Hidden Secrets

The autumn air brushed off the tree branches, and made them dance, and whistle. Taytu felt the fresh breeze through the open window. She wanted to roam outside and dance in the wind, too. But, she posed standing in front of her bedroom-drawer mirror, staring at her bare-naked self. Lately, she has been feeling a storm of surging thunders boiling inside of her. But, she didn’t know who she’d talk to. She didn’t know what to think or say, even if she decided to let her secretes out. She was quite scared of what she had discovered. “Who would believe me anyway,” she told herself, because the situation was too strange, even for her to understand. After exploring her body parts and watching some flashing flares of lightning from her fingertips ignite, she called her mother, whom she hoped to confined her questions to.

“Mom?” Taytu said, in bewilderment. “Mom?” She yelled softly, when her mother didn’t answer.

“Yes, child,” said Zeritu, smiling at Taytu, closing the book she was reading. She pulled down her nightly reading glasses to the tip of her nose, and fully watched as her daughter explored her body.

“Do I look different to you,” Taytu curiously asked, still puzzled and standing there.


“What do you mean? Different how?” Zeritu said, smiling at her beautiful daughter, who had discovered the family’s secret they had kept from her for as long as they had to. Her mother knew exactly what was coming; Taytu had been kept in the darkness for far too long but found out by herself that she might be a special child, a different kind of human breed.

“I feel like I’m constantly changing.” Taytu said, sounding frustrated and confused, happy like a little child at the same time.

“Well that is because you’re growing up and there is nothing wrong with you.” Her mother tried dismissing the question, even though she knew that this would come up anyway at some point, which her daughter to wonder and start asking questions about herself and her family trees, especially about their powers. “Why did you ask,” her mother said casually, to sound indifferent of the entire situation, if possible, to avoid it.

“I don’t know mom, but sometimes I feel like my eyes have different colors; sometimes, they turn to emerald-green; sometimes, they look like they’re burning fire, consumed in flames. I feel like there’s a glowing light inside of me.”

“You’re a human being, and our eyes don’t just alter colors as we wish silly. Besides, we all have lights deep inside of us.” She hoped that would make Taytu forget from going further. But, it was too late now.

“Mom but I don’t feel like a normal person though; I feel like a freak sometimes.”

“Stop that silly, you are not a freak. You are a very unique, smart, and beautiful young woman.”

“Thanks mom, but I think I’m different.” She said, trying to break through her mother’s denial. “Mom, please tell me, do I have a special power? Do you have powers, too?”

Zeritu put down her book and gazed at her daughter, who was struggling with her new discovery like how she did, when her parents told her she had special powers. So, she went to her daughter. Right at that moment, she decided it was time to spill the family’s secrets, for it served no good hiding it anymore. Knowing her daughter, who won’t stop at anything in longing to find out, so telling her now could save her from troubles. Even telling her now could save others from troubles, too, for she could misuse her powers and cause damage. “Child,” she said calmly, and whisking her daughter’s dark-brown, long hair over to her temples, behind her ears. “When your father comes home tonight, I guess, it’s time that we tell you the truth.” She saw the spur of curiosity from her daughter’s eyes, as if she was looking at her younger and happier self, the day her parents told her that she was unique and possessed special powers.

Taytu hugged her mother, squeezing her so tightly, as if her mother’s news was a confirmation that she wasn’t dreaming about her powers. “I love you mommy!” She said and gave her mommy a soft kiss on her cheeks.

“I love you too, sweetheart!” Zeritu replied and kissed her daughter on her forehead.

Taytu then stared and posed back in the mirror, but nothing happened. Do I really have special powers?

She sat by the window, waiting for her father to come home. She smirked, giggling from the inside out.