2. Flowers for I-Chaya - New Hope
I almost fall into the small lake mother insist on having in the gardens when her voice calls for me. I try to look as serious as father always does – but it does not come easy to me, not after all those years. I run to the house – I know it's not logical, as father would say, to needlessly spend energy. But I like the way air flows around me when I run.
There are some strange men in company of my parents; human and Vulcan. Mother says they are healer Sorel and Doctor Corrigan, that they were the one who made me possible. I do not understand what she means – I could be im-pos-sib-le without these two?
"Spock," says Doctor Corrigan, smiling at me. Only mother smiles at me and part of me quickly likes him. He's from Earth, just like my mother, and I think he likes me back. Healer Sorel nods my way. I kind of like him, too. He's Vulcan – but his eyes look friendly. His eyes then return to my parents, and he talks about something.
Ex-pe-ri-ment.
I do not understand what that means and I feel a bit silly – so I come after mother, reaching for her hand. Father looks at me with brows down but I do not care right now. Mother's hand is soft in mine, and when I look up to her, she gives me a small smile and nudges me towards doctor Corrigan.
He kneels in front of me, his eyes on level with mine. "Tell me, Spock, would you like to be smart?" he asks. I do not know how he could make me smart. Idiots will always be idiots, and failures will always be failures, Sopek said. I'm not sure if I want – I look at my parents. Mother looks ho-pe-full. Father looks like he always looks.
"Will I-Chaya be smart, too?" I ask. They say it will be possible. So I nod. Maybe I finally will not be a failure, mother won't be sad and father will say something.
They take me and I-Chaya with them that very day.