Immature Mistakes | mj.q✓

Eighteen

Mrs. Ma had brought some refreshments for Jiaqi and his friends who were sitting on the porch. Jiaqi and Ava sat at the right edge while Chengxin and Evelyn sat on the left edge of the porch. It was Jiaqi's idea to ensure that the girls and their counselors could be open without fear of the other hearing.

Jiaqi sipped the lemonade that had been brought by his mother then turned to Ava. 'So, let's start. Remember I said I was going to ask you about your family today.'

'Oh,' Ava looked at her hands unsurely. 'What do you want to know?' she didn't know whether she was comfortable sharing this, but Jiaqi had proved to her that perhaps talking about it to the right person could be helpful.

'Well...maybe we could start with the family structure?' he suggested.

'I have a twin sister and a dad.' She answered briefly.

'Oh a single dad?' he waited for her to nod before he continued. 'I just know that being a single parent is pretty hard. Your dad probably didn't have the easiest time raising you.'

Ava thought over it but couldn't come up with a sure conclusion. She merely shrugged instead. 'I guess.'

'But I'm still curious about what you told me yesterday. Your dad wants you to fight?'

Ava looked over at Evelyn before she spoke. She was obviously absorbed in her conversation with Chengxin. Rather, her one-sided conversation. Chengxin's eyes were out and about, stuck in his own head and only superficially nodding his head at intended cues.

'Well not really, he's just always wanted us to be tough and to stand up for ourselves...and that includes each other. And not to really listen to rules.'

'I'm sorry but that doesn't make much sense to me.' he narrowed his eyes, trying to understand. 'A parent should unite his kids and should probably be proud when they're following rules so that they become productive members of society.'

'I get that,' Ava nodded, 'but that's not how my dad raised us. He says not standing up for yourself is dangerous and will make you lose every time. And he told us following rules won't really help either, because rules are made to benefit people who enforce them, not to benefit you.'

'Uh,' he rubbed the back of his head. 'I guess that makes sense. But maybe the application of it is wrong. Cause you get in trouble and that's not right...'

'I guess so.' Ava nodded. 'But maybe you wouldn't get it. I'm an immigrant and life is a bit harder for some of us than it is for you. So he's probably just trying to make sure I survive when I'm on my own. I used to think it was a bit mean too but I grew up and realized he's right, despite how mean it seems.'

Jiaqi thought over it for a moment. He was shocked, but he didn't want to completely and insensitively dismiss what she was saying. 'I guess I can't really say much on that because I'm not an immigrant, but still doesn't make sense why he would let his two kids fight...maybe if he made you fight with people who aren't part of the family.'

'But he knows that family isn't always trustworthy.'

Jiaqi nodded. 'I guess that's true. Do you know your father's story? To me I feel like...he's gone through something painful. And whatever was applicable to him isn't necessarily applicable to you all the time. Maybe you should ask him why he believes that stuff.'

She chuckled. 'I wish I could. My dad and I just don't really talk like that.'

'Then just take whatever he tells you to do with a grain of salt...' he concluded unsurely.

Ava wanted to say that she couldn't disobey him, but she instead nodded. She didn't want to spill so much, but she indeed felt better sharing this with someone, she never knew how liberating communication could be.