[Critique Group 1] submission for 12/27/17 session

[sitting.duck at springmail.com]

781 words
John


<>end notes

John
by C. S. Boyd

John watched as D’Jonna’s parents hugged, kissed and yelled at their daughter. 
“You might have been seriously hurt,” her mother said.
D’Jonna’s head was tilted down toward the ground and her hands were clasped behind her back. She looked truly miserable as her mother scolded, chastised and threatened. Then, there was silence for a moment and her mother grabbed her in a bear hug before loading her on the transport and heading back to their community.
John followed a few feet behind. He left his motorcycle behind for fear it might rattle or squeak or something and give his presents away.
After about an hour, they came to a slightly wooded area at the foot of a mountain range. He watched as they weaved their way around brush and between boulders to the entrance of the hidden valley where D'Jonna and her people lived. The opening was well hidden. Only someone who knew it was there and how to find it would ever have found it. It was no wonder no one in the town nearby knew anything about it. Taking out his cell phone, he took pictures as he watched them disappear into the opening and then walked back to the old building to get his motorcycle.
At home he got a soft drink from the refrigerator and went out to drink it by the pool.
He was staring out across the pool deep in thought when his father came home.
"Do you think you can make it ripple?" 
John jerked his head around and stared up at his father. "What?" he stammered.
"You were looking at the water so intently I thought maybe you were causing those little ripples," his father said.
"Oh," John chuckled. "No, I was just thinking about something."
"Dad," he said, and paused. "Do you think it's right?: he paused again. “To retire people when they have physical problems, I mean."
"You mean Grandpa?" his father asked.
"I suppose," said John. "I mean, just because someone is a little hard of hearing, does that mean they are useless?"
"I know, John, I miss him too, but it's really for the best. why should a person be forced to struggle in life when they can be released from their pain or discomfort?"
"But, couldn't maybe something be devised to help him hear? Or, to help people compensate for when parts of the body don't work as well?"
"They used to do things like that in previous centuries. They had things called hearing aids, glasses,  and even software programs and things for people who were blind, and some really sophisticated prostheses and other mechanical devises to help people who had lost limbs or were paralyzed and stuff. In the twenty-second century scientists perfected gene therapy so that many issues were eliminated. But, there is nothing to be done about aging. Eventually the body just wears out and it is not worth the cost and misery to the person to just keep them alive., Eventually, everyone realized the best thing was just to retire them at a time when they could go out with their dignity."
"I know," said John. "There was a little chapter in the history book about it. But, do you think it is the right thing?"
"Of course," said John's father. "Would you want Grandpa to suffer the shame of constantly having to ask people to repeat things, or be told to turn down the volume, and then finally other problems would come up. It is best to let him go now when he still has most of his faculties.”
“But, he could have been given a hearing aid to help him hear normally. Would that really be so bad?”
John’s father watched him for a few minutes. Then said, “It’s not really up to us. Come on in the house, Mom has dinner on the table"
"I guess so," said John standing and following his father into the house.
At dinner, John tuned out his parents discussion of what to do about Grandma now that Grandpa was gone. He kept thinking about how D'Jonna had described her community of totally blind people.
"Are you feeling ok?" asked John's mother. "You're not eating."
"Yes, I'm fine," he said, "I'm just not very hungry. May I be excused?"
"You know the rules, the next chance to eat is breakfast. No midnight snacks."
"I know," said John.
"Ok then, you are excused."
"Thanks," he said. "I think I'll go for a little ride on my bike, if that's ok."
"Be back before dark," said his father.
"Okay," John said grabbing his helmet and heading for the door.