Ethically Speaking

1.0

•- Quincie Jackson -•

I found my every free moment since Elijah handed me the leather bound book in the solitude of my room devouring each word of Aldous Köhler. He wrote of war, of peace, of women's rights. He was a man of many different beliefs for this time period, yet his values remained throughout the text.

We were yet to schedule our next meeting but I was sure it would be soon.

"Would you stop ogling the book, Quince?" Anthony asks bitterly as he reached over the table in hopes of grabbing it from me.

I stop him with a gentle slap to his hand before huffing out a sigh. My nose had been glued to the book since it came into my possession. I was nearly finished, finding his thoughts to be freeing and liberating. He had ideas of women's rights that were not even implemented in today's society. He wanted to end war, not fight it, and his main priority was peace and understanding. I find it hard to believe this man came from such a dark and lonely time period.

"I'm sorry, I just can't help it," I offer a weak smile as I fold the book to a close, "You have my undivided attention," I assure my group of friends.

I brought the book with me everywhere. To class, to lunch, to the dinner table, even out to a bar where we currently were. While my friends drank and boasted about their enjoyment, I simply sat at our booth reading, occasionally glancing up to make sure they hadn't left me.

"I outta have a word with that Professor. He's got you working so hard we've barely talked since he gave you that book," Anthony points to the book on the table before downing another shot.

I roll my eyes at him before stuffing the leather bound book into my bag.

"I'm not working hard, I'm just enjoying the research. It's fascinating to me. Aldous has so many progressive beliefs and at the time of his writing it would be clearly controversial. He spoke of peace and unity within genders and politics. Overall he wanted a better society, one that he thought we'd have achieved by now."

My rant, small but impactful, was left unnoticed. Anthony was pretending to snore, while Grace swatted his chest and Fletcher only watched the two's exchange.

Sometimes I was left with an unknowing curiosity. There were odds against Grace and I's friendship. While she was the type to head out on the town in a fit of boredom, I would find my wandering thoughts venturing out into the untold stories written in ancient books of far off lands.

Grace and I were the opposite of one another and yet our friendship meant the world to me. But that did not mean I was not lonely. My friends were brilliant in their own ways.

Fletcher had good grades and was an athletic star, Anthony could pull any woman at this bar should he so desire it, and Grace was resourceful and knew how to care for herself even if we rarely let her.

And while these characteristics made them who they were, and perhaps lead us to one another, I could never speak of aristocratic philosophers or of great tales from unknown realms. I was an outcast in a group of ordinary people. That feelings left me to feel lonely on nights like this.

"I'm going to get a drink," I announce to the table but I was unsure they had heard me.

I had grabbed my bag when I stood and was overall thankful for that when I made my way outside rather than the bar.

It was nippy out, just enough cold to make you want to cuddle up in front of a fire but not so bad that you would catch a deadly illness like hypothermia.

The streets were lined in lights and the town lit with traffic from the college kids enjoying their start to the weekend. I was jealous of them to say the least.