever hear that you are working to make me wear head coverings, or try to take my beer away… don’t be surprised if you have my work boot’s indentation prominently displayed on your rear.”

The two of them laughed together, and her words showed Mershad just how comfortable and honest she was with him. He did not take them as any offense, but rather as a strange kind of compliment.

“But I’m afraid fear has taken center stage. It paints with a broad stroke, and governs a lot of outlooks,” Erika finished with unmistakable sympathy, after their laughter had died down.

Mershad glanced up at her, truly appreciative for the sincerity of her sentiments.

“I couldn’t have said it much better myself, Erika. You do get it, but this is the way that things are, and I have to deal with it, whether I like it or not,” Mershad responded.

He looked dejectedly back down at the ground, giving his visitor a distinct picture of despondence.

“Well, do you mind if I stay and hang out with you for a little while?” Erika inquired politely.

He was grateful for her uncanny perception, as he knew that she recognized Mershad’s current need to have an outlet for the inner pressures that were churning so powerfully inside of him. Her empathic nature was one of the greatest gifts that he saw in her, which he knew would become very valuable to Erika in her chosen career.

Even so, he did not want to burden her.

“It is a Saturday night, Erika. I don’t think I’m too much fun to be around lately,” Mershad replied to her. “You need to go out and have some fun.”

“You assume too much. I may not be too much fun either, you know. All I do lately is work out, work, go to school, and sleep,” Erika commented, a brightening smile spreading across her face. “That does not exactly make for exciting times either, my friend.”

Her beaming smile brought a lift to his spirits. She crawled up next to Mershad, and leaned back against the tree trunk to his immediate right.

“So, how come you never call me up to just go hang out or go hiking or something like that?” Erika said. “Sounds like you need to get away from the morons of the world from time to time, and I certainly would take the excuse. As for myself, I’m sick of hanging around guys that have a very limited range of things that they want to do, if you get my drift.”

He did not doubt that she had attracted a lot of attention from the male student populace during her time at the school, and felt highly complimented that she had just tacitly expressed that she considered him as a different sort of man.

“I guess, as far as what I’m going through right now, that I don’t want to drag anyone else through it,” Mershad responded.

“Well, won’t you at least give me a chance to take a stab at it?” Erika ventured. “I’ve got the time.”

While he truly did not like to encumber others with his problems, he also knew that it was not healthy to leave the emotions stuffed inside of him. The latter proved to be the stronger impulse, as he glanced back over to her.

“Okay, but you have to let me know if it gets to be too boring, or if you get depressed just being around me,” Mershad stated. He added more firmly. “Promise me that.”