well here is the complete third part
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Even a flame would be better than nothing



Warped Reality Part 3

The Next Afternoon

	Conrad was breathing hard, As might be expected his first day of 
Kendo was mainly to get him into shape and test his natural ability.  As he 
was finding out the hard way, Cons natural ability was very small.  

<You are too slow and clumsy to learn this>, railed the sensei <come 
back when you can repeat this kata perfectly five times in five minutes>.  
With that Conrad was swiftly lead from the building.  

"Don't worry about it too much", Jeff, another American said.  "Sensei is 
always hard on beginners and it wont actually take you that long to learn 
your katas.  I would be willing to help you if you have time."

"That would be great I could use all of the help that I can get, plus there are 
too many people here that I can talk with yet." replied Con.  "I mean I know 
all of four people here you Ami, Mina and Lita."

"Woah watch out for Lita man she is a real crazy lady," Jeff told him.  " I 
was involved with her a while back but its just scary how intense she is.  She 
just seems to take everything so seriously, would you believe that she anted 
to get married after we had gone out for only three weeks, THREE WEEKS.  
Anyway just watch out."

"when are you free?" Con asked.  " I am busy getting tutored in Japanese at 
twelve o'clock and then later at 6 when Ami gets out of Cram school but 
in-between I would be free to take extra lessons from you."

"How about from 3 until 5 then." Jeff suggested.  "we should be able to get 
you back into class in a day or so."

"Thanks alot Jeff I really appreciate your taking time to help me out here."  
Said Con.

"That's OK sometimes I get a bit lonely over here and you are the first 
American that I have met who has plans to stay for more that just a few 
weeks.  I am looking forward to getting to know you better over the 
summer.  Well I gota go so I will see you later."  replied Jeff.  He then ran 
off to continue his lessons with the rest of the schools students.  

	Conrad practiced the kata given him by his new sensei for about 
half an hour memorizing how it was supposed to go so that he would not 
forget and learn it incorrectly.  He then went to the showers to clean himself 
up from the days activities before going to meet Ami for some more lessons 
before she ran off to cram school.  

	Walking back to Juuban Junior High he wondered about what Jeff 
had said.  [Is Lita really just as guy crazy in real life as the fictional character?   
Life is getting to strange.  I just wish that I had someone that I could talk to 
about all of this and see if I am going mad.]

<Hi Con!>, called out Ami from across the courtyard.  <How was your 
first day at the Kendo club?>

"It was OK, I met a nice American named Jeff who offered to help practice 
kendo with me so that I would be allowed to join the rest of the class."  
Conrad said.  

"Really,  hm where have I heard that name before?  Of course he was the 
one that Lita proposed to just the other day.  I think the fact that he was the 
first boyfriend that she has had for more than one week straight since ninth 
grade might have had something to do with it."  <Well don't forget to practice 
your Japanese.  I don't intend to get a bad grade this quarter.> she lectured 
him.  <I think that it is about time to get back to studying.> "Remember the 
test is from Japanese to English so all you really need to worry about is 
understanding the questions.  Once you get that far you should be able to 
answer them in English easily enough."

	Conrads week really seemed to fly after that.  Studying Japanese from 
8 to 12.  Then attending English class to measure his progress.  This was 
followed by a short lunch and a trip to the nearby dojo.  Practicing by himself 
for an hour and half before Jeff shows up to spar.  Two hours of intensive kendo 
practicing followed by a mad dash to get showered and meet Ami for an additional 
two hours of learning the Japanese writing system.  Three days flowed quickly 
together as his free time seamed to evaporate before his very eyes.  At night he 
was so tired that he didn't even have time to read one of the books that he had 
brought with him to Japan in his luggage.

	Tuesday morning at the American embassy.

	Conrad woke up early at 6 o'clock as was his habit.  However because it 
was also his habit to stay up late it was 7 before he arrived in the cafeteria for 
breakfast.  He was so nervous about the upcoming exam that he couldn't eat 
anything, not even the specially imported cereal that was intended to make people 
feel more at home.  

<Are you ready for your test?> Ami asked as they waited together for the bus.  
<You really don't have anything to worry about.  you hardly ever have to ask for
help translating what people say.  you will do just fine.>

<I really hope that you are right.  I would hate to be responsible for getting you 
a bad grade.>  He said.

	They rode the bus in complete silence.  Conrad sat  worrying  about how 
he would do as Ami sat beside him trying to think of something to cheer him up.

<I am not looking forward to this.> Con told Ami as they walked towards a small
testing room.  

<Don't worry about it,  this test is only three hours long.  It will be a piece of cake
with all of the studying that you have done in the last week.> Ami responded 
cheerfully.  <good luck!>  With that she was gone, off to her first period history 
class leaving Con to face the impending test alone.

	After a grueling three hour test and a nerve racking hour waiting to learn 
how he did Conrad was worn out when Ami arrived to lean the news.  

<How do you think you did?> She asked.

<Well, Um, I think I aced every part of it except grammar.> He 
replied sheepishly.

<That's OK you are new to this its only to be expected that you would have 
trouble with Japanese grammar and punctuation.> She told him cheerfully. 

<No its not the Japanese grammar that I am having trouble with.  I'm just 
not very good identifying nouns and pronouns in English.>  he said 
while chuckling nervously.

	Ami's reply was interrupted by the arrival of the English teacher.  
<Good Job Con,  you did very well.  Your and Ami's grade for this quarter 
is an A-.  I know that if you keep working this hard you will be able to master 
Japanese in just a few more months.  Good luck and enjoy the rest of your 
vacation.>  Then turning to Ami he said < You did a good job teaching 
Conrad Japanese so quickly but now it is time for you to return to regular 
classes.>

<Thanks alot Ami, I couldn't have done so well without you, but if you will 
pardon me I have to go take one more test today.  I am going to try to get back into 
Kendo classes.>

<Good for you> Ami said <I hope you succeed there as well.> With that 
she was off, returning to the classes that she had been excused from for the past 
week.  Upon reaching the first one she was appalled to learn that she was now 
only one week ahead.  With grim determination she set out to catch up with her 
personal homework schedule.

	Con was passing anxiously outside of the practice room of the dojo.  
Now that the day had finally come for him to test back into the class he was very 
worried.  [What if I do it wrong, in front of all of those people?]

"Relax Con,  every thing will be fine you could do that kata blind folded if 
you had to." Jeff said, suddenly laughing for no reason.  "Its time for you to go in 
now so look sharp and quit worrying about it."

<Start> was all his sensei said as he walked into the room, causing his anxiety 
to increase to three times its previous level.  Once he began the kata however the 
intense concentration required quickly dissipated his anxiety and helped him relax 
because of the familiar movements.  [That wasn't so hard, I guess that I didn't have 
so much to worry about after all.]

<Now do it blindfolded.> Was his sensei's brusque response to his exuberant smile.

	Looking over Con saw Jeff being unable to suppress a broad grin at his 
friends discomfiture.  [I'm really gone get him for this.] Conrad thought as he tied 
the blindfold over his eyes.  After one false start and another fall he succeeded in 
repeating the kata five times without a mistake.  

<Now you are ready to learn.> said his sensei.  And with that he was given a place 
in the rear of the room and class resumed as normal.  The only difference from the 
first day being that now Conrad understood what was going on and was able to participate 
in the drills and practice strokes.  



End part three
Kelly Conrad Davies Schultz
kellys1@randolph.spa.edu but only for a little while
Shade and sweet water.
Skywise

P.S. read Sailor Moon V    and the Circe Prodject
     and Bubblegum Zone    and Tokyo Babylon
     and Knights End       and Sailor Moon Refugees
     and Sailor Moon M     and The Wheel of Time
     and Honor Harringt    and Sour Times