where ?" I was still trying to keep my tone light, but the intensity of his glare made me fearful. "Why? What's going on?"
"There's a Europa brandclan there called Bestke. Switch to them."
"Switch?" I knew of the concept, but had never met anyone who had actually changed. The rumor was that most L. Segu men wanted to switch to Bunny, but maybe that was just propaganda. And all I knew of Bestke was that it had something to do with potatoes. "Dad," I said quietly as several M-Bunny men walked past eyeing us suspiciously, "let's just get you a dose or something."
"Do as I say!"
"I will," I said. "But, please, let's get you something at the COM."
"Bestke," he repeated. "I've told them about you."
"Shh!" The idea that he had talked to another brandclan terrified me. I had no intentions of switching and didn't want my reps suspicious. "I'm sure there's some M-Bunny dose that will help you.
I know a guy at the COM. He's good. It's near the house."
"You have to go. Promise me you will."
I knew what happened. Dad was debranded! He had destroyed corn somewhere, he had not recycled, or maybe he had killed a rep! When a man did something against the corn or M-Bunny, he would not just be recycled, but his father and his sons would be taken away. That's why he wanted me to go. "Dad," I said quietly, "what'd you do? What happened? Did you do something to the crop?"
He sighed and stared down at his feet.
Disappointment and shame began to harden in my body like another skeleton. In that moment that dad had been debranded it felt worse than his death. "Let's get the bus. The COM's near my house. We can see what they say."
"Promise me."
I was sure I could see disgrace in his eyes. And then I noticed that the sores weren't on his face, neck, or hands. "How'd you get that… those… that stuff on your arms and chest?"
"Promise me!"
My frustration shattered like a pane of glass. "Nine years ago you just walked away! You turned down the path. And I don't know if you know it, but I followed you. As far as I could, anyway." I don't know if I wanted to surprise him or demonstrate my sorry longing. His mouth pinched. "Dad, I figured you were recycled."
He twisted his lower jaw to the right, and I thought he was going to yell. He bared his teeth and clenched his eyes. A small grunt came from him and that was all. Then I heard his teeth slip against each other as he bit down.
"Dad?" My exasperation turned to panic. "Smut! What's the matter?"
His legs buckled and he fell to his knees. I grasped his shoulder to keep him from falling on his face.
I woke from my reverie and glanced around me, hoping the other customers hadn't noticed. A mother and child silently worked on a mound of fries. Two teenage girls lip-synced to the blaring music. Behind them sat a saleswarrior from some nearby store in her tiny spandicott dress and neon make-up. She ate sullenly as if fully absorbed in daydream or rehearsing her warTalk.
I opened the jewel case and unwrapped the lurid pink foil. The bun was colored the livid yellow of the sun, the meat dyed a pastiche of reds, blues, and purples. It looked awful. I set it down.
I thought about how I had changed after my father left. Maybe to compensate or lure him back, I tried to be the most loyal and virtuous M-Bunny man ever. I had worked long and hard in the corn. I recycled everything. I praised M-Bunny's food, her clothes, and the corn oil that powered her buses.
But when Dad showed up that day in the slubs, beaten, and sick, my attitude changed forever. I understood that he wasn't the man I thought he was. If that memory was a lie, then maybe I had understood nothing.
I began stuffing my food back into the plasticott box. I couldn't even look at it anymore. When I got up and started toward the trash, the dandelion chimp girl chased after me.
"Sir, would you like me to wrap your treats?" She clenched her small hands together nervously as she peered at me. "Or is something the matter?"
"Something's the
"There's a Europa brandclan there called Bestke. Switch to them."
"Switch?" I knew of the concept, but had never met anyone who had actually changed. The rumor was that most L. Segu men wanted to switch to Bunny, but maybe that was just propaganda. And all I knew of Bestke was that it had something to do with potatoes. "Dad," I said quietly as several M-Bunny men walked past eyeing us suspiciously, "let's just get you a dose or something."
"Do as I say!"
"I will," I said. "But, please, let's get you something at the COM."
"Bestke," he repeated. "I've told them about you."
"Shh!" The idea that he had talked to another brandclan terrified me. I had no intentions of switching and didn't want my reps suspicious. "I'm sure there's some M-Bunny dose that will help you.
I know a guy at the COM. He's good. It's near the house."
"You have to go. Promise me you will."
I knew what happened. Dad was debranded! He had destroyed corn somewhere, he had not recycled, or maybe he had killed a rep! When a man did something against the corn or M-Bunny, he would not just be recycled, but his father and his sons would be taken away. That's why he wanted me to go. "Dad," I said quietly, "what'd you do? What happened? Did you do something to the crop?"
He sighed and stared down at his feet.
Disappointment and shame began to harden in my body like another skeleton. In that moment that dad had been debranded it felt worse than his death. "Let's get the bus. The COM's near my house. We can see what they say."
"Promise me."
I was sure I could see disgrace in his eyes. And then I noticed that the sores weren't on his face, neck, or hands. "How'd you get that… those… that stuff on your arms and chest?"
"Promise me!"
My frustration shattered like a pane of glass. "Nine years ago you just walked away! You turned down the path. And I don't know if you know it, but I followed you. As far as I could, anyway." I don't know if I wanted to surprise him or demonstrate my sorry longing. His mouth pinched. "Dad, I figured you were recycled."
He twisted his lower jaw to the right, and I thought he was going to yell. He bared his teeth and clenched his eyes. A small grunt came from him and that was all. Then I heard his teeth slip against each other as he bit down.
"Dad?" My exasperation turned to panic. "Smut! What's the matter?"
His legs buckled and he fell to his knees. I grasped his shoulder to keep him from falling on his face.
I woke from my reverie and glanced around me, hoping the other customers hadn't noticed. A mother and child silently worked on a mound of fries. Two teenage girls lip-synced to the blaring music. Behind them sat a saleswarrior from some nearby store in her tiny spandicott dress and neon make-up. She ate sullenly as if fully absorbed in daydream or rehearsing her warTalk.
I opened the jewel case and unwrapped the lurid pink foil. The bun was colored the livid yellow of the sun, the meat dyed a pastiche of reds, blues, and purples. It looked awful. I set it down.
I thought about how I had changed after my father left. Maybe to compensate or lure him back, I tried to be the most loyal and virtuous M-Bunny man ever. I had worked long and hard in the corn. I recycled everything. I praised M-Bunny's food, her clothes, and the corn oil that powered her buses.
But when Dad showed up that day in the slubs, beaten, and sick, my attitude changed forever. I understood that he wasn't the man I thought he was. If that memory was a lie, then maybe I had understood nothing.
I began stuffing my food back into the plasticott box. I couldn't even look at it anymore. When I got up and started toward the trash, the dandelion chimp girl chased after me.
"Sir, would you like me to wrap your treats?" She clenched her small hands together nervously as she peered at me. "Or is something the matter?"
"Something's the
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