Fourth Floor

Apartment #413

"And then there's Shahid and his sister from 407. They're Indian and they have dark skin so you stay from them, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy."

"And I'm not sure if Shahid is a Muslim name or not, but either way, I don't want you to ever talk with, sit with or even go anywhere near them."

"Yes, Daddy."

"If you ever see someone who looks like them and not like us, you keep your distance."

"Yes, Daddy."

"And I think we have lesbians in one of the apartments...411, if I'm not mistaken."

"Lebians?"

"Lesbians. With an 's' that sounds like a 'z'. I don't know if you're too young...okay, uh, listen...that means girls who like girls."

"Like Mommy likes Aunt Winnie?"

"No. Like...Daddy married Mommy but I'm a boy and she's a girl so that's okay. But if Mommy married, or loved, your friend Xavier's mother, that would be bad."

"..."

"Forget it. Just remember to stay away from the people in apartment in 411."

"But why?"

"Because they're bad!"

"...Okay, Daddy."

"Good. You'll remember that, right?"

"Right, Daddy."

"Dark-skinned people are bad."

"Dark-skinned people are very bad."

"Gay people and lesbians are bad."

"Gay people?"

"They're bad people, okay? If someone is gay, it means they are bad."

"Yes, Daddy. Gay people are bad. Lebians are bad."

"Lesbians!"

"Sorry, Daddy."

"...It's okay. Apart from that, you should remember that Muslims are bad. People not from America are bad. Any boy who doesn't like girls or girl who doesn't like boys is bad. Don't associate with them. Understood?"

"Understood, Daddy."

"And I also want you to remember not to cry because you're a boy and you have to be strong. Okay?"

"Okay, Daddy."

"Good, good. Don't disgrace our family by being an idiot."

"I won't, Daddy."

AN - Friendly reminder that just because I wrote this doesn't mean I support or agree with anything up there. These are the opinions of a certain character in a certain book, not of the book's author.