Gemini Resistance

Gemini scrawled a single word on the nearly old chalkboard in all caps: RESISTANCE. To finish the word, he dragged the short stick of chalk the length of the word and placed it on the holding tray at the bottom of the board. Then he turned to face the few of us that were in attendance that day. “If we fight,” he announced with a loud, ragged voice, “it’s true, we might lose.” His eyes slowly surveyed each of our faces. I really think he was looking to read expressions, and he might have accomplished that in some. But his eyes never told the story if he did. I knew for a fact he didn’t see anything in mine. I’d learned, long ago, to cast expression to the wind. It gave everyone the wrong impression. Whether they be friend or foe, it didn’t matter. Sometimes, you just needed to keep what was in your head, in your head. Finally, after satisfying whatever desire had driven him to pause, he resumed his pep talk, if it could be called that. “But if we do not fight, we will have already lost the battle.”

I was the one who looked around then. Gemini made a good point. To fight was to risk a loss, but it was better to risk a loss than simply give up without trying. I could see on the faces of many that they agreed with him. Some nodded. Some had sheer determination in their eyes, with their jaw set, their temples throbbing. And still others gave a hearty shout of agreement, fists raised in the air, their voices becoming visible, as their breath turned into clouds of condensation against the cold. They were few and far between who remained timid-looking and doubtful. Of course, there had to be those that felt differently. Difference is what makes the world go round. But they cannot be allowed to make it stop. Especially for those of us that didn’t want it to.