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I’ve been here one Erid for a good while now. I’m not quite sure how long but my hair started greying and my joints started to protest more everyday so it had to be a good couple of years already. I didn’t have the urge to go back to earth and I don’t think I still belong there anyway. I’m happy on Erid. I got Rocky and Adrian and my kids. Yes! I’ve gone back to teaching and it’s the best thing ever. It took us some trial and error to figure out how to communicate but the kids got the rough hang on my language fast enough and I’m pretty comfortable in eridian now too. On top of that I also got some interesting instruments Rocky made for me so I could ‘speak’ eridian too.
Teaching little Eridian, which I lovingly referred to as Pebbles sometimes, is kind of different to teaching humans but at the same time not that different. I learned that children, no matter the planet, have way too much energy and love to interrupt me. Rocky told me I needed to be more stern but I didn’t really care about it. I happily let my kids interrupt me and make fun of me too. Sometimes it made me feel like I was back on earth in my other classroom and a little daydreaming never hurt anyone.
What I didn’t anticipate to happen was that some of the Pebbles came to me for advice. Not to say I don’t wanna give them some! I happily talk to any kids about anything that’s bothering them and try to help. I just didn’t expect Eridian kids to come to me because I’m an alien and stuff but maybe that’s why they came to me? The reason doesn’t matter. I'm just glad I can be a safe space for them too.
Today was one of these days where a Pebble waited for the others to leave and crawled up to the xenonite barrier separating our atmospheres. I didn’t see them because I had my back turned against the xenonite but rhythmic knocking pulled me out of my own thoughts. Knock-Knock… Knock-Knock… Knock-Knock
I turned around and saw an earthy green patched Eridian. I gave them the earth name Forest. The first time I saw them I saw a little forest full of different leaves and evergreens so I didn’t have to think long and I never once thought twice about it since.
“Oh, hey! Do you have a question about today's lesson?” I asked.
The kid shifted awkwardly on their fives claws and I’m sure if they had a face like me they would uncomfortably look around. Okay so I figured this is nothing about the lesson and maybe something that’s bothering or just something personal they wanted to get off their chest. Sure I can do that. I decided to sit down and patted the ground in front of me. They understood and sat down (? I’m pretty sure Eridians sitting is closer to a cat's loafing but I digress) on their side of the xenonite and started fidgeting with the ‘oh so interesting’ sand under their claws.
“So what’s up, kid?” I tried getting their attention again but they didn’t bother to stop playing with the sand. Stars kids can be so stubborn. Coming to me for help or advice I presume and then not talking. I smiled to myself. It’s just like on earth.
“You know, I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me. I’m not a mind-reader.”
“Not understand that last word. What meaning, question?” They chirped.
“Oh, mind-reader? It means someone who knows what the other thinks without hearing it. Kind of like stealing someone's thoughts out of their brain without asking.” I explained. Sure I could have gotten up and use my instrument but we were sitting so nicely facing each other and I think they got it like this too.
“Can humans do that?!” They shrieked.
I let out a small chuckle, “No, it’s just a concept like to be part of fake stories and stuff.” I didn’t know how else to explain it and I wasn’t about to pull out the word ‘fictional’ on the kid.
“Humans are so…” Forest thought for a while before speaking up again, “Need word. I do not think we have word for it. But maybe humans do?”
“Okay, try explaining it as well as you can. I’ll try to figure it out.” I encouraged and nodded for them to speak up again.
“Doing things not for reason but…” They stomped one of their claws on the ground. It was a thing they did in class too. Mostly when they try to figure out the answer to some question I asked. It’s really endearing to be honest.
“Don’t worry. Just take your time. I don't have to be anywhere today.” I reassured softly.
“I mean doing things for fun. Making up stories.”
“You guys have stories too, don’t you?”
“Not like that. Eridian stories all based on real things. Never just… invent stories and other things for enjoying. Everything with reason on Erid. No building for how it sounds just for how useful it is.”
It was all kinda vague but had a common theme; Everything on Erid is very logical and scientific and less… artistic? Maybe that’s what they meant. I mean Rocky didn’t understand why I wanted my biodome to have cliffs and as much nature as the Eridians could make. He was always like “What reason for this? Grace need to survive?” And it was just never about that. I just thought it would be pretty.
“Do you mean it’s all science?”
“Yes yes yes!” They quirked up, “Human word for opposite of science, question?”
“I mean I wouldn’t call it the opposite but I think the word you’re searching for is ‘Art’. It’s what humans do often in their free time or sometimes even as a job. It’s creating things for fun and just because they look pretty or symbolic. Sometimes that creating is writing stories, sometimes it’s painting-”
“What word mean, question?”
“Painting? Uhm you know how humans see? I taught you guys that last week, remember?”
“Yes, remember.”
“Right so painting is making pictures to look at or maybe tell a story too. There are no rules to art. I mean I’m no artist or art teacher but it’s a fun quirk of humanity.”
“Forest like that.”
“Really? You wanna invent the Eridian word for it?”
“Yes yes yes!” They gave me jazz hands. See that’s a fun quirk of Eridians I really liked. It's interesting how that’s almost artistic as well. I think if they would put their mind to it, the Eridians could do some fun dances. But it’s weird how art kind of lacked in Eridian culture when they had so many things that border on art or are technically artistic but they do it for logical reasons and not just for fun. Like their ‘tattoos’ which are carved into their bodies essentially telling their own life stories. Different cultures I guess.
Forest dragged me out of my head again with their excitement to invent a new word.
“Teacher Grace! New word in eridian is ♪♪♪♫♫♫!”
“Sounds great. Can you repeat that so I can let my instrument repeat it?” I then got up and walked over to said instrument.
“Yes word is ♪♪♪♫♫♫.” They repeated.
“Got it. Amaze Forest! You just created something!”
“Happy happy happy.” They chirped and jumped up. I looked down at them and something in my heart warmed. I missed this too. Don’t get me wrong, teaching is great and amazing and all that but something about casual interactions with my kids was something I always appreciated too.
At this point I almost forgot that this was our little side-quest and they haven’t answered my question about why they knocked yet.
“Wait, didn’t you wanna talk to me about something? I don’t wanna push you to do anything but we can still talk.”
“Oh Forest want to talk about Art. Good coincidence.”
“Huh? How come? Like what did you specifically want to talk about Art?” I asked curiously.
Their excitement slowly died down and they went back to playing with the sand.
Kids, am I right? So hard to get through sometimes but it was worth it every time.
“I’m not gonna judge you, buddy. Look I see it’s clearly bothering you and I wanna help but you gotta communicate what’s bothering you, okay?”
“Forest different.” They said, it was at least an octave lower than usual.
“Why?” I asked and tried to figure out what they meant and how it correlated to the concept of art. The word different bounced throughout my head but I just couldn’t figure it out. I just got really sad they thought they’re different and said it in such a sad tone.
“Can you try to explain why you think that?”
“Art.”
“You’re gonna have to give me more, kid. Again I’m not a mind-reader.” I smiled and hoped this would loosen up the conversation a bit.
“ Forest like art. Not like other Eridians.”
Oh. OH! Eridians are such a science and logic based civilisation of course the kid felt out of place being interested in a concept that didn’t even have a word in their language till they came up with it themselves.
“So not a science guy, huh?” I teased.
“Science interesting but not feel right. Don’t understand why Forest like that. Just am.”
“Well, that’s okay. You can be art Eridian instead of science or engineer Eridian.”
“No art Eridian. Forest just… not normal.”
“Nope. We’re not doing that! You’re just a fresh breath of air- well ammonia for your world.”
“Scary to be different.”
“Yeah it is but isn’t it also exciting?” I tried encouraging them once again. There was no reason for them to feel bad for wanting to explore something new. That’s what my classes were for too. Obviously at the start it was all about filling the gaps of things like radiation and relativity but at one point I also started teaching them about other earth things. Weirdly art never specifically came up it was all ust casual and maybe in a side sentence at best.
“You know what, some of the next lessons I’ll teach you guys about art. Maybe there are more pebbles like you who are interested in it too. Might find some friends to start trying to make art. How does that sound?”
They quirked up at that, “Yes, teach! Wanna learn more of art!” Forest jumped up and down showing their excitement.
“Alright, alright! But only if you stop calling yourself not normal. Being different doesn’t mean you’re not normal. Being different is actually kind of cool, got it?”
“Forest got it, yes. So Teacher Grace talk about art more in class, question?”
“Yeah don’t worry, I see what I can prepare sometime in the next few days.”
“Thank thank thank!” The green boulder-like creature exclaimed.
Well, it seems like helping my eridian kids isn’t that different to helping my earth kids. At the end of the day kids are kids and I guess no amount of planetary or cultural differences could change that and there was something very reassuring about that.