Handed Down.

“Happy Birthday, son.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Jaden answered as he walked in the door and over to Jasper as he came downstairs.

They slapped their hands into a loose handshake, and Jasper pulled his son in for a loving embrace.

“This is a big one!” he yelled back and walked into the kitchen. “You’re a grown man now!”

Jaden slightly blushed. “Yeeah, yeah, I know. I guess I’ll need to find a real job soon.”

“Yeah, that and a few other things,” said his dad.

Trying to compete with their conversation, several other voices spoke a few notches above Mute from the living room TV.

“I don’t know about this, John,” said one of the female voices. “I just don’t know. How are the people going to react?! Seems like there would be a lot of pushback on this…”

“Pushback? Oh they’ll be fine,” a male voice replied. “It isn’t even that big of a deal. Anyone who’s trying to make it one is blowing the whole thing way out of proportion!”

“Oh Jay, you’re home!!” Jaden’s mom Simone descended from upstairs. “Happy Birthday, baby!!” She walked up and hugged and kissed him on the cheek.

“Thanks, Mom,” he smiled.

“What do you want for your first grown birthday? OH! I almost forgot! Today’s also the day that you—”

“I know, I know,” Jaden interrupted.

“Aren’t you excited?!” she exclaimed. “Finally getting to register and be an official member of society!”

“Not really,” said Jaden.

“But why such a sudden change in direction?” another male voice pierced from the background.

“Well, according to reports,” said the earlier female voice, “efforts are being made to create more balance…”

Jasper plopped down on the couch with his freshly made sandwich and changed the channel.

“What were they talking about?” asked Simone.

“Oh I don’t know. You know they’re always talkin’ and babblin’ on about somethin.”

Simone returned her attention to her son.

“Jay, why aren’t you excited about declaring yourself today?”

“Because!” he exclaimed. “I mean… Why do I have to choose? Why can’t I be both?”

Jasper chuckled.

“Yeah, wouldn’t that be great,” said Simone, “but you know that’s not how it works…”

“Yeah, son,” Jasper jumped in. “Just pick one and move on with your life. We all have! You’re a Writer or you’re a Reader. It isn’t that hard. Just decide which one you’d rather do in life, and go with that!”

“But I’m only 18. I have to decide this for the whole rest of my life?! What if I live to be 100?! I have to be only a Writer or only a Reader the whole time?! How am I supposed to know which one to choose? And what if I choose wrong?!”

“There’s no such thing as ‘wrong’ here, son. They both have their pros and their cons. It’s just about which cons you’d be more okay living with.”

One of Jaden’s eyebrows raised, with his father’s explanation seeming about as clear as New Orleans swamp water.

“Take me and your mom, for example,” Jasper went on. “I couldn’t imagine a whole life of writing, so I figured it’d make more sense to be a Reader—ya’know, just by default. I’ve honestly never been much of a reader either!” He tickled himself a few moments before continuing.

“Your mom, on the other hand—she’s always loved writing, and been pretty damned good at it, too! Always has a lot to say. A lot worth listening to. Not everyone has that, but she has it, ya’know? So, as much as she also loved reading, it was still pretty much a no-brainer at the end of the day. A Writer, she would be!”

“Yep,” Simone chimed in. “And I haven’t regretted it a day since.”

“Yeah, exactly,” Jasper added. “And besides, she’s had me! She writes, I read. Since she isn't allowed to do it, I do it for her. Well, as much as I can…”

Simone lifted her lips and narrowed her eyes in her husband’s direction.

“Yeah, we’ve made do,” she said before turning back and whispering to Jaden.

“You've probably noticed there are a lot of words your father doesn’t know and topics he doesn’t wanna know more about. And he reads very, very slowly…”

“What you say, hun?” Jasper briefly looked back before returning his eyes to the little, helmeted figures running back and forth across his large screen.

“Oh, nothin’,” she smiled. “Just was sayin’... We’ve made do.”

“Oh okay,” he gave a half-assured nod with his eyes still planted on the screen.

“But Mom, don’t you miss it—miss reading, too?” asked Jaden.

“I mean, sure,” said Simone. “Sometimes I do miss being able to curl up with a good book or read the newspaper, myself, to more closely follow what’s going on. Back when I was even younger than you, I was really into current events… until I became a Writer. Since then, I’ve pretty much just gotten used to getting what news I can from your dad. And figure he’ll at least pretty much cover the big stuff. And that’s mostly been the case, so it’s worked out.”

She continued. “It's also built a lot of trust between us. I pretty much have to rely on the information he gives me.”

“Yeah,” said Jaden. “Seems like that would be really tough.” He paused for a moment as he reflected on his mom’s words. “Why even be anything but a Reader, then, if that's the case? As a Writer, it seems like you would live your life pretty handicapped and dependent on everyone else.”

“Well, not necessarily,” said Simone. “Think of all the things you can write. Books, stories, articles, letters… The world and humans can change for the better because of your words. It’s so much power. And depending on your personal ambitions, you could even join the government or a company and help write laws and policies—help affect positive change!”

“Hmmm,” said Jaden. “I never thought about it like that.”

“Besides… Again, I have your father…and other Readers out there. It isn’t like I’m not able to get written information in any way—just not on my own. It honestly feels like the best of both worlds!”

Jaden’s father looked back at them again with a smile of great pride.

“I know that’s right!” he exclaimed. “And honestly son, that’s what you should really do—pick one of ‘em, and then find you a nice girl who’s picked the other! And together, you’ll both be set for life.”

Simone’s eyes widened as she deeply exhaled and nodded. “I don’t know how you have a couple who’s been together for years and they’re both Writers or both Readers. Sheesh, that would be insane! How would anything ever get done?!”

“I know, right,” said Jasper. “Well, thank God we both made the right choice.”

*****

The next day, Jasper opened the door to a tall, dull-grey building, and Simone walked through with Jaden right behind.

Once inside, Simone hugged herself from the sudden chill, sharpened by walls painted the same grey on all four sides.

They sat in the waiting room and waited to be called.

Nearly an hour later, a representative approached and signaled for them to follow her into her cubical.

“Welcome to the Department of Societal Literacy & Identity,” she greeted. “How may we help you today?”

Her words sounded like the kind that should accompany a singsong tone with a Colgate smile, yet Simone noted it sounded more like she was explaining how Styrofoam is made. And the woman's face looked like she was being forced to eat it.

“Hi, yes,” said Simone. “My son here just turned 18, so he needs to—”

“Name?”

“Simone.”

“I mean his name. Your son. I assume this young man is your son?”

“Oh yeah, sorry. Jaden. His name is Jaden Riley.”

“And you said he just turned 18?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Simone smiled towards him and her husband. “Just yesterday.”

The representative also smiled but differently and for the first time since they had entered her office.

“Some luck, huh?” she said.

Simone raised her eyebrow and peered over at the two men again.

“So, your birthday is July 4, 2007, correct? I think I’ve pulled you up in the system…”

“I’m in the system?” asked Jaden. “But I just turned 18...”

“Everyone’s in the system,” said the representative.

Jaden looked at his parents with a weird mixture of assurance and concern.

“Son, have you decided?” his father whispered, nudging Jaden at his side.

“Well… I’m not sure yet,” he answered as he turned back to the woman who rapidly typed away. “Umm excuse me, ma’am... Before I do decide, I have a few questions—”

“And your names? Simone, you said?” the woman asked his parents.

“Uhh our names?” said Simone.

“Yeah, why do you need our names?” asked Jasper. “The boy’s 18!”

“Oh yes, it’s just part of the process.”

“Oh,” Simone said dryly. “O…kay. Yes, Simone. Simone Riley. And he's Jasper Riley."

“Jasper and Simone Riley, got it,” the woman focused on her computer screen while she clicked her mouse several more times.

A few moments of silence lingered between the four as she continued to type.

Then, she looked up again at the family.

“I’m sorry, were you saying something a second ago?” she asked Jaden.

“Huh? Oh.” Jayden couldn’t help but be distracted, feeling out of touch with this process. Visions circulated in his mind of him sprawled out on his bed, playing his favorite video game, Night Warrior.

Ah, to be even 17 again.

“Yes, umm, I was saying, I have a few questions before I make my decision...”

The woman waited for him to finish his sentence, only to soon realize he had.

“Uhh before deciding what?” she asked, puzzled.

Jasper looked at his parents again. “Uhh the… decision. Like.. The whole reason I’m here—to decide if I want to be a Reader or a Writer?”

The representative’s eyes rose slightly.

“Umm you---you didn’t hear?” she asked carefully.

“Didn’t hear what?” asked Jasper.

“President Gibel just passed a new law, called Super-Literacy & Identity Alignment…that ummm…”

“That ‘umm’ what?!” Jasper's impatience grew.

“You can no longer choose,” she said. “You can’t choose…whether to be a Writer or a Reader.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” said Jasper. “...Say what?!”

“So, are you saying there’s no longer any such thing as Writers and Readers?” asked Simone.

“Oh no, there’s definitely still Writers and Readers.”

“So, what are you talking about?” asked Jasper. “What do you mean he can’t choose?”

The representative deeply sighed. “I really hate to be the one who has to tell you this, but… Starting yesterday, families can no longer be mixed.”

“What do you mean, we can’t be mixed?” asked Jasper, as Simone gently covered his hand with hers, hoping to calm the quiet storm she knew was brewing.

“Well, like, I see in the system that you, Mr. Riley, are a Reader and your wife is a Writer. Under SLIA, you can’t each be one. You both have to be the same.”

“What?!?” Jasper and Simone shouted simultaneously, causing a brief drop in the office buzz that’d been hovering in the air up until that moment. Pupils nearby temporarily floated in their direction, wondering about the commotion.

“So, wait a minute,” said Jasper. “S—s—so.. We both have to be Writers or Readers?”

“Well, that depends on your shared income. If you make a certain amount per year when this law went into effect—which, unfortunately, it looks like you don’t, but if you did—you could choose which one you both want to be.”

“What?!?” They exclaimed again.

“But, as part of SLIA, every family below a certain threshold and where the man is a Reader, then his wife has to also become a Reader.”

“WHAT?!?” All three family members replied as a unit.

“But I can still choose, though, right?” asked Jaden. “Especially since I never got to?!”

“I’m afraid not, young man. The law was enacted and went into immediate effect yesterday—on your birthday! Kind of tragic, huh? I did say ‘tough luck’! Maybe a not-so-Happy Birthday?”

Jaden sighed. “So, then, what am I?”

“Well,” she said, “Your father’s a Reader, which means your mom’s now a Reader, which means you’re now also a Reader. The whole household follows the father’s suit.”

“Oh my God,” said Simone. “That—That can’t be right…”

“I’m afraid it is, ma’am.”

“B-but… What about the Writers?” asked Jaden.

“Oh, no worries, we’ll still have plenty of them—just in higher-income households. If you’re above a certain higher income, you get to choose which one you want your family to be both of. And that’s part of how they’re able to retain balance. And then those who are above the highest-income threshold…”

The three listened intently.

“They still retain the right to choose which one for themselves, for now, but if there ever seems to be an imbalance there, couples in a certain percentage of households will be mandated to both be Writers.”

“Wowww,” said Simone.

Silence again settled between them as the family mulled this over.

“Honestly, I’m pretty surprised you all hadn’t heard about it. It’s been literally EVERYWHERE. For at least several weeks but probably some months!”

Despite her best efforts, Simone’s eyes couldn’t resist the urge of shooting over at her husband—her Reader.

“Respectfully…” the representative continued, “How did you not know?”

******

As the representative completed Jaden’s registration a half hour later, she turned to him and Simone.

“Now, are you ready for the Pledge?”

“’The Pledge’? What Pledge?” asked Jaden, as Jasper and Simone locked gazes.

“The Pledge you have to commit to officially become a Reader,” she said.

“Wait a minute, now,” said Jasper. “I didn’t have to say no pledge when I became a Reader!”

“Yeah, I didn’t have to when I became a Writer either,” Simone somberly weighed in, “I’ve never heard of that before—”

“Well, that’s because it’s new,” said the woman. “As part of SLIA. Anyone who either is new to their assignment—I mean, new to their Fate, as they're calling it—or they’re elevating from a former Fate, like yourself, Mrs. Riley… They have to take the pledge.”

The three were washed with disorienting concern.

“Dad?” Jaden zeroed in towards Jasper.

His dad slightly shrugged. “I don’t know what this is about or why it’s necessary, but I guess it’s the law now.” He turned to the representative again. “So, what’s this pledge we have to do?”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about doing the Pledge, Mr. Riley, since your Fate didn’t change. Essentially, you were grandfathered in. They assume you’ve already fully committed, so no need to under this new law.”

“Oh,” Jasper answered dryly.

“Yes, so… Mrs. Riley, Jaden… When you’re ready….”

“Go ahead,” said Simone.

“Okay,” she began. “Jaden, you first—repeat after me. “I can read…”

“I…can read…” Jaden’s words slugged behind.

“I can write…”

“I can write…”

“But from this point on…”

“But from this point on…”

“I’ll read with all my might…”

“I’ll read with all my might…”

He continued to repeat her for the rest of the pledge.

“Although I have fingers…

And am able to wield a pen…

I will fight that urge…

And say: Never again.

I am empowered as the consumer

Others will write for me

And I will never doubt or worry

For my new Fate will carry me.”

******

A heaviness fell upon the three as they left the grey building and headed back to their car.

As they approached the vehicle, they gaped only forward—as if each were alone.

*****

As the family stopped at a traffic light near downtown on their way home, they noticed a commotion.

“Hey, what’s going on over there?” asked Jaden. “Is there a concert happening today or something?”

Jasper’s eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t know. Let’s see.”

Instead of the left they usually took to go home, Jasper made a right.

Hundreds of thousands of people saturated the streets and inundated the sidewalks—many with signs of different sizes and colors in hand.

“Our voice! Our choice!!” read one of the sea of signs.

“Pro-mixed families!!” and “Let families decide!!” read two others.

Jasper drove on, eventually finding the heart of the event.

He rolled down the window and suddenly heard a voice booming through a megaphone.

“We will not accept this imposition!” a young woman yelled out. “Being told what we can be, who we can be, how we can be. We are many things as humans. It was bad enough when we had to choose between two main societal identities—now you’re saying we can only be one?!?”

The crowd roared with cheers and applause.

“President Gibel and his administration just want they and their elite friends to write the rules! Write the laws! Rewrite history! Call the shots!

They get to create it all, establish it all, enforce it all. And the rest of us just have to…Read. We just have to swallow and accept it. We have no say. Well, guess what?! I have say!! I don’t wanna just read!!!”

“Yes!!” the audience shouted back en masse.

“I wanna write! And read!!! But you know what I want to do most of all? I want to choose.”

Thunderous excitement charged through the crowd.

“Say it with me!” the woman began chanting. “Let, me, read!”

“Let me read!” the crowd eagerly repeated.

“Let me write!”

“Let me write!”

“If you don’t heed!”

“If you don’t heed!”

“We will FIGHT!!”

“We will fight!!”

Suddenly, an enormous piercing honk came from behind. Jasper peered in the rearview mirror and saw a growing number of cars piling up. He had no idea how long his had been idling in the middle of a one-way street.

As Simone and Jaden gazed at the speaker out their windows, Jasper rolled his up and drove on.