Some days prior,
It was the last day of their vacation and Alvish still just couldn't get out what she had heard about Reada. Looking at him, she was taking a little walk around her walkway. While across the road he had also come out of his home and was doing the same for some reason, at the same time looking down at his phone. The sound of his each step was reminding her of what she had heard from them. Though their words were cunning, she still trusted her father and so finding out that he wasn't always an asshole like her brother, had caught her in unexpectancy.
Suddenly Reada stopped and started typing, and seeing his, this, behaviour Alvish paused on her spot too. But her vision was blocked by a strange figure that just appeared between them.
"Readarex!"
"Mr Targil?" Hearing that familiar voice, Alvish spoke.
Reada looked left while Mr Targil, who was facing towards him, turned around.
"Alvish? I did not know you lived here too!" Mr Targil said as soon as he saw her. "I had never thought such a brilliant student would live next to him especially?"
"Yeah, ironically I do." She said, faking a smile, "By the way, sir, is there a special reason that caused you to be here?"
"Oh, yes. About that…'' he said and turned around again, to Reada, who's face wasn't really happy after seeing him. Mr Targil tried making a blunt face too and continued, "I am here to have a parent-teacher meeting with Mrs Harns, regaining you as the subject."
"But she ain't home. She's there, chatting with aunty." He pointed behind him.
Mr Targil was expecting something unexpecting, like a 'Hell Nah!' to come out of him, still he turned and took a look at what he was referring to and asked, "You mean, in Alvish's home?"
"Yes, wait- let me call her out for you." Alvish suggested and was about to go but she was stopped by Reada who interrupted, "Or you can just join her in there."
For a moment, even Mr Targil asked himself if he didn't know that he wasn't there to praise him but to complain. Alvish was also surprised and was thinking why was he shooting at his own leg. But he didn't seem to care at all.
Mr Targil still looked at him for the last time and took his advice, saying to Alvish, "Yes, that is probably the better idea. That way I will also be able to tell your mother about your accomplishment in the school personally, Alvish!"
They all then went into her home and Reada was forced to go along too after Mr Targil said that he needed to be present during the conversation, even though he didn't want to. As they went inside they found Alie and Hina who were having their friendly gossip in the living room, while sitting on the sofa. To whom Alvish quickly went and introduced Mr Targil. She also asked him to take a seat in the meantime and everyone sat down.
"What's the matter, sir? Did my daughter do something?" Hina asked as she placed a bowl full of small dark heart shaped biscuits on the table and served Mr Targil a cup of tea, after coming back from the kitchen.
"No, ma'am, I do not have anything to complain about her. You need not worry. She is elegant and excellent. It is about Readarex!" Mr Targil answered before taking a sip while she was serving Reada too.
But he instantly stopped her and said, "Sorry, aunty. I don't drink tea."
"Really Reada? Do you not prefer tea over coffee like your mother?? If that's the case then I can brew you coffee too!"
"No, I don't take caffine either. Don't worry over my preference. I'll just have the cookies." Reada said and took one out of the bowl.
Mr Targil waited until everyone was served and she took a seat beside her daughter. He also finished his cup ad interim and then he said to Alie, "So as I was saying, Mrs Harns. Actually ma'am, I had taken a surprise test a few days ago in my class and Readarex failed it. He also does not complete his homework. I believe he is not focusing on his studies these days. How much time does he even self-study?"
"I don't." Reada instantly said.
"Hey! Shut up!! Don't just say it like that—"
"Come on, mom. It's just ain't interesting!"
"Shut Up!!" Alie scolded again and shut him up.
"But ma'am, knowledge is important. Without it, he will be good for nothing in the future."
"Yes, Mr Targil. I agree with you on that. I'll make sure that he finishes his homework and that he spends some time self-studying. But I also believe it's a matter of interest, like he said. Otherwise he's very smart. He has had an interest in astronomy since his childhood." Alie lowered her eyes and said apologetically.
"Oh astronomy. Our Alvish also shares that same interest." Hina quickly said, trying to change the topic after she heard that tone of Alie and sensed the moment heating up.
But it didn't stop Mr Targil from continuing, "I did not know that, Readarex. That is very good! Tell me then, what is the distance between the sun and earth?"
"1 AU!" Reada replied, enjoying the cookies.
His answer made Alvish look up at him, like what the hell he was talking about?
"Be more specific!"
"Mm… 8.18, No! I mean, 8.3 light minutes!"
Mr Targil, sitting on his counter side, smirked after hearing that and turned to Alvish, asking her, "Alvish, you also share that same interest, right? Can you tell us if he's correct or not, and if not then what's the correct answer."
Alvish was a bit clueless, 'bout what was going on and what he was intending. She, for a moment even stared at Reada with questioning eyes. But he turned up his head, narrowly matching her gaze, and said with his attitude, "I'm never wrong!"
"Hell No!! It's 14,95,97,870 kilometres!"
"Yes, see! That's the correct answer!" Mr Targil commented.
Reada objected too, "But I said the same thing too!"
"How so?"
"The value of c is around 3,00,000 kmps. 8.3 minutes times 60 is 498 seconds. Multiplied with c, equals 14,94,00,000 kilometres. It's just a slight difference."
"That Slight Difference Is Enough For Me To Fail You!", Mr Targil immediately said. "Even if you had multiplied the actual speed of light in vacuum, which is 29,97,92,458 metres per second with 8.3 minutes, you would have only got 1,49,29,66,44,084 metres. That is because your method is wrong! It is simple maths, Readarex. Stop seeking short-cuts. Only abbreviate when you can not go any more absolute. Memorise the value given the textbooks because that is the actual truth. They are just 9 digits. Can you not even memorise that much?!"
Alvish and her mother, both of their eyes opened wide after witnessing his and Mr Targil's calculative skills. But that is what he was a maths teacher for. While even though Reada had got the answer wrong and his calculation was a bit lighter than Mr Targil's, his skills were still impressive for his age.
"Really, sir?" Reada sarcastically said and his face also drew his famous smile. "If that is true, then why are there points like aphelion and perihelion? Books also tell us that orbits are more elliptical than a circle. And ellipse's don't have an one single radius. Have you not heard of that? Or did you just not know?!"
Now what they heard out of him, gave them all a shock. Hina was never an astrophile but her daughter had always chatted with her about the wonders of the world so she did understand what he had conflicted with. One the other hand Alvish was stunned and was left speechless, the same as Mr Targil.
But Alie wasn't affected by any of this and was witnessing everything going on with an uninterested face and irritated eyes.
"Aa–A-actually…" Mr Targil still tried to fill those gaps even though his mind wasn't cooperating and decided to show his last shield of defence. "Okay… that is actual—"
"Okay!! Let's consider, it is actually the average of the farthest and closest distance. Then," Reada instantly said and didn't let him finish his words and as he and Alvish heard him ahead, their brains started getting fucked. "The sun's also always losing mass by emitting radiation, proven by the equation e=mc^2. Gravity is getting weaker and so the orbit's getting wider each moment. Do you really think something like an 'actual true value' is possible under these circumstances? The one value that Alvish said is also an approximation then. The same as mine, it's just globally accepted. There are also people who believe the Earth's flat, doesn't mean it'll become true if their number increases! As you go through higher studies, stupid things like these become false!"
…His words became heavier as he said forward, "The world's filled with stupid people. We, The Smart Ones, Are Who Tha' Evolve I—"
"SHUT UP!!" Alie shouted angrily to everyone's surprise, punching hardly at the back of his head, stopping him from speaking any farther and Reada fell on his knees, clenching and covering his head with his both hands, trying to endure while crying out in pain.
"Aaa!! But mom—" he tried looking up at her.
"NO! Are These The Manners I've Taught You! Respect your Elders And Don't Talk To Them Like That!!"
While still bitstruck by her son's logic, Mr Targil didn't fail to take advantage of his chance and shamelessly continued, though he'd been proven wrong, "Yes-yes, Mrs Harns. His behaviour too! His behaviour is also a matter to be concerned about! He talks to everyone like that. Also he does not pay attention to any of the classes and just sleeps with his head down all the time!"
"I really apologize for his behaviour, Sir. I'll make sure to teach him his manners again. Though I think this much's enough for the kids and now we should continue the meeting on our own!" Alie apologized again and also bowed down her head to her son's level, in a more apologetic and casual manner this time.
"As you say, Mrs Harns."
After hearing that she got up and turned to Alvish, and requested, "Alvish dear. Can you please take Reada somewhere? I, along with your mother, would like to have some words in private with Mr Targil."
Alvish still couldn't believe what she had heard from Reada, but what she couldn't believe more was Alie's, his mother's behaviour. His words were literally proving the textbooks to be false and that what's taught and is given marks for in the school is wrong. He wasn't saying anything new but something unnoticed by her throughout all her age, with his mind blowing ideas. Which was making her question why his mother was not taking his side?? And why was she supporting the teacher? Was she not able to understand him?
She tried to explain it to her, "A-aunty. Reada is right. I think you shoul—"
"Please." She interrupted softly, her voice having a strange sharpness in itself. "This is the first and last time I'm asking you for something, Alvish. Please, let me handle this on my own."
"Aa… why don't you show him your room, Alvish? It's a nice idea. Don't you think, Alie? He's never been there." Hina read the room and suggested.
After being told that she wasn't able to say anything and agreed. Reada wasn't interested in seeing her room but he was forced to go by Alie and stood up. Though, before leaving, he asked if he could take that bowl along, saying they were too good.
…
Alvish's room was the first personal room that he had visited in years. But he didn't look like he was nervous or something. He had already entered the room without asking for any permission while holding the bowl around his diaphragm with his left hand and was eating the cookies with his other, at the same time observing the room. And Alvish was standing behind him, quiet, still trying to grasp what she had spectated some moments ago.
The walls of her room were in clay brown colour and had a corn like pattern on themselves. The bed was on his right side, touching the west side wall with her study table beside it, along with its chair, facing south. It also had a window on its east wall, through which Reada's home was clearly visible, though it was small. Suddenly a bookshelf that was just beside it caught Reada's attention and he went ahead, towards it.
He reached out his hand with interest and took out what had actually drawn his eyes. It was that book that Alvish had brought that day, the book of shades, 'Eye Of Birth'.