America 1982-Chapter 403 - 50: Not a One-Man Holiday_2
"Bessie, I wanted you to discuss the book’s..." Mrs. Morgan, hearing Bessie’s words, immediately started speaking, intending to steer the conversation away from her harsh critique of her brother Tommy back to the story in the book.
"It’s okay, Mrs. Morgan, please let her finish. I find it very interesting if that’s the insight the book gave her," Tommy said to Mrs. Morgan with a smile.
Bessie continued, "Michelle married Marceline, and while sick on their honeymoon, he received Marceline’s devoted care. But when Marceline miscarried for him, what then? He reveled in the joy of becoming homosexual and longed for Marceline’s death, so he could be freed from their marriage."
"Mrs. Morgan, if I may interject, I don’t know if the school is having children read these kinds of books, but preferably, don’t let my daughter read books about homosexuality," Colin suddenly spoke up.
"This is a Nobel Prize-winning..." Mrs. Morgan tried to explain that the book was a world-renowned masterpiece, but Colin clearly was not interested in her explanation:
"I don’t care what prize Michelle won; even if he were Einstein, it wouldn’t justify him not caring about his wife and instead wishing for her death! He’s a bastard with no sense of responsibility! God will surely punish that damned homosexual! And Bessie, I won’t allow you to speculate maliciously about Tommy like that. You need to apologize to her," Colin said.
"I had no malice, Dad, and I wasn’t saying Tommy was as despicable as Michelle. I just feel that, like Michelle, Tommy is a pure individualist, or as the book puts it, an immoralist," Bessie responded to Colin.
Looking at Tommy, she then added, "Do I seem not at all lovable now? So, do you wish even more now that you hadn’t let me read so many books when I was younger, providing me with a happy but ignorant childhood? Would the Bessie sitting here now just talk about how to make herself up prettier or argue about which TV show is better, instead of analyzing her brother deeply through a book?"
"Mrs. Morgan, what grade would you give her for this reading comprehension?" Tommy, sipping on his beer, looked at Mrs. Morgan and asked with a smile.
"The language is very sharp, and after reading, she has concluded that the protagonist is a licentious individualist. I think that deserves an A," Mrs. Morgan, tidying up and standing, gave her response before smiling politely at everyone, excusing herself to go upstairs to rest.
She was responsible for Bessie’s homework, not for easing the sibling rivalry. Moreover, she had guessed that Bessie, upon seeing her brother on the first day of her New York holiday, would be seething with hatred for Tommy.
"Did you hear that? Just an A. When I was your age..." Tommy started but stopped because he couldn’t get an A at the age of fourteen; so he changed his tune, "I mean, you need to get an A+."
"If you give me another surprise like that, I promise my answers will be even sharper next time," Bessie said to Tommy in a tone full of provocation. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮
"First, I love Odelia very much, but love is diverse, and this issue is better left for you to understand after you’ve fallen in love one day; you might find it easier to comprehend then. Second, I’m not a pure individualist because this world isn’t suitable for individualists to survive in, a realization you’ll come to either by studying philosophy in college or through work experience," Tommy, holding his beer can, thought for two seconds before saying:
"Third, and most importantly, I am not, nor will I ever be, homosexual, and finally, to correct a mistake, Michelle didn’t like the layers of clothing his family forced on him. He loved freedom, whereas I enjoy the freedom that comes after being well-dressed."
"Apologize to Tommy, Bessie, you went too far just now!" Colin said sternly to his younger daughter, "You can’t speak to your own brother in that tone!"
Bessie walked over and stood in front of Tommy, looked at him for a few seconds, and then gently rested her head on her brother’s chest, "I’m sorry, Tommy. Did my words upset you?"
"A bit, since you equated me with a homosexual who likes to dress like a pauper," Tommy patted Bessie’s back and said with a smile:
"But knowing you could have gotten an A+ made that little bit of upset disappear instantly, after all, you were just trying to make me reflect, not truly deserving only an A."
Bessie’s head shot up in shock, staring at Tommy as if she’d seen a ghost, her expression shifting from sibling affection to incredulity, "Come on! You guessed that? Mrs. Morgan didn’t even notice! But that’s not important. What’s important is, did you reflect?"
"Not at all, until you become the first one in the Hawk family to go to Harvard or Yale, you just have to listen to the family, dress nicely, Ms. Michelle," Tommy said with a smile.
Bessie had grown up and learned to try to trap him, making him feel guilty for reflecting on her words and to loosen his standards for her.
It was a clumsy and childish tactic, but Tommy was very interested to see how his sister would use such methods to tackle the world once she grew up; it would certainly be spectacular.
Feeling her ruse discovered, Bessie angrily grabbed her book and stormed off to her room without saying goodnight to everyone. The heavy footsteps on the stairs as she went upstairs signified her anger.
