Ugana

Chapter 2

The next few days are uneventful as ever. Everyone is reading. Writing. Running. Nothing exciting happens until Wednesday when Moreen pops up in line with the rest of us, her skin paler than usual, her eyes tired. I want to speak to her. I want to ask what happened, where shes been. What they did- No. Don't. I take a deep breath, pushing the thought back down. These thoughts don't happen in Ugana.

During our free hour we can decide to do what we want- so long as we choose wisely. This is one of the few decisions we are forced to make for ourselves. At first it was difficult. It was hard to decide what I wanted when there were so many options. Then it got even harder when I tried to figure out if it was the wisest decision. The first time I was made to do this I was 12 and I found myself sitting on a bench in the hall, rocking back and forth, my chest tightening as I tried to breathe. A teacher found me and brought me to the clinic where a woman came and talked to me for the remainder of the hour. She told me not to think about it too hard- no decision was the wrong one so long as it was productive. As each day passed it got easier to do. Eventually I settled into a routine with Eric and Moreen- we'd prepare our lunch- vitadrink and a free choice snack sometimes- and then we'd spend the remaining 40 or so minutes in the gym on the FPA's. It was an easy way to get our weekly exercise in and free up weekend time. As the years passed, our group grew by a handful of people, but our routine has remained the same.

"Moreen! Where have you been?"

She smiles a bit embarrassed as we all take a seat around her, opening pill tabs and shaking bottles. "In the clinic. They were monitoring me for a couple days. Apparently I overworked myself on the FPA's last week training for the assessment."

Moreen wanted to be a watcher. Being selected as a watcher is hard, so hard that its an honorary career with galas and government perks. For Moreen it would be even more difficult because she's a woman. That's not to say women never make it- but i've never seen one. In Ugana, women are not supposed to be everything a man is, they are supposed to be everything he cannot be. A man is strong, fast, strategic. A woman is soft, nurturing, and emotional. Its not a bad thing, it's a balance and it allows for the perfect functioning of our society. Still, there have been women chosen before and Moreen hopes to be one of them.

Amanda is mortified. "You have to be more careful! That's so dangerous! You know if you don't take care of your body correctly it could affect your ability to reproduce! What did you bring to eat today?"

She looks more annoyed than concerned, but she's too nice to show it. 

"I know, I will be. I was just so focused."

"What did you bring?"

"My tablets."

"That's all? Are you kidding? If you're going to train, you need more than that. If you show them you can't handle it, you'll never make watch. Here," says Amanda, reaching into her bag, "take this. I brought it today."

She holds the apple between them, red and shiny.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. Ill grab another one later."

She hesitates for a moment before reaching out and grabbing it, sinking her teeth into its flesh. I can hear the sharp snap of the skin, the crunch as she chews and all I can think of is cake.

"Johns been paired."

In an instant all eyes are on me, excitement spreading.

"When," Moreen asks, apple still in her mouth.

"He got the letter last night. He goes in next week for the paperwork and planning."

"That's so exciting! I mean, are you excited? Worried?"