Page 150 of The Genius
“What is it?” Solomon came to the window and froze to the spot. I watched his mouth open and then close as his Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat. He didn’t verbalize a thought, but the pain in his eyes said it all. “I need to talk to her,” he muttered.
“Now isn’t the time.” Archer stopped him with a firm hand to his shoulder. “Let Willow come to you. If you’re lucky she’ll wait until we’ve had breakfast.”
“I don’t sit around and wait for things to happen.”
“This time you will. Trust me on this. I’ve been married for ten years and one thing I’ve learned is that there are two ways of arguing with a woman. She’ll initiate the most arguments when she’s hungry or cranky from her period, but those arguments are impossible to win because they’re not about changing your mind in the first place. Then there are the other arguments which are more practical and takes place somewhere between dinner and bedtime when there are no kids around.”
“And they work better?” Solomon asked.
Archer chuckled. “None of them work.”
“But you said there were two ways of arguing with a woman. Now you’re saying that neither of them works?”
“That’s right. Don’t expect to better a Motlander in an argument. They look sweet and polite, but I’m warning you: they’re relentless and stubborn beyond anything you can imagine.” He held up an index finger. “And they use dirty tricks.”
“Like what?”
“Like asking you to agree on something they know you don’t want to do at the one time your brain is malfunctioning.”
Solomon shook his head. “You lost me.”
“Just after sex. When you’re high on endorphins and shit, she’ll ask something that sounds like a minor thing compared to the bliss of having just orgasmed inside her and then the next day you’ll see your male students participating in fuckinghonesty sessions.”
“You didn’t,” I breathed with my eyes wide in shock.
“What’s honesty sessions?” Solomon asked.
Archer looked down and his shoulders lifted in a heavy sigh. “It’s a thing they use in the Motherlands to build a bond between the students and teachers. Something that Kya wanted from the beginning and we refused to engage in.”
“How long has this been going on?” I asked in a blameful tone.
“For about a year.”
“Christ, Archer. We said that we’d never do that.”
“I still don’t understand what an honesty session is.”
Turning to Solomon, I explained. “Motlanders believe in strengthening children’s ability to not only verbalize their feelings and emotions, but also to detect what’s going on inside them to begin with. You know how they do all that meditation?”
“Yeah. I kind of like meditation.”
“Kya had a different word for honesty sessions – she called them exploration sessions and we shielded you Nboys from it.”
“Why? What was so dangerous about it? If it’s just talking, I mean.”
“You don’t get it, do you? Have you looked at males from the Motherlands? They are indoctrinated to suppress their nature and be gentle and kind. We wanted you boys to run, fight, climb, swear, and berealNmen. She wanted you to calm down, be safe, and dive deep to find your inner voice.”
Archer lifted his hands. “I have to say, though, it’s not been as bad as I thought it would be. There’s less uncontrolled fighting now that the boys are better at communicating their feelings.”
“Don’t tell me they hug it out?” Solomon snorted.
Archer bit his lip. “Look, the point is that Motlanders have learned how to express their feelings since they were little and arguing with them is a sure way to lose a discussion. Take my advice and at least wait until Willow and you have eaten. People who are hungry get unreasonable in arguments.”
Solomon kept his eyes on Willow, who was close to the school building now. “But I just want to have it over with.”
“Bullshit, Solo. You want her to forgive you, so be patient and let her come to you.”
“I don’t think I can do that. It’s not in my nature to be patie…”
