Love Thy Enemy

            "Why do we haveta come here? Why'd Daddy haveta go to that dumb sym...sym-posium anyway?"

            "Sikudhani McCoy," Ororo cautioned. She placed a delicate dark hand on the six-and-a-half year old's shoulder, but the warning didn't work. Siku sank deeper into the orange, pint-sized plastic chair in the waiting room and crossed her arms, scowling. Her little blue feet bumped the magazine table with fast, sharp strokes.

            "No! I hate the dentist. He hurts me! And you can't make me like him, either!"

            Ever patient, Ororo Munroe let Siku continue her sulk a few moments longer. After all, the child was a tiny bit entitled. On her very first visit, one of Dr. Schubert's hygienists scraped too sharply and nicked little Siku's gums. She reacted as any mutant with large canines would: She bit him. The hygienist required surgery to properly mend his finger but since he should have known better, Dr. Schubert promptly fired him. Dr. Alan Schubert was renowned in the field of mutant orthodontics and a good friend of Siku's father, Dr. Hank McCoy, but he'd chosen a bad helper that day.

But in spite of the incident, Siku can improve the way she handles her feelings, Ororo thought. A small smile pinked the corners of her dark lips. "Who said you had to like him?"

            "Huhn?" Siku's sapphire eyes grew huge. "You mean it's okay to hate the dentist?"

            "Not exactly, little one."  She was thankful that Siku's stormy mood had tapered, if only for a moment, and that Dr. Schubert's table had been saved from another sharp kick.

            Ororo patted her lap. "Come here, Siku." Strong chocolate arms encircled thin fuzzy ones, and Siku felt a strong feeling of warmth and safety while she rested her head against her Aunt's warm sweater.  She liked how Auntie 'Roro smelled of the outdoors, like her Uncle Logan. But unlike her uncle, Aunt 'Roro reminded her of flowers and sandalwood instead of pine and woods.

            This is what a mommy's hug's supposed to feel like, she thought as she snuggled deep into the grooves of Ororo's arms.

            "You should not hate people, Siku. You can hate the result of their actions, but not the people themselves. Hating people is unjust."

            Siku wrinkled her nose. "Even yucky people like Bethanny, or the Friend's people?"

            "Especially them." Ororo kissed the top of Siku's head and whispered close to the little girl's ear. "Extend as much grace and mercy to your enemies as you can, because someday, those enemies could become your friends."

            "I doubt I'll ever be friends with Bethanny," Siku grumbled. "She's not very nice to me." Her bright eyes gazed up hopefully. "You think she'll be nice to me, someday?"

            "I hope so, Siku. But even if she does not, by extending more grace, you make it harder for your enemies to do mean things to you."

            Siku frowned a little and picked the lint balls off her yellow jumper.  She distractedly tickled the fibers up and down the crook of her aunt's elbow when the lint tumbled onto Ororo's arm.

            "B-but does that mean it's okay for them to do the bad things if they're our enemies, 'cause they're gonna be our friends later?"

            Ororo hugged her even tighter and swayed gently back and forth. "Never, my child.  What they have done is still inappropriate.  Sometimes they need to be punished for what they do, if they continue to be uncaring to others.  We try to help our brothers and sisters who cannot fight back, but we also try to help our enemies understand that what they do is hurtful.  We also help our enemies realize that we will not tolerate certain ways of expressing anger and fear."

            "Oh," Siku said softly. She thought hard for a little while, trying to grasp what her Auntie told her. She began combing her small fingers through the strands of Ororo's platinum hair as she thought. "Like when I throw a tantrum, and Daddy says not to, 'cause I'm not askin' for stuff the right way?"

            Ororo smiled. "Very much so. When our enemies throw their...tantrums, then we will be there to help them express their feelings properly."

            Siku nodded, understanding it a little bit better, but not all the way.  Grown-ups had funny ways of expressing themselves, and sometimes how they acted wasn't how they really felt inside. Like the way her Aunt Rogue and Uncle Remy fought.

            She was quiet a little longer, content with being gently rocked in her aunt's lap, when a new thought hit her.

            "Auntie 'Roro?"

            "Hmm?"

            Siku's mood brightened a little. Her Auntie liked swaying back and forth as much as she did. "If it's not okay to hate people, what should I feel?"

            "Well..."

            Ororo paused so long that Siku wondered if she'd been heard. She decided to ask again, just in case. "Auntie--? Did you forget my question?"

            "No, Siku." Ororo's delicate fingers stroked her niece's forehead, and the child lay back with a contented sigh. "The question is a difficult one, and I want to give you a good answer. How about...'strong aversion?' "

            "A-aversion?" Siku grinned. "You worded me, Auntie! What does..." she rolled the sound over her little tongue. "What does aversion mean?"

            "It means you really, really dislike something. Not quite hate, but nearly so."

            "Like pot roast?"

            Ororo chuckled. Siku liked to hear her aunt's deep alto laugh. She didn't hear it very much. "Probably more than pot roast."

            "Aversion...aversion." Siku filed the world into her memory. "I'll remember."

            "I know you will, little one. But I hope you do not have to use the word too often."

            Siku crinkled her forehead. What's the use of having a new word, if you weren't expected to use it? She was about to ask her aunt about the contradiction when Miss Talbot, Dr. Schubert's new hygienist, came into the waiting room carrying a clipboard.

            "Siku? Sikudhani McCoy?"

            "Uh, oh," Siku sighed. She sadly crawled from Ororo's lap with her eyes downcast. "I don't want to go, Auntie 'Roro. Do I have to?"

            "Yes. But," Ororo said, with a twinkle in her eye, "if you are very good, and you sit still for the doctor and his assistant, then perhaps we can go to Barry's Creamery after our lunch."

            Siku beamed. "They have the best ice cream!"

            "That they do. I shall ask your father first, but if he approves, then we shall have a treat together."

            "Goody!" She jumped up and down happily, nearly forgetting about Miss Talbot and the nasty dentist tools. 

"Siku? We're waiting for you, hon'." Siku shyly went over to the hygienist and carefully took the blonde woman's hand. Miss Talbot's hand was warm and soft. "Heya! We'll have you in and out in a jiff. We'll be really, really careful this time. Okay?"

            "O-okay." Siku glanced at her aunt, who motioned for her to go with Miss Talbot with a small, encouraging wink. " 'Cause we're goin' to Barry's afterwards, an' they've got really good ice cream."

            "M-m-m! I love Barry's, too. Your Aunt Ororo picked a great ice cream parlour."

            "Really? You like Barry's?" She looked into the tall woman's eyes and saw a friendly face staring back at her. Maybe it won't be so bad, she thought, especially since she likes ice cream, too.

            As the door to the dental area slowly closed, Siku missed the small look of sadness tinged with anger on her Aunt's dark features. Usually Ororo Monroe did not express her stronger feelings, unless she felt extremely troubled. The sorrow may last overnight, young Siku, she thought. But tears of joy will come in the morning.

            Ororo picked up the public telephone to call Siku's father. "I promise, precious one," she whispered as she dialed, "I swear it. The X-men will continue fighting for justice until your latter days are filled with hope and promise."