Unmarked

The Day my Mother Cuts my Hair

There's two mirrors in my house. One is in my mum's bedroom, and one is hidden in the hallway closet. I'm only allowed to use that one once a year, on my birthday.

The day my mum cuts my hair.

But today is a special day, so today she cuts it shorter than I've ever had it. The length I know want it. Boy short.
She cuts my hair, absorbing herself into the task, cutting the blonde curls to my ears.

"So," she mutters, clipping my fringe. "Today's the day."

"Yes." I said, a small smile playing on the corner of the my mouth.

"I wonder what mark you'll get?" she asks.

"I don't know. Well, no one does. Reve and Paul have started betting lots."

Reve and Paul are my troubling twin brothers. Any scrapes they can get themselves into, they get themselves into, better than anyone else.

Today is my seventeenth birthday.

The day I get my mark.

In Edif, my homeworld, we get marks on our seventeenth. This give us restrictions or freedom. They are Hispoico, Loiron, Esoeani and Chleesa. Hispoico's are the poorish ones. In Efext, our language, it translates directly to 'those who live off nature.' And we do. Except that we have synthetic meals. Our symbol is the leaf.

Loiron is the rich mark, you get this mark and you get a room in The Grand Street and your children and relations get free health-care and schooling. This symbol is the eagle.

Esoeani is the moderate people. Not free things but real food. They have the symbol of the horse.

And Chleesa, well, the less said the better. The symbol is a vulture. Does that tell you something?

"Have they?" says my mum, amused.

"Yes. Paul has bet I'll have Chleesa."

My mum tuts her tongue as she runs a brush through my short hair.

"Oh, by the way Esmè, your sister is coming home today." my mum says.

"Yay! Oh, why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it's a present." my mum says, her eyes smiling. My mum never smiles with her mouth, she smiles with her eyes. I like this because it means she can never fake smile.

My older sister, Zaya, is the first ever Hispoico to win a scholarship to the University of Edif. This is because of her natural brains and talent. She studies weather effectism to make the world a healthier place.

My mum finishes my hair. She looks at it. We look nothing alike, me and my mum. She has brown hair and I have blonde. She has pale skin and mine is tanned and freckled. She is short and I am tall and lanky. The only thing we have in common is our blue eyes. The whole family has blue eyes.

My mum tells me I have my dad's looks, like Zaya. She doesn't talk about dad much. He left her to raise five children in a tiny cottage house. Zaya, Karle, who works in the factory, me and the twins.

"Mum," I say, confessing my deepest worry. "What if my mark is different?"

"Then I'll love you all the same." she murmurs. "After all, the mark doesn't define who we are, does it?" she says.

"No." I say, standing up. Even though she is thirty-nine, I tower over her.

"Happy birthday Esmè." she says, kissing my forehead.

"Thanks mum." I say, hugging her.