Theandric Thursday: Birthday Revelations 2: Life takes a turn.

This story is Chapter 2 of Usama's story 'Birthday Revelations', which he had written 8 months ago as a Theandric Thursday post. We decided to make it a sequel, where we'll write the story in continuation, one chapter alternating between us. If you didn't know about it, click here to read the first part. This here is the second part by me!

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The scent was something pleasant, like a fruit. Strawberry? It was gradually drifting away, though. Just as I took a deep whiff, I felt a stinging sensation, right in my nose! Aarrghh! Garlic? What the hell! 

I blinked back tears seeping out from the corner of my eyes as I got up. This was becoming much too weird to handle. Alright, I got to know why I didn't seem to fit well with other humans, check, the humans. That's because exactly four weeks and two days prior, on my 25th birthday, I got to know I'm not really a human, but a case from Kabilaar, the Planet where my real parents are. I'm already past the phase when I might think that was just a dream, because it's not. How else would you explain those recurring, more-than-real visions I get while sleeping, where I see myself reunited with my supposedly 'real' family? Or the more-than-real feeling when I hear Kobo crying (he actually is a cry-baby!), or feel Sao Pa looking over me, or see Yev and Sam smirking together from behind him. And okay, I also see her. Daema, the strawberry girl who hasn't been out of my head since my birthday. She might as well be my cousin for all I know, and I seriously don't want to think about her, but she's the most frequent vision, and I really have no choice.

The final straw was three days ago when, upon entering home my ammi remarked, "You really have been quite energetic recently. Exercising hard? You're practically glowing!", hearing which I almost choked on my soda. I had started to wonder if, now that I know the truth, my dormant powers are coming alive? I even did a clever talk-maneuver with my parents, vaguely dropping in the words 'alien', 'planet' and even going as far as 'child adoption' just to see whether they reacted. Did they know about me? I dropped the idea soon, though. I don't care where I was born, I know who my real parents, in the right sense are. Still, that didn't stop those visions or the warm feeling I felt when I saw them. I was already getting used to them, even if they were just in my head.  

'Hey, that's an enchanting picture. What did you make this time?' came my mother's voice over my head, as I sat huddled on the floor near my desk. Startled, I shuffled the paper under another piece of still drawing.

'Uh, nothing much ammi. I had a dream and I liked it. I was trying to sketch it out, that's all', I replied, trying- and failing- to keep my voice from quivering a little. To cover up for it, I tried adding a smile, which I knew came out bleak. Mom didn't seem to notice. 'Oh, that's good. Why don't you show me? We can make a story out of it, like always. Or do you feel grown up for that?' She eyed me mischievously, but I also saw a hint of sadness, as if she missed me being the-kid-who-loved-making-up-stories with her. I wasn't exactly a kid anymore, though I still liked making up stories. It was something we bonded over.

I smiled, this time for real. 'Not at all. It isn't complete yet, though. I have another one for tonight'. 

'Alright kid. Your choice', Mom said. 'I'm going to prepare dinner. You want anything special?'

'No thanks mum. Anything you make is amazing', I grinned. She smiled and left, leaving me feeling a little guilty. I hardly ever lie to her. I took out the picture and felt even more guilty, having painted my actual family with my best kind of precision. The only ones I couldn't picture were my parents and that was partly the reason I had recently started looking forward to sleeping at night. I wondered if I might glimpse them in those visions, even though Sao Pa had made it clear I wouldn't be able to, unless I decide to stay with them. But what were they doing, visiting me so often in my head, making me comfortable around them? That wasn't fair. That might affect my decision.

No, I've made my decision. I can't leave my life for them! Yep, humans aren't as trustworthy as my fellow aliens at Kabilaar are, but still. Until a few days ago, I was one of them, at least that's what I thought. And now I'm aware I'm not really a human, I have been dealing with alien-characteristics-that-crop-up-unexpectedly any time! My life really couldn't get any weirder. 

Heh, who am I kidding? 

That night when I got that vision, that mother-of-all-visions-put-together vision, I thought I must be dreaming, because there was no way my life was going to spiral roll with that speed in that direction. But when I woke up with the roll of paper sealed with wax, I knew I was in for some life changing, one hell of an experience. I had been, I'll shamelessly admit, looking forward to sleep that night. It had been two days since I last saw Daema. Two days stuck with swearing Sev and arguing Yev, bickering with each other, and answering my questions with not-so-satisfactory answers. So when I landed in a soft cushioned seat in a beautiful room overlooking a river and the Empire State Building in the distance, I thought it's Daema's work. Just like her to create a river in the middle of Manhattan. There she was, smiling brightly and exuding off strawberries and I once again reminded my flipping heart to do a reverse gear. She's your cousin, you idiot.

My short fantasy was literally, short lived. Before I could smile back, the room was filled with soft light and the chairs forming a semi-circle around my seat weren't empty anymore. I saw Sao Pa and bowed my head in the traditional greeting. Apart from him and Daema, who was sitting in the chair closest to me, I did not recognize anyone else.
'Hello Tipo', Sao Pa, sitting in the center, addressed me. 'You must be surprised. Let me tell you what we're all here for'. His glow seemed to radiate more than ever. I realized my mouth was hanging open and I was clutching the edges of my seat. He went on, nodding towards the other Kabilaars, 'This here, is the General Kabilaar Council, of which I happen to be the President. This is Manu Lo, who takes care of the planet's Amity'. Manu Lo bowed his head toward me and I took a second, fidgeting, before I bowed back. 'And this here.....' Sao Pa continued introducing them and I tried making a mental note of each of them, based on their unique characteristics, like how Lipi Ho, the one who represents Bravery, actually had a big pout. 

And after that was the bomb, which could easily be the biggest bombshell of my 25 year old life. I now had a choice. Freedom. Not just a one-time freedom, either. I'll keep it short. Three main points came out of it:

1. If I passed their 'T&S test', short for 'Tolerance and Sanity' test, I would officially be one of them, on record, just as a non-resident. A Non-Resident Kabilaar. NRK, which meant I would be living on Earth as I always had, with the added perk of actually being able to visit my home planet too, Kabilaar, but these visits would happen after I complete another test, the details of which they said I'd come to know later. The weird thing? I had already passed the test! Turns out those visions were vigilance watches and they were testing me on my tolerance (yay I have a lot of it) and sanity. Figures. An insane human would be a sane alien. Jokes apart, I was in for a shock. 

2. Feliz was also a Kabilaar. Before I could react to this with more than a cry of shock, I was told that Feliz almost went insane, he couldn't pass this test. And the reason he didn't tell me anything or didn't believe me was that he didn't remember it himself. Kabilaar rule: You don't take the risk of having aliens roaming around on Earth proudly boasting they're aliens. Not that anyone would believe them, but still. 

3. This was the one that almost got me kicked out, any chance of turning from a potential Kabilaar to a permanent one almost ruined. But yay tolerance! They should also add 'hiding-true-feelings-despite-feeling-them-like-crazy' to the list. I mean, it turned out Daema was actually, the one responsible for Kindness and being my cousin was just part of the act, so I don't feel intimidated or something. I know, feeling so happy was insane. I don't know how I passed the Sanity test, seriously. I wasn't in control of my insanely beating heart either, especially as it did numerous somersaults after hearing the news. I know, it's gross that I have no control over my heart, and I couldn't show it. I have an inkling that Daema sensed it, though, if how she gave a bright smile was any indication, and that's a fact I have no trouble with. (Hey, this is my heart talking, not my brain. Stop rolling your eyes. They'll get stuck in the back for all you know).

So yeah, now I'll be trained for the second test and one day if I pass that, I'll be able to visit Kabilaar. To the parents who gave me birth. Ya, that was illegal, but they're still my birth-parents. I wouldn't be lying if I say I was feeling quite content with my life. :) 

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Theandric Thursday is a used to be a fortnightly feature on my blog (now it'll just be whenever I have the time and mind!), where I'll be having fun with putting down those weird thoughts and stories that occupy my mind most of the times. The dictionary definition of 'Theandric' is 'Relating to the joint agency of the divine and human nature'.

If you're interested in participating, write your own Theandric Thursday post and drop your link in the comments section. Feel free to write reality, part-reality-part-fiction or fiction, anything above the 'normality' of our world. ;) You can use the above picture on your post and link back to this post.

PS- Do you like this story? You will like it more when Usama-the-amazing-story-teller would continue with it! Keep an eye out! ;)