Chapter 561 - So, do you have a better idea? (2)

2 June, Matthew's Villa, City K

Taking a deep breath Matthew looked at Lexi, before turning back to Dominic who now appeared confused.

"Dominic, when I was growing up, your Mummy's parents treated me like your Uncle's Andrew and Chester. Like your Uncle Phillip, I spent more time at their now, which is now your Uncle Andrew's home than I ever did at my parents' home, which is where your Uncles Phillip villa. My parents hated that they were, and this is their words 'held back by children'. They did not like the idea of bringing up their children and had a view that all we should do is sit there and make them look good. But your Uncle Phillip and I were boys, who like you, like to be outside and play and spend time with our friends."

"Your Mummy's parents welcomed the two of us with open arms, making us always feel welcome and loved. In some respects, I considered them more my parents than I ever did my real parents because of that."

"But should you not love your parents?"

"Dominic, I did, and in some ways I still do. But I do not like their opinions which they try and force on everyone around them. But at the same time, I respect their right to have those opinions."

"That sounds confusing."

"Dominic, they do not believe your Uncles Phillip and Chester should be together. Recently when they were here, they said in my hearing, wanting me to react, that people like them should be treated as they were in the past, killed for simply loving who they do. I knew they wanted me to react, but I did not do what they expected. I told them I would defend their right to have whatever opinion they liked, and respect that they have an opinion, but I did not accept that view and would protect your Uncle's Phillip and Chester from such attitude."

"It was always little things like that, which to your Uncle Phillip and I had impacts on us growing up and why we spent more time with your Mummy's parents, because they let us be the children we were, rather than like our own parents expecting us to act like little a.d.u.l.ts. What changed was when I decided to join the military. Your mummy supported me to make the choices I did and came with me when I signed up at the recruitment office, so she was the first one to know what I had done. It was not until just before your Uncles Andrew, John, Paul, Steven, and I graduated from High School that I told everyone. The worst reaction came from my parents and your mummy's parents."

Lexi motioned to Matthew to pause, and she said, "You were told about why my parents hated the military last night by your Aunty Monica and Abigail's Dad?"

Nodding, Dominic said "Uncle Kevin told me the story, which Uncle Warren said was true."

Lexi relaxed. She had spoken to Kevin Mo earlier yesterday, and he told her specifically what he was going to tell Dominic. Thank goodness for elders.

"Do you understand why they felt that way?"

"Mummy, it is silly that they felt that way. It was an accident, and all they could do is blame the military."

Matthew, having read the incident report, while knowing that was not exactly true, said "In some ways it was an accident Dominic, but in other ways it was not. The accidental part was someone misread a map and put the people there when they should not have been there. But there were deliberate choices made by senior military officers at the time. Until recently in the military not all promotions were earned solely on merit. At the time that it happened there were some promotions that were given simply because of connections…"

"Like Colonel Hung? I saw the other day people were not happy about that."

"No Dominic, not like him. If he had stayed under me, there would not have been the promotion that he deserved. There are reasons we only have so many high ranked officers in our chain of command, but in part that is because of what we do. He had been on the list to be considered for promotions for a few years, and it became how did he get what he deserved. The unusual part, was what he has been assigned to, but given how long he has been based here, it was a good decision."

Lexi laughed and said "Dominic, are you trying to distract us."

Dominic turned to Lexi, and with an innocent look on his face, and a mocking voice said "Me, Mummy, Never."

Lexi looked at Matthew and laughed.

Shaking his head Matthew said "As I was saying at the time there was some promotions simply made by connections, nor merit. Those in charge deliberately decided to use only people who had their promotions through connections, rather than using some that had their promotions through merit. As a result, there was a lack of all necessary skills, because those senior officers believed that assigning those only promoted on connections would allow them to gain the skills. That was deliberate. However, from everything I have read, those appointed to lead did everything they could to do the right thing, realising their limitations. But those limitations meant they, unintentionally made mistakes, and that is the accidental part."

"And as Uncle Kevin said last night, the deaths are why Mummy's family hated the military."

"Somewhat true. The senior officers publicly tried to blame those who died for what happened because they did not want the officers, they put in charge to get into trouble because their connections could make their lives difficult. But strangely, the officers who accidently made the mistakes admitted to this. They suffered the consequences of that, but it changed a lot in the military, which I have to be grateful for."

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