Righteous Blasphemy

Daniel

Fifteen years have passed since that night when Archimandrite Peter (archimandrite is a rank of high honor in Easter Orthodox Church) found a little grey baby at the door of his monastery. The mystery of this child gave Peter a hard time on several occasions over the years, especially when the Montenegrin press found out about him. Its enigmatic coming, origins, and grey appearance demanded of archimandrite more time than he was willing to spend. The child, regardless of its nature, needed more help and less attention which many journalists failed to understand. Thankfully, be it because of his piercing grey eyes or a rather unique behavior, fewer and fewer people came to see “The Grey Kid” as the public called Daniel. Peter himself gave the child that name after the biblical hero in the Old Testament as he felt great destiny before this mysterious youth. Although priesthood, among which he grew, influenced Daniel into reading the Bible, various theological texts of old, and even those of other religions, Peter insisted that he learn other skills and foreign languages. Thus he personally oversaw Daniel while he learned various crafts and even art. He did what he could to protect his young protégé from the outside world while at the same time tried his best to socialize Daniel with youngsters of his age. It was not the fact that no one wanted Daniel, social services acted as if he does not even exist and even the law does not predict the course of action in his case, that hurt archimandrite most but rumors around Cetinje (Old Royal Capital of Montenegro and closest town to Mt. Lovćen) about people who thought that Daniel wasn’t even human. Peter did what he could to shield him from such harsh words.

            Thus, over the period of these years, Peter was a father figure to young Daniel as he was to all other priests. The Grey Kid was going to be a fine young man, Peter thought. Even at fifteen, Daniel towered over some people. He had a handsome face, gentle voice, and the questions he asked showed keen intellect which sometimes was almost frightening. Somehow, Daniel grasped the very nature of faith, spirit, and soul in such ways that the archimandrite was astounded. Some of Daniel`s religious beliefs were so deep and complex yet he reigned over them with eerie simplicity which left the whole monastery in shock on several occasions. Peter also noticed that Daniel had rather ugly handwriting which led him to believe that he was left-handed. The fact that broke Peter`s heart more times than once as Daniel was born without a left hand. Yet he never asked how or why, even when he was younger, somehow, fact that he lacks a left hand was natural to him. There were strange marks on the stump which archimandrite noticed when Daniel was a baby. It almost looked as if it was meant for something else to go there. Despite that, Peter was a man of faith and had little time for such silly fantasies.

            Not everything of this world Daniel grasped with ease, however. He had trouble working alone. Peter still remembers a few years ago when Daniel demanded to know why such a word even exists. He had a hard time distinguishing lies from the truth and struggled to understand the human need for deception. While he was brilliant in teamwork, strong, diligent and reliable, even with his lack of the left hand, several priests reported to Peter that Daniel shows certain… abilities. Apparently, Daniel was able to see the sins of other people and those few friends he had cut all ties with him after he talked about the sins of their fathers, which was enough to disturb even older people, let alone kids. Since Cetinje was a small town where everyone knew everyone it was not long before Daniel lost what few friends he had. To make matters worse, others wouldn’t come even near him. Peter was troubled to hear such reports but he prayed that Daniel finds his way and that alone, together with his best efforts to make a man out him, allowed Peter to sleep at night. However, there was one thing which archimandrite could not understand. No matter how warm or even hot it was, Daniel was always cold. He even called doctors to examine him but they could only say, after a thorough examination, that Daniel was a healthy, strong young man. Despite that, he could only get warm by the fire and Peter found him countless times sleeping dangerously close to embers of their fireplace. Accepting him with all his strange strengths and flaws was not a problem for Peter and his priests, however, for who are them to judge the unknown.

            As his sixteenth birthday approached, Daniel knew English, Latin, and Montenegrin language. He was well versed in poetry and art, so much so that he had his favorite poets and artists, and world religions. He was an artist himself as his works in stone, even with one hand, could only be called like that-art. Peter was not the only one to notice the disturbing resemblance between faces and figures made of marble and granite with their creator. After so many years, Peter could finally say that Daniel was his greatest work, a prayer that came true…

            For many nights, Nicola, the priest of similar years as Daniel, Daniel, Peter, and Ivan, the oldest priest in the monastery, talked about everything over the dinner. It was almost a tradition and tonight was no different. It was a night before Daniel`s sixteenth birthday. “I can hardly believe, and i am very good at believing…” Ivan started with a chuckle. “… that you will be sixteen in a few hours, Daniel. Eh, when Peter found you i could still walk upright”. The rest of their company laughed as it was known that Ivan almost enjoyed his excuse not to work anything, complementing the unfounded jokes about the laziness of Montenegrins. “Indeed so. Do you guys know the difference between young Ivan and this one that sits and eats with us”? Peter asked as he passed the salad to Nicola. “He was a hard worker in his young days”? Nicola replied while taking the plate. “Well, let`s just say that this one is far more diligent”. “Hey, that’s not true. I can clearly remember working on the shack we use for tools”! Ivan responded in false anger. “Oh, you mean the tools for woodwork”? “Yes, those tools”. “Ivan, that was twenty years ago”! Peter replied while the others burst to laugh. Including Daniel… “Yeah, Ivan just pretends to be in pain while we are at work. I always thought it`s because he wouldn’t hurt our feelings with his expertise. Who would have thought that he is just lazy”. He said while taking a bite out of the dry bleaks they had for dinner. To his surprise, no one laughed. They just exchanged troubled looks. “Daniel, i told you its creepy when you do that. We are family here but people won`t understand that”. Nicola said with a worrying tone. “Understand what”? “That stuff you say about people. You lost friends before. You must learn what to say and what you shouldn’t say”. “But why, it`s not a lie”? Daniel protested. “My son, you are correct. But being correct does not give you the authority to speak the truth. Before you give the truth to the man you must be sure that he seeks it first. Otherwise, you will only hurt him”. “Yes, father”. Something would jump in Peter`s heart every time Daniel calls him-father. A mix of joy, pride and sorrow would always find their way to his soul through this word. “Forgive me, Ivan” Daniel said. “Oh, don’t worry about it, Daniel. But heed our words. Life has ways to prove you things in manners you would not believe are possible”. “He is the way, the truth, and the life”. Daniel cited. “Yes, and life always finds a way”. Ivan responded just as knocks on the front door interrupted their meal. Peter counted six. Six knocks… not two. Something in his soul screamed in… fear? “I will get it”. Nicola said while getting up. “Wait, sit down… i will”. Peter said and walked to the doors, not paying attention to their confusion. Why would he wished for two knocks, archimandrite couldn’t understand. A strange feeling rolled in his soul as he approached the doors. The more he walked, the more he felt as if his time here on this fair earth was at an end. Reaching for the doorknob, for a fraction of a moment, he thought about running with others. But that would mean a betrayal of all his beliefs. And Peter didn’t live with his just to die without them. He knew that he will die tonight whether he opens the door or not. After all, there wasn’t a single atom in his being that sensed there was something else than death behind these gates… and he opened them without fear.

            Daniel could hear Peter speaking with the visitors but he couldn’t make out what exactly. It appeared to be Latin. Voices of the visitors sounded snake-like, malicious, and foul. Daniel was filled with rage, fear, and defiance just from listening to it. Confused, he saw Peter turning back to gaze upon him. Daniel knew, for the last time in this life. Archimandrite smiled. He will remember that smile for as long as he lives. Everything Peter was could be seen there. Courage, kindness, patience, generosity, and love… more than anything, the love for him… It was a father`s smile. Archimandrite didn’t say anything to Daniel, instead, he turned around and his next words the Grey Kid understood perfectly. “Over my dead body…”

            All hell broke loose. Gunfire roared through the night and into the monastery. Too dumbfounded to even move, Daniel watched, as if in slow-motion, how Peter falls and thugs enter the sacred ground. Their stench was almost unbearable to Daniel. They smelled of fire, blood, iron, and death. They smelled of burned things and sin. They appeared to be ordinary people, but they could not fool the Grey Kid. Frozen as Daniel, with his jaw dropped, Nicola`s gaze moved from Peter`s dead body to his murderers. A moment later, one of them shot him in the head without even blinking. Ivan came to his senses first and threw himself on the assailants with a pain-filled scream only to be thrown away like a rag doll. The old priest hits the wall with a sickening sound of broken bones and falls dead to the ground. Finally coming to his senses, Daniel grabbed first what came to his hand and crushes the wooden mug on the face of the closest blasphemer. He fell bloodied on the floor but Daniel didn’t stop there. He tried hitting the next one but he was too slow and got pinned to the ground by two of them. As other priests started coming in, Daniel managed to shout “Run”! Before a voice hissed “We got himmm… pull usssss out…”