As they waited for their food to arrive, Anaar decided to move past the surface inquiries about Seles’ life to make sure she was adjusting well. “That bag you wanted. What’s up with that? I feel like this time last year you would have wanted a doll.”
Seles scoffs and wrinkles her nose. “Dolls are for babies. Only losers still play with dolls at this age.”
Anaar furrows his brow, feeling he had hit the jackpot from the start. “Where did you hear that?”
“Everyone at school says it! They already make fun of my accent, and how I struggle with some words! I can’t be a loser too!”
“I’m guessing there is a particular person who sets these rules?”
“Well… I mean… Shanniah is like the queen of the school. Her dad is the mayor, and she always has the latest fashion, and the most amazing makeup-”
“Whoa, whoa. Why is an 11 year old wearing makeup in the first place?!”
“Everyone does it Anaar! I wouldn’t expect old people to get it.”
Anaar’s eye twitches. I’m still technically a teenager, yet I’m already old… What am I going to do when I’m like 400?
“Despite what you may think, I understand the pressure of wanting to fit in. It is a normal part of growing up. The thing is, we often relinquish ourselves to the sensibilities of others when we are young, partly because we haven’t discovered who we are and our worth yet, but also because we inherently seek authority at that age whether we know it or not. You are following these ‘rules’ only because you think this small group of people matter. Trust me, they don’t. You won’t even remember her in another ten years. Just stick to what truly makes you happy. Don’t let someone else define who you are.”
“But you make me train every day. Isn’t that defining who I am, even though I don’t want it?”
These damn kids… Was I this bad growing up?
“Yeah… learning how to prevent yourself from destroying everything around you isn’t the same as accepting some shoes are cool because someone else says so…”
Anaar breathed a sigh of relief as the arrival of their food provided a much appreciated punctuation mark for their conversation. They resumed talking once they had begun their meals in earnest, but it had transitioned to much lighter topics. As Anaar sat, engrossed in the various topics Seles wanted to talk about, he smiled to himself, but it was all an attempt to push from his mind what life could have been if only he and Yefferson had the opportunity to simply talk and eat in such a manner.
36
“Man… You ain’t gone tell me I couldn’t be number 1 in da school if yo ass wasn’t over here winnin’ errthang.”
Anaar stopped short, his open mouth speechless as an oblivious Dan continued walking. Once Dan realized his companion had left his side, he too stopped to find out the issue. When he saw Anaar’s face, his lips poked out, and his cheeks puffed slightly in a pout.
“Whacha lookin’ like dat for? Lookin’ like I done said some dumb shit…”
“Who are you, and what have you done with Daniel Bedacholli?!”
“What is you talkin’ ‘bout man?!”
“That is some mighty thick confidence rolling off you. Normally you’d count yourself out of even being eligible for the running, nevertheless taking the top spot. Where did the change in attitude come from?”
Dan looked off into the distance as if there lay his answer. “You ain’t wrong. I done spent all my life, beat down, ain’t nothin’ I done ever did been worth nothin’. After all these years, I still been feelin’ like you say all dis, nice shit bout me cause you feel like I’m real fragile, and truth gone fuck me all up. I mean, I preshate it, but I gotta face dat truth, right? After gettin’ up there wit all them other folk ‘posed to be hot shit, I realize I ain’t even worse than them. Shit, I can do a whole lot more. I ain’t gone keep holdin’ myself back.”
Anaar walks up to Dan, clasping him firmly on the shoulder. “Dan, that’s amazing to hear. I do think you are really so much more amazing than you give yourself credit for. If we are being truthful though… I don’t think you would be number 1, even in my absence.”
“Oh so now you wanna be all mean and shit!?”
“It’s not like that, so hear me out. You are currently basing your victory on just the efficacy of your abilities. Sure, when it is put on paper, your powers rank at the top in most respects. You have offense, defense, mobility, and utility. Better yet, all of them are top tier in strength. You can’t underestimate others’ ability to work with what they have though. Take Maggie for example.”
“Mags can do a whole lot of shit though.”
“Yes, because she can constantly reinvent herself depending on the situation. If someone were going down a list of abilities, and could pick any one, I promise you, no one would be picking Singularity. That is because no one looks at ‘amplification’ and thinks it is sexy. Pryshka is the same way. That is why she and Maggie took to one another so well. They are both tasked with proving they can be amazing with something most people wouldn’t blink twice at.”
“I ain’t really look at it like dat…”
“Even still, that doesn’t take away from your greatness. I know it is really easy to compare yourself to someone else and automatically assume someone greater than you reduces your value. That is simply our insecurities taking over. The world is full of products that are similar in quality, but made by different people. Sometimes it is all about a name. I’m sure people hear ‘explosions’ and salivate over that as an ability, never once stopping to think how it could be more detrimental than beneficial.”
“I know I done learnt my lesson. I’d be right damn dumb to be thinkin’ I can do half the shit you do. I remember when you first told me how these powers be like a tool, and how you can have the best tool in the world, but it still gone be shit if you ain’t gots no clue how to use it. I ain’t get it then, but I sure do get it now.”
“It’s called growth Dan. You’ve had a lot of it over these past years. Probably the most of anyone I’d say.”
“Yea… I’m sure he won’t understand the struggle, but I wish Hekiah could see who I done become.”
Anaar checks the time and nods. “Sounds like a plan. Let’s go.”
Caught off guard, Dan spins to ensure Anaar was not talking to someone else. “Go where?”
“To see Hekiah. You want him to see who you’ve become right? We’ve got plenty of time, even being behind by two hours.”
“Nah, nah, nah, man! I was jest sayin’ shit! I cain’t go back! I ain’t gone be able to make myself leave!”
Anaar sighs, his head hanging heavily. “How long are you going to cling to that? There was a time we both would have believed that, but let’s get serious. It is definitely no longer the case. Though they started out rocky at first, you have made enough money on missions to send home an entire year’s worth of your aunt’s salary. That’s nothing to sneeze at. You have matured too much to put the work you have been doing in jeopardy.”
Dan looks away, his lip quivering. “We talk all the time, but… but it ain’t the same as bein’ there ya know? What if he don’t even need me no more? I’ve been gone all dis time… He prolly just talkin’ to me still cause I send ‘em money…”
“Trust me Dan, he needs his big brother. Hekiah and Seles are about the same age, and if he is anything like her, he is this entirely different person all of a sudden. This is not the time to keep your distance. If you aren’t careful, you will lose sight of him completely.”
“Dat even more reason to not go…”
Anaar grinds his teeth in annoyance. “I really didn’t want to do this. Why are you making this so difficult?”
“Do wha-”
A portal opens behind Dan and Anaar pushes him through it. Before Dan knew it, the portal had snapped shut, leaving him stranded. A bewildered Dan examined his surroundings until his mind came to recognize where he was. Though it looked to be in better condition than he remembered, he was in his aunt’s hom
e. He did not know why, but his first instinct was to hide. Before he could use the opportunity however, a boy with awkward proportions and a face similar to Dan’s walked into the room. The boy’s acne riddled face lit up when he saw the frozen stiff Dan.
“Bubba!”
There was no doubt in his mind now. Dan realized he had truly been sent home. With his growth came his increased curiosity and paranoia. Though he could think of worse people to have the information, he was somewhat creeped out how Anaar not only knew enough to send him to his aunt’s home, which was not listed in any school records, but he seemed to be aware Hekiah was there.
Although he had his suspicions, most of which revolved around all the top-secret missions Anaar did that were responsible for his immense wealth gain in short period of time, Dan tabled them for the time being. He could have never known that while he was doing his best to produce excuses to evade the situation, Anaar was searching out Hekiah’s location.
By doing this, he became keenly aware how unreliable auras were at creating connections. He would have never suspected Hekiah and Dan to be related, nevertheless siblings if he did not know them, as there was little about them that was the same outside of both being Earth Affinities. Thanks to his Biokinesis and his increasing mastery however, a scan of their genetic codes put them closer to twins rather than siblings a decade apart. It was this that led Anaar to the right place.
Anyone who saw Dan and Hekiah together would have reached the same conclusion as Anaar, without the need of mystical abilities that had never been recorded to have existed. Hekiah genuinely did appear to be a smaller version of Dan, one that was in the beginning stages of puberty which had begun to warp his body. While Dan had expected a cold reception, he was met by a tight hug from a Hekiah that was much stronger than the last time he had seen him.
“How you got here!? Aintee Vi knows you was comin’? You ain’t even tell nobody! Gots so dang much I wanna tells you ‘bout! Come in here! Dis room mines!”
The grip on Dan’s heart was almost too much for him to bear. Though he might have looked different, and grown bigger, Hekiah was still the same energetic little boy he had always known. Dan remembered his father had severely beaten him, but there were no traces of that to be found. Hekiah had always been extremely resilient, the abuses he had suffered through time never being able to steal his joy and thirst for life. Dan allowed himself to be led along as if he were in a trance.
Though he was aware, Hekiah was following a path that was seemingly mandatory for most boys his age in his area. He had taken to sports, it being a large part of his life based on the posters and the two dirty uniforms he saw strewn on the floor. His speech was as to be expected for someone his age that grew up in such an environment. Dan could hardly believe his ears when faced with the imagery that accompanied it. Even though there was video calling, it was a completely different experience when in proximity that allowed physical contact.
Dan found himself wanting to celebrate the occasion by taking Hekiah out for a meal, but he had no money to pay for it. Because he was taken unaware by his transport, he had not planned accordingly. His wallet was in his room since he had no need for it on campus. He told Hekiah he was listening, and proceeded to send Anaar an angry message about pushing him through a portal without notice, and him not being able to function in the real world because he had no wallet. He also asked when Anaar planned to come get him since he was completely stranded.
Dan had begun listening to Hekiah in earnest once his message was finished, a smile creeping over his face before he knew it. It had only been three minutes since Dan finished his message to Anaar, when a portal opened, depositing his wallet into his lap. He loved Anaar, it felt like having the most reliable big brother in the world, despite he being the elder. In the past thirty minutes however, he had done more suspicious and invasive things than Dan could even imagine. He made it a point to later inquire how he got his wallet, and delivered in directly into his hands.
Now armed with funds, Dan had the means to treat Hekiah in the way he envisioned. With no car available for them to utilize, Dan took ten minutes to download a ridesharing app and setting it up so they could get around town. First on Dan’s list was to buy something for Hekiah that their aunt would not. After Anaar’s tale, he feared he would have some similar situation of his own, but it instead went in an entirely different direction. Rather than asking for something exorbitant, he instead asked Dan to by him drugs, since other kids were doing it. Dan firmly declined, but realized the situation might not be as different after all since they were both motivated by the desire to keep up appearances and fit in.
Dan felt he got off relatively unscathed, as Hekiah’s secondary request was only a new video game that he could not get because of his poor grades. Dan almost decided to follow his aunt’s example, but realized his newfound elevation in the importance of education was something he struggled to come to terms with himself. Rather than forcing it all at once, Dan decided he would begin gradually stressing more focus in his studies to Hekiah.
Moving from place to place, Dan felt lost and disjointed. His body recognized the sights, the smells, and the sounds as home, but his mind could not accept it. Everything felt distorted, like looking at the world through funhouse mirrors. He could not understand why everything seemed so wrong to him. It was not until they were being served a Hekiah’s favorite restaurant that it became clear.
“Can I get dis grilled ‘stead of fried? And I jest want brocklee ‘stead of mash potatas.”
The waitress looked at Dan with an expression that was a mixture of pity and disgust as she responded. “Hunny you want a whole ‘nother thang don’tcha?! We ain’t got all that!”
Dan frowns, then nods as he is handing her the menu. “Jest give it to me as is I guess.”
Hekiah had already ordered, so once the waitress was gone, he looked at the troubled Dan. “Bubba, you act like we ain’t never been here b’fore. Is… Is we not good nuff for ya now?”
Dan’s heart was gripped again, but this time it came from a different place. Everything he had been feeling, the confusion, the sense of unease, it all stemmed from his time away, and outgrowing his roots. The past few years of his life had him surrounded by people who were completely different than what he had always known. As a result, he had been desperately fighting to catch up so he could belong. The person he had fought so hard to become was clashing with the person he had been, and the two were having a difficult reconciliation.
Thanks to constant love and support from his core group, he never worried about losing the person he was. They loved every version of him, and never put him down for not changing quick enough, but praised him when he reached a new frontier. He was able to devote himself to the change fully, simply because he had the support to do so. Now that he was confronted with the reality of the situation, he found he was unequipped to handle it.
“I feel like a damn fraud Kai. I’m supposed to be havin’ all the answers for ya, but I ain’t really got nothin’. In my head, my head say all this shit is weird and beneath me. My head got me wanna go back to school right now cause this place ain’t good enough no more. My heart though… It be breakin’ when I be thinkin’ all that, cause I know it ain’t right. I ain’t no different from none of these people ‘cept I done got a chance to know something different, but don’t make it better.”
Hekiah laughs raucously, holding his stomach, drawing the attention of some other tables. “Dat it! Bubba dat place is way betta dan here! You be tellin’ me ‘bout all da stuff you gots and I be wantin’ it so bad! Don’t be throwin’ da good junk away! I’m tryna get to where you at so I can be betta too!”
Dan was moved by Hekiah’s words of acceptance. He wondered if he had fabricated the entire incident where he thought Hekiah was ashamed of him. Anaar had told him this before, but there was no denying Sophangence was objectively better than his hometown, or anywhere else for that matter. No one who had the opportunity to live there should feel
ashamed when they see everything else as less than, because it was.
Dan set about his time with Hekiah, bursting with renewed vigor. They travelled a few more places of interest for Hekiah, and Dan even showed off his abilities. As a final treat, he flew them home rather than taking a car. He barely had enough paper on his person for such a feat, but he was reminded why he felt so full. There was an abundance of paper all around him, more than enough to make up the difference. As they flew home on the giant eagle, he saw a happiness on Hekiah’s face he had never seen before.
Because Hekiah did not have a cellphone of his own, their aunt had been extremely worried he was missing. When the two came through the door together, she was prepared to give Hekiah a proper tongue lashing before she noticed who he was with. She blinked a few times to make sure she was not dreaming, and then immediately rushed over to hug his neck.
For the next hour, Dan had to fend off numerous attempts at being force fed by his aunt, despite having only just eaten. Even though he was in the best shape of his life, he was far too gaunt for her liking, stating a man should have at least a little softness for a woman to cling to. This led to requests to see more of Maggie, and them being amazed at the technology of the Vizer.
As it was getting late, with a profuse amount of complaining, Hekiah left to ready himself for bed, while Dan stayed to talk with his aunt a bit longer. She thanked him from the bottom of her heart for everything he was doing, even though to him, his contributions were not nearly enough. She told him how difficult things had become as Hekiah began to change, with his behavior that night being the happiest she had seen him recently.
Initially Dan had been angry at Anaar’s heavy-handed tactics, but he understood it was necessary to push him in the right direction. He promised his aunt he would be around more often so Hekiah could have a male figure in his life to help with the changes he was going through. Their conversation came to an end, leaving Dan to sit awkwardly for a moment as he realized he did not have a way to leave. After sending a message to Anaar, a portal instantly opened, nearly giving his aunt a heart attack. With a smile and wave after confirming she was okay, Dan walked through to greet Maggie and Anaar, brimming with enthusiasm to tell them all about his day.
Revelations (Song of Sophangence Book 4) Page 64
