the story of the dream(?) of Stanislas Chula, pt. 1 of 2.

Years ago as a young, budding child, an old crotchety relative of mine pulled me aside at one of those subdued family reunions. It's odd, before that encounter I have no memory of the old man, & have since never seen him again. He began telling me stories of his childhood, most of which I'll never recall the facts in detail, but he ended up telling me a story that I'll never forget. It was a long, dark tale of terror simply known as taurul pauza ("bull break"), which was an old Romanian tradition of horror, suspense & danger. Bull break derived from an ancient Romanian decree sent down from Cesarius II in the year 1212 & called for the acclimation of youths into adulthood in a menacing manner. For the sake of this reminisce, we'll refer to the old man simply as Monk.

Monk was an old codger at best. He wore dark, thick corduroy pants, beige suspenders, a lime green shirt (acquired from a remote Brazilian trading post), & what's always been known in my mind simply as an "old man hat". Monk was the kind of grizzled old man who spoke with his whole body, especially his large, wrinkled hands. Nearing the age of adolescence, I assume Monk thought it proper to educate me on the ways of the old country, there was no doubt in his mind I'd use the life teachings of a radish farmer from Galaţi in the malls, little leagues, beaches & church functions of Palm Bay, Florida.

Monk began his explanation of bull break as most old men begin old man stories. Times were always tougher, dirtier, poorer, bleaker, & for that matter better in the old days, & especially in the "old country". It all started when Monk was 11 years old, asleep in the top half of a double cedar-trunk bunk bed. Monk lay fast asleep a few feet above his older brother by 14 months, Stanislas. "Stan" was weeks away from his 13th birthday, & was set to take his first job over the Romanian summer months on our uncle Randitus' radish farm. "Work!", Monk exclaimed in his thick eastern European accent, "It's the only way to make a man", "hard work", he reiterated. Stan was soon to experience all the "work" he ever dreamed of.

Each night the 2 boys apprehensively took to their beds. They had both spent their childhood years hearing horrific & deathly tales of bull break, yet never quite getting a truthful explanation of these "happenings". Monk, unable to sleep because of a minor fit of gas stemming from an overtly large portion of his Aunt Tabitha's beets, went on to explain the awaking of Stan from what seemed to be a horrible dream. In this dream, Stan was said to experience the horrors of bull break first hand. The dream itself was said to be a cautionary warning from the Romanian God of misfortune, Tetritus.

Moments later & both boys now wide awake, they hear what sounds like the front door to their modest farm house creak open. All the terrifying stories they'd ever heard about bull break soon came to the fore front of their young, innocent minds. Eyes wide open & glaring, they waited with nervous apprehension. Slowly, an enormous, snarling bull lit only by the full moon looming behind it came into view. The bull, massive in stature with sharp horns extending outward & drool hanging from it's hot mouth stopped dead in it's tracks. It's thick head perked upwards, quite like a hunting dog who catches the sent of a pheasant. It was the smell of the 2 boys that made the bull stop & realize there was fresh food only a few feet away. The thick drool doubled in it's amount & soon was dripping to the hardwood floor of the farmhouse.

It was at this point that Monk immediately realized what he & Stan must do to survive. The years of childhood memories again flood back into his mind, he knew they must kill the bull or suffer the fate of so many young Romanians before them & never see another morning again.

End Pt. 1.