Chapter 7: Rosa
I have no-one to talk to, to tell how good my life is. That’s the biggest drawback of my situation, having no-one to talk to. But there are benefits: I am not bound by my body, my age, my circumstances. I can travel freely and become whoever I like. Of course, it’s easy to begin with. Then there are more and more sidelong glances and ulterior motives, aimed at me, the most beautiful of mortals, Elena, Helen, by name, which means “light” in Greek. I never have enough light, which is why I became Elena. I was not born a purpled infant but arose fully-formed before a mirror in a pretty dress.
Yesterday was my sixteenth birthday. I blew out sixteen candles on my cake and I was allowed a little wine. It was nothing special and it made my head spin. I was sitting with my parent
