Heritage
Mommy swam for the waterfall, and paused to let Daddy and Jesse catch
up. Daddy laughed. "Boy, I've forgotten how fast you can swim. I'm getting too old for this. My old bones can't take it."
We laughed at him, and Mommy ducked behind the waterfall. When I
surfaced beside her, I was shocked. There was a brilliant light coming from within
the depths of a cave. Jesse and Daddy surface beside me.
"I guess they were anticipating this day." Mommy said, and pulled herself
out of the water. She helped me out of the water, and we stood waiting. Daddy and Jesse were soon standing with us, and heading away from the light, we walked to a wall. Mommy turned to smile at us, but I could see she was almost dreading her next actions.
She picked a stone from the floor, and knocked on the wall, which swung
open. Jesse and I gasped in amazement. The only thing within the room was a pool
of water. I wondered why someone would go to such great lengths to hide such a thing. Mommy sat down on the edge of the pool, and I immediately took a seat beside her.
"Girls, I have a question I want you to think about. Do you believe in
mermaids?"
Jesse scoffed, but I thought about it. Deep inside my soul, I truly believed
that anything is real, if you truly believe. I nodded, and Mommy giggled with me.
"Jesse, can you tell me why not?"
"Everyone knows mermaids aren't real."
"You're going to be sorely disappointed." Mommy said, plunging into the
water. I plunged in after her, and felt a weird tingling sensation in my legs. When I
surfaced, Mommy was already waiting. She smiled at me.
"You felt it didn't you?"
I nodded. "What was it?"
"The transformation."
I shook my head. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Climb out."
She and I climbed out at the same time, and I heard Jesse gasp. I looked at her, but her eyes were riveted to my legs.
I looked down, and I giggled with delight. "I'm a mermaid?"
Mommy nodded. "Well, one fourth mermaid, actually. Grandma Celine is
full-blooded mermaid."
Jesse looked at us as though we were crazy.
"Aren't you going to transform?" Mommy asked her, frowning that she
had not already done so.
She shook her head emphatically. "Okay, suit yourself. I guess you didn't
want to go meet everyone, and explore."
"I'll pass." she said.
Daddy carried us one at a time to another pool of water in an opposite
room. He placed Mommy at the water's edge, then came back for me. As he set me
down, I noticed with some disappointment that Jesse still had not changed her mind.
"Daddy, aren't you coming along?"
"No, this is something special between you and your Mom. Besides, I'm
going to stay here and watch Jesse."
He smiled and walked away as Mommy and I dove into the depths of the
crystal-clear water. As we dove deeper, my heart began to pound. What secrets lay
hidden in the depths? What mysteries will be revealed?
Mommy swam for the waterfall, and paused to let Daddy and Jesse catch
up. Daddy laughed. "Boy, I've forgotten how fast you can swim. I'm getting too old for this. My old bones can't take it."
We laughed at him, and Mommy ducked behind the waterfall. When I
surfaced beside her, I was shocked. There was a brilliant light coming from within
the depths of a cave. Jesse and Daddy surface beside me.
"I guess they were anticipating this day." Mommy said, and pulled herself
out of the water. She helped me out of the water, and we stood waiting. Daddy and Jesse were soon standing with us, and heading away from the light, we walked to a wall. Mommy turned to smile at us, but I could see she was almost dreading her next actions.
She picked a stone from the floor, and knocked on the wall, which swung
open. Jesse and I gasped in amazement. The only thing within the room was a pool
of water. I wondered why someone would go to such great lengths to hide such a thing. Mommy sat down on the edge of the pool, and I immediately took a seat beside her.
"Girls, I have a question I want you to think about. Do you believe in
mermaids?"
Jesse scoffed, but I thought about it. Deep inside my soul, I truly believed
that anything is real, if you truly believe. I nodded, and Mommy giggled with me.
"Jesse, can you tell me why not?"
"Everyone knows mermaids aren't real."
"You're going to be sorely disappointed." Mommy said, plunging into the
water. I plunged in after her, and felt a weird tingling sensation in my legs. When I
surfaced, Mommy was already waiting. She smiled at me.
"You felt it didn't you?"
I nodded. "What was it?"
"The transformation."
I shook my head. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Climb out."
She and I climbed out at the same time, and I heard Jesse gasp. I looked at her, but her eyes were riveted to my legs.
I looked down, and I giggled with delight. "I'm a mermaid?"
Mommy nodded. "Well, one fourth mermaid, actually. Grandma Celine is
full-blooded mermaid."
Jesse looked at us as though we were crazy.
"Aren't you going to transform?" Mommy asked her, frowning that she
had not already done so.
She shook her head emphatically. "Okay, suit yourself. I guess you didn't
want to go meet everyone, and explore."
"I'll pass." she said.
Daddy carried us one at a time to another pool of water in an opposite
room. He placed Mommy at the water's edge, then came back for me. As he set me
down, I noticed with some disappointment that Jesse still had not changed her mind.
"Daddy, aren't you coming along?"
"No, this is something special between you and your Mom. Besides, I'm
going to stay here and watch Jesse."
He smiled and walked away as Mommy and I dove into the depths of the
crystal-clear water. As we dove deeper, my heart began to pound. What secrets lay
hidden in the depths? What mysteries will be revealed?