Chapter 4
Aspen, Colorado.
Summer 1998
IT WAS SUMMER of 1998 before Jayson would step up his freshman year high school in Aspen. His grandfather was rushed in a hospital when his aunt found him in the floor of his room. He wasn't almost breathing. His grandpa was anemic for years that time. His aunt called his father to visit his father but he refused to go.
Instead, Jayson was sent to take care of him at night in the hospital. His grandfather was dying that time and could not even move his body. Jayson thought, how could his grandfather able to live these days after he was home after the World War II in the Philippines. He was almost dead, a living dead.
His eyes were both blinded, his two ears were hacked, his left hand was hacked by a jungle bolo, and his two legs had been shot by a machine gun and later were amputated because it were crucially injured. He thought that was probably the reason why his father did not want to see him because he saw his father as worthless and irresponsible.
One night his grandfather awoke and he was on his side.
"Is there anybody there?" he asked with a very soft voice.
"Yeah, grandpa, I'm here," Jayson said.
"Is that you, Jayson? My favorite grandson."
Jayson smiled. "Yeah."
"Where's your father?"
"Home. He is only rushing one of his projects. But soon he'll come."
"I know. He doesn't want to see me. He hates me."
"Can I ask you a question, grandpa?" Jayson asked and changed the topic.
"What is it?"
"What is like to be a hero of your country when you were home?"
"I didn't actually felt at all because I couldn't see, but I heard their different praises to me that day. There were loud marching bands welcoming us and those very emotional speeches from those politicians who were not even in the war. It was quite proud but later on they forgot."
"Grandpa, I want to be like you someday, a hero."
"A soldier without any experience in battle recruited by Uncle Sam because he had nothing to feed his family? I tell you Jayson, it was a nightmare to be there. Painful. A place of hell."
"Not a soldier. But I want to learn everything before I start."
"If not a soldier, then what?"
"A writer."
"A writer?"
"Yeah. I want to write a story about history. A story that never been written that will reflect the past to give a message to the present and to the future."
"Why go back to the past?"
"I want to know why you became like that."
"Did I not tell you everything about my past?"
"I want to know why there were governments created, laws enacted and when got complicated, there were wars."
"That's nice to hear. You want to learn."
"Are you hungry?" Jayson changed the topic again.
"What do you have there?"
"A chicken soup."
"I'm tired of it."
"What do you want?"
"A beer. A cigarette."
"It's prohibited."
"Can I leave you a message, Jayson?"
"To whom?"
"To your father."
"What?"
"Tell him sorry and I love him."
"Sorry for what?"
"He knows."
The night ended and his grandfather went to sleep well again. Jayson forced him to sip a small amount of the chicken soup before sleeping. Her aunt arrived at 6 a.m. in the morning and then he left.
During day time he would sleep to recover his strength for the next night. Jayson went home. His father never asked him about his dying father, so Jayson never told him about the condition of his grandpa. Her mom asked, so he told her. Jayson took his breakfast before he lay on his bed, and fell asleep.
Jayson awoke with a noise around twelve noon. His brothers and sisters were yelling loud at their living room. "Grandpa is dead, grandpa is dead." Jayson stood immediately and went to their living room. His other brothers, sisters and his grieving mom were there.
"Jayson, your grandpa is gone."
"What? But I just left him sleeping," Jayson said and was stunned.
"Yeah. Your aunt called while ago. Your grandpa never wakes up again after you left, but still breathing. But around ten this morning, the breathing stops."
Jayson was speechless after he had heard the news. His father finally raced to the hospital after he heard the news. But what's for? Jayson thought. He's father was dead, so what for he went there, to show the world that he cared about his father. It was too late for him.
The funeral was held on the local cemetery, hot day morning of summer. There were twelve gun salutes and a marching band sponsored by the city government commemorating his efforts as a war veteran during World War II.
Old veterans riding wheelchairs were also there to attend. His father stood away from his brothers and sisters. His siblings hated him because he wasn't there to take care of their father before he died, but he inherited their entire small father's wealth.
Jayson holding a flower stood closely to the casket. He made his final glimpse to the face of his grandfather. Jayson promised, he would be a hero like him, someday.
Sturm Hall,
University of Denver
PROF. NICHOLAS LADD was 62 but still healthy. He should have retired many years ago but the university still needed him for different subjects in history classes. He was an Alma matter of the university. He graduated in 1971, took a master degree and doctorate level of history on the subsequent years but now preferred to be called as professor not a doctor. He started to discuss history during the 70's.
His obvious wrinkles and black dyed hair—which were beginning to fall—were the easy descriptions to recognize him nearby. He was walking on the lobby when Jayson saw him while running to their class.
Jayson had attended his 11 a.m. class, took a lunch, went to the library of Mrs. McDonough, read some books and waited till 1 p.m.
Jayson approached the professor, greeted him good morning and they both entered the room.
"Good afternoon. I hope you read chapter fourteen of your book before coming because we will be having an open discussion today."
Some of the students were confident, the others were not. Prof. Ladd switched on the projector and two pictures were immediately displayed on the screen.
"Who's this man on the left class? Prof. Ladd started to asked question after he pointed a picture in the projector's screen.
Someone raised her hand. It was Gemma Rosati. She answered, "Otto Von Bismarck, sir, from Germany."
"Good, how about the right picture?"
There was silence.
"Anyone? How about you Mr. Fisher?
"Mohammad Mosadeq, sir, from Iran."
Again his classmates were amazed to him. Probably, they knew the name because they reviewed the book, but not the picture.
"That's right and who's this person in history, Mr. Thomas?"
"A hero, sir, in his own country," Vincent answered.
Vincent and his girlfriend sat on the front row. Jayson was at the back since he was almost late.
"Right. Just because this subject is intended for Asia, we'll not discuss about Bismarck. We'll discuss about Iran, the early called land of Persia, a very historic one. We'll not discuss either its early histories because we'll start on the nineteenth century till present."
The professor clicked a button and there was another slide. "Give me a simple definition of nationalism?"
"Love of country, sir," many students answered.
"Precisely. Now, during World War II, who controlled Iran?
"The strong Allied powers sir, U.S., British and Soviet Union," James Cooper answered and he was finally serious.
"Why they occupied Iran which was a neutral country during the war?" the professor asked back James.
"Because they suspected that the German agents spied on their country, sir."
"What else?"
James was in silence.
"How about you, Mr. Fisher?"
"To utilize the railways from Persian Gulf to the Soviet border for transporting military and other supplies to the red armies, sir."
"Right, now, what is the feeling of being home with bunches of visitors, but can't use the toilet because somebody is there and there are still others waiting in front of the door arguing to who's next."
"A little bit pissed, sir."
"Not just a little bit pissed for me. If that happens to my home, I'll drive them away out and dump their shits in some other places." Prof. Ladd humor started.
"I'm afraid I can't do that, sir."
"Why not? If Mohammad Mosadeq did it against the British when he nationalized the AIOC and driven away the British, then why can't we?"
"But the British owned the AIOC, sir?" a student asked.
"But did the British owned the oil? Hell no. They were just visitors there. When they tasted a delicious food which was rare in their place, they wanted to eat everything there without leaving anything to the owner of the house. Unfortunately, when they were driven away, they asked help from the giants who were more gluttons to eat that food. Can you follow me class?"
All they nodded.
"Now, Mosadeq was driven away from his home in 1953 and named as traitor of his country. Who replaced him through a coup with the help of the giants?"
"It was Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, sir," It was Melissa Butte said while reading her laptop.
"Yeah, the puppet, an ally of the giants. So the house was stolen, driven away its owners, and after that, they brought in their blankets and pillows and stayed there for twenty five long years."
Another picture was appeared on the screen.
"Who's this?
"Khomeini, sir," James cooper answered.
"Who's Khomeini?"
Jayson raised his hand.
"Is there anybody here except Mr. Fisher that can answer my question?"
There was no any response.
"Alright, Mr. Fisher, explain."
"In October 1979, sir, admission of the Shah in U.S. for medical treatment to force a complete break in diplomatic relations. Their vehicle was the hostage crisis which develops in 1979 after students invaded the U.S. embassy compound downtown in Tehran and captured its personnel to hold as hostages for the extradition of the Shah. The hostage crisis took for 444 days. After initial efforts to resolve the crisis through diplomacy and economic pressures proved unsuccessful, so in April 1980 the president of U.S. authorized a covert operation to forcibly rescue the more than fifty hostages. The leader of the revolution, sir, was Khomeni," Jayson explained.
"Again, Mr. Fisher, that's a nice job. See, class. After you're away from your home for twenty-five years what do you feel?"
"Miss that home, sir. Wants to go home," someone from the students answered.
"Correct. You want to go home and no matter what, you will do anything just to come home, even a revolution. But the problem is the giants. So to beat the giants you need companies. Thousands of companies or even millions, right?"
"Yes, sir."
"But because that food was a very delicious one and they could not forget its taste. They wanted to come back, and to come back they needed to plan and spy. But spying causes troubles sometimes because of wrong information's. What happened to U.S.S Vincennes in 1988?"
"It was shot down, sir," it was Kevin Trent said.
"How many were killed?"
"Two hundred ninety, sir."
"Yes. Two hundred ninety fucking civilians and the U.S. said it was a fucking mistake. A mistake that until now the Iranians are resenting. Since that incident U.S. learned a lesson. What were these lessons, class?"
"Independence, sir."
"Mr. Trent?"
"Over power, sir."
"Mr. Thomas?"
"Greediness, sir."
"Ms. Butte?"
"Gluttony, sir."
"Ms. Goddard?"
She just smiled.
"Gemma?"
"Trespassing, sir," she laughed.
All of them laughed. Prof. Ladd asked all the students one by one till he reached the back seats.
"Mr. Fisher, give us a very brief conclusion for today."
"As long as the nature of Iranian nationalism remains understood, sir, it will not be easy for the U.S. to reach mutually satisfactory accommodation with Iran."
"Right, very good and what was my very first question?"
"Definition of nationalism sir, love of country."
"Nationalism class is in every citizen's heart in any country around the world—Iran, Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and anywhere in the globe. And no matter what power strikes to them, war ships, war planes, war tanks, and any modern weapons, if nationalism is planted in their hearts, these powers are nothing to them. But sometimes there are prices. What is it??
"Innocent lives, sir," all of them replied.
"Yes, death. Then as Mariah Carey said, then hero comes along with the strength to carry on. But hero dies and that's painful most especially to their love ones and families. See, what sometimes the result of greediness of others. As you said—gluttony, overpower, and yes, you are right, trespassing. A country must have independence, but because of intervention by other nations by using military forces to come in to trespass; innocent lives loss. What were their reasons? They wanted to help, educate and improve their economy. Yeah. They are right to the word, help. Of course, they needed help after an atomic bomb, hundreds of tornados and missiles were dropped to them, killed their thousands of soldiers and destroyed their homes. Of course, they needed help, for God sake."
All of them were amazed the way Prof. Ladd made a conclusion of the discussion. When the class ended, Jayson had a little chat more with the other Denver boys on the lobby of the building. Vincent again reminded him about the meeting of their friend on Sunday.
Jayson left the Sturm Hall and went home to his apartment.