Page 48 of In This Iron Ground
“And nothing.”
“So that cigarette was a figment of Mr. Edison’s imagination?”
“There might have been a cigarette involved.”
“Olive, I presume, unless you’ve figured out the trick to rid yourself of the smell,” Mia said.
Koko and Damien fell silent again.
Mia sighed. “I expected more from both of you.” The disappointment in her voice cut through Damien in a sudden stab.
“We didn’t even do anything!” Koko protested.
“Yes, you did. You both knew that Olive shouldn’t be smoking, especially on school grounds. You joined her, and in that act broke the rules right along with her. You are complicit, Koko, both of you. Life isn’t only about your own actions, but the ones you participate in tangentially. The ones you allow. There are two types of evil in—”
“Oh my God, Mom!Evil?That is so extra.”
“You might think I’m being overdramatic, but your actions matter, Koko. The little things pile up. You can’t make excuses and pretend you are not part of the world around you. You are partly responsible for what happened today, and it’s disappointing to me that you’re not owning up to it. If it really was only Olive, then maybe she’s not someone you two should be spending time wi—”
“No.” It took Damien a moment to realize the word had come out of his mouth. “I…sorry. But. She. She’s just…she’s good. She’s a good person. We broke the rules, and that’s bad. But she’s good. She’s good.” He didn’t know how to explain it further. Olive was rebelling against things that Mia and Koko couldn’t understand, not fully.
Silence fell. Damien hunched into himself.
“You’re right. I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant. I just…I want you to be able to stand up and say something when you see something that isn’t right.”
“Oh my God, Mom, it was smoking, not murder.”
“It’s smoking, and then it’s drugs, and then theft, and then—”
“Youcannotbe serious!”
“I am being very serious. I’m not saying that’s what’s gonna happen in this instance, but behaviours escalate if you don’t challenge them.”
“We—”
“Koko. Do not test my patience. I know smoking is not the end of the world. Listen to what I am saying. You got detention today. Next time, it would be suspension. Whether you like it or not, continuing with the behaviour you showed today could affect your lives. It doesn’t matter if smoking is a big deal or not, if you think it is or it isn’t. The school system will punish you nonetheless. Do you understand what I’m saying? You need to be aware of the context you live in, whether you agree with its rules or not.”
“Oh, so we should just do whatever society says? If it’s, like, you can own slaves—”
“Koko. Enough. You can tell the difference between a rule that is oppressive and one that is simply constrictive. Children cannot be allowed to smoke willy-nilly! And you comparing that to the allowance of owning slaves is completely out of line,” Mia said.
Koko didn’t reply, looking down.
“You are both grounded. No machines for the rest of the day. You’ve gotten detention, so be thankful I’m not extending the consequences further. But, trust me, that won’t be the case if it happens again. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Koko bit out. Damien remained silent.
“Damien?” Mia prompted.
Damien swallowed. “Am I leaving?” he asked quietly.
There was a moment of confused silence.
“Leaving where?” Mia asked.
“Leaving…going back. To…Oak House. Or wherever.” There was a moment of stillness, before Mia’s hands wrapped around his where they rested on his knees. Damien twitched in surprise but didn’t pull away.
“Damien.…No. Of course not. You’re…there are very few forces strong enough to make you leave our home.Yourhome. The only one I can think of right now is if you ask to go. You can misbehave, you can get caught smoking under the bleachers, you can be angry and sad and anything in between, but you are part of this home. You’re not going anywhere,” Mia said softly but emphatically.
