ONE
People call me all sorts of names, but little did they know that the one I pretend to be is far from who I really am. The only ones who know the truth about me are my parents and now you are about to.
It was April 29, 2127, a great night for the Blyds. I lay in my crib looking at my lovely parents on the bed from the perforated space. They looked so happy. My two years old brother was standing by the bed, playing with something I couldn‘t figure out. My mom looked bright even though she just had me, and my dad was all smiling beside her. My mom looked so beautiful, how could one be that beautiful? Not slim, not fat, average height, a perfect shape, weight and height, especially her eyes, oh that was the first thing I opened my eyes to see, a sparkling Emerald stone. I did not open my eyes all through the bathing and cleaning until I was laid in her arms. I opened my eyes and there was this light, a sparkling green light shining into my eyes I had to squint; and then two sexy pink mountains spread revealing well-arranged white set of stones, sparkling too. What a lovely picture to behold, I didn‘t know mountains could be stretchy. Then something was lifting me up as the mountains and white set of stones grew closer and bigger until I felt a moist substance on my forehead. I wish I would be in these arms forever, what a soothing and lovely place to be.
Lying in my crib with the earth surrounding me, I thought what a lovely earth? I looked at them and imagined how lovely it would be to spend my life with these people in this small lovely earth. My handsome dad looked at me.
'Is she looking at us Thelma,‘ he asked my mom.
'She can look at us anytime and as she likes, who are you to complain?‘ mom giggled.
'Her father,‘ he teased back.
'That brought her to this world,‘ mom threw back again.
'No, you did hell of a job with that.‘ They both burst into laughter.
Oh wow, they are just not only cute, but have good sense of humour too. World, she said ―this world‖; is this a World? Then all I could think was how to enjoy this world with these lovely people.
My dad walked up to me with Sean following. I looked at his brown eyes and grinning well-arranged white stones and I smiled at him. Wow he is so tall, 6.0ft I think, I hope I would be as tall as he is. Sean was pulling his trouser and he picked him up to see me.
'You want to see your cute little sis?‘ dad asked pulling his ear playfully. 'Isn‘t she a beauty to behold? What do you think Sean, she‘s beautiful, right?‘
I have a cute little brother, he looked just like my dad, and he even had his eyes. He was playing and clapping his hands.
'Hello brother,‘ I babbled at him.
My mom looked up in shock, dad was silent and staring at me in awe and I wondered why. 'Did she just babble?‘ mom asked.
'I—I‘m not sh…‘ dad shook his head; he was utterly short of words.
Sean looked down at me; he stopped playing and focused on me. Did he hear me? No one had heard me since I opened my eyes. I increased my babble at him in case he heard me then he smiled at me and started giggling back at me.
Dad raised his brows in amazement.
'Yeah she did,‘ he finally was sure and had an answer for my mom.
Mom chuckled in amazement and fear at the same time.
'Is that supposed to happen, I mean do new-borns babble?‘
Dad laughed and put Sean down, not minding my mom‘s concern.
'I don‘t know but this one did and you should really see it, it‘s so beautiful.‘ He carried me in his strong arms and started walking back to my mom.
'She‘s beautiful Thelma.‘
'What were you expecting, her mother is a damsel,‘ my mom replied.
My dad looked at her and chuckled, 'yea, I expected nothing less, I‘m so lucky to have her mother.‘ He sat in bed with her, looking at me, 'we were seven fighting for her but I won her,‘ he talked to me as if he knew I could hear.
'Eight actually, plus Johnson,‘ mom corrected grinning.
'I thought I counted him already,‘ he looked at my mom.
No, the other Johnson, the pilot.‘
'Oh.‘
'You always miss him in your count, maybe because he beats you in everything,‘ she teased. 'Oh yeah? I‘m 6‘2 with Mr World physique, philanthropist, well known billionaire and a player, how could he possibly beat me?‘
'He has a nice heart,‘ she defended, trying her best not to laugh.
'You chose me, so I have a nicer heart,‘ he winked.
'I can‘t believe I chose a dick head.‘
'You love that dick head.‘
Mom giggled, 'no one can beat you my love.‘
I knew that the moment you chose me,‘ he then looked at me and smiled, 'what do we call her?‘ 'Shane,‘ mom said.
Dad laughed, 'that‘s a boy‘s name Thelma.‘
'You said— ‘
'We will call him Shane if he‘s a boy and if she‘s a girl—‘
'Sheila,‘ my mom finished it for him.
'Yea, you love that?‘ he smiled at her.
She nodded, 'yes, it‘s beautiful and… unique.‘ 'Just like you,‘ my dad grinned at her and she blushed. He put his mountains on her mountains, 'thanks for these unique gifts.‘ They smiled looking at me.
Sean moved closer to us and dad put his mountains on his forehead and then on my forehead and my cheeks. Sean, with his watery mouth, put his mountains on my mountains, maybe he meant that as a kiss but that was nothing close to the kiss my parents gave me just now, and I giggled. My parents widened their eyes at that, they couldn‘t help but laugh a little. 'Are you sure she should be doing this?‘ my mom was concerned.
My dad was so happy that he ignored her concerns again, they were all happy to have me but the happiness was cut short.
The door opened and another creature walked in a white overall.
'Brad,‘ my mom called him.
Brad; is there more to this world, is he part of us too, how many more are out there? I wondered as he walked to us. His seemed not like the happy faces I‘ve come to know. Thank God it was not just me, they seemed to notice too. Brad stood in front of us looking at my parents.
'Is everything okay Brad?‘ my mom asked as my dad went to put me back in my crib.
'Your daughter‘s brain is different from all the brains I‘ve seen in children, even in adults.‘
My parent‘s countenance changed immediately. My dad looked back at him from my crib. 'How do you mean doc?‘ dad asked. He laid me down gently and walked back to them.
'Like I said, I haven‘t seen a brain like this since my years of service as a doctor; though we are still running some series of test but from what we‘ve seen I can say, your baby is a brainiac.‘
'I still—‘ my dad looked at my mom and saw her confused facial expression, 'we don‘t understand you Brad.‘
'She is a brain box; she will be so intelligent; in fact from what we are seeing, though not 100% sure now until we get the remaining results, intelligence for her is an understatement, she might be able to solve difficult issues easier to simpler ones.‘ My parents breathed a sigh of relieve.
'Oh God, you scared me Brad, I thought something is wrong with my daughter,‘ my mom smiled.
Brad stood there not smiling and my dad noticed. 'That wouldn‘t be a problem for her right Brad?‘ my dad inquired and mom looked at them.
'I‘m sorry Ted, but that is a huge problem for her.‘ My mom‘s heart skipped.
'Wh— what do you mean a huge problem?‘ she asked in her tiny voice filled with fears.
'Her Intelligence Quotient is too high for her, for anyone at that matter that it will affect her sooner or later. Her brain is gonna fry Thelma, she‘s gonna lose it.‘
'L— lo— lose it?‘ she stammered, her heart beating faster. 'Yes.‘
'No,‘ my mom said in almost a whisper, tears started flowing profusely down her eyes.
My dad got weakened and disoriented.
'Could it be there‘s a mistake or something?‘ my mom asked in tears.
'No, it was a—‘
'Common Brad, just tell me there‘s a solution to it!‘ she snapped in.
My dad held her and she broke down in his arms. Please just tell me there‘s something I ca—‘ she cried.
'I‘m sorry Thelma—unless she can limit the ability of working her brain, if she reduces the rate at which she works on her brain and with constant medical help, maybe she can last longer than the—the time,‘ Brad explained.
My mom cried harder hearing that, tears clouded my dad‘s eyes but he managed to ask.
'When is it?‘ .
'It‘s a range, between year 2137 and 2139.‘
My mom and dad looked calculative in thought and almost at the same time within nano-seconds, my mom and dad looked up.
'What!‘ my dad exclaimed. 'That‘s between 10 and 12 years of age.‘
'That‘s like no living at all.
Whatever Brad tried to do or suppress by mentioning the year and not the age, didn‘t work.
My dad looked at me in my crib, and said almost in a whisper 'no,‘ he shook his head, almost in tears.
My mom cried bitterly in dad‘s arms, 'no no Ted this is not happening, my daughter is not dying, she can‘t die she‘s too innocent to die,‘ Brad tried to console them.
'Don‘t do this now Thelma, this is where she needs you, you have to be strong for her and you know there is nothing prayer can‘t solve. Moreover it‘s not like I‘m losing hope on her, we are still running some test and if we detect anything close to a solution, you will be the first to know. Please Thelma, don‘t break down now. And you Ted, you have to be strong for her, for them; and as a friend, I won‘t leave her side. I promise to try my best.‘
'Can I see the result?‘ my mom asked softly.
'I will have them sent to you, please take care of her Ted.‘
My dad nodded.
Brad walked to my crib and smiled down at me, 'hey beautiful.‘
I smiled back at him but he furrowed in thoughts for seconds and then smiled and walked out of the room.
I looked at my parents sobbing in each other‘s arms. My brother Sean knew something was wrong, he tapped daddy feeling sober but my dad was too deep in sorrow to notice him.
Everything changed drastically. I knew something had gone wrong.
My dad stood by my crib looking down at me with teary eyes, I looked back at him in silence, with my hands in my watery mouth and said ―don‘t worry dad, everything will be fine‖. He smiled at me like he heard me and pulled my cheeks playfully but I‘m so sure all he heard was a baby making a sound.
I became the centre of their lives from that moment. Everything was about me; from the moment they wake till the moment they sleep. Being a Surgeon, my mom did all she could, she tried her best to heal me but still there was no solution, then they resorted to the available temporary solution, making me live one step at a time. Even with Doctor Brad‘s news, my parents were still strong. They thought I would be difficult to raise but to their surprise I was the easiest any parents would pray to raise. My growing up was easy and weird at the same time.
I started walking and talking very early. At two I was already reading books. I didn‘t start with story books, I went straight to novels; one of my favourites then was Are You Afraid of the Dark by Sydney Sheldon. It was as if I brought my reading ability with me. My parents were happy but at the same time scared at the rate I was growing. I wasn‘t only growing at a weird speed intellectually but also physically.
They gave me all their time, not even a time for themselves or Sean and they took everything about me serious; extra serious.
Sean and I were playing and laughing in the living room one day and my mom rushed in.
'Sheila!‘ she grabbed me into her arms and I was still laughing in her arms. She shook me, worried if I was okay. 'What the hell Sean, what were you doing!‘ she snapped.
'Nothing, we were playing.‘
'Playing?‘ she looked at me laughing in her arms and shook me seriously to calm, 'Sheila, Sheila.‘
I stopped laughing and gazed at her and she sighed.
'Thank God,‘ she hugged me. 'Sean I‘ve told you to be careful with your sister, don‘t play like that next time.‘
'Yes mommy.‘
She walked in with me in her arms while my brother watched us leave in silence, looking at me in mom‘s arms as she walked in.
'Sheila!‘ my mom‘s voice rings through my thoughts.
Everything is rushing into my head and I don‘t feel like stopping. I‘ve been writing for hours and couldn‘t stop but guess I have to stop now that mom calls. It seems rather strange. It‘s like a part of me was locked out all these years and needed just a poke to come back and that was what my parents did. They poked that part two months ago. I thought people are not supposed to remember their childhood, I mean their birth and early growing stages but I remember vividly now. I remember every single moment and thoughts from the day I was born till date. It‘s weird but I guess that‘s my name. That‘s the only explanation to what I am, WEIRD.
'Sheila,‘ she calls again.
'Coming,‘ I push forward my notepad.
'Doctor Brad is here,‘ she informs.
Oh he‟s here; I guess he‟s here with my glasses. With that thought I gasp, and hurry out of the room, but carefully. Nowadays I don‘t see well, my vision is going blur. Dr Brad is supposed to be bringing my glasses today and he has never failed me. He‘s the only one true friend I have after my brother and Clyde. He fulfilled his promise to my parents, to stand by them and me. He is a neurologist and my shrink, and he has been there for me for the past thirteen years.
I rush into the living room to his deific sight, his sight is always so lovely to behold and I can‘t wait to see the clearer version of it again. 'My beauty,‘ he says with his singsongy voice. 'Doctor Brad, you brought my glasses right?‘ I jump towards him happily.
'Careful,‘ he tries to caution me and I slow down. 'Have I ever failed you?‘ he says bringing it out like a hero that found a damsel‘s lost treasure, 'voila!‘
I jump on him happily and he holds me in his arms laughing.
My mom smiles looking at us from the dining table. She is setting the table for dinner.
I collect it and slide it straight to my eyes and everything becomes so clear and there he is; his cinnamon skin, his fluffy eyebrows, his very white teeth and sexy lips with perfect gym poise which makes him another beauty to behold aside my dad. My dad is the most handsome man I‘ve ever seen on earth. No woman even man have been able to dispute that fact.
'Woow,‘ I admire.
He looks at me from below my glasses bending his head. 'Woow,‘ he mimics, 'that means perfectly clear huh?‘
'Yea,‘ I giggle, surveying round, test running my glasses. I look at my mom setting the table and start walking to her like a sneaking lion, 'momma,‘ I growl.
They both laugh watching my playful act.
'Don‘t even start that your vampire hunting,‘ mom laughs.
'Vampires don‘t sneak, they—‘ I charge forward and grab her from behind,'—before their prey could blink.‘
My mom laughs as I tickle her.
Brad burst into laughter at that, 'she should watch more of their films to know that,‘
'Are you supporting her Brad?‘ mom asks. 'Well yes, she‘s my baby.‘
'And I‘m your friend,‘ mom says.
Brad is short of words, he scratches his head, 'um—‘
My mom and I laugh and I try to save him from the situation.
'Mom, Uncle Brad should join us for dinner right?‘
'Oh yea, yea Brad, you should join us for dinner.‘
'Oh no, I have to go, need to get home before dark,‘ he protests.
I move closer to open one of the dishes as they try to convince each other.
'This is just 17:00, how dark can you get home?‘ mom says.
'Hmm this is Jambalaya with pepperoni,‘ I say holding the lid of one of the dishes.
'Did you just say Jambalaya with pepperoni?‘ his ears itch.
'Yes I just said Jambalaya with Pepperoooni,‘ I stress.
'Oh great,‘ he starts walking towards me removing his suit jacket, feeling so restless to eat pepperoni.
I giggle at his instant change of mood and my mom looks at me and smiles. She wonders how I got to him that easily. Simple; he loves Jambalaya with pepperoni.