Avira grins, showing the gap of her fallen tooth. “Zoan is also exploring, Mama! And he got cleared before me.”
Mom chuckles. “Zoan is not exploring, baby. He chose his fields more than a year ago.”
“No, Mama! I saw him in the psychology hall and the literature hall today. When someone finds their field, they stay in that hall only.”
“He has six fields,” Mom tells her.
Her round eyes widen. “He chose six fields?” She looks toward me. “Are you serious about all of them?”
I nod.
“What are those fields?”
“Weapon Engineering, Psychology, Quantum Physics, Classical Literature, Languages, and Cybernetics & Coding Systems.”
Her mouth falls open. She looks toward Dad and Mom.
“If I don’t pick so many difficult fields, you won’t think I’m dumb, right?”
They laugh. Dad pinches her cheek. “Why would we ever think you’re dumb? You could have completely different interests. Zo is different from you.”
She grins and claps her hands. “Ohhh, I forgot. He’s a genius, so he can have all those fields. And I’m not a genius, so I won’t understand them.”
“Everyone is a genius in their own field, Dove.”
She rolls her eyes. She looks very cute whenever she does that. “Look, Mama, Daddy, who’s talking—someone who has six fields.”
Mom and Dad chuckle.
She’s learning these kinds of comments from the girls she and Wen are hanging out with in school. I’m sure they are the reason she hasn’t chosen any field yet.
Avira (6 years old)
“How much more are you going to study?” He has been studying for the past two hours, sitting on the floor of my room.
And I have nothing good to do. I already talked with Mama and Daddy. They are asleep now, and they think I am too. But I can’t sleep until Zoan hugs me.
He finally closes his notebook and comes onto the bed. But instead of lying down, he sits beside me and asks, “What did you learn today?”
“The basics of Biology. The teacher taught us about our body, all the names of the parts that are visible to us. The Literature teacher taught us how to read poems and short stories, and how every story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. The Chemistry teacher showed us how things mix together, like how sugar disappears in water but sand doesn’t, and how colors change when you mix them.”
“And why can’t you pick any of these?”
I lay down on my pile of teddies.
“I find all of them interesting, Zoan. I want to read all of them and even more. I also want to join Music and Dance. But Lea, Mayra, Shaomi, and Sandy said music and dance are too girlish.”
“How about Wen?”
“Wen also wants to join, but it’s only the two of us.”
“Two is enough. If you keep walking with everyone, you will never be able to find your own path.”
I smile and hug him. “You are the best big brother. I love you.”
He pats my head. “Let’s sleep.”
He lays down. I rest my head on his chest, listening to his heart beating like music. Tomorrow, I will also go to the music class.
