Monday:The Ceremony continues, and Jonas becomes increasingly nervous as his turn approaches. When Fiona is called, she receives the Assignment of Caretaker of the Old which Jonas thinks is perfect for his sensitive friend. Jonas readies himself to be called next, but the Chief Elder instead calls Pierre who is Twenty and skips Jonas. Jonas and the rest of the community are astonished, but the Ceremony continues with the rest of the Elevens.
Tuesday:Calling Jonas up to the stage, she tells everyone that Jonas has not been assigned, but "selected" to become the next Receiver of Memory. There are gasps of surprise at this announcement, and the Chief Elder explains that this kind of selection is rare. In the community, there is only one Receiver who has been in the position for a long time. Continuing her speech, the Chief Elder explains that ten years ago, there had been a failed selection of a Receiver. She says that she will not dwell on because it causes everyone discomfort at which Jonas can feel the unease that the audience seems to feel.
Wednesday:For the first time in his life, Jonas feels different from the rest of the Elevens. After the Ceremony, he looks for his friends and family among the throng of people who eye him and whisper about him among themselves. Having spotted Asher, Jonas invites him to ride back home together. Although Asher agrees, Jonas feels that for a moment, Asher is uncertain.
Thursday:As a Receiver-in-training, he had been given all those memories from the Receiver before him. The heavy burden of these memories makes him tired and old. The man tries to explain his state of mind by comparing it to going downhill on a snow sled, but Jonas does not know what sled and snow are. Saying that it is "a place to start," the man instructs Jonas to remove his tunic and lie face down on the bed. He then goes to the speakers and turns them off. Jonas is astonished that the speakers can be turned off. The man returns to the bed where Jonas is and sits on a chair by the bed. Telling Jonas to close his eyes and relax, he explains that he will give Jonas the memory of snow.
Friday:The old man confesses that transmitting even that small memory to Jonas has slightly lifted some burden off him. Although he does not have that specific memory of the sled, the snow, and the hill anymore after having given it to Jonas, he still has many others to give. The old man tells Jonas that the memory of the snow and the sled is a distant one that goes many years back. There is no longer snow because of Climate Control. Jonas expresses the desire to have things like snow and hill every now and then, and the old man agrees, but he reminds Jonas that the choice is not theirs. Although he has honor, it is not the same thing as power.
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