Chapter
15
Temptations
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I sat in the kitchen infuriated.
I was bored and tired of Ms. William going on and on about how she is my caretaker and is trying to give me freedoms she never had when she was being brought up.
I for one am obliged; I mean after all I’ve experienced here in such a short period of time and everything she’s done for me: it would be egotistic of me to even carp once. However, what about the barrenness crawling around these parts?
Everything seems too perfectly engineered; as though nothing is out of alignment; that’s not including the awkward almost eight month overcast that haunted the serene heavens. And then it hit me. Oliver, stating his comment about some Outside World his voice’s echo drifted throughout the cavities of my conscious.
Perhaps this Outside World is the real world Mary taught and talked to me about?
That could be an exceptionally good rationalization. Even I, new to all of this, have my doubts but why can’t anyone else see it too? Are they somehow blinded, or perhaps they too have noticed, but have never nitpicked it; or they’ve learned to accept it?
I for one can’t, I can’t overlook this I must find some form of sense to all of it. I’ve nowhere to begin.
I took a deep breath, Ms. William eyes closely monitor me for some unapparent reason; I felt trapped. I clenched my fists tightly due to this sense of hysteria creeping down my spine like icy fingertips.
I had to close my eyes, I couldn’t handle it, I didn’t know what was going on, what was going over me I felt due to burst; thrust the table and send it wheeling across the floor… but I couldn’t; I wasn’t a monster. I had to control myself. I wasn’t that man in my dreams, the taker of life, the Executioner.
I locked my jaw as I slowly opened my eyes. Tears rolled down my cheeks. I couldn’t figure out why I wept… but apparently with anger comes agony, with agony comes the sense of humility: a mutuality that binds and causes the strain in the brain to push forth the tears... to cool down the pain.
Maybe?
But I wasn’t too sure if I were correct.
Due to all of my commotion spiraling around in my mind I wasn’t even aware that Ms. William was fixing breakfast. The aroma of sizzling bacon swept across the kitchen and caught me off guard. I was able to wipe the tears from my eyes without Ms. William noticing. I unclenched my fists and laid them flat on the table. Relax.
“Ms. William,” I finally said with a low slur, my throat was dry and I felt prone to croak, “Why does Amy call Ms. Johnson Mom?”
A question that’s been in my mind for quite some time, but why did I just ask her now: what inclined me to do this?
Ms. William set a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon in front me.
“It’s just for mutual purposes. Amber always wanted to be a mother, always… when we attended classes together back in the day she’d keep a conversation about: Oh how I wanted to be a mother.” Ms. William’s tone was absentminded, “Sadly though she was unable to bear children… a lament she holds ever so deeply.”
“Why would she lament… it wasn’t her fault?” I added as I scooped off a fork-load of scrambled eggs and stuffed it in my mouth.
Ms. William laughed, “She’s always pinned it on herself, a thing some human’s do; they can’t find exact blame, so they go for the most likely target: ourselves.”
“So the reason Amy calls Ms. Johnson Mom is because?”
“Because it makes her feel like a mother, and Amy is the closest thing that has ever come close to giving her that motherly sensitivity.”
She said before I could give her my thoroughly conscientious opinion about her exact rationale: but hers was close to my speculation.
“And this Motherly Sensitivity,” I said slightly sarcastic, “Do you ever get it?”
She gave me a crooked smile, “Well raising a boy is a lot more complicated than raising a girl.”
“Wait you’ve raised a girl before?” I asked bemused.
She nodded, “Yeah, you’re actually the first boy I’ve raised… I was a bit skeptical before I took the job, but I thought after raising two teenage girls I’d the just to try my attempts with a boy”
“And so far how am I compared to the other girl’s you’ve taken care of?”
Ms. William stared at me for a brief second, “Well you’re a lot more speculative; you’re more secluded, and… you enjoy spending time away from the house,” her truth felt keen, “But I am enjoying this, I’ve yet to fully melt away and give you my true views about things… but I do have a heart for you, and I do love you.” She said.
The way she said love you, didn't seem and feel sincere.
“Oh and you want to hear something very strange… raising a boy is rare; so rare that most Caretakers go through a lifetime of Adoptoles without raising or seeing one.”
Her words were piercing, so a boy was a rarity in this society: awfully uncomforting.
I had a hard time swallowing down the bacon, “Adopto-what?” I’ve never heard of that word before.
“Adoptole,” she corrected, “It’s what we call the children we raise: best to explain as we take you in as one of our own.” She grimaced; her eyes glittered with the small bit of sunlight cutting through the window-blinds over the sink.
“Have you ever had a child of your own?” I curiously added.
Her face beamed to some extent, “We’re not permitted to breed or own, Sam. Has something to do with… don’t tell anybody this ok; it’s only between you and I, but they don’t want us to spread our genetic coding because of irregularities in the human genetic code that could possibly occur while breeding regularly… the Council want perfection… so only a rare few are consented to breed.”
Her voice was but a whisper, as though she feared being heard, “Nothing gets authorized unless the Council has it set in stone; they basically know your future before you’re thirteen years of age: if and only if you pass the tests… if not you’re taken and released indefinitely. The system is at flaw; but… I’ve learned to deal with it because there’s nothing in my power I can do to alter anything.”
So my speculations were in fact true: Ms. William knew of this; but why even spill this to me now: did she see my zealous prying in the core of my eyes?
I wasn’t aware of what she meant by Breeding either; I thought that was only for animals, like herds of cows’ bred only to be sent to the slaughter to provide meat for nourishment: something Mary explained to me in one of her many lectures.
“What do you mean by breeding?” I had to ask, the word left me bedazzled because of the way she put it: human’s breed; for what purpose?
She giggled, “That’s a subject I’ll be content to have when you’re a bit older.” Her face turned scarlet.
“Oh great!” I said sarcastically, “Now I have to wait an entire year before you to explain it!?”
“Yup.” Ms. William sent me a wink.
“I was seriously beginning to think I was the only person aware…” I said gravely, “Most people have been so oblivious to it”
“We have to Sam; we can’t just go around and telling people about this. If the Council sees any sign of miscommunication, something that might threaten anything they’ve achieved… they’ll shut that individual up: permanently… you can’t cross them: I’ve seen people, people I’ve held dear, people I cared about… disappear without-without a trace,” she sulked and bit her lip; her head arched forward with steady tears trailing down her cheeks, “Sam,” she sniffled, “I can’t carry on this conversation with you any longer-let’s let it rest and wait for the representative of the Council to explain and see why you: the one and probably only son I’ll ever have; has a damn Classified stamped in your future.”
“I thought we were going over there”
Someone knocked on the door.
“That’s a member of the Council Sam, show respect dear.” She notified.
Ms. Wil
liam straightened her navy blue blouse patted her short black skirt and walked towards the kitchen sink. She made sure her hair was perfect, stared at herself from the dim reflection on the glass from the window over the sink; guess she wanted to make sure she looked adequate. She gave me smirk noticing my curious stare; her lovely pink coated lips gleaming brilliantly. She looked so elegant.
She cleared her throat softly and opened the door.
A slim, tall, and bald gentleman, dressed completely in a black suit, ironed white tie, and glossy black shoes, stood at the door, posture upright and chin straight.
“Ms. Elizabeth William,” his low voice said, “You’ve requested a representative from Council to have an audience?”
She nodded, “Yes, yes, c-come in,” she said, “Please take a seat; oh that’s Sam.” She said.
The man stiffly walked inside and sat down next to me. His face was bland, not even a grin: same stiff posture, back straight, hands crossing over his lap.
“How can we be of assistance Ms. Elizabeth William?” His monotonous voice said.
Ms. William took the LCP document and sat it in front of this man.
“My child’s future is set by the Council as Classified: explain to me why?”
“Unfortunately we’re unable to explain the Council’s arrangement with this particular child,” his charcoal colored eyes finally took sight of me; he stared; a certain awe could be seen in his plain expression; he nodded his head at me, “You have a wonderful afternoon.” He rose swiftly, placed his cold hands on my shoulder and tapped me gently, “May your future shine bright Sam. Good day,” and without another word he left.
Ms. William’s expression was absentminded, oblivious to the man’s sense of composure, her mouth open.
“Bunch of still heads,” she said beneath her breath, “You see what we have to deal with…”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Let’s go shopping.” She said.
Market District
Ms. William and I walked past the strange archway looking detector into Groom’s Hall; a very nice: what Ms. William told me as: Contemporary attire store. I for one was really enthused about this, some of the garments displayed in glass containers were eye catchy.
Two marvelously dressed workers greeted us warmly; they had this teal sleeveless blouse and long black skirts, blond straight shoulder-length hair, and black belle-style shoes. They were completely identical: except for the fact that one was slightly shorter than the other. One nametag said: Alice and the other said: Laura. I couldn’t help but grin at their politeness, Ms. William nodded at them.
They both stared at me awkwardly; their same jaded blue eyes had this strange twinkle to them: robotic; their lips at the same position. Before long the right one, Alice looked up at Ms. William.
“Good Afternoon Madam,” she said monotonously, “We’d like to welcome you to Groom’s Hall. This is my co-worker Laura, new to this of course; so please don’t mind her shyness.” She explained
Ms. William shook Alice’s hand, “We’re perfectly fine, we’re just here looking for new pants for the gentleman here,” she presented me so wholeheartedly, I took my attention off staring at Laura and turned to Alice: I grinned, in return she grimaced.
“Where are they?”
Alice hesitated, and then without long just pointed to the far right of the store to a big hanging sign that had MEN written on it.
“Thank you.” Ms. William said as she took my hand dragging me with her.
As I briefly stared back at the two workers, Laura was still eyeing me and Alice mumbled some illegible comments that I couldn’t make out. The main thing I was concerned with was Ms. William’s abruptness, just dragging me out of there as though I was acting like a snobbish child.
She stopped and let go of my hand, “Sam,” she said a tad bit warmer, she turned to me, “I understand your physical contact with the opposite sex is inclined to, Amber, myself, and Amy; but please try and not provoke any unwanted attention.” She said sharply.
I grimaced a bit startled. How could I be provoking any unwanted attention? I mean all I did was kindly grin at the other girl; in what form or manner could that be considered anything radical?
“Some girls find it as flirtation.” She explained answering my question without me having to blurt it out, “Look… remember I told you it’s quite rare to raise a boy? Well some of these girls… woman, have never even caught sight of their opposite sex-so if they’re looking at you oddly, most likely it’s because of that.”
I shrugged. All my anxiousness to pick out my own set of attire completely went to the wayside. I felt agony, annoyed, all these humanly feelings bubbling and boiling in my heart, over-encumbering me. I took a deep breath and buried my hands in my pockets following Ms. William.
After what felt like a prolonged walk to the men's section of the store, we finally made it.
“Alright Sam, just pick out what you want.” Ms. William said.
There were so many to choose from that I didn’t even know where to begin. I stood there next to the jeans; from the corner of my eye I caught sight of Laura in the distance, next to a big sign that said: Bath and Body, eyeing me.
My heartbeat thumped and blood started streaming through my veins rapidly. I felt this unnatural embarrassment. I casually began flipping through the pairs of jeans trying my best to ignore her stance; her grasping beauty, and just picked out random ones from the clutter. They all looked the same to me, so what difference would it make to even consider examining their construction; I giggled beneath my breath.
So I continued, from jeans to t-shirts, to long-sleeved turtleneck shirts. I pondered thoroughly; so what if I weren’t going to see Amy anymore; perhaps there’d be another one like her? What if I couldn’t find her kindness in any of the other girls? I couldn’t straighten my deliberation.
“What are you thinking sweetie?” Ms. William asked.
How did she know I was thinking?
“Oh nothing”
“Obviously something, look at you, you’re pinkie… and you’re breaking into sweats!” She said brightly as she giggled.
I couldn’t hold back, I just had to tell her; as a woman perhaps she’d understand, “Well… um, it’s just that Laura girl… she’s staring at me.” I said.
“Hmm,” Ms. William pursed her lips, “She’s the same year as you are dear: would you like me to inform her Mistress?”
I shook my head, “N-no, it’s fine,” I assured her, “I just felt a little embarrassed.”
Ms. William massaged my shoulder, “You’ll be excited to know what your third year has in store for you… I don’t want to spill the beans, so I’ll let you discover that yourself.” She said enthusiastically.
“Wonderful!” I sarcastically muttered.
She smirked.
We got to the checkout counter. Alice was standing stiff like a statue; I stared at her amused, Ms. William tapped on the green marble counter lightly trying to get her attention.
“Oh my, excuse me!” Alice said apologetically.
“No offense taken dear,” Ms. William set the cluster of attire on the table.
With her bland movements and lacking attitude she scanned each item. Laura appeared out of the blue and stood next to her; her beautiful blue eyes still on me, I felt uncomfortable. I felt prone to just grin slightly; she blushed and bit her lip, swaying away her eyes.
“Total comes to *678.50.” Alice informed: her eyes on me.
“Honey pull out your wrist.” Ms. William told me.
I held my wrist out and with a wireless scanner she scanned my barcode: a high-pitched ding occurred and the small 12” Monitor over the register said: CLEAR.
“Thank you!” Ms. William said as she took the large paper bag and my hand, again dragging me out.
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Jake Hartman
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The Adorned Page 18