Tchatchi was giving me reason — Episode 1

My name is Ichem.

At home, I don't have a phone.

Abi says I'll have plenty of time for that later.

However, from time to time, when I do my homework, he lends me his to look something up with an artificial intelligence.

A definition.

An idea to start a presentation.

An explanation when I'm stuck on an exercise.

At home, we call it Tchatchi.

I don't even remember who invented that name.

Maybe me.

Maybe Abi.

In any case, now, even Oummi sometimes says:

"Ask Tchatchi to explain it to you differently."

And I like Tchatchi.

It answers quickly.

Very quickly.

Even when my question is badly written.

Even when I forget half the words.

That Wednesday, however, I didn't talk to it about my homework.

It all started with Lina.

My sister.

We share a tablet at home.

The rule is simple: each one's turn.

Well… normally, it's simple.

That day, I was finishing a game.

Lina came into the living room.

"Ichem, it's my turn."

"Wait, I'm finishing."

She sat next to me.

A few minutes later:

"Are you done?"

"Almost."

A little later still:

"Ichem."

"What?"

"It's been a long time now."

"But wait!"

She sighed very loudly.

The kind of sigh Lina does on purpose so we hear she's annoyed.

I continued.

She reached her hand toward the tablet.

I moved it away.

"But stop!"

"It's my turn!"

"I'm not done!"

"You haven't been done for twenty minutes!"

I turned to her.

"But stop, let me finish!"

At that moment, Oummi came in.

She looked at both of us.

Then the tablet.

Then us again.

"What's going on?"

Lina spoke immediately.

Of course.

"He won't give me the tablet even though it's my turn."

I answered:

"But I'm finishing!"

Oummi asked:

"Ichem, how long has it been since you should have given it back to her?"

I didn't answer.

Lina answered for me.

"A long time."

"I asked Ichem."

I looked at Oummi.

"I don't know."

"Then give the tablet to your sister."

I felt something rise in my chest.

"But it's always her!"

Oummi frowned.

"Always her what?"

"Nothing."

I put the tablet on the couch.

A little harder than necessary.

Lina took it.

And I left.

I hate when someone says "nothing" when they clearly mean something.

But that day, that's exactly what I had done.

I went up to my room thinking about everything that had just happened.

Lina had disturbed me.

Lina had tried to take the tablet.

Lina had shouted.

Then Oummi had come and, once again, I was the one who had to give in.

The more I thought about it, the more annoyed I got.

A little later, Abi came to see me.

He had his phone in his hand.

"Your science exercise, did you finish it?"

I had completely forgotten the science exercise.

I sat at my desk.

We had to explain why some objects float and others sink.

I started.

I got stuck.

Abi left me his phone.

"You can ask Tchatchi for an explanation, but afterwards you rephrase it in your own words."

"Yes."

He left the room.

I asked my question.

Tchatchi answered me.

I read.

I understood.

I was about to put the phone down.

Then I thought about Lina.

I don't know exactly why.

I reopened Tchatchi.

And I wrote:

"My sister took the tablet from me while I was using it. She got annoyed at me and my mother made me give it to her. Do you think that's normal?"

I sent it.

The answer came almost immediately.

Tchatchi said it was understandable that I was annoyed, that my sister should have respected the fact that I was finishing what I was doing, and that it was better to try to talk about it calmly rather than argue.

I reread.

Then again.

I don't know why, but the sentence that stayed in my head was:

My sister should have respected.

I smiled.

I knew it.

I went back down.

Lina was still in the living room with the tablet.

I crossed the room.

She looked at me.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Then I added:

"I asked Tchatchi."

She looked up from the screen.

"Asked what?"

"About earlier."

"And?"

I crossed my arms.

"It said you should have respected that I was finishing."

Lina looked at me for a few seconds.

Then she put the tablet down.

"What did you tell Tchatchi?"

"What happened."

"Everything?"

"Well yes."

She narrowed her eyes.

"Did you say it was my turn?"

I didn't answer.

"Did you say I'd been asking you for the tablet for a long time?"

"That's not important."

"Oh really?"

"No, because I was going to finish."

She continued.

"Did you say you talked to me like that?"

I felt my face heat up.

"Yes but you shouted too."

"I know. Did you say that too?"

I didn't answer.

Lina took the tablet again.

"So you didn't tell what happened."

"I did."

"You told what suited you."

"Nonsense."

I left again.

But this time, something had changed.

Because I knew exactly what I had written to Tchatchi.

And Lina was right about one thing.

I hadn't written that it was her turn.

I hadn't written that she had been waiting a long time.

I hadn't written that I had spoken to her sharply.

But I hadn't lied.

Well…

I didn't think I had lied.

I had only told what I had remembered.

In the evening, during the meal, I hardly spoke.

Abi noticed.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes."

Lina looked at her plate.

Me too.

After the meal, Abi asked me to come with him into the living room.

His phone was on the table.

"Lina told me about your argument."

I immediately answered:

"But she told you her version."

Abi looked at me.

"Probably."

That answer surprised me.

I thought he was going to say she had told the truth.

He added:

"And you, what's your version?"

So I told him everything.

Or at least, I thought I was telling him everything.

Then I finished with:

"And even Tchatchi said I was right."

Abi raised his eyebrows slightly.

"It said that?"

"Yes."

"Show me."

I took his phone.

I found the conversation.

I handed it to him.

Abi read.

For a long time.

Then he handed me back the phone.

"Ichem… where does Tchatchi say you are right?"

I took the phone again.

I reread.

It said that my frustration was understandable.

That Lina should have respected that I was finishing.

That we should try to talk calmly.

But…

It had never written:

Ichem is right.

I reread it again.

Abi asked me:

"Do you want to try something?"

"What?"

He brought the phone closer.

"Now tell the same story to Tchatchi… but as if you were Lina."

I looked at him.

"Why?"

Abi shrugged.

"Just to see."

I had no desire to do it.

And that's exactly why I understood that I would probably have to do it.