Smartystan

Each of the men in the halfway house remembered why they had trekked sometimes arduous journeys to get to this place. Fenton Sheltham never lost sight of his dream. He crafted it into the most meaningful of things he could possibly imagine. He and his three sons all found simple pleasures and delightful comforts despite the relatively confining space in which they found themselves.

What drove Sheltham the most remained his faith in himself. He served no mystical beings or prayed or thought about putting others before himself or his values. He certainly would die for his boys, but that would be the most selfish act of honor to give to them if the situation ever arose. He looked over his work and listened to the mobile devices of his offspring. Sheltham could still function and create a space in his mind to navigate through the many prompts that challenged his knowledge of trucking. Though he had the position he still had to take the tests. He finished the verbal and mathematics sections without too much fuss. He then tapped the send button and it became a concern for a proctor.

When he had finally reached a point where he could rest, he called his sons to him.

“Come here, boys,” he said.

They all put down their devices and journeyed over to their father.

“Once we get a good footing on what we can do here, when I pass this test, I go on to the physical test where I have to demonstrate my ability in maneuvering a truck. I know that synths can do my job, but they lack the sense it takes to get out of jams and mishaps.”

“Is this going to be hard, Papa?” Garland asked.

“It shouldn’t be. I’ve got all of the ideas in my brain housing group.”

“Okay. We know you have this,” Fasino said.

“Thanks Fas Man.” Sheltham acknowledged. “Alright boys, back to what you were doing. I have to continue the work.” Then, a knock came at the door.

Sheltham answered it. “Yes?”

“You must take the test now.”

“Now? It’s not supposed to be until tomorrow,” Sheltham countered.

“But my sons––”

“We have synths that can sit for them.”

“Never mind that. I think my eldest can handle his younger siblings.”

“So be it.”

“Do I need to bring anything? I have my work clothes in a bag.”

“Yes, change into those clothes and be prepared to enter the examination area in the next thirty minutes.”

Sheltham looked at his boys. “What are you going to do about all of us, Papa?” Fasio asked.

“It’s okay. Like I said, I can ace this thing just like I was back on the roads in Maryland. It takes nothing. At least for me it doesn’t.” It seemed like they would laugh at this line but they all looked at their father with admiration and that he had just struck the right note.

“I’m going to put on this getup and then head out there. Garland, you’re the man of the house again. You watch after your brothers.”

“Yes, sir,” Garland said.

Once Sheltham had reached the area where the trucks had been parked and ready for drivers, he looked at the relatively short line of people who vied for this position. A lot of people must’ve failed the written and mathematics tests, he thought. He stepped closer to the front of the line and discovered that he would be next to be tested.

He hopped into the rig. A sanctuary of sorts, he felt comfortable here in this seat.

“Okay. There’s a flood of water…what do you do with the truck?” An influx of water then inundated the undercarriage of his truck. Deftly, Sheltham put the truck in second gear and sought higher ground.

“Excellent. Now, You are tasked with parallel parking. Guide the vehicle between the two highlighted places. Sheltham scoffed. He knew he could do this and became aware of the fact that these tests seemed below him. He parked the truck with ease. This made him want to create a life for his boys even more. He yearned for a place where he could be focused on their futures and make a way for himself. By knowing that these two ideals were not mutually exclusive, he continued on his journey of greatness. Never did he think of an idyllic place such as Smartystan. He imagined eggheads in their ivory towers looking down on the people of various capabilities. Instead, he found this whole set of tests, albeit tedious, to be a welcoming reminder of the way that this country-state had been constructed. He put the truck in park.

“I’ve done the tests, now what happens?” he asked a proctor.

“You’re going to be given a healthy sum of money to start out with once you’ve worked for several weeks. Then, that salary will kick in and you will be able to be fully independent.”

“That sounds great but what happens now?”

“Now you return to your room and prepare for your new life in Smartystan.”

Sheltham prized this moment. He could sense the amount of people who opted to do the same thing as he had just done. This lasted for a split second, He considered his own position to be of prime importance. He thought of his boys. Next, he looked up and saw that he had to sign for his license. Upon signing, they granted him an advanced certification similar to the one he had earned months ago.

“Thank you,” Sheltham replied.

When he had returned to his room, the boys all slept. He moved smoothly so as to not wake them. They had already changed into their night clothes. He carried them all to their beds with a gentle and firm hold on their bodies. Once he tucked in them all, he disrobed and put on his own pajamas. The new day would bring a greater role for him to place and become an outlet for his aptness.