Abnormality

Chapter 2

After my last day, I could finally breathe. I finally relaxed and even went to sleep early. But once I fell asleep, I regretted it. I had a dream that seemed too real to not be real. All I heard was the sounds of a hospital room, with the constant BEEP noises to show that I, or somebody, was still alive. My eyes were closed completely and then suddenly, a blinding flash of light hit my eyes as sudden as a single tick on a clock, showing that a second has gone by. When my eyes finally adjusted to the light, I knew that I was the hospital patient. Looking directly down, I saw many tubes, one leading up to my face attaching to a mask that was making me inhale who-knows-what, one leading to my arm where a needle was injected. There was some discomfort, something did not feel right. Was it due to the needle or the mask? Was there something else wrong? I took my arms and felt my way around my head. I noticed something that didn't seem like it belonged. There was a large bandage wrapped around my forehead.

When I woke up, a sense of relief came over me, a relief saying, "It's just a dream, you're safe." But am I really safe? My father (not Derek, my "actual" father) came to pick me up for the weekend. I got to spend the first weekend of summer with my father, away from Derek. Which I am glad about, since I despise him with a burning passion.

My dad takes me to the place that we spend most of our time together. It is the only place I have ever felt home. Driving out of one of the only urban areas in all of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, where I reside, the countryside really opens up. I look out of my window in awe, seeing all the lush hills and open, uninhabited landscapes stretching out for as far as the eye can see. The only life you can see besides plants are herds of goats, sheep, cows, and even reindeer.

On a side note, in case you are wondering, now I have revealed that I am a Mongol, I know Derek doesn't sound very Mongolian to me. And it's because he's not. He's an expat, one of the few I have ever seen. He speaks the worst Mongolian I've ever heard with a horrific accent, I don't even know how my mom and him communicate.

Anyway, as the new expat apartments come to a stop and the hills and fields open up, my heart opens up. My lungs fill with the beautiful, fresh, non-polluted air of rural Mongolia. When the paved road comes to a halt, we go back in time. The dirt trails seem almost as if we were back centuries, in such open space as far as the eye can see, which most people have never experienced in the present.

When we arrive at the land co-owned by the family as well as many other families, I felt the sensation of home. For as far as the eye can see, the beautiful terrain set the mood. It was a beautiful, sunny day with not a cloud in the sky covering the high mountains in the distance. In this flat land, there was so much to do. So many people to see. People from all over were coming to participate in a series of games and tournaments dedicated to a very dear friend of my father's who passed away in a car crash. There was the traditional horse racing, as well as some wrestling-related activities, some relays, archery, ankle bone shooting, and my favorite, soccer. (aka football)

This was my favorite time because I got to escape from the abuse of my ruthless stepfather, who was so quick to take out a belt and call me hate-filled, filthy names. Here I got to live outside of urban life for as long as the games end up taking, anywhere from a couple days to a couple weeks. Something seemed different this year, however.

Some familiar faces passed by. One very close friend to my father, named Nergüi approached us and shook my father's hand. A pale, but jet-black-haired boy, around the age of ten stood behind Nergüi's abnormally tall body. Picking up and exposing the shy boy, Nergüi introduced his son as Batbayar. Hiding his face behind his father, he waves.

My reaction to seeing Batbayar was shocking. I've never seen anything like it. It was more realistic than any of my dreams. I felt a connection unlike anything I've ever seen. My heart started racing at an alarming rate, faster than a cheetah running after its prey, as fast as the beats of a hummingbird's wings.

Batbayar. I swear I've heard this name before. But why can't I remember?