Color-Gifted (Color-Gifted, #1)

Chapter Twelve

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CHAPTER TWELVE

“So, biologically speaking, a child can be born Color-gifted if they only have one parent with the Gift.”

 A hand is raised in the second row.

Ms. G nods to the guy sitting there. “Yes?” she asks in her melodious voice.

“Whatever Color the one parent is, you mean?” the guy asks.

We’re in the middle of Color 101, a class I’m beginning to love more and more. Melissa Gare is, as promised by Evan, very likeable. She cuts an imposing figure on stage, the shining star of her own one-man show.

And not just because of her size. She has a large, expanding aura about her, a confidence and warmth that suck you in as she speaks. She always makes class incredibly interesting. It’s too bad we only have two and a half hours a week with her.

Turns out, Color 101 is a class for students of all years. There are no tests in this class, no end-of-the-year exams—just the requirement that you attend the course all four years. At first this seems stupid, but Sandra explained to me that while some themes are basic and addressed every year, every lecture Ms. G gives is unique. “The things she teaches are so dense, you need to hear them a couple of times to really get them. And they just never get old,” she said. “You’ll see.”

And I do see. Sure, I’m still only in my first year, but I can’t imagine not wanting to attend one of her lectures. Ms. Gare has a way of making every class an adventure, an exciting trip through space and time—whether we’re discussing the founding of Tapengram or famous Color-gifted throughout history. Slideshows, diagrams, or just plain body movements paint a colorful, all-inclusive portrait of the Color-gifted world, transporting me so much that when class is over and the lights turn back on, I blink and am surprised to find I’m still sitting in an auditorium.

I guess if any Yellow-gifted can have the potential to cast illusions, it would be the Yellow Coach.

Classes with her are never quiet, never an excuse to get in a good nap. Color 101 is totally interactive; Ms. G masterfully includes everyone in her weekly lectures, making us feel part of the process without making it feel like a test. “Put away your notepads and pens; there will be no notes in my class,” she said during the first class. “This is a live thing. Notes are useless. Dead knowledge.”

That had been a surprise. “People who’ve graduated always tell me they remember everything in this class as easily as they do the multiplication table, even though the no-notes rule has always been around,” Sandra added when we discussed this before class a few weeks ago. “That is, after it’s been drilled into their heads for four years.”

We do have things to think about, though; we’re also given assignments or projects to present throughout the year. I look forward to these with a heavy dose of apprehension.

Today we’re touching upon the biological aspects of being Color-gifted; what goes on genetically, who can get the gene, etc.

Our Yellow Coach sweeps across the room in her flowing mauve skirt. “Yes,” she says, in answer to the boy’s question. “Color is of no importance; as long as one parent has the Gift, some small part of this talent is genetically passed down to the children. These children are not Color-gifted per se; they merely show more talents, shall we say, in certain domains in life.” She spreads out her fingers. “For example, a person with a White-gifted parent would possibly be better at memorizing dates and places in school classes; have a “photographic memory”, as society calls it; be quick to grasp the mechanics of things, how things work. Someone with a Red-gifted parent could be talented in sports or be very strong or fast, regardless of athletic achievements.” Ms. G glides to the other side of the auditorium. “Someone with a Blue-gifted parent would have better instincts than others and would make great policemen, for example. And so on and so on.” She pauses and leans back against the desk on the stage. “Think of a Color-gifted person as pure alcohol. A person who only has one Color-gifted parent would be a full glass of water with a splash of vodka thrown in.”