The Partham Chronicles

Part 10 - Blindfold

Every time Vysna sent a wave to it she'd toppled the bowl and either spilled the water or endangered the fish. Growing frustrated every passing minute she paced around her room. Markand had called to confirm the day of the next lesson. Aaden and Tashvin had connected with their pets but Vysna was still struggling. She thought now that if she wouldn't connect then maybe she won't be able to give the tests like her brothers.

It was 4 am, she got out of her room, down the stairs and to the kitchen. She thought that making a cup of hot chocolate would soothe her nerves.
She got the tin of drinking chocolate out of the cupboard and placed it on the counter.

" What are you doing? It's late." She was startled by her mother.

" Mom, you scared me. I was making hot chocolate. Do you want some?" She said.

" Sure," Leysa said, sitting at the dining table." But why are you up so early?" She said.

" I have been trying to connect with blue, the fish that was given to me."

"You named the fish, blue?" Leysa asked.

"Yes, it's blue in colour, so blue..." She said.

" Very innovative," she chuckled.

Vysna rolled her eyes." Aaden and Tash have already completed the task and I am lagging. I don't want to be put out of the tests for a silly reason like this." She placed the two cups of chocolate that she had made on the table and sat in her chair.

Leysa took a sip from the cup,
" Hmmm.. this is good." She said and placed it down." Did you ask your brothers how they connected?"

" Yes, they said it just happened. They didn't say anything in particular that they did differently. But whenever I try I almost kill the fish every time." She scowled.

" Don't worry so much, I am sure you will achieve it soon." She consoled her.

"Mom, I don't have time. Uncle Markand called today to fix the timing for the next lesson and I have not completed even the first one yet." She sulked in her chair.

" Tell me, what all have you tried," Leysa asked.

" I have sent it waves plenty of times. I thought maybe the glass bowl was causing a blockage so I have also put it in the bathtub and submerged myself in it too but no response. The fish is dumb and I am dumber to think that I can achieve it easily." She said.

" You are not dumb. So what if it is taking time? There is no rule as such that you should be able to get it on the first try itself." She said.

"But Tash got it right the first time," Vysna protested.

"So what, everyone takes their own time. It's not a competition." She said.

" But it is a competition, Mom..." She realised what she had said. Leysa's expression changed.

Suddenly the room felt too silent. Leysa looked lost in her thoughts and Vysna didn't have the nerve to disturb her.

She got up and checked the time.
" Come with me," she said "Go put on your swimwear and get blue along with you." She said as she walked towards her bedroom.

"Mom. Where are we going? What is going on?" Vysna was confused but did as she was told.

Both of them grabbed their jackets and Leysa drove them to the lake.

The sun was about to rise from the horizon and the lake looked serene. It was drizzling and windy and the usual morning walkers were nowhere to be found.

" Go try the same thing in the lake, as long as no one's here we are safe." She told her.

Vysna agreed and started wading through the water along with the bowl in her hand. The water was cold and piercing and she was struggling to get a proper footing in the moist soil underneath her. But she kept moving deeper balancing the bowl near her. As she reached a point where the water came to her waist she bent her knees and let the fish swim out of the bowl. She placed the bowl on the floor of the lake and submerged herself completely in it. At first, her vision was blurry and dull due to the lack of light but as the sun rose higher she could see underwater. The view was different this time, the lake looked more vibrant and full of life. The vegetation underwater was dense and the fish were plenty.