"Anyway," Jonas pointed out, "have you ever once known of anyone-I mean really known for sure, Asher, not just heard a story about it-who joined another community?"
"No," Asher admitted reluctantly. "But you can. It says so in the rules. If you don't fit in, you can apply for Elsewhere and be
released."
Jonas decided that he wouldn't apply for Elsewhere even if he hated his Assignment. He was certain that the Committee of Elders would make the right decision for him.
The day for the Twelves finally comes. When they are on stage, Jonas gets very nervous. They call them in order from there birth numbers. Jonas is nineteen. Asher gets called and is assigned Assistant Director of Recreation. Soon they are all the way up to eighteen; Fiona. Fiona is assigned Caretaker of the Old. It is Jonas's turn now.
"Number twenty." calls the Chief Elder.
She skipped Jonas! Everyone in the audience was confused as was Jonas. Why had she skipped Jonas? Had he done something wrong? They continued to the end and then finally called Jonas up...
She explains that Jonas has not been assigned, but selected. Selected to be the Receiver.
The Receiver is the most important job in the community. It requires extreme pain. Jonas hears all this and starts to get very scared. Why him? Why couldn't he have been assigned a normal job? He had no idea what the Receiver was supposed to do. He was told he had the ability to see beyond. What does that mean? he thought. Then finally he realized that that must have been what happened with the apple!
Jonas goes home with his new rules, honored, but very scared.
No comments:
Post a Comment