A Kiss Under The Mistletoe

Chapter 16: Slaves

"The way I see it is that some things are just meant to be the way they are."
— Sarah Dessen, The Truth About Forever

My father always told me to think before speaking a word ever since the day I was very disrespectful in our family in a Cohen Family Reunion. I said words I should've thought first before saying. Words that will make you hate a person. Hurtful judgeful words. That day I was inconsiderate because it was the day my mom kept on bugging me to put my book down and chitchat with cousins. She confiscated my book before going to the car.

"A book is a conversation starter," I pointed out. "If one of my cousins wanted to talk to me, this is a hint. An opening."

Instead of agreeing, my mom confiscated my book. She told me to smile and have small talk with them instead. I gritted my teeth and furrowed my brows. Before getting in the car, I rolled my eyes and mummered, muggle. I slipped my hand in my back pocket and pulled out my phone. I smiled in victory.

Thank the gods e-books are invented.

A little later in the car ride, my mom figured out what my plan was and confiscated my phone too.

"Do I really have to go there mom?" I complained.

"Yes. And I expect for your best behavior. No reading," she said firmly.

I snorted. "Now I know how the african slaves felt. Being dragged from their homes by a white man," I mumbled.

"Are you seriously comparing a family reunion with one of the greatest tragedies in the history of mankind?" She asked, disbelief from my comparison.

"Yes," I simply answered.

After that, when my dad turned left and there wasn't any traffic, my mom exclaimed happily, "no traffic! It's like we're sailing."

"Yeah, like in a boat." I said. "Sailing from Africa to America." I muttered.

"Gwen!" my mom cried out. "That's completely inappropriate. You can't keep comparing yourself to a slave."

I looked at my mom. "Yes, Mistress."

When we were at the reunion, I was bored so I did what she asked me, but with a mood. I judged my cousins, told them very hurtful words and I was impolite to the elders.

After that day, my father talked to me calmly about it and I pointed my side of the story calmly too. I learned my lesson — I did because my father sent me out of the house to "play" with the neighbors and socialize — I was really careful with words and what I thought, until now.

"What?!" I said, a little to loud. Everyone was looking at me and I quietly said 'Sorry'.  And then I thought of, and that is why kids, you don't disagree with a teacher even though they're very wrong.

I know that my back story doesn't really mix with what I exclaimed but I just wanted to tell the story of how I was treated like a slave.

I dismissed Maxon being a Gillepsi too quickly becuse I got all my attention to Mr. Tiberius writing something in the Violation Report and dismissed the class when the bell rung. "The project will be further explained tomorrow, goodbye class."

I put my stuff back in my bag in a hurry. I don't wanna stay here and be stuck with Weasley boy. When I was done fixing my bag, I swiftly walked out the door.