Evening September 5, 1992
Montowese Connecticut
It was time for bed on the first day of the first grade.
"Lykkja, you have to go to sleep," his mother begged him.
"But, Mom, I haven't finished telling you about school today."
"Lykkja, if I let you tell me everything you wanted to about school, it would it would be time to go again."
"That's okay."
"No. You need your sleep if you're going to grow up to be big and smart."
"I don't need to be big."
"Okay smart then." Nancy watched the first leaf float down past the bedroom window, as she pulled the covers up to Lykkja's chin.
"Well, how about you tell me a story."
"Lykkja," Nancy sighed, as she worked up a pair of mother eyes, to insist that he finally go to sleep. It had been another long day in doctor's offices, and she was ready for bed, " I need to go change Sammie's diaper and put her to bed."
"Gross."
"You'd better not follow me then." To Nancy's great relief, her husband walked in the room.
"Is Lee not going to bed?"
"I just want to hear a story."
"You and stories."
"I love 'em Dad."
"Okay, I'll tell you one."
"Thanks," Nancy whispered, kissed Rick on the head and walked out.
"Tell me a really good story."
"Well, when I was little my Dad used to tell me this one. A long time ago, a man let's call him Lykkja."
"That's my name."
"I know I gave it to you. Well Lykkja had grown up really big and smart, and he loved his family an awful lot, but he had to go on an adventure. He felt it in his head and his heart, and his tummy and his toes and all over." Lykkja laughed at his Dad's tickles.
"That's like me, right Dad?"
"You want to go on adventures?"
"When I'm big I do."
"Well Lee, not you the one in the story, he packed everything he would need and gathered all of his smartest friends together. We're going to go somewhere no one's ever gone before, he told them. They built the biggest ship anyone had ever built before."
"Woah!"
"I know right. So one day, he kissed his mom and dad goodbye and left. It was super cold, and the water got very scary. It seemed like they were on the water forever, and then one day one of his friends came running up to him. They had seen land. When they got to the land, it was the most beautiful place Lee had ever seen. It was like heaven."
"Woah!"
"So they stayed there, and started their own families and were very happy. They built a whole city. Eventually, though, Lee started to miss his mom and dad. He went all the way back home so that he could see them again. When he was done, he and his men got on the boat to go back one more time, but when they had returned, bad guys had taken over the whole city. Lee told his friends that they were going to try and take their city back. They went and told the bad guys that they would share with them but the bad guys said 'no way Jose.'"
"I thought you said his name was--"
"It was, but since they wouldn't share, Lee had to take all of his friends, and told them that would fight for the city. Early one morning they stormed the city. They fought very bravely, but at the end Lee was the only one still alive. He ran away, but swore one day he would take his heavenly city back."
"What happened next?"
"That's it."
"What happened to Lee?"
"Still waiting I guess."
"Well if it was a long time ago, he's probably dead by now."
"You're probably right, sport."
"Well what was it called?"
"What was what called?"
"The city?"
"It was called Vangolio."
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Morning, September 6, 2011
Southern Connecticut University
New Haven, Connecticut
The tall baby faced professor stood up in
front of his class and surveyed year three.
"Welcome to Freshman History Methods, I will be your guide. My name is Lykkja, and
let's just be honest with a name like Lykkja who needs a last one," he smiled at
the class, hoping for a laugh, and even though the idiom says third time is a charm, no laugh came, and he decided that next semester he'd finally retire the joke.
A bright faced red haired woman on the front
row raised her hand, and spoke before being called on, "Where is it
from?"
"Lykkja," the professor explained, "is an old
family name."
Just as Lykkja had turned around to begin
writing on the board, a young man bellowed from the top of the lecture hall
"Weird Family"
Lykkja turned with a smile on his face
"Yes. Yes they are. Well observed, you may well have the makings
of a historian." The class' collective ears perked up, "What we have all witnessed is an example of
deductive reasoning. Each of you
received two pieces of evidence, both assertions from a biased narrator, me." A student from the middle of the room, raised her hand, "First, I have a peculiar name, and second, I received it from my family. But that is not all there is. Yes," Lykjja called on the woman raising her hand.
"If you're biased, how are you supposed to be our teacher?"
"Everyone throughout history who has feigned to put words to lip or paper has been biased. I can hardly exclude myself. The ever looming question is, what is our
biased narrator interested in obscuring? By examining together the claims that
we do know, it becomes apparent, as our outspoken friend blurted, never speak
out in my class again, that my family is 'weird.' And that, my new friends, is the realm of the
historian, finding what has been hidden or lost." Lykkja picked up the chalk and began writing on the board, "The second type of reasoning, oh I hope you
were writing that down, it will be on the test."
When class was over Lykkja stepped into the
hallway of the New Haven Community College's newest building. His mother had practically begged him to leave
on a new adventure when he had graduated from Yale with his PhD, but while he
was certainly not yet qualified to teach there, just being in its shadows
seemed to lend to academic invigoration. The woman who had raised her hand in class walked up behind him.
"Sammie," Lykkja called, "I didn't expect to see you in my class."
"Hey, it's my last chance. I couldn't miss out on being in my big brother's class."
"You have two years left."
"Well I have to start taking important classes at some point."
"Nothing is as important as Freshman History Methods."
"Class was good today."
"I'm glad you liked it."
"I mean it wasn't up to Lee standards, but good."
"Is this the nature of the abuse I should expect for the duration of the semester?"
"Yeah probably," Sammie smiled.
"You know, I'm not afraid to send a TA in there?"
"Do you have any good ones?"
"I haven't met them yet this semester."
"Well if all your classes are as interesting as today's maybe it wouldn't be so bad if you sent a TA instead. Kidding," Sammie retreated before Lykkja could stare here down.
"Big plans tonight," Lykkja asked.
"Shut up!"
"Come on, you know I like Gary."
"You also like tomatoes."
"Dad told me, and everyone likes tomatoes."
"Why do I tell him anything?"
"Have fun tonight." Lykkja leaned down and kissed his siter on her forehead, they split paths down the hallway. Just as they were too far apart to reach each other, Samantha turned around and called back,
"No one with a brain likes tomatoes," and she ran down the hall towards her next class.
