Chapter 3: a checkpoint
Green shapes flew past my window, my forehead cold against the glass as I stared into the blur. I was on my way to school for the first time in my life. I wanted to throw up.
Mom hadn’t said a word to me since we had gotten into the car. I wondered what was going through her head. Was she as nervous as I was? Or maybe just relieved she didn’t have to deal with my hard head all day long anymore.
I was feeling nervous and anxious, but I also had an unexpected feeling creeping in: excitement.
I thought about how this change may actually be good for both my mother and I. I could feel the daily battles between her and I weighing heavily on her. She seemed to be sinking into a darker place by the day, and maybe this new change could be the light at the end of the tunnel. I was never actually sure she even wanted to be homeschooling Mia and I. Anytime I had asked why she wanted to teach us at home she had given the same answer “you’re father wanted this for you, that’s all you need to know.”
finally, after a few minutes driving, she broke the cold silence.
“Isatou, I need you to listen very carefully.”
I was not used to my mom addressing me so seriously. I looked away from the trees floating past and turned to her in the driving seat. She was staring straight ahead, gripping the steering wheel like it was going to try and fly away.
“Mhm?”
she cleared her throat and paused. It seemed like she was having a debate with herself whether she should say anything or not. What had my mom so worried? I get that this is was new for all of us, but surely it wasn’t worth all this fuss.
“Isa, I know I’ve raised you to be independent and to stick up for yourself.” She let herself smile a little bit, “Even if its made my life a little difficult.”
“Yeah?” I had no clue where she was going with this speech. She looked away, out the window, the smile vanishing.
“But I need you to do whatever your teachers ask. When they say sit, you sit. When they say jump, you jump.” Her tone was completely serious, with a slight crack in her words that felt like fear.
“Okay,” I said.
Mother raised her voice a little, “Isatou I am serious. These people will not play around. I’ve kept this world from you a little bit, and I’m afraid that you are very unprepared.”
I could sense cold sureness in my mothers voice. She was not bluffing. whatever awaited me at the school, my mother was very afraid of it. I had never seen her talk to me this way.
Mother slowed the car and we coasted up to the county line which was blocked by a large concrete barrier. Rows of service vehicles were parked along the right side of the road. A uniformed officer walked out in front of our vehicle and my mother pulled up alongside him. She took a quick breath in before the officer approached the window.
“What’s your business in Lincoln County?” The officer asked, No pleasantries to be had. He was a pale skinned man with a cowboy hat atop his head that looked far too small and made his forehead veins bulge. He was buttoned up from head to toe and had a piece of gum that he was chomping as if he was trying to strip that last flavor from it.
“My daughters are starting school at Platte Commons tod-”
“Start? Its the middle of the year.”
My mother looked jarred by the interruption. It was uncomfortable to see her so squeamish. This was my mother, the lady of stone.
The officer stepped back, cupped his eyes and peered through the back window at Mia, sitting sheepishly in the back seat.
“Yes, I’ve- Ive been homeschooling them and there was a presidential—”
“Ah yes, Do you have ID on you ma’am?”
“Yessir.” She went to reach for her wallet in the center pocket of the car.
“Ma’am,” he stopped chewing his gum long enough to expose a wide oily smile, yellow teeth peering through. “I didn’t ask to see your ID. Did I?”
He stared at my mother. Her, clearly confused on what she was meant to do at this point. “Sir, would you like to-”
“You’re free to go Ma’am,” He resumed his chewing and slowly waved circles to a gatesman. Large cylinder pillars blocking the way forward descended into the ground. “Have a nice day ma’am,” the wide smile, still stuck to his face, as if he had just pulled off a hilarious practical joke.
My mom nervously offered a small wave and an awkward smile, pulling forward through the gates. We made our way back up to the 30 MPH Speed limit, and only after we had turned a corner and were out of vision of the checkpoint did my mother allow herself to breath. That’s when I noticed, I too had been unintentionally holding my breath. I could feel the tension my mother was feeling and seemed to have taken it upon myself.
“I hate those things,” she muttered under her breath. I knew exactly what she meant. The President had instituted the decree a little over a year earlier: All Persons traveling across County borders must submit to reasonable checks and searches.
“Why did he have to be so rude to you?”
No answer to be had from my mother, instead, a re-iterated warning.
“Isa, Promise me that you will listen, and follow instructions.”
I nodded my head. It wasn’t a promise I could keep, so I didn’t want to give verbal confirmation. The truth was I didn’t know how I would have reacted if it was me behind that wheel. All I knew, was that I really didn’t like that officer and the way he looked at my mother.
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