Sweet Milk (lies)

Human nature is like… milk? Did that make sense? Tammi flumped down onto the table, deflating. English was the most pointless, useless subject ever to exist in the school curriculum. Even worse than maths. She didn’t need to know a metaphor for human nature let alone create one. Her teacher, Ms Sutton, seemed adamant it was crucial to ‘acknowledge the good and bad in one quick sentence,’ so she said. Personally, Tammi thought it was dumb. Ah well, hunger was kicking in at fourth period, so milk was all she had. After a minute or two, she looked around and saw everyone else had varying levels of boredom, nevertheless, boredom stuck. It was obvious Tammi wasn’t alone in the belief of pointlessness. Finally, after much longer than seemed necessary, Ms Sutton called them back to reality.

“Now, everyone let’s all share what we had!” A collective groan escaped the entire class. Begrudgingly, everyone shared their ‘metaphors.’ Some were obviously copy pasted from a google search. ‘Like sludge, destroying everything.’ ‘Fire that eats ceaselessly’. Others were closer to Tammi. So half-hearted and half the time not even remotely true. ‘Human nature is like tissues’.

“And why is that?” Ms Sutton asked, obviously not fooled due to the tissue box in front of the student.

“Uh…um…”

“Sit down, Gregory.” A sigh. “Next, Tammi.” Internal groan.

“Human nature is like milk.” Some snickers went out. Next to tissue boy, hers was probably the second most ridiculous.

“And why is that, Tammi?” Opposed to the blatant voice she used on Greggory, she seemed generally interested, like her metaphor was indeed true. Why? She thought. Because most of it’s white? No, that’s horrible and definitely not true. Because it’s sweet? It soothes at night? Goes well with cookies? All three came out eventually, making her seem dumber than she actually was.

“Because most of it soothes night cookies?” Everyone laughed but Ms Sutton just shook her head. “Tammi, see me after class.” Internal groan, again. Greg didn’t have to stay back. And she desperately wanted her milk now, after thinking of it all lesson.

Finally, after the bell rang, and everyone climbed over each other to socialise, sneak phones and most importantly EAT! Tammi was enraged. She should be doing that stuff, she should be out their and she didn’t have any reason to be back here. Cooling herself down before the rage bubbled out, she walked over to Ms Sutton perched behind her desk. Not trusting herself to open her mouth and not yell, she waited for her teacher.

“Now, Tammi, do you know why you were kept behind?” The usual question from teachers. Sticking to the script, Tammi replied.

“I’m not sure. Because of my response to your question?” To her surprise, she chuckled.

“No, guess again.” This teacher was walking a fine line because Tammi’s rage was boiling.

“Because I didn’t try in my metaphor? Because it was wrong?” Once again, chuckling tinkling like a bell to an angry bull.

“Quite contrary, I totally agree with your metaphor. Human nature is indeed like milk. What I want to know is why you thought this? Reason for me.”

A laugh actually escaped Tammi’s mouth. What was she talking about? Tammi was just craving milk. The sweet milk, good milk, healthy milk.

“I just wanted milk,” she sputtered in disbelief. Apparently this wasn’t the right response because Ms Sutton frowned.

“If you say so. If you want to change your answer, come see me. Now go enjoy your milk.” She tripped over the last word, as if it was sour.

As she walked down to the dining hall, lunch in hand, Tammi contemplated the strange encounter. What was she thinking? How were people like milk? They weren’t at all. Finally, she sat down, waiting to grab her phone to drink her milk, that’s how bad she wanted it. Everyone else at the table had already finished lunch and were on various social media. She was probably missing out on so much right now. She took a great big gulp of the sweet milk… and spat it everywhere. The taste was so sour and volatile, like rotten lemons were fermented and added. She looked at the expiry date on the side. Expired 5 days ago. 5 DAYS AGO. Everyone looked up, laughed and snapped a picture before going to post it surely. Tammi opened the carton. It was curdled and the yellow gunk floating around on top was sickening to look and sniff. Immediately, the milk went in the nearest bin after a desperate dash. This day was terrible. She was punished and had looked forward to her milk so bad and so thoroughly had her hopes been butchered. The carton was so deceiving, promising normal, sweet milk. Deceived so thoroughly. Then, it kicked in. Maybe human nature was like milk. Tammi didn’t like to think about such things often as it was unpleasant but maybe she should. She saw what Ms Sutton had been aiming for with the task. Immediately for almost unknown reasons, she ran to her English class, hoping her teacher was still there. As she pulled up, Ms Sutton was just about to lock the door.

“Ms Sutton! I have… I have an answer!” She puffed. Her teacher smiled and entered the room again, beckoning. Truthfully, Tammi didn’t know why she was so desperate to tell her. Normally, she’d just brush it off and never think about it, pass it off as annoying teacher stuff. Now, she wanted so bad for her idea to be heard and understood.

“Human nature is like milk. It deceives you with its white pureness, and perhaps for a time it was pure with good intentions. Many years ago, of course. Then, it curdled with time and outer influences. Age has mutilated views and intentions beyond the point of recognition. Then, still not knowing this, you take a big drink. But instead of the sweetness of milk you get the sourness of the curdling. The corruption and changes and… just pointlessness and shallowness of society wants to come back up. The wars and crime and dishevelment of some wants to regurgitate and not be around you. But, unlike normal milk, you can’t spit it out. You have to drink it and then, still knowing it’s sour, you’re forced to drink it again. And again and again and again. We’ve curdled beyond our expiry date. So to clarify, human nature is like milk, spoiled milk.” After finishing her rant, Tammi sat in silence. A weight had been lifted from her chest and she watched for Ms Sutton’s reaction. Finally, she smiled. A big, wide grin worthy of the Chesire Cat.

“Well done. I knew you had it in you. Does that feel better?” Still out of breath, Tammi nodded. “In your day and generation, it’s important to have activities like these to widen the mind of the, how’d you put it ‘shallow’ teens. Even if I’ve only opened one mind up to the reality, that’s something! Because one person can be the difference that needs to be seen.”

“What can I do about it?” Tammi asked.

“Not much now. You have to start in small places. Your friend group, your grade, maybe the hole school. But every person you enlighten, enlightens the next. A chain reaction. Maybe one day you’ll get into a position of power to make bigger changes but whatever you can do now is perfect, as long as you are actively striving for a better future.” As cheesy as it sounded, it hit very close to home for Tammi. Inspired, she sat with Ms Sutton in silence. Not needing to talk with conversation filler and neither having something important to do or a phone for distraction. Merely comfortable silence that said a million things. Mainly, ‘this is enough’.