My parents always said I was born unlucky. I was born feet first breaking my left ankle and crippling myself. I discovered I could earthbend when I almost four by getting caught in an avalanche. I fell off my balcony and into a bush at five years old about this close to hitting my spine and dying. When I was six, I was almost run over by a cabbage cart breaking my ankle again. At seven years old, my life changed.
7 YEARS OLD
My parents dragged me to a rich people party as I liked to call it. Wealthy women with too much makeup fawned over wealthy men, who didn't give them any attention because they were talking business with coworkers or trying to show off that they had a better wife, house, job, friend, or ... child. I was wearing makeup that would make me luckier, or so my mother said. Green eyeshadow made from betel leaves to honor Lakshmi who brings good luck. The eyeshadow went from the bridge of my nose to the far top corner of my eyelid. I was glad that my mother insisted I shouldn't wear any more. She was worried it might counteract what she was trying to achieve.
I had just started mastering earthbending and made a crystal sculpture for Mr. Beifong. It was his and his wife's anniversary and I thought it might be good to give something more heartfelt than an expensive rug. My earthbending was shoddy when it came to footwork because my crippled left ankle, but when it came to earthbending with my hands I was great. I loved creating things from earth and stone. My father was reluctant to give me the expensive crystal for the sculpture, but when I argued it might help his business, he agreed.
"Mr. and Mrs. Beifong," I said walking up to them with their gift behind my back, "I apologise for intruding, but I wanting to give you something." My seven-year old voice was high-pitched and squeaky, but I hoped they wouldn't mind.
"We don't mind. What's your name child?" Mrs. Beifong addressed me.
"I'm Ela Satori. I made you this!" I presented my sculpture to them. It was two hands with their fingers intertwined made from green crystals. Mr. Beifong's eyebrows shot up and I swore I saw his thin mustache twitch. Mrs. Beifong smiled widely and gently lifted the statue from my small hands.
"It's beautiful..." She whispered. Mr. Beifong still took a few seconds to collect himself. He then stood up straight.
"Where did you get this, child?" Mr. Beifong asked me stoically. He stared me down while I just looked at him confused. His face scared me and I wondered where the kind man I who let me give him a gift went. This man was unforgiving and vengeful.
"Lao!" Mrs . Beifong whispered.
"I made it." I said cautiously, not wanting to anger him, "but my father bought the crystal."
"Passing off other people's work as your own is wrong and hurtful, when I speak to your father about this-" Mr. Beifong was cut off by the appearance of my father behind me, "Ah, Takumi! Your daughter tried to claim some artisan's work as her own. It's unacceptable! I, personally-"
"Mr. Beifong, I hold you in the highest regard, but I'm afraid you're mistaken. I was there when she made it and I bought her the materials. It may seem unbelievable, but my daughter possesses a talent rarely seen and I am proud of her. She even signed her work and asked to put the family symbol on the bottom. Look." My father gestured to the bottom of my creation, while I cowardly hide behind my father.
"I-I apologize. I was too quick to come to a conclusion. I'd like to see more of your work when you get older." Mr. Beifong looked flustered and uncomfortable. He wasn't usually the one to be wrong.
"It's okay. Grandmother says assumptions make an-" My father put a hand over my mouth, cutting off what I was going to say.
"What she means to say is that she would love to show you more of her work when she has her own studio and has grown. Now excuse us, I think it's time this one has gone to bed." said my father, still covering my mouth with his hand. I licked it to gross him out. He cringed. Mrs. Beifong looked on with an amused smirk on her face. He turned us around, wiped his hand on the sleeve of my dress, and took my hand in his.
"Let's go get your Mother and go home." He smiled at me.
"I don't wanna. She'll just fuss over me, correct my grammar, or complain about how she always wanted a graceful dancer for a child! I don't wanna go to bed either!" I complained pulling on my father's hand.
"But your mother does good things too!" My father exclaimed, playfully dragging me to palanquin.
"Like what?" I frowned.
"She makes you breakfast and buys you clothes."
"No, she makes the cook make me breakfast and buys me itchy uncomfortable PINK clothing. PINK!" My father played along frowning.
"Oh no!" He exclaimed, "Not pink!"
"Oh yes! Pink! Pink shoes! Pink skirts! Pink dresses for Agni's sake! It's unbearable!" He gasped as I complained flinging my hand around in wild gestures.
"I don't know how you survive!"
"Me either!"
"But your mother tickles you and tucks you in at night?"
"Nooooo. You do that!" I was giggling and he swung are hands between us.
"You're RIGHT!" He laughed.
"But I love her. Don't know why! But I love her. Actually," I smirked, "She's more civilized than you, Father, and way prettier." His laugh turned into a guffaw at this and people looked at us strangely.
"Well now you're just insulting my ego." We came up to my mother who was gossiping to her friends. Father went over there, releasing my hand to put his hands on her shoulders and kiss her cheek. I gagged behind them and looked around. The trays the servers carried were a really pretty gold. Where did gold come from? A mine, like silver? I thought about what it might be like to be a miner. I imagined the sweat rolling down my back as I swung the pickaxe down on the rock to get to the tiny lines of gold in the rock and I-
My mind swung back to reality as my vision spun and swerved. I stumbled and a server tripped over me and dropped his gold tray with all its food on a very fat, very rich man in yellow. My head hurt where the server inadvertently kicked me. and the room swooshed around for a moment while a collected my bearings. The poor server hit his head too and was getting in trouble with the fat yellow man.
"Ela!" I heard my mother call and I searched around me, "Ela, we're leaving!" My mother called from behind me. I ran to catch up and my mother held out a hand for me and I took it. And tripped.
"I wished you'd be more careful!"
"I love you, too, Mother." I said. We smiled at each other and she picked me up and carried me to the palanquin.
1 YEAR LATER
8 YEARS OLD
I was walking home from the earthbending academy and the studio when I stopped at a stand. I was looking at some yellow crystal when the old shopkeeper yelled.
"Eh! Peasant! Away! Shoo! Go!" I looked behind me at first, but then I realized she was talking to me.
"Miss, I can pay-" I was cut off by more of her shouting, without even getting a chance to explain myself.
"Away! Before I call the guards!" I started to explain that my dirty appearance was from working with earth all day, but then I saw... something. I looked back at the shopkeeper, walking away, but then focused my attention back solely on the few trees where I saw the... thing. I ran towards the trees, only to find nothing there at all. I spun around and around but nothing. Then I heard something. I ran towards the sound, but then my head made the world spin and I tripped into a tree.
"You are not very graceful are you." It laughed. I turned around, slower this time, not only because I wanted to be more cautious now, but because the world was off it's axis. When I first saw him, I was inclined to believe I was hallucinating. Would you believe your eyes if you saw a glowing baboon in monk's clothing? I blinked a few times. Then I stared for a bit. Then, I finally spoke.
"Are you real?" My voice seemed overly loud in the silence.
"What is real? Are these trees and this ground real? Is anything on this plane of existence real?" The baboon babled blithely.
"So you're a spirit?" I guessed.
"Precisely. Very good. You're a smart lad." I frowned.
"I'm a girl." He scoffed.
"Humans. They all look the same," He looked at me closely, almost analyzing me, "Come here. Meditate with me." I sat down next to him as he looked at me.
"What?" I said after he gave me a look.
"Do you really expect to reach a higher plane of being by slouching? Sit up straight. Hands turned up in your lap. Touch your index fingers and thumbs. Elbows out. Eyes shut. Listen to my voice." Glancing at him, I followed his instructions, "Eyes closed."
"Sorry." I muttered, but then I looked at him again, "What's your name?"
"A name is not something given lightly." The baboon stated.
"But if I give my name, courtesy demands you give yours in return." I said, hoping the old baboon would concede.
"Courtesy does not dictate my actions." I sighed disappointed, "Intelligence does. My intelligence is beyond your understanding. Therefore, you cannot have my name."
"Does your intelligence leave no room for manners? I know my actions are not dictated by one source. My actions to meditate with you comes from curiosity, obedience, and a fair dose of destiny." I closed my eyes hoping for once I could have the good luck of learning from a wise spirit, "My name is Ela. I trust you even though intelligence and common sense say I shouldn't. Fate and my trust in fate say I should."
"My name is Rinzen. I do not trust your judgement, but I trust that if I give you knowledge, you will use it with good intentions and learn. Learning is beautiful." I took this spirits hand.
"Teach me please, Master Rinzen." He looked at me like he had always been waiting for a student like me. Because teaching isn't just about the student. Both student and master change with every lesson.
"Remember, sit up straight, hands turned up in your lap, touch your index fingers and thumbs, elbows out, eyes shut and listen to my voice. Deep breathes. In. Out." Dutifully, like any good student, I followed all his instructions but one, "For spirit's sake! Eyes closed!"