The Adorned

by Elimelec Gonzalez-Roman

  Chapter

  38

  Segregation

  ---

  I stepped out of the bathroom…

  I didn’t open the envelope as I intentionally planned. Just kept it nestled in my back pocket… for now at least. I didn’t want to open it alone, I wanted Rebecca by my side when I did.

  A delightful aroma coming from the kitchen left me famished.

  I took a step closer to the kitchen but stopped myself halfway after hearing multiple voices.

  “He is strong…”

  I heard Thomas’s voice.

  “Are they absolutely positive they’re making the right choice?”

  It was Xavier.

  “I say.” This voice I didn’t recognize, but it was low and firm, “We speak of this in a more secure location.”

  “You’re right. So will Elizabeth even return?” Thomas asked.

  “I don’t know if she will be…”

  After hearing that I rushed in.

  “What do you mean you don’t know if she’ll be back?” I bellowed.

  The man whose voice I didn’t recognize was some random Council Official with his polished baldhead and straight-ironed black suit. He stood motionless near the door that led outside.

  Thomas sighed.

  Xavier rose. “Sam.” He took one step towards me. “The Council has taken heed on your particular case.”

  I cringed. “What does that mean?”

  “It means that unfortunately Ms. Elizabeth William will not return.” The Council Official said with a hard voice.

  My nostrils flared at his gnawing sentence. I balled my fists and give him a dead-look. I hate him, I-I hated all of them. My life isn’t some game. My life isn’t some story. It’s MY life not theirs. But I couldn’t do anything… I am powerless as always.

  My fists uncoiled and just let the tears slither down my cheeks.

  Rees massaged his temples. “Sam it’s our goal to keep you safe. Since Dr. Harrison Brown is out of the picture the only other lead we had was Ms. Elizabeth William. The person closest to you”

  I cringed. “So an assumption led you to believe that rubbish?” I replied.

  “No.” The Council Official said. “We’ve monitored Ms. William for quite some time now and her views we’re unorthodox. She went way out of bound with the things she shared with you.”

  “Because of trust, because she loved me!” I yelled.

  “Which is something the Council does not condone. Attachment is to be detachable, no matter the means, no matter the consequence.” The Council Official stated as though it were some stupid line from a code or something.

  This was a lost cause. Nothing I’d say would bring Ms. William back.

  “Let the boy eat. His classes begin shortly.” Thomas said.

  “Understood. I’ll take my leave.” The Council Official said and then walked out.

  “I’m not hungry Thomas.” I said. “Let’s just get this day over with.”

  “Have you taken your medication?” Rees asked.

  I nodded. “Yes.” I lied.

  “Jane has Sam taken his medication?” Thomas asked.

  “Sam has not taken his medicine.” Jane replied.

  I winced as the moisture in my eyes continued to swell.

  “I’m deeply sorry Sam… please take the medicine and then we leave.” Thomas said.

  Don’t people know when to just shut up? I’m sorry… I’m sorry doesn’t mend the unyielding pain that’s destroying my sense of feel. I’m falling apart little by little, why can’t they understand not saying something helps more than spitting out a useless sentence. I couldn’t take it anymore.

  I slowed to a crawl behind Thomas with hands plowed in my pocket.

  “Sam you need to relax.” Thomas said.

  I took a deep breath. “Thomas why do you care?”

  “Because it’s my job to care”

  I snorted, “Your job? Ha”

  Thomas turned around and glared at me with squinted eyes and pursed lips. “You mind your tongue. There’s a time and place for everything Sam, and right now pestering with my patience isn’t a good idea. And I will give you this hint, I wasn’t even aware about the Council’s decision on Ms. William.”

  There’s a time and place for everything Sam…

  Those words… I closed my eyes and gasped with the sight of that embedding crimson stain consuming the back of my eyelids.

  “Y-you didn’t?” I muttered.

  “No”

  “Both of you quiet down.” Rees said. “Thomas if you must go and take a break, I’ll make sure Sam’s in proper care.”

  He faced Rees and nodded. “I’ll be back shortly after the classes end.”

  And like that Thomas sprinted off towards the Market District.

 

  The hallway inside the Jefferson building remained bare. The doors for each classroom were open, but not a nip of activity or chatter.

  I made my way down the hallway towards classroom twenty-seven. I glanced inside and saw Rebecca sitting next to two other girls with blond hair.

  Rees pushed me inside. “We’re already late.” He whispered. “Get in there!”

  The faces embraced me as I set foot inside the classroom. They all looked at me bewildered. I stood petrified.

  “Go on take a seat please.”

  I glanced up at the podium and saw Ms. Benning with arms crossed staring at me.

  “Take a seat next to Rebecca please.” She said.

  I walked over to the desk next to Rebecca and took a seat. I glanced at Rebecca and she ignored me completely.

  “Since you were a bit late you missed my introduction. These three fine ladies here are Rebecca, Brittney, and Amanda. Ladies, this gentleman here is Sam.”

  All three girls turned to me and nodded with a smile. Rebecca, the only odd ball in the bunch, with her tranquil hazel eyes, did the same gesture.

  Could she be playing oblivious and anonymous like the Myrmidon leader asked of us? I turned to Rees on the doorway and he shook his head. I raised an eyebrow trying to decipher what he could mean by that.

  Pay attention, his lips read.

  I turned and faced Ms. Benning. My nostrils flared and jaw locked. I felt angry. I glanced back at Rebecca and she turned to me.

  “What?” Rebecca whispered.

  “Becca?” I muttered.

  “Uh Rebecca.” She said.

  Ms. Benning slapped her hand on her podium. “Excuse me. Ms. Rebecca and Mr. Sam, please pay attention.”

  I turned back to Ms. Benning. My fists rolled up and muscles tensed. I couldn’t bend this anger that continued to pulsate across me.

  “Now that we’re all paying close attention I’ll begin the class at once…”

  No, I wasn’t paying attention. My attention remained glued on my own aggravation. First Ms. William and now Rebecca’s ignorance. Eating me from the inside out… I couldn’t explain myself… I-I wanted to scream, rise and just throw my desk aside and run out the door.

  But I couldn’t. I had to control myself. I must control myself.

  Ms. Benning continued her useless jabber. Her red hair shimmered with the bright sunlight stripping through the blinds. And her face as angelic with a simple coating of pink blush and pink coated lipstick. Her striking resemblances to Ms. William crippled any and all form of knowledge to even come close to my interest. I sighed.

  “There is a word called oxymoron, do any of you know what this word means? Sam.” Her eyes darted to me. “Anything.”

  “Oxymoron is relating two words with contradictory meaning…example, a little big,”

  “Excellent.” She blurted out. “Good job Mr. Sam.”

  I saw her eyes dart to Rees and then back at me. I wasn’t aware I knew what that word meant either… I guess she thought Rees told me somehow, perhaps telepathically.

  “Do you ladies comprehend his ideology?” Ms. Benning asked.

  “Isn’t that a tad excessive”
/>   “Ding.” Ms. Benning smacked her desk with her hand. “Oxymoron!”

  Rebecca’s face reddened as she cleared her throat. “Excuse me… isn’t that excessive.”

  “What is dear?”

  “Don’t address me as dear please,” Rebecca snarled. “Your little speech about ideology. It isn’t his ideology, it’s but a common-knowledge that should be known by everyone”

  “Becca she was just trying to use long, incomprehensible words.”

  “Mm`k, how about you quit calling me Becca, that’s not my name!” Rebecca’s eyes were furious as she stared into mine.

  No this wasn’t Becca… this was someone else.

  “You two settle down. Mr. Rees please address Mr. Sam out of my classroom and show him proper manners.”

  “Excuse me? Proper manners?” I rose. “Rees what’s happening?”

  “Sam come over here please.” Rees said.

  I did what he asked.

  “Go outside.” He whispered.

  “What?”

  He shoved me towards the exit.

  I shrugged. “Rees what are you doing?”

  “Just get outside please.”

  I went pass the double doors and then leapt over the steps. I faced Rees.

  “Uh what?”

  He dropped down and stood right in my face. His face expressionless.

  “Sam it’s done.” He said.

  I’m so confused. First he made me leave before I had my final class, and now he’s telling me I’m done?

  “What do you mean?”

  Rees crossed his arms. “I gave the Council and Theodore my word that you’d follow the protocol that was given to you. But sadly, seeing your unbendable connection to Rebecca, I see that keeping you in class with her isn’t going to be possible”

  “So what are you saying?”

  “Your classes are over until your LCP begins.” Rees said.

  “Wh...”

  “One other thing.” He interrupted as he took a step towards me. “There’s something else that I must tell you. This one, Thomas and I were already aware of. Rebecca… they found something strange in her, an abnormality,” he hesitated and drew breath. “Only Thomas can give you the information. If he chooses to do so.”

  I turned away. “What are you… the Council trying to do?”

  “Detachable attachment is what the Council ordains the Caretaker to do. As rare as it is to raise a boy, and or see a boy, Ms. Elizabeth William went far beyond her own boundaries as a Caretaker, forcing her ultimatum... she attached herself to you far too greatly… end result your lack of commitment to anything.” Rees explained

  Detachable attachment… what a bunch of rubbish… what sort of commitment could he be speaking about without fully attaching myself to anything?

  I sneered at him. “And your job”

  “My job has nothing to do with this!” He said furious. “Sam, the sole purpose for detachable attachment is to not have to undergo your particular situation. Look at yourself, examine your feelings, because of feelings you’re destroying any form of reasoning to take place. Cut it off. Love, attachment: nothing you hear me, NOTHING, lasts forever. It withers away with each passing second.”

  He’s right… he’s absolutely right. If I didn’t love Ms. William so much I wouldn’t feel like this, if I didn’t care for Rebecca so much I wouldn’t feel any of this, but then again… these emotions that I feel for them are what separate us from a stone… these emotions make us see things in a different perspective… these emotions make us who we are.

  I felt the moisture in my eyes build up. “How can things change so drastically in just a few hours?”

  Rees’s stared at me with a grimace. “That’s what a Catalyst Reaction does. Immediate protocols dictated by the President himself. And I must abide by the rules. There isn’t any other way. As should you.” He took another step towards me. “If you don’t, then you’ll end up like Mr. Cove, Ms. Johnson, Amy, and Ms. Malcolm. Who all, in your course through these three years… have been removed indefinitely because of you.” He pulled his hands together and held them to his mouth. “Forgive for my forwardness… but there wasn’t an easy way to say any of that.”

  I winced as my jaw dropped.

  Amy… died because of me. I covered my face and cried.

  “S-so it’s all over?”

  “We wait for this year to end so you can move to your LCP.” Rees said.

  All trace of warmness vanished from the Rees I met before. Replaced by this hollow shell of the man he once was. This is what the Council wants us to become… machines straying forth a forged objective. And now after all this time I begin to paint the picture.

  I sat in the corner of my room and stared at the envelope lying on my bed. I had so many emotions circulating my whole that the only relieve I found was to clutch my chest.

  It burned so much. It hurt in a way that I couldn’t describe. My pain… this pain that was placed upon me… I’m alone… all by myself nestled in these four walls just like I was in the beginning… right back at the start of my steady stride through this so-called life… a prisoner to the Consolation Chamber.

  Those same words continued to echo in my mind… Detachable attachment… it wouldn’t go away, no matter what I did. But a part of me believes what he said about love, about growing accustomed to someone, something… it doesn’t last forever, nothing does… and that’s where my pain came from, knowing that nothing will be the same again.

  I wiped the tears from my eyes and rose. I took the envelope and turned it around to the secure, clay stamp, keeping the envelope’s content my own personal secret.

  I tore the seal. Opened the envelope and pulled the sheet of paper.

  ⌘ L.C.P ⌘

  Life Career Placement

  Statement Information

  Entrusted Council Overseer

  ID: 00954668216

  Congratulations: may your future shine bright as you take your first step to achieve academic greatness. After your third year of Educational Compromise we’ve set a Class: A, College Administration that’ll serve all your needs on course to become a great Council Overseer.

  Dear Sam,

  You’ve been invited by the Higher Authority to take up an extraordinary position: Job Code: ECO

  Four Year Program Title: Overseer

  Information Pertaining Job: An Entrusted Council Overseer has access to all archives collected throughout the Historical Era of The Council’s Organization Periods. The Overseer’s job is to identify the situation, find newer and enhanced ways to achieve greatness by exposing a different perspective and redesigning old tactics. The Overseer also works hands-on with the Pre-President and Council Members to improve all aspects of life within the Preteritus Facility.

  Courses to be taken:

  Historical Debrief I, II, III

  Exploration and Examination

  Research and Development

  Scientific Idealism

  The Rever Effect

  We hope you’re pleased with the Council’s decision to your future.

  Thank You

  Sincerely

  President: Claudius R. Roman

  Pre President: Leonardo C. Sinclair