She

Meet Odessa

Because everyone likes making new friends.

Odessa was a beautiful girl. With fiery red hair and mesmerizing green eyes paired with fair skin. Her little chubby cheeks coated with freckles. Just like her mother. And much like a person I once knew, might I add.

A true gift from God himself, the happy couple liked to think.  They also started to noticed she was very smart for her age and were sure their daughter was something out of the ordinary. All parents like to think that way, but, I do apologize  for bursting their bubble, they are actually not. Unless you're child is one of few and lucky ones, anyway.

And Odessa was one of them. Little did they know she would soon unite with more of the few and lucky ones. Ones like her. But, I'll get into that later. I must not get ahead of myself. As I was saying, Odessa was out of the norm.

When she was three months old she began speaking. At the age of one,  she found the volume of a cereal box. Upon turning two, she was programming computers. She could recite pieces of music just by hearing it once when she was three. Only four years of her existence and she could memorize a one  hundred word passage on the first try as well as taking a great interest in the violin, which she began to play.

As I'm sure you can imagine, the child's parents were thrilled. Story Justice gave birth to a prodigy!

Mr. Jabari Justice and Story Justice took Odessa to preschool then. While she was advanced in school she was also socially inept. Her teacher also feared the gifted child might suffer from autism.

Parents were notified, test were taken, and no one was diagnosed.  Tears of worry were shed, prayers were said. And after what seemed like an eternity of waiting, result were brought back. Fortunately, Odessa had no disabilities. And that was the end of that little reign of terror for their family. Unaware of a greater tragedy waiting to unfold.

Then disaster struck the poor family.

It was a nice day out and the family had not done anything fun together in a while. Mrs. Justice packed a picnic for the family outing and the three headed to a near park.

I needn't describe what happened next. As I'm sure you already know, Odessa was deprived from her parents that day. While it may seem bad to you now, under the circumstance of merely reading it, imagine seeing it with your very own eyes. At the young age of four.

Odessa ran.

You would've done the same thing, I'm certain of this. But just know if you find yourself in this situation, I hope you don't, you will regret not doing anything and feel guilty for the rest of your life. Much like Odessa did.  The frightened child was found by a very nice member of the elderly age group. Crying. He introduced himself as Watari and, as I'm sure you know the rest but in the slim chance you don't, took her to his orphanage for gifted children, Wammy's House, upon learning of her talents.

"You will now be called Oda. And I assign you the letter O. Be careful not to give your real name away, to keep you safe." Watari once told Odessa, who I'll now refer to as Oda.

Oda lost everything that matter to her that day. Her parents. Her sense of security. And her sense of happiness. However, she did manage to keep their kitten.

And that's the end of that.

Oh, I failed to mention that Mrs.Justice was expecting a baby and was planning to tell her husband and daughter that very same night. Not that it matters now, in any case.