Page 18 - Demo

had ever happened. He had never heard of any robberies or kidnappings that took place in the mall. It was possibly the safest place in the world. He knew everyone, too, so all he had to do was scream and there’s bound to be some people around to save him if ever, in the most extreme cases, he was in danger.
And he wasn’t a boy anymore (He shrugged off the voices of his neighbours calling him ‘little boy’). He has knowledge — he knows how electricity works and how animals can be dangerous, and he knows how rain forms and how sickness comes from germs — but that’s only what he’s seen from books and programmes! Now he has the chance to see the world on his own, without his mother pulling him around, showing him what she sees. Robert nods to himself.
He’s a man now. And he will prove it.
“... it’s pathetic when you see society being proud of itself, producing children who know what’s written on the book, who’s got good grades, gets into top universities without a sweat; but doesn’t know what’s actually happening outside.”
“What?” Robert exclaimed, drawn back to reality, “But they do! I mean, I read the news; and I know about global warming and the trade war and Brexit and —”
“That’s only what you know, young man. The world is a dark place; and I don’t mean dark as in global politics. I mean as in danger that’s right next to you, or even in your head. Take this shopping mall as example,” Ms. Laurence waved her knitting needles around, “It’s a little community where nearly everybody knows everybody, where it’s clean and bright and nice, where there’s a lot of trust in this place’s safety. So much trust that parents would much rather have their children in this mall forever, than ever letting them see what the outside world is like. And that’s what they do; and that’s why tragedy happens. Because they’ve lost their alertness.”
Robert rolled his eyes; nothing but unnecessary worry about things that won’t happen. He messaged his mother and smiled at her reply.
Fine. You can walk around the mall if you want. It’s a safe place after all. Remember to wear your sweater it’ll be —
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