Adult by Julie Steimle (best book reader txt) 📖

His home was dark when he got in that night. Jafarr punched in his door code and pulled off his hard hat. Carrying his hat in his soiled hands, he dragged his shoes across the carpet, barely able to lift his feet. Dropping down into the nearest guest chair and setting his hat on the table, he placed his head in his hands.

“Tough day?” his father asked.

Jafarr looked up. His dad was standing in his bedroom doorway still dressed in his work suit. Jafarr rubbed his eyes and managed a small smile. “Congratulate me. I just passed the adult test with high marks.”

Jamenth Zeldar just shook his head as if a new headache was coming on.

“Dural Korad was nearly spitting nails when he saw how stupid he was.” Jafarr weakly laughed. When he saw his father’s serious expression, he dropped his bravado. “I couldn’t get out of it. They came to my school and took me there. They already had a job lined up and everything.”

His father closed his eyes and sighed. “At least this will keep you out of danger.”

“I was at ISIC today, Dad,” Jafarr said.

Jamenth looked up and gazed at his son inquiringly.

“Arsra looked ok. She didn’t seem beaten too bad, and Me’rren seemed to take confinement ok.” Jafarr closed his tired eyes. “They had me fixing lights in some of the cells. Did you know some of the machinery in ISIC can be dated back to when they first made the prison ten thousand years ago? I guess those old royal guards really did know what they were doing. You know that place used to be owned by the Guard Class before the assassinations?”

His father ignored his son’s new trivia and asked instead, “Did you see anything of Trelan Pratz?”

Jafarr shook his head. “He could possibly be in the north wing where they took me the last time I was there. That looked like more high security.”

His father nodded as then lifted his eyes at his son sympathetically. “I really don’t want you to get too familiar with that place, Jafarr.”

The tired boy lifted up his head and gazed on his father, getting up and taking his hat. “Sorry to disappoint you, Dad, but I’m on ISIC duty for the next week before I start working in the core vent system.”

Jafarr walked to his room, dragging his feet while rubbing his head.

His father stopped him halfway there. “Be careful, son. You don’t know what they’re trying to do.”

Placing his hat on the counter, Jafarr walked into his bedroom door. “I know exactly what they’re doing.”

He sat on his bed and pulled off his shoes, tossing them under his computer desk. They landed, sprawled unusual to his fashion. He unfastened his coat and chucked it onto his chair.

“They’re keeping me so busy I won’t have any time to see you or the guys,” Jafarr said, ripping off his shirt then chucking it at the laundry chute. It fell short. He stared at the piece of laundry, slouching and thinking about the effort he would have to make to put his clothes away properly. He flopped down on his bed. “They want me so exhausted that I won’t be able to fight back.”

He stared at the ceiling and tried to keep his eyes open.

Jamenth walked over and picked up the fallen shirt. Jafarr leaned up and watched him.

“I’ll get that,” he said, yet not moving.

“Go to sleep,” his father replied.

Jafarr moaned. “I am sorry, Dad. I did want to work with you when I finished school.”

Jamenth Zeldar nodded. “Well, even though you really don’t mean that—thanks.”

He smiled and closed the door.

Jafarr stared at the ceiling and wished…wished…wished he had not been born a Zeldar.

His eyes closed. He sighed resignedly. Some wishes, he thought in his last bit of consciousness, had their reasons for not coming true. And as he fell asleep in the night’s stillness, he knew that nights from then on would be the same—exhausted dreamless sleep. He was not sure if that ought to give him the comfort that it did. But it did.

Publication Date: 02-28-2018

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