Chapitre 10: _ Champion of the slum

Afina was dumbfounded. Was that even enough a word for how she felt seeing almost the whole street by their door?

The only ones who weren't present were those at work but everyone else- all the unemployed ones, the ones who owned stalls along the street, the housewives, the little kids, every single one of them was there.

"Yes, of course, my Afina did" Mama Xylia crossed her hand over Afina's shoulders and smiled proudly.

Just when did Mama Xylia sprawl up from her place on the couch and had gotten to stand beside her?!

Before Afina could comprehend anything, she had floated like a bird. The men had lifted her in jubilation and that– that was so unexpected.

"Oh, gracious goodness!" she gasped in shock but none could hear her.

The others who couldn't lift her were clapping and like a champion, she was lifted outside of the street with the line's anthem being chorused by every one of them.

She got all teary-eyed, she couldn't help it. She wasn't feeling the weight and the hype of the whole high house post before but she was only doing it to please her mama Xylia. But now, even if she was being stubborn and not drooling over it, her heart had been bought by the reactions from the others.

These people have lifted her on their shoulders like a hero when she and her family did not even belong to their line by blood. They became one of them just by years of living together yet, they accepted them without any discrimination at all.

She was going to miss every single one of them. Her heart was a mess right now. Caught between not wanting to go and having to go.

Knowing just how line and class-conscious those people from the high house were, she knew she would be up for some big change. It was going to be a painful and difficult one too.

Subconsciously, she joined the others in chanting the line's anthem until it was over, and she was lifted down.

Her chest was tight, emotion and helplessness had sent the air away from her lungs.

If she messed up at all and gets expelled, she would be letting all these people down. That alone changed her perspective and the notion she was entering the high house with.

One by one, everyone embraced her briefly. She made sure to chant her appreciation as she took them one by one in her arms.

"Thank you." her clogged voice professed.

When it got to Ma Danice's turn, "Now, who will light my gas when I want to cook? Who will ignite my candles when the electricity fails?" The sixty-four-year-old woman lamented as she embraced Afina.

"You can always buy matchsticks, Ma Danice! Don't be so stingy!" Someone from the crowd jibed.

Afina enjoyed helping the others in the street with the little she could. Most times, she helps them with matters that concern fire since it was the least she could do. Controlling the fire element was a gift from nature and since she couldn't help the others in their poor state, she'd light their candles and gas cylinders when she could.

Mama Xylia of course didn't like it one bit. She would always tell her the others were mainly exploiting her yet she thought it was an act of goodwill.

"And who is going to burn those thieving rats for me?" Norah grumbled.

Afina smiled at the woman, "You can trap them with your sand element too. I was just available to help not necessarily needed." she kissed her cheek.

Hesitatingly, Norah moved away for the next person to come.

"Do us proud Blue!"

"Come home as a noble and turn our street into one of those luxurious ones!"

"Blue, I hope you become the most powerful noble in the line!"

"May the spirit of our ancestors change your life so that ours could be changed!"

"You are our hope, Blue!"

Everyone had something to say as they moved in a queue to embrace her goodbye.

Every word stuck to her heart. Never would she forget any of them. These people had high hopes for her and she would be sure to not disappoint them. May the blood of divine ancestors of the sandline and flameline be in her favor.

When it got to Blake's turn, he had such a pleasurable glint on his face. His dreams had finally come to pass. He had been waiting for a day to hold Afina in his arms and here was an opportunity!

This time, Afina rolled her eyes at the lustful glee in the man's eyes. Most casually, she embraced him too.

"I will write to you every new month Blue, write back!" he chortled and made way for the next person.

After the embracing ritual was done, everyone finally returned to their businesses while Afina returned with Mama Xylia and Father Atticus into theirs.

Mama Xylia's joyful tears were evident but Father Atticus tried so hard to hide his.

He couldn't hide it well though, Afina saw it, and she held it dear to her heart.

"Time to start packing" Mama Xylia instructed after dinner that day.

Mother and daughter returned to Afina's room to pack only the best outfits she had.

"You won't be needing too much since you will always be in a uniform. Just pack a little you might need for some occasions you cannot wear a uniform too." Mama Xylia had said when the mini-sized suitcase she had purchased for Afina in the store started to get stuffed with belongings.

"Pack the best too" she added and Afina had to nod with a smile.

Mama Xylia was being extreme about it all.

It seemed the mini-sized suitcase wouldn't do as their door kept on getting knocked upon by neighbors who had come to give Afina a departure gift.

At the end of the day- the next day, mama Xylia had to go purchase yet another mini-sized suitcase.

"I should have just bought the big one. Not even once did it cross my mind that you will get such an amount of gifts!" she lamented as they began to pack the valuable ones amongst the gifts into the second suitcase.

She was leaving the next day!

A three days interval was what always stood between the date of the announcement and resumption.

Time seemed to have halted for the day to run out and morning to arrive in Mama Xylia's eyes. She wouldn't stop mentioning the high house that Afina even wondered if her mother was glad to send her off.

That was a silly thought though, she knew her mama Xylia. She was as scared, sorrowful, and sad as she was happy for her acceptance into the high house. She was only perhaps convincing herself that since it was for the best, she should only cheer her on and not be sad and sulking.

All three of them had drifted off right in the sitting room while discussing the happy moments they have shared for they knew it would take years before such a meeting could occur again.

When Afina opened her eyes the next day and saw her face almost colliding with father Atticus's she smiled with joy in her heart.

As if her smile was contagious and had hands to wake the man up, father Atticus opened his eyes, stared into Afina's smiling one, and returned the smile.

" Good morning my blue angel," her father said to her.

He was fond of calling her his blue angel even though she was no angel.

"Morning Dad" She got up, kissed his cheeks, and turned to wake Mama Xylia who still slept soundly on the floor.

The woman was probably tired. She had worked herself out trying to prepare Afina for this day.

As mama Xylia opened her eyes, the telephone rang.

Swiftly, father Atticus had gone to pick it up, and after about thirty seconds of being on the phone, he dropped it.

"That was from the high house. Your pick-up bus arrives in two hours," he announced.

Mama Xylia squeaked and got up on her feet. "Oh dear, let's get you ready!"

She took Afina to the bathroom and made sure to bathe her in the tub herself with lavender and scented bath salts.

Mama Xylia dressed her hair the high-house style and helped tuck in her high-house uniform which Norah had sown for her but collected no pay.

"I wonder how you got accepted with blue hair," Mama Xylia said dreamily as she styled the hair.

Yes, she wondered just what miracle happened.

"It's the qi Baby Blue. No one in the street even has a yellow qi yet you have the green of the highest stage. You are special Baby Blue. Make sure to hide from the evil eyes in the high house. Don't forget this." Mama Xylia had said.

For some reason, her last words sounded like a warning to Afina.

Soon after, the bus arrived but Afina was done, ready, and waiting in front of the house with mama Xylia and Father Atticus. The other residents of the street stood in front of their homes, waiting and ready to watch.

The protocol gave no time for last goodbyes. The moment it stops, you get in and it zooms off.

So, they have done their last goodbyes before it arrived, and when it did, she entered its opened door and went through it.

Father Atticus and mama Xylia were waving her goodbye and so did the rest of the street. Not even a tear escaped mama Xylia's eyes but with the way she curled into father Atticus, as the bus moved away; Afina knew she would cry her eyes out that day and probably the rest of the week.

Until she gets used to not having Afina around. Afina herself would surely suffer from homesickness. Never had she lived two days away from her parents.

The pair of eyes on the bus that eyed her with distaste sent her thoughts away. The other girls were irritatingly looking at her for living in such an area maybe.

Searching her eyes for a more accommodating seat, she found one beside the girl who also had a green qi like her.

She was looking out of the window and did not seem to be concerned about the happenings on the bus. A perfect sitting partner, Afina thought as she went to occupy the vacant spot beside the girl.

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