In this class I took about getting ready for college, my teacher, Miss Razoreye asked us a question.
"Do you believe there are some people who truly have brown eyes?"
I raised my hand immedietely. What a silly question! But, of course, some students shouted out instead.
"Of course! Azalya Firebush has brown eyes!"
"Yeah, Azalya does!"
"Azalya has the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen!"
Ms Razoreye gave them a Look for not raising their hand, but her face was quickly pleasant again.
"Yes, we all know about little miss Azalya Firebush and her brown eyes...but what we don't know, is we all have them. We are all equally powerful. Eyes mean nothing."
I raised my left hand.
"Sandra?" She asked, smiling at me.
"Yeah. Um, that's not entirely true....I mean, I understand, your eyes are blue and all so you can't really SEE, but... brown eyed people have WAY more power than anyone else. It's just a fact. How do you think Azalya drinks the tears? It wouldn't work if her eyes were any other color."
She frowned.
"Haven't you ever heard of a cover up?" I was asked.
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.
"Well, yeah. It's when a brown eyed person uses their power to look hide it." I looked down the entire time I said this.
She nodded. "Yes, but it's more than that....did you know that back in the 2010s....and before that, almost EVERYONE had brown eyes? It was the most common color."
I had heard that before. Many times, actually. But I just didn't believe it was true. It didn't add up.
"Everyone with dark skin had brown eyes. Even most people with light skin had brown eyes. And fakely brow eyes...I mean, hazel, that's what they called it, was the second most common eye color. Blue and green were the rare ones."
"Hazel." I whispered. I liked it. It sounded mysterious. Why would anyone change a name such as lovely and powerful as that?
I looked around the room. There were a few dark skinned people in there with me, and their eyes were either as blue as sapphires, or green as emeralds.
I simply couldn't imagine....
"Did you also know," She continued,
"Same sex couples used to not be able to marry? People hated them."
THAT I couldn't wrap my mind around, not one bit. Yeah, there are quite a bit more different-sex couples than there are same, but there's a handful of those, too. And of course they're allowed to marry. No one thinks anything of it.
I honestly don't know why anyone would.
"I have a wife myself." Ms Razoreye told us. We all smiled.
Should there have been any other reaction..?
She continued as I was thinking.
"Left handed people aren't weak. That's just what the government wants you to believe. To give them strength. And we all have brown eyes. All of us. We are simply covering it up. You don't believe me. But it's true. We are all equally powerful. But that power can't unfold, unless we ALL realize it. Every one of us."
My hand went up again.
"Blue and green eyed people can't cover it up. Hazel eyed people can't either."
Oh, how I LOVED that word. I'd say it forever, no matter if people knew what I was saying or not.
"They don't have enough power to. They just....they DON'T. And left handed people are pretty darn weak, unless they're brown eyed....and allow it to show. But even then sometimes, their weakness shines through."
The room was silent for a minute. Finally, she broke it.
"Sandra....be honest with me sweetie."
She looked me in my eye, and I KNOW they turned brown for a split second. I thought maybe she couldn't see. But she could. I know she could.
"Ahhhh....well doesn't that explain a lot." She whispered, smiling. I looked down. She continued.
"Anyway, Sandra, hun. Be honest. Which eye color do you think it prettiest?"
"BROWN!" All my classmates shouted.
"I'm asking SANDRA." Ms Razoreye told them, and then she looked at me.
I nodded. "Brown." I responded. She looked doubtful.
"Do you think that's really the prettiest color? Or do you just say that because it's the most rare? We tend to mistaken rareness for beauty. A fatal mistake. So let me ask again. What eye color is the PRETTIEST, Sandra? Not rarest. But PRETTIEST."
I hesitated. "Well....blue." I admitted. "I've...always loved blue eyes I just....guess I never really realized it. Brown eyes....they're so rare I just got caught up with them."
"An easy thing to do." She replied gently. "Now. Remember that story we read last week about that girl who's boyfriend cheated on her, and she still stayed with him after finding out? Why do you think she did that?"
I spoke up.
"That was stupid of her. He'll just cheat again."
She laughed. "Now, Sandra, stop being so PRACTICAL!"
I was stunned. Practical....? I've never ONCE in my life been called that word. EVER.
"Some people love someone SO MUCH...They'll do ANYTHING just to be with that person, no matter how it hurts or affects them."
I suppose that was true. Pitiful, but still true.
"Now, class is almost over. Pack up, and don't forget to let your BROWN EYES SHINE. All of you. You just have to believe."
I stayed after class for a minute.
"Ms Razoreye...Is it possible you're going through your period of blindness right now?" I asked her.
She half-smiled. "Actually, I just got over being in it my whole life."
I was stunned. "Then why did you say all those untrue things? Trust me, I know. Left handed people ARE weak, NOT everyone has brown eyes...everything you said was backwards! You HAVE to be having your period of blindness."
She was now laughing. "No, Sandra, I'm positive I'm not having my period of blindness....but could it be possible that...maybe it's YOU having YOURS?"
I left the room quietely, worriedly,
And blindly.
