He was talking behind her back, and she knew it.
No surprise there, of course. In our days, we have friends and acquaintances and friends of friends and acquaintances of acquaintances. And family. And colegas. And former colegas… and you name it! In our days we live, perhaps more than ever, submersed in a network of relations, of friendships and companionships and competitors and what not. So there will always be somebody talking behind our back.
Yet she knew that he was talking behind her back.
We might be related to two million persons, in all sort of manners. But when the ones that matter to us start to attack from behind, we know. Of course we know. After a long standoff, she was tired. They have been facing each other for a time that seemed endlessly and finally, she did turn her back to him. She wanted their relation to be done and over with. But he could not stop it. To her back he draw his blade, and started talking about her. And she knew it.
Not being an aggressive person, her first reaction was to walk away. She actually started doing so. But… could she run forever? would he not catch up one day? Was it even ok to run forever? As soon as she started, she knew that she had to turn, and forestall him. And so she did. There is time to think, but there is also time to act. She acted. She had escaped his first onslaught, and now turned and with her own weapons unsheathed, she draw blood from his temple. “why are you not telling me what you are telling others to my face?” she asked. It should have been enough. She hoped for it to be enough.
But then she realized that she need to end it all, right then. And so she did. Her first question had left his reeling. Bullies expect their victims to run away, indeed. They do not expect them to run away and then turn on them, and face them, and hurt them. So he was confused. And she went on. “we all know each other” she said. “he who believes that can lie again and again about others, is a fool. And a coward. Perhaps that is why you never talked to me, but talked to others about me. You are a coward”.
I could almost see him crumple and fall into himself. So I looked at her, shining in her victory. Shining she was, but not only. She knew that it was only a split second decision what allowed her to be there. If she would have choose to run, or else, she would be the one crumpled, and fallen. In our connected times, there are no victories that arent’t defeats, and she knew it. So she staid still, and said no more.
Nota Bene
This short imaginary tale is one possible representation of the second exercise (kata) that I practice as an apprentice of Iaido, a form of Japanese fencing. Kata’s are prescribed sets of movements, designed as a possible answer to a fight scenario. The exercise that I describe here is called ushiro. All in all there are 12 kata’s that I practice, and I’m writing about each of them. The first of them, mae, I described here
If you want to see Ushiro performed by a master, take a look here: