Intermix Nation

Any fears Nazirah had melt away as soon astheir eyes meet. Cameron looks shocked, not entirely processingthat Nazirah is standing before him. He reaches for Nazirah throughthe doorway and embraces her tightly. Nazirah clings to Cameron’sneck. She hasn’t felt this safe since the last time she was in thearms of her father.

“Nazirah!” he cries, into her hair, “We’vemissed you so much! We were so hoping you would come.”

“I missed you too, Mr. Caal,” she mumbles,hugging him tighter.

Cameron reigns in his emotions, darting hiseyes around the deserted street. “Come inside,” he says, usheringNazirah into their small cottage. “Watch your step.”

Nazirah is over the moon, walking on air.Her argument with Adamek and poor performance at the meeting areremoved from her mind. Walking inside feels like getting caught ina sun shower, feels like coming home.

Nazirah enters their sitting room and runs ahand slowly over the worn green couch. The memories come floodingback like ocean waves crashing onto shore. How many times have sheand Cato sat exactly here, mimicking Medi news anchors? How manytimes has she curled up on this floor, telling Oseni fables toCato’s baby sister? How many times has she eaten di

Cato’s mother Juliya rushes downstairs, alsoin her bathrobe and fuzzy slippers. Nazirah can tell from Juliya’sunusually tight ringlets that she’s removed her hair rollers in ahurry. It reminds Nazirah of something Riva would have done. Rivaused empty cans, though, because the Nations could never affordanything else. Juliya squashes Nazirah against her chest, huggingher tightly. “Oh Nazirah!” she cries, “let me look at you!” Shesniffles and grabs Nazirah’s shoulders. Nazirah awkwardly pulls offCato’s cap, stuffing it into her back pocket. “You’ve always beenso beautiful,” Juliya says, and Nazirah doesn’t quite believe her.“But you’ve grown up so much.” That, Nazirah believes.

“Not any taller though.”

Cander haughtily enters the room. WhereasCato shares Cameron’s medium build, Cander is surprisingly tall foran Eridian. Nazirah wants to tell him off, but holds her tongue infront of his parents. Luckily, Juliya does it for her. “Cander,quiet,” she hisses. “Honestly, you act younger than Caria.”

Nazirah smirks at him cheekily before Juliyaturns back to her. Juliya’s hands shake slightly.

“Nazirah, please,” she says, “Let me makeyou something to eat. You’re all skin and bones. Don’t the rebelsfeed you?”

“They do, but the food is awful,” Nazirahreplies. “It’s nothing like how you cook.”

Juliya kisses Nazirah on the cheek andhurries into the kitchen. Nazirah’s eyes dart between Cander andCameron. The two of them seem to be having a silent argument, whichCameron appears to win for the time being. He gestures for Nazirahto take a seat on the couch, which she does. Cameron settles besideher, while Cander sits in a nearby armchair.

Cameron pats her knee kindly. “Nazirah,there’s been so much left unsaid between us. We wanted to see youagain, after everything that happened, but the rebels whisked youaway so quickly.”

“I remember,” she mumbles, looking at herhands. “At the funeral.”

“They wouldn’t let us approach you,” Cameronsays, shaking his head. “It devastated us, not being able to saygoodbye.”

“It’s okay,” she says feebly. “I wasn’treally in a great state that day.”

Cameron gently takes her hands in his, whichare calloused and weathered from the ocean. “Not a day goes bywhere I don’t think of them,” he says earnestly. “Not a day passeswhen I forget their kindness, their joy, their ceaseless optimism.Not a day do I lose sight of their love, the enthusiasm your motherbrought to her students, the dedication your father had for hiswork. I miss them all the time, Nazirah, as if they were my ownflesh and blood. All of Rafu misses them, and you.”

“Thank you,” she says. It’s all she can getout without splitting into pieces.

“Nazirah,” Cander interrupts and Cameronlooks at him sharply. “Tell us what’s happening with the rebellion.We hear whispers here and there, especially on the boardwalk, butwe don’t know much.”

“I wish I could tell you,” she sighs. “But Iprobably know less than you do. Niko barely tells me anything,unless he wants something from me.” Nazirah traces a small circlein the floor with her shoe. “All he asked me to do was gainintermix and territory support. But as you saw from this afternoon,I’m not particularly good at it.”

Cander snorts. “You can say that again.”

“Thanks,” she snaps.

“To be perfectly honest,” Cander scoffs,“you don’t need to do much. You said a total of about ten wordstoday, two of them your own name, and Eridians are already singingyour praises around town.”

“How is that even possible?” she asks,stu

“It doesn’t matter,” Cander says. “All ofwhat, fifty people, were there to see it happen? And they don’teven know what they saw. What’s important is how it all spreadsacross Eridies by word of mouth. And you should hear how yourmentor – or whatever – Aldrik, is twisting your silencearound.”

Nazirah is worried now. “What’s hesaying?”

“You really want to know?” Cander asksmischievously.

“Yes!”

“He’s telling everyone you and Adamek Morgenare secret lovers. And that your silence was you refusing topublicly admit it. The Eridians are eating it up like candy.”

“He said what?!” she screeches. “But that’sridiculous! That excuse doesn’t even make sense! Who would believethat?”

Cander shrugs. “People believe what theywant to believe,” he says. “Everyone loves a fantasy, Nazirah,especially when reality is so bleak.”

“No,” she argues belligerently. “I refuse toaccept that.”

“Why not?” asks Cander. “It sets the stageperfectly. The intermix orphan falls in love with the reformed Mediwho ruined her life. It showcases the both of you in the bestpossible light. And it makes the rebellion seem like a dreamland …allowing people to hope for things they never imagined couldexist.”

“Because –”

“Oh right,” he interrupts snidely, “becauseyou don’t want to fuck over my little brother any more than youalready have.”

Nazirah sucks in her breath, repressing theurge to slam his face against the coffee table. “That was souncalled for,” she says.

“But entirely true!”

“Cander, enough!” shouts Cameron.

“No! It’s not enough! Cato should be homewith us right now, not off gallivanting, risking his life withthese foolish rebels!”

“Foolish rebels?” Nazirah exclaims. “That’sall you think we are?”

“Did I stutter?”

“Foolish for what, exactly?” she asks, “Forwanting the same rights as everyone else? For standing up to theMedis, in Eridian defense, for people too afraid to defendthemselves?”

“Don’t put words in my mouth!” he barks. “Somuch has been going on here lately, Nazirah. So much you don’tknow.”

“What do you mean?” she asks. “What’s beengoing on?”

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed,” Candersays, “but Rafu has changed since you’ve been away. Intermix arerestless, poverty has multiplied, violence is incredible. Life hereis drastically deteriorating.”

“I’ve seen it,” Nazirah says.

“Seeing it doesn’t mean you understand it,”he says. “We barely get any resources from Mediah anymore. Ourquotas have tripled. We’re forced to send them almost everything wecatch, tons and tons of seafood daily. The Medis don’t even consumeit all; the Chancellor throws most of it away. Mediah is punishingEridies for housing the rebels. I’m worried this campaign is thefinal straw.”

“Poor Cander,” she mocks. “You don’t get anyresources from Mediah? Welcome to my life for the past eighteenyears! And besides, this is a good thing! We need this unrest tofuel the rebellion!”

“So that what?” he cries. “So that yourbrother can ship mine off to war? To certain death? It’s a suicidemission, Nazirah! You have no shot against the capital. Don’tdelude yourself into thinking otherwise. Your intermix revolutionties a noose around Cato’s neck. And I want no part of it.”