It's Definitely Not All Mary Poppins

Learn To Play The Game (1)

He handed a small booklet to Lilly. "Something blue." Another booklet was given to Eli. "Something made of a jewel, something that was used for animal rearing, and something you like." One more booklet landed in Jun Yang's hand. "Draw what you find, write your own description of the thing, and then tell me why you picked that one when we're finished."

Despite the relatively empty landing of the second floor, with a display and a humpback whale skeleton hanging overhead, Jun Yang made the room feel impossibly claustrophobic with the look on his face. "I do not understand," he said for the second time, glancing around as if waiting for someone to explain the assignment more in-depth. "What is stopping me from regurgitating what's written on the description?"

"He doesn't get it," Eli whispered to his cousin.

"Eli," Matthew warned. "Mr. Yang, for the second time, it's not about regurgitating. It's about doing it, and taking down notes, your way. Making your own textbook, if you will. If something catches your eye in an exhibit, draw it and write down the facts about it. There is no right or wrong way to do it. Just as long as you sketch it out as best you can, write some notes, and then report back when we're all done."

"But I do not – " Yang clenched his teeth and sighed. "This counts as education?"

"It's a small part of Waldorf's educational philosophy," Matthew said. "Now, for right now, we're staying in the Rainforest exhibit. We'll loop through the dinosaurs, the bugs for Eli – "

The boy hissed a quiet, "Yes."

" – and then into the European Village. We'll do the Old Street exhibits and then go to lunch."

"The village is pretty," Lilly said to her father. "Like a storybook. Except no dancing princesses or toe cutting offing."

"None today," Matthew said, "because why?"

"I don't have my cleaver," Eli answered.

"Your rusty cleaver, yes, but why else?"

"Because it's disrespectful to other people?" Lilly asked.

"That goes without saying," he said, "but the big reason?"

"Because this isn't a fairy tale," Lilly said.

"Yes."

Yang looked aghast at his daughter.

"Any questions?"

Jun glanced from side to side before raising his hand.

"We are staying on this floor. We stay together unless someone needs to go to the bathroom. If you find more things that match what we're looking for, you can draw them, or note them down. There is just a minimum. Go crazy." He turned to Eli. "Guys, since it's your dad/Uncle Jun's first time, I need you to show him how to do it, okay?"

"What, he can't draw?" Eli asked. "Not surprising."

"Eli."

"Couldn't we of invited Emily, too? She liked doing this."

"Danny could've come, too."

"That may be," Matthew sighed, standing up, "but your dad/Uncle Jun said he wanted to be a part of things with you now." It had surprised him, honestly, when Yang said he wanted to be the parent he wished he had. Matthew didn't believe it until he came into their hotel room the next day and announced he cut his official hours over three-fourths to an "astonishing" twelve hours a week (unofficially, though, Matthew feared the man would slip). "He had a different way of learning, so be nice."

Eli harrumphed. "Fine, but I'm leading us directly to the T-Rex."

"I wanna see the trees!" Lilly shouted, trotting after her cousin.

Yang watched. He glanced at the pencil and notebook in his hand, then back at Matthew. "This cannot count as education, Matt."

"It's holistic," he replied, deadpan.

"I...just..." The older man grunted, wiping the back of his hand over his forehead. He was overdressed for the museum, his suit, perfectly fitted and smooth, looked as though it had just come off a store mannequin. This clashed so drastically with the rest of his appearance – sickly and unkempt, his hair pointing at odd angles. The bags under his brown eyes were more pronounced under the white fluorescents. "I do not understand this."

"I don't expect you to," Matthew sighed, "if at all. I expect you to engage with them, though." He gestured into the exhibit as the children disappeared into the shadows. "Ask questions, even if you feel dumb asking them. Don't be afraid to look stupid. They're kids – they know they're a little stupid."

"Watch it, Mr. Robinson."

"Anything is, probably, better than being distant."

Jun grunted, glancing down.

"Most of all, though, is just...don't think too hard. They're kids. They'll explain it to you." Matthew chuckled. "They'd probably love it."

Yang grunted again.

"Stop stalling. Something blue, something made of a jewel, something used for animal rearing, and something you like."

"How arbitrary and...unrelated."

"How varied and forcing you to look for something."

"Hm"

"Go."