A

I am greeted by the familiar smell of coffee as I open my eyes.Today marks the start of my adult life.Yep you guessed it! Today is my 18th Birthday and a big occasion in our community as it marks the day that I will be introduced to all the eligble suitors in our village, Kader. I jump out of bed and open the curtains to let the sun adorn my room with warmth. I' m never this late but today is the exception, today I'll just take things on my pace and do what I want. As my eyes wander over my room, I notice a red gift box, wrapped with a white ribbon sitting on the chair next to my mirror. It reminds me so much of mother who died when a some time ago. I slowly walk to the chair and my fingers gently brush over the gift wrapping and the white lace ribbon. My fingers pulls the ribbon and it comes undone. I forget to breath as I unwrap the gift and opens the box. I slide my fingers over the soft fabric inside the box, it's smooth and velvety texture surprise me. I've never owned something that feels like this. The touch feels alien to my hands. I slowly pull the shampagne gold fabric from the box and notice that it is a pelisse.I drape it around my shoulders.The hood has soft fur around the edges and the pelisse falls flowingly down my body, almost touching my bare feet. It's absolutely gorgeous and beautiful, a perfect fit. Beneath the pelisse is a smaller box and a letter addressed to "my darling Rose", me. As I open the letter my hands shake, as I know this gift is from mother. After I read the letter I am dumbstruck. I am adopted, Farther found me in the woods wrapped in this golden pelisse. They loved and raised me as their own. What I have thought was a gift from my mother was a gift from my mother , my biological mother. With the pelisse was a necklace in a small box, also from my biological mother. I open the small box and finds a beautiful gold necklace with a pendant of the moon, stars and sun intertwined with each other. I put it around my neck and the pendant, once it touched my skin, gives off a blinding light and sears into my skin. I try to rip it off but to no avail! After the blinding light subsides I find the courage to look in the mirror. I see myself, a girl not tall, 5 foot 2 or 3 , tanned olive skin, long brown locks with highlights of gold shimmering as the sun kisses the strands of my hair, big brown eyes with golden shimmers, the same as my hair, shampagne golden robe hugging my body, my short white night dress , bare feet and there nestled snugly between my breasts the pendant, seared into my skin, like a tattoo. I ran my fingers across the tattoo and it comes to light under the gentle touch of my fingers. I frighten and pull my fingers away. I read the letter again hoping for something I might have missed the first time I read the letter, something that can tell me the secrets of the pendant. Nothing... Just mother telling me that she loves me very much and that although she cannot be with me today she will always be with me in spirit. I was so wrapped up with the letter and pendant that I almost missed her gift to me. Wrapped in a small green thick ribbon, her wedding ring. Her and Fathers promise to each other of their eternal love for each other. I slip the ring on my finger and tears start to trickle down my cheeks. I only realise that I am crying when I see the tears in the mirror. I wipe them off with the back of my hand and tell myself that I am a big girl and this is a big day and there is no place for tears. A sudden urge to go to my favourite spot drives me to get dressed. I throw my old white dress over my head and tie my hair with the green ribbon the ring was wrapped in. Before I leave I just could not resist and tied my mother's pelisse around my shoulders.