Mina and I are in the water once again, practicing harder than ever. We've been slaving away every day for the last two weeks, and though the bending is getting easier, I still grow more frustrated with each passing moment that I'm not a proficient water bender.
"Kiana?"
"Hmm?" I ask, wiping a bead of sweat off my forehead. Mina has been super good about offering silent support during my training sessions, but I can't help the tiny surge of annoyance that rushes through my veins at her question. I'm in the middle of my first successful attempt at controlling the water today, and I really don't appreciate the interruption.
The water falls back into the lake with a disappointing plunk, and Mina cringes apologetically. I release a small sigh. I don't want to make my friend nervous, so I close my eyes and attempt to let go of my anger. I just can't handle any tension right now.
"Sorry," she starts. Her countenance looks to be a bit more at ease due to my body language, and I feel my own tense muscles unlocking. She looks thoughtfully up at the clouds, and I get the feeling that she's already forgotten any anxiety that she might have felt a moment ago. I cast my gaze up to the heavens, shielding my eyes with a water-logged hand. I don't see whatever it is that she's seeing, and I grow impatient as I wait for her to reveal why she interrupted my concentration. She chews on her lower lip, and as I stare at her, she seems to come to an epiphany.
I halfway expect her to shout "eureka!" but the exclamation never comes. "There is water vapor in the air, right?" she finally asks. I shrug. I wasn't anticipating the question.
"I dunno, Mina."
She lowers her eyes to meet mine. "I was just thinking that if there were water particles in the air, maybe you would be able to manipulate them."
I scratch my head. "I guess I've never really thought about it. Curiosity consumes me, and I too become lost in thought as I gaze at the clouds.
I look to Mina, my mouth agape. "Maybe I should try."
She cocks an eyebrow. "Maybe you should," she drawls, heavily implying that I should've already come to that conclusion.
I choose to ignore the silent criticism. I don't need hate right now.
I close my eyes, trying to focus on both the serene quiet of the mountains and my annoyance with myself and Mina that bubbles in my stomach. She may be right about needing to draw my powers from a different place, but completely relying on my anger seems dangerous. I don't want to be overwhelmed. However, I don't know any other way.
I raise a hand to the sky, concentrating on the soft breeze that meets it there and the anger in my core. Little goosebumps prickle all over the length of my arm, so I peer at my extended palm. Tiny droplets of water have begun to bead there, so I tilt my arm. They all pool together. Before long, my entire fist is encased in a thin layer of water that pulsates in reflection of my thoughts. I will it from left to right, up and down.
I fling the water off my hand and laugh in amazement at the orb of water now floating languidly through the air. I'm about to congratulate Mina on her good idea, but I've started to celebrate prematurely.
The all too familiar feeling of being tossed through the air overtakes my senses out of nowhere, and some sort of cosmic force drops me on the ground somewhere new as if to say, don't overstep your boundaries, kid. Noted. I will no longer be messing with the water in the sky.
I'm lying down on some thick grass, the world swirling around in my vision. However, the world doesn't have to be spinning for me to realize that we are no longer at the lake. I try to gather my bearings as Mina rushes over to a bush and empties the contents of her stomach. I cringe at the smell and pull myself to my feet, doing my best to ignore the dizziness that blurs my mind. I know this is only the second time that Anahita has done her magical transport thing to us, but I'm certain of the fact that I will never get used to that feeling.
A neat, white picket fence borders the yard that we're in, and a few palm trees line the sidewalk outside. The grass is neatly trimmed, which complements the prim flowerbeds decorated by colorful varieties of flowers and little gnomes. The yard sits behind a quaint, yellow house with white trim, which happens to be the very house that the literal guardian angel Nasrin is currently climbing out of.
She freezes, one lengthy leg thrown over the window sill. Her wide eyes soften as she realizes who we are, and she scrambles out of the window before I can even fully process the situation.
"Oh my- ha! You're here! You're here!" She tackles us in a massive group hug, an unexpected but welcome surprise.
She pulls away, and although she's still grinning like a madman, she seems to be confused. "Um, how exactly are you guys here?" she asks, her voice riddled with doubt. "I didn't know it was possible for you guys to figure anything out without me." And there's the Nasrin that I know.
"By the grace of a literal god," I explain, struggling to keep a straight face.
Nasrin chuckles. "You guys have no idea how happy I am to see you. I was going crazy in there. Ali had me held up by his grandma."
I let out a sigh of relief. I did just spend the last three weeks worrying about Nasrin's well-being, but at least she was safe.
"Let me tell you, there is such a thing as too much of that matronly hospitality in some cases. I think the woman was literally trying to kill me with kindness. She wouldn't let me leave!"
Mina snickers. "Nasrin, are you telling us that you, the technically immortal being with superhuman abilities, couldn't escape the house of a little old lady?"
Nasrin scowls and flushes red. "She was constantly breathing down my neck! She was smothering me. There was never an opportunity to get away," she blurts out. Her eyes widen as her voice raises, and as soon as the statement escapes her lips, she slaps a hand over her mouth.
I crouch down on instinct, and Mina follows suit. "What's wrong?" I hiss.
Nasrin bites her lip nervously. "It's just that if Mrs. Jones hears us out here, she'll want to meet you, and then she'll invite you in, and we'll never get out of here! You think that it'll just be a friendly visit, but we'll be stuck here forever, and trust me, you don't want that. I've already gained two pounds from all of her cooking!" Nasrin grabs a handful of skin from her stomach and raises her eyebrows as if to say, the horror!
I roll my eyes. "Nasrin, why are you so worried? She's just a little old lady. We could literally just walk out of here, and I'm pretty sure nothing would happen."
Nasrin adjusts her backpack straps. "We could try," she whispers.
I shake my head, about to retort, but a voice behind me interrupts me, nearly startling me to death. "Nasrin! I didn't know you had friends here in the city."
Nasrin cringes. It isn't often that she looks afraid, but the little lady leaning out of the window behind us seems to be scaring her out of her wits. Despite what Nasrin said about her, she looks to be harmless enough, with her short, coiled hair, warm, brown eyes that match her skin, and small stature.
I smile at the lady. She returns the gesture, the corners of her large eyes crinkling. I examine her face. The woman must be over seventy. She's wrinkled, and her face is dotted with hundreds of freckles and sunspots. She's beautiful now in her old age, but she must have been a stunner when she was young.
"Yeah, I didn't know that they would be stopping by. I would have told you, had they given me a phone call, or something," Nasrin hisses pointedly. I shrug sheepishly in apology. The thought never occurred to me, but it's not like we had the means anyway.
"It's no problem," Mrs. Jones says, a bright smile gracing her aged features. "Say, how would you girls like to come in for something to drink? Lemonade, ice tea, maybe? Are you girls friends with Ali too? I'd love to chat and get to know you."
A million warning bells sound in my head, and Nasrin shoots me a desperate silent plea. "I'm actually alright for now, thank you."
If Mrs. Jones picks up on my cues, she doesn't seem to care about them. "What about food? Are you girls hungry? I just made cookies."
Nasrin taps her foot, a subtle sign that screams out, must leave. Now.
"You know, we actually had plans. You wouldn't mind if we borrowed Nasrin for a bit, would you, Mrs. Jones?"
Mrs. Jones frowns. "Actually-"
"Thanks!" Nasrin chirps, not allowing her another say in the matter, and she links arms with Mina and me. We march around the house and onto the street.
"Wait!" Mrs. Jones calls after us, but Nasrin presses forward, relentless.
"Guys, I don't want to be rude, or anything. Do you think we could spare a couple of minutes for coffee, or something?" Mina says, casting a guilty glance over her shoulder as Mrs. Jones watches us go through her front window.
"I mean, I think we do, but Nasrin said herself that if we go in, we'll never leave," I pitch in.
Mina wrings her hands. "Come on. She took care of you, Nasrin. We should go back. We don't have to stay for long."
I look back at the quaint cottage and sigh in defeat. Mrs. Jones is no longer in the lacy curtain lined window. Images of the elderly woman sitting by herself, dejected and lonely in her living room plague my mind.
"Fine," Nasrin grunts. "Half an hour."
...
I set my glass down on a coaster on Mrs. Jones' coffee table. We're seated in her tiny living room, all crammed onto her plastic-coated couch, minus Mrs. Jones herself, who sits in a large armchair to our right. I watch a drop of water slide down my icy glass of lemonade onto the table and clear my throat awkwardly. I can't bear the uncomfortable silence anymore.
"Thank you for having us, Mrs. Jones. We decided that we had to come back to chat after Nasrin told us about your incredible hospitality," I compliment, squirming around to get more comfortable. The woman looks extremely pleased.
"I'm glad to have the company. Not a whole lot of people have come around since Ali moved out."
My chest pangs, and any doubts about coming back to visit with the elderly woman evaporate. How could this be a bad decision? The small lady twiddles her dark thumbs in her lap, and the dreaded quiet falls over our party once again.
I rack my mind desperately for something to say. "So, Ali lived here growing up? He hasn't told us much about himself."
Mrs. Jones chuckles, a warm and throaty sound. "He is very private, isn't he?" I nod eagerly, prompting her to go on. "I'm sorry, girls. I really don't have much to tell about Ali, mainly because he never did tell me anything growing up. He was always quiet and reserved."
I take the woman's thoughtful silence as an opportunity to speak up. "Do you happen to know where he might be right now, Mrs. Jones? Maybe a friend he could be with, or somewhere he might be hanging out? We could really use his help with something right about now. "
Mrs. Jones taps her indented chin. "He didn't have many friends growing up. I don't think he ever had any friends over, now that I'm thinking about it." A sad smile overtakes the woman's wrinkled features. "I'm sorry I can't be of any help."
I shake my head and pat her quilt-covered knee. "It's really no problem. We'll get a hold of him somehow."
The petite woman starts to push herself out of her armchair, and Mina rushes to her side, offering a helping hand. "Why don't you girls get going. If you find Ali, tell him that his grandmother wants to see him."
I nod and offer my brightest smile. Mrs. Jones gestures to Nasrin with a shaking hand before pulling her into a tight embrace. She plants a sloppy kiss on Nasrin's cheek, who cringes, but accepts the kiss with a smile nonetheless. "Don't be a stranger," she says warmly. "Stop by sometime."
The three of us start to make our way over to the door, but not before Mrs. Jones catches my arm. "There may be one place that he could be."
I raise my eyebrows. "Oh?"
"He wouldn't be happy with me for telling you this, but there's a good chance he's at the cemetery. He never did go out much, but every once and awhile, I'd find him there paying his respects to his mother."
My eyes widen, but I don't reveal my surprise. I nod my gratitude quietly, and we leave the tiny home with another chorus of gratitude for the old woman's kindness.
I look to my friends as we leave. "Did you know that his mother was dead?" I ask, my tone hushed. I usher them to the edge of the yard.
Mina and Nasrin shake their heads. "Why would he lie about that?" I mutter anxiously, rubbing my arm.
Mina shrugs. "People are allowed to have secrets, Kiana."
"But that?" I exclaim. "That is a massive secret to keep."
Nasrin nods. "It's just weird, Mina."
"I don't know," Mina starts. "Ali doesn't seem like the kind of person that needs a whole lot of attention. Maybe he just didn't want any pity."
I bite my lip. "Doesn't this seem a bit shady to you, Mina?"
Mina shrugs once more. "Maybe it is shady, but it doesn't change the fact that we really need his help. He's more powerful and well-prepared for an adventure like this than any one of us."
I set my jaw. "Alright then. Let's go."641Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4NRmLzJ8oo
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Author's note
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Thanks for reading.
