A Chance at Magic

Tachli

"Concentrate Anya! Try Harder!" Mrs. Taflin barked at me. I didn't know why she just didn't have one of the older girls do it, she knew I couldn't. I focused on the rock in front of me. It was no bigger than my fist but that didn't matter, I was incapable of moving it. I tried again; I imagined it moving from where it was to the pile we were making across the river. It moved slightly but that might have been the wind. "You can do it!" A voice in my head said. It was my best friend Kicha. I suddenly lost concentration. She wasn't helping but of course I couldn't tell her that because I was the only one in my tribe who couldn't mind-speak.

"ANYA!" Mrs. Taflin yelled, the vein in her neck popping out.  I lowered my head in shame and sighed. I had failed again and now I would never hear the end of it.

 "Anya go back in the line! Next time think of your tribe! If you can't do simple things like moving a rock to build a dam than you are a complete waste of food that this tribe needs!" I bit my lip and returned to the line. This was a regular occurrence for me.  I have been scolded like that since I was 10, old enough to come into my magic. I had learned early on that I couldn't cry when I was scolded even if it hurt me emotionally, especially not then.

Kicha looked straight at me. Her pumpkin orange eyes filled with sympathy as I watched one of the older more experienced girls move the rock with no hesitation what so ever. I dreamed of being able to do that.  I have longed for that moment my whole life. The moment when I could walk up to whatever task Mrs. Taflin has assigned and have no doubt in my mind that I could do it without breaking a sweat. I yearned for a moment like that, even if it only came once I would gladly take it and savor every sweet second.

You see my whole tribe is full of magic users. Filled with powerful charmers, enchanters, people who could bend the elements or move a bolder the size of three of me, people who could make trees dance, speak to animals, make plants grow on command! Some of them could even manipulate people or read minds! Everyone except for me could mind speak, even most babies. I was pathetic.

Everyone dose their part to keep the tribe alive by using their magic. The tribe member with the most magic and bravery is our leader. My mother. Although if you asked her if I was her daughter she would deny it. Being tribe leader and the most powerful woman in our tribe she can't be seen with a tachli daughter. Tachli means "no magic" in our tribe. It is also considered an insult.

My mother and father used to be desperately in love with each other but after I was born my parents knew for sure I would be the most powerful member of our tribe to ever have lived. My father says that the tribes healer received a prophesy saying so the night before I was born. So, as you can see my mother was extremely disappointed when I turned 7 and didn't receive my magic like the other kids my age. My father insisted I was a late bloomer and that my magic needed more time to build up if I were going to be extra powerful. My mom agreed to wait and she did. My 8th and 9th birthdays past with no sign of magic and when my 10th came around my mother had had enough. She left us. At least that's what my father says, that she left us but I know the truth, she was perfectly happy to take him with her and leave me with the healer or another family but he stood up for me and refused to leave. My mother didn't leave "us" she left me her only daughter, the tachli. So, because of me my father lost his one true love and I lost my mother.

I can tell it's hard for him seeing her every day. I can see the way they look at each other from across the small clearing that stands between our houses. I wish everyday that I would wake up with my magic so my dad could have her back and so maybe she would love me, but by now I had learned to deal with being the tribe disappointment.

Mrs. Taflin had begun to lecture us about the importance of the dam and I was barley paying attention. "What are you thinking about?" Kicha asked me in mind-speak. I placed my right hand over my heart and my left over my stomach in the tribe hand signal for mother. "Oh, sorry," she said back I shrugged as soon as I saw the sympathy in her eyes. "So want to go with me to see my new baby brother or sister? He or She was born today Mrs. Taflin told me earlier." I smiled and nodded when Mrs. Taflin looked away. "Ok ladies you can leave now," Mrs. Taflin announced. We all rushed home.

I followed Kicha to the healers lodge. We walked in to see Kicha's mother lying in bed half asleep. She smiled at us weekly and hugged Kicha.

 "So mother where is the baby?!" Kicha said excitedly bouncing up and down.

 "Babies" she corrected. We both smiled widely.

"There's more than one?!" Kicha said even more excited than before.

"Two" her mother replied smiling. She pointed to the Curtin behind her and we pulled it back to see two babies wrapped in blankets placed in small wooden cribs.

“One is a boy named Yelix and your father and I figured you would want to name the girl." This was a blessing. The tribe rarely got one child per family, but Kicha just got two siblings in one day. I wished I had a sibling then maybe I would have someone other than Kicha to talk about my mother with, Every time I bring it up to my father he insists I would find having a sibling painful. I think he might be right. If I had a sibling with magic my mother would accept them and not me.

          I sigh and Kicha looks over at me in worry, but when I shake my head then smile she gets back to thinking about a name.

"Aza! Mother we should name her Aza!" Kicha shouts. Her mother smiles and looks at the baby girl with already long and wild blue hair like Kicha and the same pumpkin orange eyes.

 "I like Aza, Aza it is." Kicha dances around the room singing Aza's name. I smile and look at both Yelix and Aza, then join Kicha. Kicha's mother laughs and sings with us as we sing both names.

I walk into my lodge and see my dad setting dinner. He smiled when he saw me a small loving crinkle forming around his eyes showing me that his smile was genuine.

"How was your day Meme" he asked using our tribes word for daughter. I gave a quick fake smile and looked away.

 “What now?" he said sighing.

“I got yelled at in class again today. Mrs. Taflin just keeps asking me to use my powers when she knows I can't!" I say shouting.

My dad frowns and calmly says, "That’s because, like me, she believes in you. She thinks that if she pushes you that you might have a break through"

I look up at him.”Well it doesn’t help at all it just brings up memories of mother. Father I’m not gonna change I will be a tachli forever." I insist.

"First it's your mother’s problem that she left us and missed out on such a wonderful daughter. Second, I don't care what you are." He says this with such a caring voice and loving smile I can't help but smile back.