India 10
Adoption into India
Chapter 9- The School System and New Beginnings
I gaped with my mouth open till the woman came over and snapped it shut for me, with her fourth hand!
"I get that a lot from first time Magic-child parents. One of them ran out of the shop, screaming at the top of his lungs, till he remembered that he had left his wife and daughter here. So, I would say you are doing good, so far. Let me introduce myself. I am Zaire Talhaine. I am the keeper of the book for the Department of Magical-Child Development under the Indian government. It's a shushed-up department. I keep tabs on all the children who are new at the craft and need to be initiated into the world of Magic. I guide them through their journey into the magic world- here in India and I have connections with Asian countries- Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, you name it. Are you with me so far, Mrs. Khan?" I nodded in agreement. The number of bizarre things I had seen over the year with Eklavya with me, I suppose I should have expected something like this to come forward. But to imagine something so organized (a department in the ministry!) was just unthinkable. "Do you think that you are ready to hear some more? Good. It will speed the process along. Now Eklavya, how far have you come with your craft? What have you experimented so far, if anything at all?"
"Well, I can change colors of objects. I can make dry flowers fresh again. I can move objects with my mind. When I am angry, I can make thing explode, though that doesn't happen anymore because meditation helps me control my anger and energy." I nodded in agreement and added, "When he first started showing signs of magic, my husband and I knew that we could not let him loose control of his magic because then if it becomes public, it would create something terrible. So we enrolled him for yoga and meditation classes. The results were instantaneous. He immediately improved and could control his abilities better, but he still gets very tired when he uses his magic."
"That's nothing to worry about, Mrs. Khan. He is still young, and his magic is developing still. Trying to do magic with a mind, that can only think about cricket, is very hard. Foreign wizards try to thus channel their magic through objects like a wand, or a staff, a ring. But in India, we prefer still to teach the primitive ways, because it is very easy to loose these objects. They make life simpler but make us dependent on them. Just like a calculator." Oh yes! I knew that dilemma in Math class and calculator. I remember whining to my mother about the same. "Now I assume, that you would want him to continue his craft, make it his first choice, something natural to him rather than the dilemmas he faces now of trying to hide away at every turn?" I bit my lip. Now I wasn't so sure. "It's alright. Most parents are worried about loosing control of their children, being helpless when it comes to their school work, daily life, etc. I won't lie to you, in many cases it does happen- alienation of the parents from the children. But you have to understand, this is your child's rightful place. Why else would he feel such an intense pull towards this shop? If he studies in these schools of magic craft, he can make a good future. Teaching, positions in the bureaucracy, businesses, there are endless opportunities, there is an internal land here in the Silver Market and many other areas of the country. Now about the school education…"
"I am sorry," I interrupted her. "I think this all is happening a bit too fast for me. I need to talk to my husband before I can listen anymore and take anymore decisions." I got up, out of the chair, I breathed in deeply, I gestured for Luck to follow me, when his voice rang behind me.
"Ma, can I buy this thing?" I looked behind and in his hand was a tiny golden ball with wings. The old lady- Zaire Talhaine, went to Eklavya and picked the ball out of his hands.
"Ah, a good choice, child. It's a foreign product called a snitch. Look," she opened her fist and tapped the ball which took off for a second, before she grabbed it out of the air and handed it back to Luck. "It's a sport, and helps with your reflexes too. Just don't let it go too far or you'll never catch it and your neighbors will see a golden ball floating in mid-air." I moved to put the ball back, but the old lady was quicker. She grabbed the ball, stuffed it in a box and handed it to Eklavya. "Here you go, son. A present from the other world." I bit my lip and walked out of the shop, an ecstatic Lucky following behind me.
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A train platform. Running. Run, faster, I must catch the train. I reached my hand out, grabbed onto the bar, and pulled myself into the compartment. Just then the train began to move. I sighed in relief and looked behind me, but he wasn't there. Lucky wasn't there. Where? Where is my son? I stuck my head out of the door and glanced here and there, trying to search wildly in the crowd of thousands. 'Sir, have you seen my son?' I wanted to ask, but my mouth wouldn't open, like it was stuck together with superglue. It all seemed like a haze. The train began to pick up speed. Then I saw in the distance was that old woman. Her white hair flowing wildly behind her, her spidery long fingers waving to me, mocking me. The black robes she had on reminded me of a Tantric (Voodoo) cult I had once seen in the villages. And as the crowd parted I could see her other hand clutched onto something, a little boy. My boy! Lucky! I wanted to shout out at him. Someone help please! That's my son! She had my son! That witch has my son! He was looking at me, but could not recognize me. He didn't recognize his own mother. I wanted to shout, I wanted to scream. But I could do nothing. The train sped fast and at last a piercing scream left my throat- Eklavya!!
I gasped and my eyes opened wide. My heart was beating so wildly, I thought I would have a stroke. Just a dream, a dream. But I awoke in complete cold sweat. I reached my hand up and tried to cool down my face temperature. A few tears leaked out from my eyes as I realized the reality of the dream. Allah! You can't take my son away from me. God no! I opened my eyes and noticed a glass of cold water hovering in front of me. I looked up and saw Imtiaz there. I sighed in relief. Looks like he had come back from his conference, just now, if I could judge by is attire. I accepted the water and gulped it down greedily. I put the empty glass on the night stand and hugged Imtiaz. Crying onto his shoulders, I allowed myself to be comforted against the inevitable future events in our lives.
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I breathed in deeply, and waited for the explosion to come. But it never did. Lucky was at Grandma's house today, and Imtiaz and I had gone out for lunch. I had just finished telling him the story of that night at the Silver Market. I waited for him to say something about the entire discussion, but he patiently sipped his coffee.
"Well, aren't you going to say anything?"
"What do you want me to say, Saru? You have obviously gotten very scared of that idea. Do you want me to give me honest opinion or try to console you? Because they will be opposite ends, love." I bit my lip. I hated it when Im would become damn mature all of a sudden when I would want to be the most immature one out there. Funny, how the two moments of both of us being mature never coincided. Anyway, back to the problem at hand.
"I don't know what I want you to say. I am scared, Imtiaz. He's my son, and not being able to understand what he is doing, where he is coming from- its such a scary thought!"
"I know, Sara. I am that boy's father. But we can't let our son's future get destroyed just because we can't understand him, or because we are scared. He has every right to choose his path," I opened my mouth to protest, "No, Sara. You know that I am right. We talk of freedom and of the right to opportunity for adults and kids alike, but why is it so hard to do stay true when it comes to our own children. On the other hand, it should be simpler. Do you remember that day, a few months ago, when we decided to go to that carnival?" I squinted my eyes, unsure of what he was trying to make me remember, "The Bombay Flying Circus" ah yes, "Do you remember the Palmist and Crystal Ball Gazer?"
A few months ago
I licked the pink cotton candy from my hands. Damn it, such sugary sweetness comes at a price of stickiness. I used sanitizer on my hands and near my mouth to try and wash away the sticky pink remnants. I watched ahead, as Lucky frolicked in towards the Ferris Wheel, one hand clutching his father's. I hurried to catch up when suddenly a woman stepped in front of me.
"I see you, your future, and your past. Come to me, child, I will tell you all you want to know. Don't be afraid now! Come to me," she made weird gestures with her hands, and stepped back into her tent. Okay, I smiled amusingly and looked at the sign in front of the tent- Karishma (Miracle), the Seer. I called to Imtiaz and Lucky, and together we entered the tent.
Oh god, so much smoke and fog. I coughed in discomfort and saw Lucky do the same. "Welcome to my cavern of future secrets! Only the fortunate get to see a hint of the future, and now you shall have the opportunity. Behold the power of the future!" she lifted the sheet off the table to uncover a crystal ball. "Uhh…..technical error." She banged her foot on the end of the table, no wonder to turn the switch on, and voila! the crystal ball began to fume inside. Swirls of red and blue enveloped inside the ball, and she started gesturing around the ball. "Now, who would like to go first?" Im stepped up. "Ah, handsome boy, your future. I see a booming business. Money flowing in! You are currently working to establish your business in restaurants, right?"
"Ah, no."
"Ah, future plan to establish said business. Not satisfied with your current post as a manager in a firm, huh?" she nodded sympathetically.
"Ah, no. I am very satisfied with my current job actually."
"Oh, your family wants you to join their family business, child." Imtiaz and I shared an amused glance. No one in Im's family had been linked with business for ages. Actually in India, many families run joint-family businesses. So to guess yes, 40 percent of the households and business families- small or big alike. But right now, we were having too much fun at the lady's expense. Again, Imtiaz shook his head in the negative. "Well, then you will soon. Next volunteer." I stepped up this time. "Ah, the wife. Let's see what the future offers you. I see lots of excitement. Ah! Children! Lots of them—seven!" What! "Ah, no those three aren't yours…four! Excellent! You are pregnant aren't you?!" I looked down at my stomach, quite proud of my toned abs, and looked up at her again.
"I don't think so." It came out as a squeak. Not the tone I was hoping for here.
"Well, congratulations, dearie! You are going to be a mother! And now the baby boy. Let's see what the future entails for you!" Again, she rotated her hands around the ball and closed her eyes in concentration. I leaned back in my chair, glad the attention had diverted from me. My cheeks were still read from the future reading I had received. I could see Imtiaz sniggering on my right and wacked him across his chest. Suddenly, the palmist opened her eyes, and darted across the table and grabbed Luck's hand. I reached forward to stop her when I saw Im hold me back. Alright she was just reading his palm, not hurting him. She looked at Luck in the eyes, and then brushed his hair across his forehead to reveal the lightning bolt scar.
"So, much pain for one so young. Touched by destiny and fate. And…Touched by evil incarnate." She peered at me, straight into my eyes. Now I didn't think she was a cheat or fraud. But someone who knew something about my son. "You have a hard journey ahead my child, your destiny awaits you. Back home. In England. Your birth family back at home. The Potters. " Lucky immediately snatched his hand back from her, he shot up from his chair and glared into her eyes.
"I have no family back there. This is my home now. India. I have nothing in England. You hear me nothing!" and then he stormed out of the tent.
"Denial is not the answer to every problem. He has to learn that. Learn acceptance, sacrifice, love above all else. Make sure he knows all that, he will need it in the Final Battle." Suddenly, her eyes lost their dreamy look and she snapped back into reality. "That will be Rs. 300, please. Thank you. So mote it be."
We hurried out of the tent and looked for Lucky. We found him sitting by the ice-cream vendor. We both smiled. He looked so sweet, a seven year old brooding. I knew just how to cheer him up. I went to the ice-cream man and bought his favorite- Butterscotch flavor. Imtiaz grabbed Lucky from behind and spun him rapidly. My sweet boy let out giggles, which soon turned into full-blown laughter. I gave him the ice-cream and he gladly chomped on it. The incident was forgotten.
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"That meant nothing, Imtiaz. We discussed it that night."
"It explains how the woman knew Luck's birth name, birthplace. How she knew when you didn't, that you were pregnant. She must have actually been some sort of a seer, right? To know something that was never disclosed to her in the first place."
"First of all, pregnancy could have been a guess. You know how people all say that you glow in pregnancy, even more beautiful. Maybe all that bullshit is actually true. And secondly, Lucky is clearly a white boy, Im. She could have guessed. Anyone white seems to be from England or US. And the Potters name it must have been a coincidence. Lucky has long forgone his name."
"Then, why are you getting so upset, if everything is behind us? Fact is that we are trying to make a situation simple. Which it is not. Lucky has two loyalties, Sara. To us and to his birth parents. You must try to understand that. Lucky needs to understand that." I protested again and this time, he held up his hand to quiet me. "I know the story you told me of how Lucky thinks his parents were drunks and useless people. But fact is that Lucky thinks that. Does he know that? He had been told he was a freak all his life. When he found us, we told him he was special. Now he believes he is special, destined for something great. We taught him that. Isn't it possible, then, Sara, that his parents weren't actually the worst that he thinks of them? Is it right for us to keep him from them, from knowing his own parents, who could have loved him unconditionally? Is it right for us to keep Lucky from his destiny? And wasn't this actually what we were looking for? Any sign, any clue as to how we could help him come to terms with his powers and strength. Then why are we trying to withdraw now? I don't know about you, Sara, but I think we should give this school a chance. At least talk to the woman before we make our decision. We need our facts and data." And then finishing his sermon, he went back to his food. Shit! I hated when he was right.
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And so, three days later, we all found ourselves back in the Silver Market. But the problem was this. The market was the oldest in Delhi. It had 50 main turns and infinite small turns. Where were we that night? Umm….yeah. Let's try and remember. Well I distinctly remember smelling Paranthas, spicy pancakes. So we had to be near the famous Food Street. And then there was a boutique there for wedding dresses, what was the name- Similar Fashions, no…Sweet Fashions….no Sexy….no…Shingaar (Decoration) Fashion! Yup! I hurried my pace, keeping an active eye on the signs boards above me and guided my husband and son through the crowd of millions. At last, I saw the clothes shop, and the same smell of the delicious Paranthas. My stomach growled. I groaned in despair. First things first, find the creepy lady. Harry caught up with me, and pulled me along into the narrow street, much like he had done that night, and pointed through the glass doors. Taking a deep breath in, I put my hand on the handle, and pushed it open.
The same scene caught me and Luck. The old woman, Zaire, was standing behind the counter, cleaning the vials and glasses. Another younger woman, her assistant, perhaps, was restocking the small glasses, and…was that frog legs? Eww….
"Madame Talhaine, my husband and I are here. We want to carry forward the discussion regarding the schooling system for magic-children."
"A bit later than I expected, but no matter. Please sit down, tea with a single sugar cube, right? Coming right up. Now on the table you will find a brochure." I reached for the pamphlets on the table- Magical Child and the Non-Magical Parents. "It is an introduction into the how-dos of the magical life of your child. Such as how to ground them sufficiently enough. I have a feeling that is what most of the parents need or want to understand. Don't want to send your child to his room and learn that they have magically transported themselves to the Bahamas, now do we?" I paled at the comment. She laughed at my discomfort, "Don't worry, most aren't able to learn magic transportation in school. Those who are they are not able to do international transportation. Long distance travel requires a license. Like driving." Imtiaz and I flipped through the pamphlet and read through some of the sections- Subjects To Be Learned, the Ministry Department, Emergency Contacts, Disciplining your Child, etc. I looked up from the pamphlets and let her know that we were interested only in what she herself had to say. She came to the table and sat down with us- Imtiaz, Lucky, and I. "Now, right now I understand Eklavya is seven years old?" I nodded my head. "All schools around the world start the formal education around eleven, and then for seven years you study magic. In India, the trend has been for parents to enroll their children in magical play-schools or part-time magic schools to start their education. It gives them an exposure of the magical community, and we of course in the play-school teach basic skills like reading and writing. Abroad, mostly parents make their children do home-schooling by governesses or they themselves teach the children. You can select from a range of many play-schools, which later feed into the mainstream formal education schools. The formal education starts at eleven, where you learn the basic skills of magic. The subjects vary from Divination (a strong part of Indian magic), Potion Making and Alchemy, Creature Study, House Magic, Defensive Magic, to popular sports like Carpet Flying. These subjects are available from standard 1 through 4. From standard 5, you get divided into specialization streams. You can specialize into areas of magic. The basic subjects are the same, the content changes. The streams are- Dark and Light Arts, Inventory Sphere, Magical Politics and Commerce, etc. Are you all with me so far?" I nodded. It sounded simple enough I guess. A bit like the fairy tale stories one always heard about. Except more, real.
"Now, let us look at the school brochures for formal education, shall we- would you like boarding or normal?" Boarding would not be good for anyone of us. For one thing, I would die of fright thinking what would be happening to my child in that witch school, and on the other I don't think no matter how open Lucky has become with us, that he would like to be away from home so soon, at such a young age. So, both of us asked for normal. She clapped her hands, and a few brochures disappeared in a blue smoke from a rack and re-appeared in the same smoke onto the table.
"Wow," Lucky exclaimed, "you can do that just by clapping your hands?"
"Let me tell you a little secret, sweetie." She bent close to him and said, "The smoke is just for show. Gives a good magical effect doesn't it?" She winked at him and pointed to each brochure one by one, "Asura Academy of Tantra, Sri Lanka. It is my job to tell you about all of these schools, but I wouldn't recommend this one, doesn't exactly go with the good parenting thing unless you want your child to become the next Demon Lord. But you didn't hear that from me. Next, Samara School of Magical Thought. A new establishment located in the mountains of Himalayas. Rating so far is—3.5 out of 5. It offers new courses. Next, Gandhi Academy of Light Arts. Not recommended. They just stole the name for the publicity…"
"Wait," I said, "Gandhi was a magician?"
"A sorcerer….how else do you think he could go on a fast onto death, his magic used to feed the body…for a while. Even magic has its limitations. Next, Wiccan Magic University. They teach pure wicca, no adulteration. Specialization from the start if you want. Lastly, Kali Academy of Magical Arts. One of the oldest establishments of magic in India. Underground. Underneath the northern India region, Ayodhya (a city, birthplace of Lord Ram (one of the Hindu Gods)), old magic and all that. It feeds on that. Recommended, but it goes with the simple ways. It feeds on international curriculum, no new innovations for course. It's tough to get into. Now for any of these schools, you just need to fill in this form. State whether you want part-time pre-schooling, or full-time. And follow the directions. When you get accepted, the school puts an access way like a door in any part of your house, like in the closet or in the bathroom, hidden away from other people's views, and you can access the school anytime. It basically opens into the schools. Very secure though. Guarded by various wards and enchantments, no need to worry about that. Any other questions?" We shook our heads, took the school pamphlets, and left the shop once again. We had a lot of thinking to do.
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A/N:- How's that? Any guesses where I put him? I have already made my mind on the school and everything. I am thinking of the love life and friendships though… hmm….maybe I'll copy a Bollywood movie. I'll give you guys a hint, if you can guess—Rats and Meow. Maybe just one more- Ranjor ka Rathore! Lol….let me know if anyone figures it out. I loved the movie! So incredibly cute….!