For my loyal readers here is the next Lesson Not Learned. Enjoy
Alec Degnats
A Lesson Not Learned: Snowed In at a Global Half-Way house
This place is a little odd. We have all lived together in this
house since we were little. Mom, well the person who runs this half way house,
used to keep a watchful eye on us, however as we grew up she let us spread our
wings even if it was at her expense.
Dad, he’s not around much and likes to take his time watching us
develop from afar and see how things grow.
“Get up... Come on Get up...”
That’s Sammy, all high and mighty. He used to be the runt and now
Sammy’s the bully in this house now. He’s just pushed Juan down again. It seems
like that’s all he does now, beat up on Juan and his friends.
“Come on tell me where that snowball came from. Who threw it?”
It is winter. And everyone laughed when Sammy was blind sided,
makes me wonder why he is taking it out on Juan.
. . .
Sammy used to be the small, quiet one. Juan, Sammy, and Olivia
were part of the last group to join our house.
When he first got here Francis and Elizabeth fought over him,
both wanting him to stay in their room. That may sound friendly, but they
wanted to have their own little butler for their own needs. Possibly even some
of his allowance.
Elizabeth won and took Sammy in while Mom and Dad were worked on
his room. Before they could complete it Sammy broke out and created his own
space.
At first it was the couch, then a tent in the back yard, and
before long he converted the shed into his room. Sammy’s ingenuity and drive
have never been in doubt and that is the problem because that drive mixed with
a taste of power became a problem.
Sammy stayed humble for a long time, slowly building his
reputation until he became the turning point in the massive fray between Hans
and Elizabeth.
This particular fight was over rooms, but was no different than
the ones that have plagued this house for years. Sometimes we argue about rooms
or allowance. Other times our battles are over books and more often than not
over petty differences in the telling of the same tale. We can not share our
toys and it seems we will fight just about anything.
After those battles Elizabeth and Hans, were tapped out leaving a
hole of power that Sammy filled.
. . .
Sammy’s in his room now brooding over the fact that none of us
will play with him. Juan, Olivia, and Nikita were making paper air planes with
Lin and Sammy would not stop swatting them down. He wouldn’t stop and so they
ignored him and now he is in his room isolated, crying about his situation.
Why should we? Sammy sees himself as a Sixties Americana man, who
is loved and adored by everyone. In reality he has become an arrogant thug, who
does not think anyone can touch him.
It’s sad because Sammy
doesn't understand what he’s doing. Most bullies know they are doing wrong, but
Sammy is in that delusional dangerous stage that Elizabeth, Hans, Isis and
Cesar were in before him. They think they are looking out for the greater good,
when in reality all they are doing is looking out for themselves.
. . .
“So it is decided. We are all going to knock him down a peg.”
Muhammad is tired of Sammy and has connived this little meeting.
Lin and myself are here because Muhammad thinks we are ready to be the big dogs
in the house. No one trusts Hans anymore and Juan, Muhammad and Olivia think
they need us to make their plan work.
It seems like the people in this meeting do not see that they are
creating a new Sammy with their plan. Lin recently gobbled up tanker toys Sammy
assumed were going to be his. I’m worried that if we do not stop this circle we
will destroy everything we hold dear.
Sammy is in the same place Elizabeth, Cesar, Hans, and Athena
were in before him. They were all the top dogs, they all became bullies, and
they all fell. They all started from the bottom and all thought they were doing
what was best.
The house is crumbling away, the walls are pealing, the floor
boards creek and since Sammy is the big fish it is his fault. We have mother
tapped out and can not see that we need to help her instead of blame each
other.
Sammy is not solely responsible for this house we all are. And
while Sammy may steal most of it’s resources Lin and the rest of us are right
behind him.
Dad can barely keep up with us and seems to be content to watch
it unravel in time. He seems to have reserved him to the fact that he and mom
will go on even if we destroy this house. They will rebuild, but we will not be
around or invited to enjoy it.
Looking around this house each picture we have is a deception. We
do not have a “family” portrait because we have never gotten along well enough for
long enough to take one.
Hans and Elizabeth are together with Francis in the den and I’m
worried they know what Muhammad is planning. Part of me wonders if they agree
with him or if they will support Sammy. Either way if something does not change
World War Three will be brought upon this house.
The only hope is that Sammy will see the writing on the wall and
apologize. He can give up the snowball incident and realize that we are all
snowed in here together, that we are all family and this it is his choice if we
are going to destroy ourselves.
. . .
I guess this is where you should leave us, before whatever is
going to erupt does. Even alone Sammy is the strongest, so all I can hope is
that nothing does.
I hope that we will here an apology soon, but fear that we will
hear shouting. This house cannot stand another war and I hope we realize that
before its too late.
I hope that we can save this house together and hope we realize
that while we may not be related we are all a part of the same family.
“Rupel. Dinner.”
Mom’s calling, got to go and hope that our world does not become
the rubble of a lesson not learned.
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