Acceptance letter, p.10
Acceptance Letter, page 10
He looked handsome as his complexion blended perfectly with the outfit he had changed into, a navy-blue button-down and dark denim jeans. Renee had never noticed how high his cheekbones were; his facial features were quite different from his sister’s. He had broad shoulders and was five foot twelve, Jessica was five foot elven like Renee.
“OK. What does the Midnight Festival fast have to do with being recharged?”
“Do you understand where you are or who you are?”
Renee took that has a rhetorical question and didn’t say anything.
Alex let out a long sigh before he answered his own questions. “You are on sacred ground; this year is completely different from other years. This Midnight Festival fast will include a lunar eclipse.”
“What’s the recharge for?” Renee asked.
“I was getting to that,” Alex said.
“It’s basically an energy booster from the lunar eclipse. It happens every three years. This is our first one. The second one will be toward the end of the year, in December. We hope to have you back around that time.” Alex, sounding hopeful, looked at Renee with pleading eyes. He was close to manipulating Renee into saying yes.
“I need to think about it. I don’t want to give a definite answer then not show up. It’s hard to say how the next seven months will go,” Renee said.
“I understand. Honesty is the best policy.” Alex chuckled.
Renee grinned at him. “Yeah, I guess it is. Where is Jess?”
“Jess is somewhere on the grounds helping with the animals,” Alex said.
“Animals?” Renee asked, puzzled.
“Yeah, there’s a farm not too far away. You want to go visit?”
“No, I’m okay. Thank you.”
Renee walked out of the tent and tilted her head up to the sky with her eyes closed. Where should I look? She opened her eyes and saw a bird that appeared to be flying down in a spiral. What is that? She blinked to make her vision a little clearer. She then stumbled back and returned to the tent.
“Hey, Alex, can you come with me for a second?” she said.
“Sure, Renee. What’s up?”
Renee guided Alex by the wrist outside and pointed up. “What is that?” she asked.
Alex looked up. “Renee, I don’t see anything. I’m not saying it didn’t exist, but whatever was there isn’t anymore.”
Renee looked up and noticed the bird was not there. “Oh, it must have flown away.”
“Do you need me to help you look for your mother?” Alex asked.
“No thanks, I got it,” Renee said.
“OK. Good luck. I’ll be here.”
Renee walked back to the house to find Ms. Shirley. She approached an older lady wearing a pink top and orange skirt. “Hello. I need to find Ms. Shirley. Do you know where I could look?”
The woman smiled and said, “Yes, Ms. Shirley just went back inside the house. She will be coming back shortly.”
“Thank you.” Renee went inside and found Ms. Shirley at the counter. “Hey, I am ready to meet my mother.” Renee was nervous and anxious. What could she say to a woman whom she barely remembered from her childhood?
“That’s wonderful news. Give me a second, and I will take you to her.” Ms. Shirley gave a half smile. “Renee, I must caution you, when you see her, you will be surprised.”
_______
Chapter Eleven
Abigail
RENEE and Ms. Shirley walked to the backyard patio. There was a woman sitting in a rocking chair, humming.
“Hello, Abigail,” Ms. Shirley said, almost in a whisper.
“Hello, Ms. Shirley. I heard y’all walking toward me. How are you, Ar’yana?”
As Abigail got up from the rocking chair and slowly turned around. Renee heart felt like it would beat out of her chest. Her fear, nerves, and anxiety merged like two hurricanes in her stomach; she was ready to dart in the other direction.
Abigail held out her hand to formally greet Renee. She now understood Ms. Shirley’s warning about her mother. Abigail could not see. Her eyes were not removed, but there was black covering over them. What is that? Is she blind? Renee wondered.
“Please call me Renee. It’s very nice to meet you, finally,” Renee passive aggressive tone made Ms. Shirley shook her head.
“Now is that any way to greet your mother?”
“Well, that greeting is better than none,” Renee shot back without thinking.
“Ah, I see. That’s fair. My apologies, but I had a lot going on, and I couldn’t take care of you at the time.”
“For over fifteen years you have had to do something that was that important. What’s more important than protecting or taking care of your own daughter?” Renee started to feel hot, and she started getting angry. Her hands were glowing as the tears started flowing. For years Renee had held in all the anger and pain she felt around her mother. “What mother leaves their child to chase a dream or an idea?”
“A mother that wants what is best for her child. You will not see it now because you are blinded by your anger. I see your powers are showing through. I wonder what else you inherited from your grandparents.” Abigail sounded so calm and unnerved. “You need to learn how to control your anger better, baby. It’s imperative.” Now she sounded more serious.
“She’s right,” Ms. Shirley said as she gently placed her hand on her shoulder to calm her down.
“Can you read her aura?” Abigail asked Ms. Shirley.
“No, I can’t right now. Tonight, is not the night for that and it takes a lot of energy. I’ve been fasting for days.” Ms. Shirley said.
“That’s fine,” Abigail said.
“Wait, you don’t get to decide what should be done to me after abandoning me for so long. And I am not staying another week just to be subjected to tests. I have a life,” Renee said. She had to get back to work, her internship, her not-so complicated life.
“I do understand where you are coming from, Renee,” Ms. Shirley said.
“I do as well.” Abigail stepped forward. “But you don’t know how to handle your powers. You need to practice and study before AU.”
“If I decide to go…” Renee said. “Remember, I have a whole life that you weren’t interested in. I have an internship and a job that will allow me to be a part of a undergraduate school that I’ve been dreaming about since I was a kid.”
Renee turned away from them, taking a deep breath and resting her hands above her head. It was like her mother didn’t care or was unbothered by what she was saying. Looking out at the field, Renee wished she could be any other place but here, somewhere where things made sense.
She then turned back around. “OK, here’s the deal. We keep in consistent contact with one another, and I will attempt to come back during the next lunar cycle this December.”
“That’s fine with me,” Abigail said. “I want to hear about your life and everything that’s going on currently.”
“Just so we are clear, we are not friends. You are not my mother. We will never be close.”
Ms. Shirley looked at Renee in utter disbelief. “You have no idea, nor do you understand what your mother went through to—”
Abigail held up her hand to signal for Ms. Shirley to stop talking. “I understand, Renee. I understand you are mad at me and don’t see me as your mother, but right now, you do need me. Besides, I’m sure you want to hear the story behind my eyes.” Abigail grinned. “When do you leave?”
“I’ve been here a week already so not long more.” Renee purposely remains discreet.
“I thought you said it was two week vacation?” Ms. Shirley questioned.
“I told you I have a life to get back to and a job that needs me. I can’t spend all my time here. I have a list of things to do back in New York before I go back to work.”
“When did you last speak to Beulah?” Abigail asked.
“How did you know about her?”
“Beulah and I go way back. She helped me to trained with Elder-Father Absalom. How’s the old man these days?”
Renee looked at Abigail in bewilderment. “This is going to be thee longest seven months,” she said out loud in an irritated tone.
“Yes, long, and interesting. We need to start your training right away, but you must decide if you are attending AU first,” Abigail said.
“Isn’t starting a new school term there the same as it would be at a regular school? At the end of summer? In August?” Renee asked.
“No,” Ms. Shirley answered. “Starting a new school term in this world is completely different than doing so in our world. AU is just the college we attend to harness and learn our powers. We will make friends—and enemies—along the way.”
“The school term starts the moment you accept the letter. That could be any day.”
“Accept? If the letter is dropped off and I pick it up and open it, does that mean I’ve accepted it?” Renee questioned.
“That’s part of it. Acceptance isn’t only accepting the letter; you need to accept yourself, the good, the bad, the in-between, to be accepted at the university,” Abigail said.
“Well, why send me a letter if I must accept who I am first? Wouldn’t it be best to wait until I am there, then send it?”
“Well, who told you that you were receiving the letter?” Abigail and Ms. Shirley looked at Renee, puzzled.
Renee noticed how much she and her mother looked alike; they could almost pass for twins. Abigail wore a pair of light denim jeans, a light-blue blouse, and a pair of open-toed, light-blue wedges. She had on diamond stud earrings and a diamond tennis bracelet. Her nails and toenails were painted white. Her hair was half-up and half-down. Nice dressing and pretty woman, so what happen between her and dad? Renee thought to herself.
“Beulah. She explained to me what I would be receiving, in order to persuade me.” Renee folded her arms across her chest.
“What happened to the code of secrecy?” Abigail openly asked and threw her hands up. “You were not supposed to know that so soon.”
“I don’t see how that code last this long cause there are a series of information we aren’t supposed to know yet, here we are. Code of Secrecy is redundant. Renee knows so what can we do?” Ms. Shirley asked.
“I don’t know.” Abigail was pacing back and forth, thinking.
“Wait, what is going on?” Renee asked, confused by the change of mood.
“Nothing to worry about.” Ms. Shirley said.
“What is it?” Renee asked.
At this point Alex approached from the side of the house, pointing with his thumb toward the tent. “Hey, the ceremony is about to start. Are y’all coming, or are you going to stay sitting on the patio?”
“Yeah, we are coming, Alaster. Thanks for the heads-up,” Abigail said. Her voice was so soft, Renee wondered if he had even heard her.
“Alaster?” Renee whispered to herself. “Here, this whole time I thought his full name was Alexander.”
“We will finish this conversation later. Come back by tomorrow if you have time, and we will go over everything,” Ms. Shirley said to Renee.
“OK, but one last question before we go.”
“Yes,” Abigail and Ms. Shirley said in unison as they stopped and turned around.
“What happened to your eyes?”
* * *
After the discussion with Ms. Shirley and Abigail, Renee had a fun time with everyone. She learned so much about her history and the ancestors that inhabited the land. It was unimaginable. She wanted to stay longer, but her stomach thought her throat was cut. She had spent so much time worrying about her problems that she hadn’t thought to grab a bite before attending the event. Renee did give some thought to what her mother offered, but she wasn’t sure if she would want to spend time with someone that seemed uninterested in her; she was more interested in her training.
To make matters worse, the ride back home was even more awkward since Jess didn’t want to ride with them, so it was Renee and Alex. When Renee tried to ask Alex what was wrong, he said, “It’s just Jess. She will come around.”
Renee didn’t want to waste time thinking about people she can’t control. She left the issue alone. She’ll come around, she thought.
* * *
“Hello, ma’am. Someone is here to see you,” the front desk clerk said to Renee as she walked through the doors early the next morning. She came back from a peaceful stroll through the neighborhood.
“Thank you,” Renee said, leaving the lobby to walk toward the backyard restaurant. I wonder who that could be, Renee thought as the waiter guided her to a table where Ms. Shirley was seated, looking at the menu. Ms. Shirley wore a hair covering with zebra and cow prints colored in black and white and a black suit that looked tailor-made. Her earrings were made of wood and carved into the shape of an African woman with a high wrap on her head. She looked livelier and more youthful than normal.
Renee took her seat. “Greetings, Ms. Shirley.”
“Grand rising, my dear! I am not in mourning, and technically, there’s nothing good about that,” Ms. Shirley said with etiquette. “I apologize for intruding on you like this, I thought we should have a small chit chat about last night…” Ms. Shirley offered. “...if you have time.”
“Talk about what exactly?” Renee asked, interested in what Ms. Shirley has to say.
“Well, I feel you and Abigail got off on the wrong foot. Although, she is your mother and has made some terrible mistakes in the past, you have to work on forgiving her.
“Not me…” Renee was nonchalant. “I came, I saw—that’s all!”
“Are you ready to order, ma’am, or do you need a little more time?” A waitress with bright red hair and chipped nail polish interrupted Renee.
“Yes, sweetie. I will have a water, fresh fruit, and a vegan omelet. Thank you.” Ms. Shirley handed her the menu.
“And for you, ma’am?” She looked at Renee while removing the menu from Ms. Shirley’s hands.
“Oh no, I am good for now. Thank you.”
Renee didn’t want to stay long speaking to Ms. Shirley; she figured no food would be best, even if that meant she would still be craving a turkey, cheese, spinach, and tomato omelet.
The waitress left the table, and Renee continued where she had left off. “I don’t know her that well-enough to be feeling any type of way. I am content and proud with the life I’ve provided for myself, without my parents and stepmother assistance.”
Ms. Shirley paused for a moment and stared at Renee. “Uh-huh. That’s good to know. So, who is he?”
“Who is what?”
“You know who I am talking about! The guy you are too afraid to leave for Acceptance University,” Ms. Shirley said, teasing.
“Oh no, there is no guy.” She looked down at the menu. “I just don’t like change too much. It took me a while to become comfortable with settling in New York.”
“Well, let me ask you this, how much did Beulah tell you about Acceptance?” Ms. Shirley asked.
“Hardly anything. Beulah told me that she couldn’t tell me much until I met and spoke with my mother, first.” Renee closed the menu and placed it to the side, indicating she was ready to order. She changed her mind about not eating.
“Yes, ma’am. What can I get for you?” It was a different waitress this time. “My apologies, I am Rebecca. I will be your new server.”
“Awesome. I would take a turkey omelet with extra tomatoes, cheese, spinach, and onions. A side of orange juice. Thank you,” Renee said, handing the menu to the waiter.
“Well, I am sure Beulah will keep her promises. She doesn’t promise anything that isn’t guaranteed to happen,” Ms. Shirley said. “Have you accepted yourself?” She asked changing the subject again.
“Yeah, I’ve accepted myself. But again, I am not attending. I have completed countless numbers of hours interning, graduated high school successfully with high honors. I studied and worked hard to attend my dream undergraduate school. Its right there at my fingertips; the only thing that is standing in my way is one outstanding recommendation letter from a prominent alumnus whom I am currently interning for,” Renee explained. She felt like a broken record.
When their food came, they quietly ate. Afterwards, Ms. Shirley paid of the food. Renee walked with Ms. Shirley outside to the plaza.
“Well, I’m not the type of person to harass someone into doing something they don’t want to do. Since I cannot persuade you, I do hope you give it some thought and take the tour when the time comes,” Ms. Shirley said.
“When is that?” Renee stopped walking.
Ms. Shirley turned to Renee. “I don’t know if any recent changes has been made. The tour date normally falls between the end of June or the beginning of July.”
“What is the tour for?” Renee asked.
“Why do normal people go on college tours? To see if the college or university is their choice.”
“What do you think I should do?” Renee asked, she thought everyone that received a letter for AU was interested in attending.
“I wouldn’t want to say I am not interested in a place until I checked it out. Believe it or not, there are others,” Ms. Shirley pointed at the sky indicating Earth. “…that are indecisive about attending AU as well.” It doesn’t hurt to go on the tour to learn what makes you uninterested. Could it be the school or your mom, maybe both. Just try.” Ms. Shirley said.
“OK, but why hasn’t Beulah told me about this ‘tour’?” Renee questioned.
“I sense she may have wanted you to focus on meeting your mother here. She will probably tell you more when you get back.” As Shirley spoke, Renee nodded. “I need to be getting back now, Renee.”
“Oh, would you like for me to drive you back?” Renee asked.
“Oh, honey, no. I came here using partial teleportation.” Ms. Shirley laughed.
“Partial teleportation?” Renee raised her eyebrows.
“You will be taught this your fifth year at the university. You will have a partner while learning and practicing partial teleportation since teleporting is not easy. I would advise to partner with a person that has a time element---lessen the stress and workload.”
