“Yeah, I can do that, or at least try to. I just can’t get over how one of my students owns you. It’s such a weird thing to even think you know. In this day and age, at least in this country owning a person is like a concept out of the revolutionary war. We are so far removed from the idea that because you are different you need to be treated differently. As this was the basis of slavery and why owning slaves was deemed okay. As the slaves weren’t like the property owners. They were less than and never equal to. The sheer notion of equality was absurd because of how they looked. Now here we are hundreds of years later. We can reach the deepest depths of the ocean and travel beyond the peaceful blue skies and yet this disease has undone all that. Because to people like her you are less than. You go to school here because your prior education was invalidated and not good enough. How could someone so small be more educated, be smarter? Your property, was seized, because how could a man smaller than a shoe own a home, right? The government just backs that thinking as if you can’t pay you’re boxed up and shipped off to an undisclosed facility until you can be assigned to someone who can or they find a cure. Whichever is more profitable. Why? because free undergraduate programs cost money, free healthcare costs money, all these services, and programs rolled out to help people like me while they are funded on the backs, on the freedoms, and the rights of people like you.” Daniela said.
“She doesn’t own me. I’m still my own person.” Jordan shot back with as much gusto as he could muster. As he wanted to believe Daniela’s words. As in his heart they were everything he wanted to hear. However, in his mind, as he looked out at Sara and her giant classmates his bravado was gone. As fanciful words like that don’t fill one’s belly. They don’t keep anyone from being hunted in the wild. They don’t provide warmth in a fast-approaching winter.
“Of course. I know you’re still you and that hasn’t changed. I’m just glad you’re okay. I will do my best to help you, but the laws are in Sara’s favor. For the time being, you do need to shoot some hoops and get some exercise. There should be another student with you here most days. Which will make things easier. I should get back to those girls though.” Daniela said before heading over to supervise the games closer.
Jordan looked at the metal poles which rose around him creating a cage-like feeling. Looking out in any direction was seemingly infinite space and yet here he was trapped. The squeaking of their shoes on the gym floor was loud and just constant enough to give him a bit of a headache as he stood up and slowly walked over to a metal bin full of miniaturized basketballs.
As he bounced the ball a few times it was remarkable that it felt just like the full-sized variant. As he dribbled a few times before finally shooting and making a basket. As much as he didn’t want to admit it. The simplicity of it all felt good. The bouncing of the ball on the surface, the release at the top of his jump. It was all familiar. As he closed his eyes and listened to the swish of basketball going through the hoop for a moment in time everything was normal. Everything was as it should be. He wasn’t small in a world of giants and it felt good.
However, as he opened his eyes and picked up the basketball that had rolled back toward him he was once again faced with reality. As Jordan shot the basketball once again he could hear Sara’s words ringing in his head. “I think my parents are going to count it as my birthday gift.” As he made yet another basket Jordan understood what Daniela meant. Those words asserted an ownership over him. They assumed a possession of him that another person doesn’t normally have. It made him wonder. Even if Daniela could free him from Sara was he just getting freed to be her possession?
The whistle blew causing Jordan to cover his ears as the octaves the whistle hit seemed to affect him in a different way different than Sara and her giant classmates. Following the whistle, his ears rang for a few seconds before his hearing returned to normal.
“Jada! I know you’re on the basketball team but you can’t play that rough here. This is your third warning you’re done for today.” Daniela shouted as Jada passed the ball to her teammate before walking to the sidelines.
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