Hex 10 was not as beautiful as the shelving area of the main hexes. The materials were still just as luxurious; however, the white marble was very easy to stain and no one bothered to limit the outer hexagons on the lower floors.
The floors of Hexagon 10 were dusty, the walls stained and scrawled; the angel lamps were broken and only a few worked: so it was not uncommon for Adam to have to walk through spaces where there was no Light to get to his house.
Adam's breath was a little heavy; for having run so much. But when he got to hexagon 10 he calmed down and walked slowly through these dusty corridors. This area was safer for him; because all the neighbors knew and protected him.
Finally, Adam reached the door of his house. The wooden door was broken, so there was no key. By pushing her a little, Adam was able to enter to meet his father.
The room was completely marbled, but all the lamps were replaced with the bluish mushrooms from the cave. The walls were completely scratched and stained with mud from the cave as if to hide the white color of the marble.
Some doodles and paintings could be seen everywhere, but there weren't many things in the room and there wasn't any furniture, so all the objects were thrown on the floor.
In one corner of the room, someone was squatting with his arms covering his head; he was dressed in a white robe, full of mud and patches. But the robe was in such bad shape that it only covered some parts of his body.
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The squatting person was very similar to Adam, by the light of the mushrooms he seemed to have red hair and freckles, he had blue eyes like Adam. But he was duller and a little whiter as if he were about to go blind. Furthermore, the surroundings of this person's eyes were somewhat black as if he were a raccoon as if he suffered from some eye disease.
Adam closed the door and the light from the lamps ceased to enter the room. The squatting person removed his hands from his head and looked at the young man who had just entered with some hesitation. Noticing the look, Adam burst into tears and ran to hug the person dressed in rags.
—We did it, Dad! Nobody noticed!— Adam cried out in tears as he hugged his father.
But his father didn't close the hug, he stayed silent, trying to remember who this boy was, but he couldn't seem to do it. Still, Adam didn't care, and he kept holding him while he cried.
—Did you go to school? Do you have the yellow book, don't you?— His father asked with a very weak voice, it was a bit difficult for him to speak and he didn't seem to remember why this boy called him 'dad', but he did remember that he used to help him.
— Yes… yes, I have it here — Adam replied with a smile, taking his book out of his tunic — The teacher gave me homework to help me read the first page of the book and I would try to read the rest.
His father took the book and looked at the first page. Seeing the page with ordered characters: tears began to fall from his face, but he didn't speak, he stared at the pages for a while, then closed it and handed it back to Adam.
—With this, you will be able to read… You will be able to be free—said the father, crying between tears—I never was, but I never failed to integrate it… But I failed… I always fail. Take good care of it.
—Yes father! And the homework?—Adam asked, somewhat concerned, not understanding his father's words.
—I don't know how to read any language, —his father answered with some sadness—but your teacher will teach you everything you need, just tell him that your father is too busy with work to help you with your homework. Trust me, he won't ask you any more questions if you tell him that.