Discovering the Past: The Quest Begins
Chapter One: Sisters Equals Trouble
The sky was pitch black with a couple of stars shining bright. The wind was blowing loud and clear swaying the branches of the trees back and forth making howling sounds that could only be heard in a quiet night. The sound the wind made was so soothing and the rhythmical rhythm that the tree branches made was very relaxing that Jasmine was finding it hard to stay awake long enough to finish doing her History homework.
But she was having difficulty remembering all the dates and events of some Supreme Court decisions, the important treaties and laws in American History. And she kept mixing up the Fifteenth Amendment of the Constitution, which stated that voting privileges couldn't be denied on the basis of race or previous condition of servitude, with the Nineteenth Amendment, in which women gained the right to vote.
She really needed to remember all of this for her big history exam that would make the difference between graduating from high school, getting accepted into one of the greatest Universities, and finding the job of her dreams (which she wasn't sure of that one, yet). Or flunk high school, go to "some" college or University, and end up with a job that requires a lot of working hours and pays very little.
It's hard to imagine that one silly exam can change the entire life of a person, right? But if she ever wanted to become a successful person in life, she would have to study very hard in order to pass her exams, graduate and accomplish her goals in life.
It would have been easier if only there weren't that much she had to remember and if only the soothing sound of the wind or the swaying motion of the tree branches wouldn't lure her into looking outside her bedroom window so frequently, causing her to wonder off to her usual daydreams where she can fly through the sky, feeling the wind in her face and the swishing sound of the air in her ears. If only people could fly like birds soaring through the sky, but that would only happen if humans had wings instead of arms.
"Are you almost done?" asked her sister Angelica, from her bed, interrupting Jasmine's thoughts.
"I wish," she said sarcastically. "I don't even know why I have to learn this," complained Jasmine, "It's not like I want to be a politician nor a history teacher." Actually she wasn't sure what she wanted to be, she wasn't sure about a lot of stuff in her life. All she knew was that she didn't want to be anything that required learning History and that she had to graduate high school in order to get to college.
"I know what you mean," agreed Angelica. "Mr. Kitten has been given me zeros since our first day of school," she said with an I-don't-believe-he'd-do-that tone. "I think he hates me," continued Angelica with an innocent tone.
"Angelica…" started Jasmine trying hard not to laugh at her sister's lame explanation of why she is not passing.
It was the oldest and lamest excuse ever because the majority of the students tend to blame their teachers every time they get a poor grade. Mr. Kitten is actually Mr. Nitsch, the English teacher, he was Jasmine's teacher last year and he wasn't as horrible as her sister sometimes described him, he is a little demanding, but that's how all teachers are in high school.
"I'm serious, Jasmine," interrupted Angelica sounding a little hurt, as she noticed her sister's smile.
"I'm sorry, it's just that…" Jasmine trailed off.
Angelica forgave her sister and went on with her story, "You wouldn't believe what Mr. Kitten told me."
"Mr. Nitsch," corrected Jasmine.
"Same thing," argued Angelica, but before Jasmine could argue some more Angelica went on, "I was in his classroom with my friends; you know doing the usual, talking and passing notes." Jasmine rolled her eyes at this but Angelica just ignored her and kept on talking as if she didn't notice.
"As we were doing this he went on babbling about something. I think he was saying to always use double negatives," she wondered trying to remember but not hard enough.
"No, he said never use double negatives," corrected Jasmine.
"How do you know? You're not even in my classroom," she countered, "Besides that's not the point," she said matter-of-factly, and with that she continued. Jasmine decided it was best to just let it go, her sister was just going to have to learn the hard way.
"He told me to go to his desk," continued Angelica, "So, I went and he said that everybody has a brain and that it was about time I start using mine. Can you believe him? How could he say that to me?"
"I'm sure he didn't mean it in a bad way," Jasmine assured her, but not quite believing it herself.
"Oh, sure," cried Angelica sarcastically, "then I'm sure you won't get mad when I tell everybody at school that you still watch cartoons because I don't mean it in a bad way."
"You watch them, too."
"But, I'm younger than you."
"You're fifteen."
"So, you're sixteen and I'm, still, younger than you."
Jasmine stared at her sister, it is true that she still watches cartoons, but what could she do? Some cartoons are really funny and she would only watch them when she was really sad and needed to cheer up or when she was stressed.
"Ok, fine, I get your point," Jasmine cried, feeling frustrated, "So, what else happened because knowing you, you wouldn't let someone get away with that."
"I told him as politely as I could, 'Oh, I'm sorry Mr. Nitsch, I thought this was English class. I guess I must have accidentally walked into Science class.' And then I walked out of the room."
"You said that," gasped Jasmine, "You did that."
"Of course," said Angelica, enjoying her sister's reaction. But, before Jasmine could say something Angelica quickly added, "Jasmine, it's not, like, the end of the world. Besides sometimes it's worth getting a detention just to see the look on a teachers face when you say the unthinkable." With that Angelica stood up from her bed and started to walk toward the door.
"Yeah, but one of these days, Angelica, you'll get in big trouble."
Angelica stopped and turned around, "I can't wait," she replied with a mischievous grin and closed the door behind her.
Jasmine turned her attention back to her studying and decided to worry about her homework now. But, was shortly interrupted by an argument going on in the living room.
"Hey," cried Mayra, "I was here first."
"Not anymore," said Angelica, "you left so, now I have the remote control."
"Oh, no," sighed Jasmine, "here we go again."
Everyday it's always the same. Mayra gets home from school, goes to the living room, and turns on the television. Later, while she is in the bathroom, Angelica goes to the living room and gets the remote control. Then Mayra gets back from the bathroom and starts' arguing with her over whose turn it is to watch TV. Celina, Jasmine's other little sister, who is quite the actress, hears the yelling and screaming and instead of doing something to stop the argument, she joins it. Jasmine and David, their older brother, are the ones who end up being the referee in this fight. Their mom is almost always out of town so, she is usually not there. But, today it was going to be Jasmine to referee because David was out on a date with his girlfriend, Rebecca; leaving Jasmine stuck babysitting her three younger sisters.
"Both of you are wrong," came Celina's voice, "It's my turn to pick the channels. I haven't watched television since I got home from school. So, that makes it my turn."
"It's not your turn," yelled Angelica, "and you have watched television."
"Yeah, you liar," agreed Mayra.
"Ahh," screeched Celina. "How could you accuse me of such a horrible thing?" she demanded, pretending to be hurt by their accusation, "You that are one of my most dear and beloved sisters, whom I most cherish and adore. I would have never thought you would accuse me of such a despicable thing. Oh, the pain! Oh, the irony! Life as we know it will never be the same. I don't think I could live on with out you, Ohhh!" Celina fell dramatically to the floor, gasping and making chocking sounds, as she stretched her arms trying to grab on to one of her sisters.
"Oh, stop your whining," cried Angelica. She thought that with everyday that past, Celina seemed to act more dramatic than ever and it was beginning to get annoying. But she probably thought that, because she was older than Celina, even if it was just by one year.
"Yeah," agreed Mayra, the youngest of them all, "that is so first grade."
Jasmine finally had, had enough of the yelling and screaming. She went to the living room to settle her sisters' dispute.
"Stop it," screamed Jasmine, "the three of you, stop arguing."
Her three sisters stopped talking at once and stared at Jasmine. Since Jasmine was the oldest from the four of them they obeyed her but, sometimes not with out a fight.
"Celina, get up," ordered Jasmine. "You know you're not supposed to watch TV until you finish all your homework."
"How do you know I haven't finished yet," challenged Celina.
"Because you always wait 'till the last minute," replied Jasmine, getting frustrated, "Now go do your homework."
"Can't I do it later?" asked Celina with an innocent tone.
"Now!" screamed Jasmine, with blazing eyes.
Celina straightened up and looked at her sister's fiery eyes. She knew she was on thin ice so, she thought it better to just do what Jasmine ordered.
"Yes, ma'am," yelled Celina, making a salute to Jasmine as she marched toward the corridor that led to her room. Singing all the way:
"I don't know
But I've been told
That I've got to do
My homework, now.
Big sisters
Are a bore
With the phony
Mother tone…"
"She has got to get a life," said Angelica, as they heard Celina close her bedroom door.
Jasmine turned to face Mayra with the same blazing eyes she used on Celina, and ordered her to go to her room.
"Why," she whined.
"Because you've already watched too much television."
"So, I was here first."
"Yeah, but once you leave, you lose your turn," stated Angelica.
"No, I don't."
"Yes, you do," cried Angelica and Jasmine in unison.
Mayra looked at them both with watery eyes. "But I don't have nothing else to do," she moaned.
Jasmine and Angelica looked at each other with worried eyes, they hated it when their little sister did that. They hated it when Mayra looked at them with her big, brown, watery eyes and her gloomy, childish face because it made them soft. They hated it when Mayra's small, sad, innocent voice would shatter their hearts making them want to do something to make her happy.
"Sure you do," Angelica assured her.
"Why don't you go play with your toys?" asked Jasmine with a soft, soothing voice.
"Because I want to play with you or Celina, but you're both busy with homework," she replied with her small, childlike voice, "And I don't want to play with Angelica because she is no fun."
"Thanks for the compliment," said Angelica sarcastically.
"You're welcome," replied Mayra politely, clearly missing Angelica's sarcasm.
"I have an idea," exclaimed Jasmine, "Why don't you play a game on David's computer?"
"But, David will be furious if he sees me playing with his computer. The last time I used his computer he went ballistic because I accidentally opened a folder that I wasn't suppose to."
"Why would you open a folder that would make David mad?" asked Angelica.
"I wasn't looking for a reason to make David angry. I was looking for the games and I found a folder labeled 'Playboy'. I thought that the games were inside so, I opened it. How was I supposed to know what it really had?"
"Oh," gasped Angelica, suddenly wishing she hadn't asked.
"Don't worry," Jasmine told her, "I'll open up the correct folder for you. You just let me worry about David."
"Yeah, let her worry about David," agreed Angelica.
Jasmine took Mayra to David's room and found her the right folder that contained games.
"Thanks, Jasmine," whispered Mayra.
"Your welcome," replied Jasmine, "Just make sure you don't open other folders."
"Ok,"
Jasmine stood up and was about to walk toward the door, when Mayra grabbed her hand. She turned to look at her sister, meeting her innocent eyes.
"I have to do my homework," Jasmine reminded her.
"I know. I just wanted you to know that I like having you as a sister."
Jasmine smiled at her little sister and hugged her.
"I like having you as a sister, too," she replied and then left feeling happy.
As she made her way to her room she told Angelica that she had until 9 pm to watch TV. "Ok," muttered Angelica.
Jasmine entered her room and sat down on her chair with enough energy to finish her homework. It was almost 7:30 pm and she still had a few things to remember and a couple of chapters to read. Jasmine opened her history book not knowing that her quest was about to begin. And as she flipped through the pages searching the chapter she needed to read, she felt a jolt in her navel and was being sucked into her history book, off to a century in the past…