I first learned I was different when I was a little kid, maybe around four or five years old. It was the last day of first grade and just before we were let out for summer break. My mother was showing me a picture book. It was a hardback with a red and yellow striped spine, the book itself was plain red with big yellow letters for the title that said "World's Monuments", it was heavy but it wasn't very sizable.
It basically showed different pictures of monuments around the world. In one picture there was what looked like a pond of water. It had sent a lot of different streams of colorful water in all different directions in the air. It was night time so you could see all of the different colors. It looked like nothing I'd ever seen before in my life.
"Wow, that place looks so colorful and pretty Mama! Can we go there?!" I asked very excitedly, jumping up and down in my mother's lap.
My mother just chuckled at my actions. She ran her finger through my hair while she said, "It does look pretty and colorful doesn't it? Maybe one day in the future we can go, sweetie. We can't right now because it is very far away from where we live."
I looked at her, and nodded my head. "What's it called and where is it Mama?"
My mother had stopped running her fingers through my hair and looked back at the picture book. She said, "Well it says here that it's called Ambrosia Fountain, it is in a city called Abrain. That is in a faraway country called Ambrosia."
I remember being so fascinated with all of it and thinking in my head, 'Wow, I would really love to see that place in real life.'
The next thing I knew everything was fading away. I had closed my eyes because I was scared. When I opened my eyes again I saw that I was exactly where my mother just showed me in the picture book. It was the same pond I saw with the colorful streams of dancing water.
At first, it was turned off and it was dark. But then some lights started to turn on in the structure. The next thing I knew the water turned on and danced. It was very beautiful, it was lit up and very colorful just like in the picture book my mother showed me. I started to look around and got scared again because I didn't see my mother; so I cried really loud, "MAMA WHERE ARE YOU?! I'M SCARED!"
The next thing I hear is a familiar voice yell, "ELSIE THERE YOU ARE! ARE YOU OK?!"
I turned around and saw a woman with thick waist-length blonde hair, her bangs falling perfectly in between her beautiful sapphire blue eyes. My mother, Melissa Adachi, and I ran to her; I started crying again because I was both scared and happy at the same time.
She picked me up and held me in a tight hug as I put my head in the crook of her neck and cried. I said, "Mama! I am so happy you're here with me!" I took my head away from her neck and looked around. I looked back at my mother and with tears still in my eyes I asked, "Where are we, and how did we get here?"
She started to rub my back and ran her fingers through my blonde hair in order to calm me down and it worked. While she was doing that she was looking around. She spoke very softly, "I think I know where we are but I don't know how we got here."
I looked around again but then I put my head back on my mothers shoulder and closed my eyes because I was starting to relax on her. That was until I saw a man come up to us, and started talking to us in a language we both never heard before. "Houene tre skaibl scouese aisoin ngoi braith skyngio probroaca zoaenev maid (Excuse me but do you know where the Cayan Tower is)?"
I hear my mother say to the man, "I'm sorry, but I don't know what you are saying. We aren't from here."
While I was hearing the man talk we made eye contact and he asked me the same question in the same language. I closed my eyes for a few seconds (because I was scared) and listened to him talk. The next thing I knew I understood what he was saying even if I never heard the language.
I touched my mother's cheek. She looked at me, and told her, "Mama, the man is asking if you know where the Cayan Tower is even if we haven't been here before."
I saw the man look at me and nod his head like he could understand me.
My mother looked back at me with a surprised look. Her eyebrows were high and eyes wide and her mouth slightly open.
I saw her take a deep breath in, close her eyes, and put her eyebrows back to normal. She looked back at the man, and said, "I'm sorry, but we're not from here."
The man looked at her a little confused with his head slightly tilted. I looked at him, talked back in his language, and told him what my mother had said.
He nodded his head, and said, "Zeuop aisoin hyn chyjupy scroi goanufiesetapr aisoin (Thank you and sorry for bothering you)."
I smiled at him, and said, "Aisoin frouzoenef hyn deyov ghem (You're welcome and it's ok)."
When he walked away my mother had looked at me, and asked, "Elsie sweetheart?" I looked back at her and she continued to ask, "How did you understand and speak their language so easily?"
I thought about it but I really didn't know how to explain it. I looked up at my mother with tears in my eyes. I told her, "I really don't know Mama. When he talked and spoke to me it was like I suddenly understood everything. Then I thought that I could try and explain what you were saying in his funny talk and it worked."
My mother looked at me with the same look as before, almost like she didn't believe me and that made me want to cry. I put my head back in the crook of her neck and started to cry. She started to rub circles in my back, and asked, "Why are you crying?"
When she asked that, I started to cry more. "Because I think I'm the reason why we're brought to this strange place."
She kept rubbing my back and asked, "What makes you think that sweetheart?"
I stayed quiet for a bit. I pulled from her neck, wiped the tears from my eyes, and took a deep breath. I told her, "When you were showing me that book with the pictures in it all I could think of was 'Wow, I would really love to see that place in real life' and next thing I know we are at the place."
My mother looked at me even more confused and that didn't make me feel any better and made me cry again. My mother stayed quiet but continued to rub my back. She then stopped and moved my head to make me look at her. My green eyes met her blue ones. I tilted my head, and asked, "What's wrong mama?"
She looked at me and smiled, "Well, don't be mad at me but, I want you to try it again but this time... I want you to take us home."
I tilted my head more, and said, "But Mama, I don't even know how I did it in the first place."
She kept her smile, and said, "I know sweetie but we are just going to try it and if you can't do it I promise I won't be mad."
I looked down and thought about it. I looked back up at her with a big smile, and said, "Ok mama I will try it."
She gave a smile, and said, "That's my girl! I know you can do it!"
With her free hand, she then took out her phone and showed me a picture of me, her, and my father in front of your house. She then told me in a soft voice, and said, "Just focus on the area around the house and at the same time think about what you did the first time when you brought us here ok? Also, remember if you can't do it don't feel bad because like I said I won't be mad I just want to see if you can do it."
I looked up to her, and nodded my head, "Ok mama I'll do that."
So I did exactly what my mother had told me. Just like the first time, everything started to fade away. I held on to my mother tightly, and closed my eyes.
I felt my mother gently shake my shoulder, and say, "Look, baby..." I opened my eyes and gasped. I looked up to my mother, she hugged me tightly, and said, "...You did it baby and I am so proud of you!"
"Wow, I really did do it!" I told her laughing in her tight hug. I then stopped and looked at my mother again, and said, "Mama?"
She looked at me, and asked, "Yes sweetie?"
Feeling my eyes getting teary again, and asked, "...does... does this mean I'm different, and is something wrong with me?"
She had looked at me wide-eyed, and said, "No baby! Nothing is wrong with you! Yes, you are different but that makes you unique. Sweetie, we will find out why you are like this but this won't change anything ok. Your papa and I will love you no matter what!"
I looked at her teary eyes, and said, "Ok Mama and I love you too!"
She kissed my head softly and started walking to the house. She started talking, "Now sweetie we will tell your papa about this but when you go to your last day of school tomorrow promise me you won't tell anyone else about this ok?"
I looked at her confused, and asked, "Why mama?"
She walked up the stairs to my room. She then opened my door, went to my dresser, grabbed some pajamas, helped me change, gently laid me down on my bed, pulled up the covers, and tucked me in, "Because it's a secret and I don't want the other kids to be mean because of this happening to you. Ok?"
I smiled, and told her, "Ok mama. I promise I won't tell anyone."
She gently kissed me on my forehead, and said, "That's good sweetie, and makes me happy. Goodnight sweetheart and have good dreams. I love you."
I blinked slowly as my eyes started to get heavy. I closed them, smiled, and said, "Goodnight Mama, and I love you too."
She moved from the bed and I heard the door closed. I closed my eyes and fell fast asleep.
Little did I know that was only the beginning of when my life changed forever.
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