On a pale December noon, in the hi-tec tower, Molly Mohhiro was sitting by a broad glass window, and gazing, in kif, at the autumn snow, slowly falling. She was eating a boring lunch in a diner, by the lobby, with her frends Maddisen Mazzin and Mason Mabin. Mason worked at his job in the "help-desk" office high in the tower. His jo, m-m worked in a software firm on the same floor. They had met Molly at the diner and often ate lunch together.
Today, Mason was complaining about holidays. Molly jagd her sliced turkey and thout "i hate that people always talk while they chew. She avoided talking while she was chewing. Althoe in the end of autumn, the festival thanksgiving had passed, Mason was still talking about it. Molly thout ahead to the vacation of christmas that was nearing. Mason was complaining that thanksgiving is terribly racist and insulting to the natives. molly had never heard that idea in all her years. another empty fad, she thout, after all nobody gets injured by thanksgiving, so that was not an issue that deserved any fuss. However, Molly did not talk while she chewed.
Maddy shook her head and replied, "Honey, this whole racism idea is wa-y-y out of proportion."
Her words irkd him and he replied, "I cant believe you are saying that. racism is not something to kid about--Real racism does not include even half of the stuff people make a fuss about. any ism is a theory... and most of that stuff is not truly the racist theory" an awkward silence followed. Molly finished chewing and commented "people make too much of a fuss about harmless words."
Mason exploded "i cannot be frends with you racist ladies, you ire me--calm down and talk about christmas" suggested Molly. Mason stated, "but i havent finished criticising thanksgiving yet! i mean think of the turkey... that is bad enuf... cruel to helpless innocent animals but to make a holiday that involves the natives... that is just terrible." molly commented "we used to call them indians--DONT say that word" chorusd the ms together. "are you trying to control me?" asked Molly. Mason explained "no, just saying you cant be racist." Maddy jabd his ribs. Molly continued chewing her salad of lettuce tomato and onion. Maddy pointed out, "nobody insults the natives on thanksgiving..." mason rudely interrupted her "still, at the end of the day, just mentioning that era and the tragedy of the natives is terrible racism". molly asked "who gets injured by mere words?"
luckily, Maddy neutralized the situation by asking "Honey please pass the jam." Mason jerkd his arm at the jar, clearly angry that people did not agree with his ideas about racism. He felt saying the word indian or nigger was as bad as slavery. Molly copied her good idea and said "i cant believe they put ICE in the water pitcher, when the streets are icy." Then she rubd her jaw and pointed out "before the colonial era the natives battled each other"--"NATIVES" they chorussed as if correcting her. molly continued "they killed each OTHER and nobody took their cities." Maddy corrected her "but the americans took their land". Molly asked "did they own it?" Maddy replied, "anyway that is not its idea, thanksgiving symbolizes the cooperation of the americans and natives". Mason corrected her "sweety there were no americans yet, except the natives they were the only americans. the FORNERS came from britian and ruined everything with colonialism." Molly agreed "yup those weren't the americans." the ms squirmed as that phrasing, kuz shortening the "guilt era" grated on their emotions.
Molly told them that she loved to decorate her Christmas tree and eat the ham. Maddy used her knife to cut another wedge from her tofu burger, that now had a jag, jutting from it, and said "dont even talk about ham that is an animal that lived and they killed it". Mason nodded over his tomato soup that was already too cold. molly replied "you guys are so controlling, trying to enslave me with your opinions".--"dont say SLAVE" they chorusd together and smiled at each other for being similar. Molly lifted the jug of water and poured herself a glass. She thout "if these people try controlling my words, then they are not my ilk." She recalled the sound of the jow from the christmas bells.
Mason jogd the salt dispenser as he pointed out that christmas by name referd to christ ergo that is christian, therefore making it a public holiday is bad. Maddy said "we celebrate christmas and we are not christian". "neither am i" echoed Molly, "but i enjoy the decorations and the..." molly paused already swayed by her frends influence... luckily they finished her sentence by forcefully and urgently emphasizing, "DONT SAY HAM." Molly recalled a previous year when she met a guy, Darryl Davis, at an inn for a pleasant christmas ham dinner by candle light. candles seem special in the era of electricity. he was swiss by the "jus" law meaning his parents were swiss despite born in u.s. same as herself. the dialog had been so different. he had complimented her jet black hair. they had spoken about pet birds. Darryl had a jay. She said "i have a key". daryl asked "what do you mean? everyone has keys". she had explained that her pet bird was a "kea", and that birds sometimes have funny names such as the "kaykay". They had danced and she felt joy during the slow dance and the quick jig dance. he had boasted that he "kend plants with short names: koa tree and the kat shrub, like the kaka start with letter kay."
Maddy asked "we cant celebrate thanksgiving anymore and we are not christian, so what special days remain?" Molly responded "real christians DONT celebrate christmas considering the book acts never emphasized that the first christians celebrated it". Mason said "we can celebrate new year. Maddy argued, "but honey that is not REAL just a fake artificial calendar".
Molly felt sad that society had changed so much. She decided she would not meet with people who were bad bullies. Already they had stopped her from saying ham. wasn't the idea of liberty that people could choose for themselves? but they were limiting everything she said... for what? for mere words. the only reason she came to the diner was for her id, the instinct part of her mind to provide necesities but these people were not truly frends. just bad bullies veild by "holy" words.
Mason explained that he meant HIS new year when the sun cycle renewed. molly thout "finally something non-criticism. here is my chance to criticise HIM". Mason described the cycle of the longer nights and shorter nights, ergo the birth of added light after the longest night was the start of the cycle. molly thout the logic of the claim was flawless but would not pass the chance to criticse him... she pointed at his bowl and said "your soup is cold".
Mason exploded "I CANT STAND YOU PEOPLE". Maddy tried to soothe him "honey, you do talk..." she stopd herself from finishing the sentence. Mason turned on her too, "honeying wont work anymore, i know what you were gonna say!--"im sorry but...--we are OVER" interrupted mason as he stood and rushed to the counter with the keg, to pay for his uneaten soup. Maddy called "but we are kin!" an awkward silence reigned, as Maddy sat shokd. then she turned on Molly "see what you caused!" Molly strained not to smile as her plan succeeded and pretended she was sorry. she said, "i apologize. i thout he could take just as well as he gives" as maddy chased Mason... a few paces and then paused. Maddy started to doubt if she realy wanted to be with a guy like mason. he had good ideas but did not act in the polite style "sensitive" people should act. he was not sincerely sensitive. maybe molly was right? but she liked mason... and molly had separated them... but she should not chase a man that would look desperate. and maybe he was not worthy of chasing... torn by opposing emotions Maddy stood thinking. molly enjoyed her victory. she had not told them the words that mason had blurted out, just a few minutes previously, yet accomplished her goal to have a peaceful lunch. althoe quietness is lonely but being with liberals was far from liberty. Molly, like a mischevous imp, continued her plan. "maddy you look ill."--"bug off" retorted Maddy, as charged as an atomic ion.
molly thout about maddy's name. what idiot parent would choose that name for a child? emphasizing that she got mad. she slipd her writing kit from her purse, chose the blue ink, and started to jot a note to think of names that were bad like maddy. replacing the note, Molly gazed in kef at the decoration of green ivy under the ceiling. Yes she would get back together with Darryl. maybe they could meet on the date 22 after the longest nyt to celebrate the new cycle of sunlyt together. as she planned what to say to him after work, she daydreamed about the great time they will have together, tomorrow.
