- Neutralism? - I exclaimed, looking at my lessons' chart what I had for that morning. - What kind of subject is this?

I was having breakfast with the Italian brothers. They were eating polenta, and this time I didn't followed them in the choice of meal. I tried to find French bread and milk with coffee to keep up to my national use.

- Neee~~ the very owner of the school teaches it - declared Feliciano, reverently. - Mr. Vash Zwingli.

- He says: all the schools teach Alternative Methods of Solving Conflicts, but I'll teach ways to never get into a conflict, first of all - informed Lovino, covering his yellow food with the lively red Bolognese sauce.

- Weird... - I said. - But interesting. They could very well bring a Brazilian teacher for this one.

Both were too busy with their food to ask me an explanation for my comment. What, by the way, disappointed me a bit. I changed the subject.

- Did you guys discover what class you lost yesterday morning? - I asked. They goggled at me and I thought Feliciano would start crying.

- Yeah, we lost Mr. Edelstein's lecture, and he already passed us an awful load of homework - he mumbled.

- That bastard! - complained Lovino. - And the afternoon teacher also passed us some stuff to do, but how does she suppose we'll be able write something, Feli and I didn't hear a word of what she was speaking.

- Vee~ we were too busy discussing if the teacher would be more beautiful in pants or in a skirt - explained Feliciano. I nodded, disbelieving.

- You're darned - I said, laughing.

- Never mind, we'll find someone to copy - Lovino shrugged.

- I think you can't copy in this school - I opined. - They probably really read what you write.

The darker-haired twin looked at me solemnly.

- You can always copy, miss Erika, learn this - he said. - Always.

I laughed hard. This thought was perfectly Brazilian-like, I felt so at home with those guys. I glanced at my watch.

- I still want to go to the bathroom and brush my teeth, so I better get going. Good classes for you guys.

- Ciao!

Maybe my morning teacher of yesterday had also given us homework. I'd better ask someone. This I got to class with time to spare. Few people were there already, and I sat behind the Englishman that the Italians had pointed to me in our lunch together. He was very cute, in spite of some huge black eyebrows hanging in his face like a pair of caterpillars.

- Excuse me, sir - I called him. He looked at me in a mix of indifference and curiosity - Do we have to deliver something to the teacher of International Maritime Law?

- Yes. We have to deliver him an essay with all that we already know about the international waters.

- Oh, that's simple, thanks God - I breathed, relieved.

- Weren't you here yesterday? - the blond guy asked me.

- I got late and lost the morning class - I explained. He didn't reply, and turned to the blackboard again, but I could feel the profound despise he felt for my lack of punctuality. I was still trying to find an excuse for my delay, as I wouldn't like to be despised by that youngster, when a short man of tanned skin asked permission and sat beside me. I gave up the Englishman and started to talk with him. He was Indian and named Raj [1]. A very friendly guy with a funny accent. We kept talking until the teacher entered the room.

Mr. Vash Zwingli was short and blond and seemingly tetchy. He first explained us how would be his methods of teaching, testing, and all the regular stuff, and then he said that he wouldn't stand there speaking to us a lot of babbling right now. First he wanted to know with which kind of idiots he was dealing. He told us some words about neutrality in wars and bid us to join in groups of four people and discuss on the topic "How important are the guns to keep us out of conflicts". The Englishman, whose name was Arthur Kirkland, and his partner Alfred Jones, turned to me and Raj, as we were the first four in that row of seats.

- Mr. Zwingli, should we deliver you an essay with our conclusions? - asked Arthur Kirkland, raising his hand.

- Sure. But not very long - said the teacher.

The groups formed. When the noise had calmed again, Arthur Kirkland, who had set the paper and pen to take notes of our conclusions, asked:

- So... what do you think? "How important are the guns to keep us out of conflicts"? - he read.

- Fundamental - said Alfred, before I and Raj could open our mouths. - They're simply the basis of peace. Write that down and deliver our paper to the teacher.

I could tell from Arthur's eyes that if he had a gun right now, Alfred wouldn't be kept out of a conflict.

- Excuse me, but it's supposed to be a debate. Why should us just write down your opinion, and dot? - he replied coldly.

- 'Cause I'm the leader of this group.

- Who said?

- I said - replied the American guy, almost naïvely. - I'm just tryin' to make things easier for my team, and then we can talk about things more interesting, such as baseball or football or...

- I think neutralism is an interesting thing to talk about - that was the British, getting angrier every second. - But in my humble opinion, you should be kept out of the conversation, as your country most surely doesn't have the faintest idea of what it is to be neutral, and besides...

- Oh, oh, stop the xenophobia, boys - I cut, seeing Alfred get red and open his mouth, probably to curse Arthur's mother. Deep in my heart, though, I effusively agreed with the eyebrows' guy.

-...and besides why do you call that stupidity "football" if you not even use the feet in it - grumbled the moody British to himself.

- Raj, what do you think about it? - I said, loudly, ignoring the glaring between the blondes. The Indian raised his eyebrows, surprised for having been mentioned.

- Well, Mr. Gandhi made a revolution without a gun [2], so I respectfully disagree of the American sir - he opined. Alfred looked startled.

- But a revolution is a conflict, so he wasn't kept out of one, but put in one - Arthur pondered, letting us all a bit confused.

- Well, I agree with Raj. In my country, some years ago, we had a voting for the complete disarmament of the population [3] - I told. - Unhappily it didn't happen, but just because of the fear propaganda.

- What an abomination! - exclaimed Alfred, horrified. - The Constitution of the United States of America grants to everyone the right of bearing a gun [4]!

- Someone skipped the classes about jurisdiction [5] - groaned Arthur. I smiled.

- The Constitution of the United States of America doesn't apply to Brazil, Mr. Jones, even if we are in America the Continent - I explained, just in case.

- Alfred, please, sweetie. No need to be formal - he corrected, with a wave of hand. - And what are your names, folks? Erika, Raj, Arthur... Can I call you Artie?

- I would rather like Mr. Kirkland, if you don't mind - was the answer, cold as a stalagmite.

- So, Artie, looks like we have a dilemma. They are the majority but they're wrong. Would you vote with me, so that we can give the teacher the answer that he wants to hear?

- I think, Miss Batista, Mr. Garai - Arthur didn't even look at Alfred - that you could think over the question a bit. I mean, I understand your point, but in spite of the pacifist mindsets of your people, your countries do have armies, don't they?

It wasn't easy to finish the lesson, but after a very long discussion, with the constant danger of Alfred's murder by Arthur, we adopted Kirkland's Mr. Miyagi point of view - learn how to fight so you don't have to fight - and delivered our conclusions to the teacher in the very last minute of the class.

- Neutralism - I heard Alfred Jones mumbling, when coming out of the classroom, very disappointed with the little importance we had given to the guns. - This subject's bullshit, just bullshit. There's no one neuter whatsoever in the world.

For the first time in that morning, and probably the only one in my life, I agreed with him.

Notes:

1. As the character India still doesn't have a human name, I gave him the name "Raj Garai". Garai is a common bengali name, according to the internet.

2. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhiwas the preeminent leader and freedom fighter of Indian nationalism in British-ruled India. Employing nonviolent civil disobedience, Gandhi led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world.

3. You can find about this event in Wikipedia under the title "Brazilian firearms and ammunition referendum, 2005". You can also read about efforts of disarmament that happened more recently typing in the Google "Brazil's Disarmament Campaign has collected 13,206 firearms".

4. "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." (2nd Amendment of the Constitution of the USA).

5. Jurisdiction: The geographic area over which authority extends; legal authority; the authority to hear and determine causes of action.