1 Freedom after beginning

Athena's pov

A mesmerizing thought came from my portal of cognition. I just wanted to take a peek, but summoning it up was habitual and being persistent was incessant in our memoir.

Alas! In my reckless point of view, it was a sublime day to wonder about coherent statements. The early sunrise with the most flabbergasting polychrome scenario filled with vibrant echoes far and wide along with the highs and lows. To my grubby, old frumpy heart, gold was bliss beyond the oft-loamy perspective of a teenager like me. Always being in a wary frame of mind was tiresome and disquieting, to be honest. Consequently, communicating with myself became an act of playing the famous ace-like game of ''tom and jerry'' at a beginner's level. Most of the time, I am tardy and prosy at dawn and savant at dusk.

Perhaps a ''bolt from the blue'' but I always envisioned a life with my biological parents. Parenthood was the most meaningful thing I ever wanted for me.

However, the abandonment by my wonderful parents should be written in massive, bold type in my "not so fictional memoir". Obviously, it was the greatest betrayal among all those who crossed through my subnormal, isolated life cycle. Don't get me wrong although there was no such thing as 'I had a reason to abandon my child'. I wish there was a respectable justification for their demeanor. They just told me one day out of the blue that I would be heading to my grandmother Amara for the holidays. As ridiculous as it was, they never came back .A few days after the holidays, they sent me a letter. Stating absolute idiocy...

Dear Athena,

Our precious little girl apologies for not being the parents that you deserve sweetheart. After an agreement with our colleague MS. André, your mother and I have decided to consider adopting her child. He is a wonderful boy, which is not surprising considering he is the next owner of our colossal business.

Men are heroic and they are exceptionally intelligent at handling business. Likewise, your Aunt Katherine also considered the offer of being your official legal guardian as we can't continue to be parents of disappointment.

My wife and I tried to raise you as a daughter, but no man would choose someone who is petty, feeble, and particularly burdensome like you. Unlike boys, girls were always a huge responsibility. Even your mother was a servant.

Yours loving,

Jefferson Bennett

Some people just 'leave in the lurch' I suppose. Three years after receiving the abrupt letter, I was thoroughly blemished. Frankly, they were hectic. As a young child, I had no idea what it meant back then, and now I know what it means.

I used to throw abrasive tantrums that were partly composed after hearing my grandmother sing for me every night. It would soothe the room entirely but I would constantly ask my grandmother when my parents would take me home?

My aunt who was my legal guardian would never support us in any way. Even financially, she would never give any money to grandmother Amara. Aunt Katherine was the youngest daughter of grandma, she had platinum blonde hair and ravishing emerald eyes. Although she was a married woman, I assumed her husband was an aggressive gentleman back then.

In addition, they often made offensive comments about me as flamboyantly as possible. They were a pester couple by all means.

''Every cloud has a silver lining'' my grandmother said.

Unfortunately, who would have told her? Sometimes life doesn't progress like a fairy tale, does it not? Grandma passed away when I was fifteen. Everything made me emotionally numb.

My aunt and uncle weren't the best part of my life. Although I was about to turn 18 this year, the day was destined as usual and I was vaguely bothered by it. Though, I got to enjoy my birthday with stolen entremets in the sense, stolen from the refrigerator as aunt Katherine wouldn't give me food every day. I always cooked for them, and they always gave me one apple a day. Undeniably the line 'An apple a day keeps the doctor away' was getting a tad stale indeed. As sneaky as I was when my uncle would send me to buy groceries. I would frequently stop by a convenience store to buy snacks for myself as uncle Paden wouldn't even account for every penny he gave.

I always felt like barfing up my pathetic reality, the mirror god damn it! I had horrendous scars all over my body. Too many flaws indeed, but flaws are what make us beautiful. In my experience, people around us do not look at us every day to evaluate each of us individually. They spare one or two casual glances.

Beauty lies in every human being. We are different from each other and that's what makes us unique and special right?

I had to sadly move in with my uncle and aunt after my grandmother's passing.

I would never forget the tales my grandmother told me. She always explains the moral of the stories but once I was unable to understand the answer to the question. My grandmother verbalized the answer for me: "Despite all the flaws, let somebody love you for being you. Let that somebody be you first because you matter, every bit of you matters. You were given a life to show and prove to yourself how extraordinary you might be. Don't waste your time on the envious morons out there". Interesting as it may seem, my grandmother told me love-sick stories.

The lovesick stories my granny would tell always made me want to take a U-turn in life. Just because I am a teenager doesn't mean I don't dream about my customized prince chameleon. I was inspired by Cinderella and her prince charming, as well as by her leaving 'the borrowed' costly crystal pumps at the castle. After that, the prince would find her. What if some cocky girl had the same size? Fantasy tales are just tales, while in reality, we get a prince with chameleon-like features. A person in love becomes blind to the fact that their partner changes colours effortlessly, but the person in love doesn't notice. It wasn't like a fairy tale because of the environment I grew up in. Moreover, I never believed in love. I stay guarded because the more we love the more we break that's what my environment taught me. The reality of me.

When I grow up, I am planning to sue Cinderella for influencing my views about men and love. Uncle Pistachio keeps bringing in girls most days of the week. This basically happens when Aunt Katherine goes to work and comes by dusk. Besides my dislike for her. She is a workaholic. Meanwhile, her repellent husband living off her money would buy the classics. Liquor, weed, drugs and cigarettes. Pistachio is a wannabe smoker man. He keeps rehearsing how to hold the cigars and flirt I reckon.

Supposedly I have tried to tell the situation to Katherine but her brain cells haven't matured adequately. She scarred me with a sharp utensil that day and made me sleep in the alleyway beside the convenience store which was 10km away from the house. I am never going to remind her of this. Ever. She is very much in love with him but he surely isn't. They both scar me with utensils if I disobey them specifically uncle Pistachio. Me being the naïve girl I am. Constantly harkened to my 'late grandmother's words. She perpetually told me to be silent and attentive in an argument as silence saves you in many different ways. Alas! Who would have told her that we should defend ourselves as well and not be naïve?

Uncle Paden tried molesting me right from the beginning. He kept blaring at me, calling me disgusting names. He invariably justified females to be some sort of 'disposable material which in particular can't be recycled. Society has changed over the years which sort of made people informally painless while passing sexual comments, isn't it right? The main focus has in perpetuity been women's rights. Thereby where are they? I perpetually wondered. We females can't even walk here and there freely, can we? Why do we require to carry a pepper spray or a whetted tool? The world has leisurely taken the time to become grievous for females. Aren't the voices of women significant enough for you to infer? It is hard to be strong anywhere we go 24/7 I reckon? Equality the people say! Is it shown between men and women? The fact that I am a slender female doesn't mean I consider the fact that I can't do things less than a man. Amen, every guy who supposedly does the behaviour of harassing or passing sexual remarks to a female of any age just to look witty or superior in Infront of friends. Is superiority this historic? People immensely underestimate women's power.

If you speak to guys, a slut

If you do squats, desperate

If you wear skirts or yoga pants, a whore

If you put make-up, spoiled brat

If you defend yourself, low life

Crop tops or mini dresses, raped

Women can't breastfeed? dance? Lick a lollipop? Not get sexualized for school uniforms? roam without a bra? Have a formal accent?

Why??

This happens with every female in public schools, universities or any general crowded area. We are sluts due to the fact we look a certain way? If we have a mental illness or a mental disorder like OCD, we are spoiled whores for following more detailed hygiene? Applauds. Undeniably don't take care of those things, do we? Daily reminder females breathe similar oxygen as you, eat similar earth-created food, and walk on a similar planet for God's sake. Women give birth don't look down upon them. If females were fragile and wimpy you wouldn't have been alive. If some female gets pregnant at a young age, they are desperate. Why? Just because I am a teenager doesn't make me less strong than a woman carrying a child. Let it be a woman who is aged or a teenager carrying a child. Every single woman should receive appreciation on a similar level as other women. Let's paint the world again. Women's rights began in 1848 I reckon. The complete globe won't change however 80% will. Quite heart-breaking to see women carrying tools. Run me over with a strawberry lollipop but I stand by what I say. Each and every word. Each and every sentence.