Devine Orion

My forehead creased because of the heat coming from the sun as I look down the road to look for a particular person. I am looking for my little brother who went out an hour ago to buy some apples for dinner later. My mother got worried with Ash's stead so I came down to look for him. I wiped my own sweat as it travel down to my neck because of the heat. The busy crowd in the middle of the town makes it harder for me to look for Ash. He's just a small kid and it's not easy to find him with this crowd in the middle of the day. I moved and tried to squeeze myself mix to the crowd to get to the other side. The air is mixed with odor from people and the spices from the market stalls. "Ash!" I tried to call him out, hoping he'll hear me but I got nothing in response, instead I gained strange looks from the people who's standing right next to me. I am loud enough to make someone's eardrums ache. I shut my mouth and felt a little bit embarassed. I struggle hard to reach the apple stand until I succeeded with heavy sweat all over my face. I hate this season since humidity is at its best. I rather want a cold season, than this. I immediately ask the merchant if she have seen a kid buying apples, but she shook her head in response. "Where is this little potato?" I heaved so hard and started walking again towards a specific direction. I have a hint where he could be right now. I couldn't think anything else aside from it. I rushed towards the wide highway where it serve as a boundary between Dunkirk, where we are living and Lacroix, the main city. I reached the highway and my eyes traveled to every side of the road to look for Ash. I am standing just at the entrance of Dunkirk facing the grand wall of Lacroix. At my left side, I saw my little brother Ash, standing and staring again in front of the enormous and luxurious gate of Lacroix. He always do this everytime he's here in town. I smiled bitterly. This world is unfair. We are living in a world where they label the human being as useful and useless. My name is Athena Belatrix Ventura. A commoner, living in Dunkirk. A human being considered as useless since we are born with defects. Everyone in Dunkirk has birth defects. Either blind, cripple, mute, deaf and anything else. We are the children originally from Lacroix but was rejected and sent to Dunkirk because of our defects. Only the perfect and normal can live in Lacroix. Until now, my adoptive mother is wondering what could be the defect I have. I didn't have any physical defect or even internal, aside from I have a platinum blonde hair and emerald eyes, which is am the only one who has this genetics here in Dunkirk. But maybe, I really have. I wouldn't be here if I don't have anything. Everyone’s dream to go someday in Lacroix but at the same time, we know it will only be just a dream. We are not allowed to set foot in the premise. Any Dunkirians will be sentenced to death or life imprisonment if we broke the law. "Ash!" I called him out and he immediately turned his head towards me. "Athena!" He answered with glee and smiled widely. "Come on here! I saw a car who just went in to the gate!" I smiled pitily to my little brother. Small things can make him happy and excited. Seeing cars entering the gate to Lacroix is not an everyday scene. Even when I was young, I was too amazed when I saw a car for the first time. It was like I saw a very beautiful thing and I even dreamed riding it and I wasn't able to move on for days. I understand completely what he feels so I don't mind him reacting towards the things he admire. I have been there, and there is nothing wrong with it. "Let's go now Ash. Mother is looking for us." I urge him and held his hand and gently pulled him to start walking towards the gate going in to Dunkirk. Ash is looking on the ground as we step on the dusty path. "Greta, I really wish we can live in Lacroix." I stopped from my tracks and faced him and even knelted on the ground with my left knee so that our eyes will level. "I know you love being in Lacroix. But one day, if we are given a chance to live there, it will be really great." I answered him and cupped his little face. "Don't lose hope." I stared in his eyes. The other one is colored with hazelnut while the other one is colored with blue. This is his birth defect. A simple defect but people from Lacroix will not accept it. It felt like they are too afraid of someone who is not normal to their eyes. Someone who's different. "I will be the happiest." He answered and gave me a toothy grin. I smiled at him and stood up. I started walking my tracks again. We still do need to buy some apples before going home. Mother is a factory worker who's making woven clothes. I don't have a class today as well because all the teachers are on an annual seminar. But tomorrow, class will resume. We reached the apple stand and we bought six pieces of red apples. This is our food for the entire day. We could not afford the regular one since they are too expensive. Selling meat in Dunkirk is like a price of gold.  "Athena!" A familiar voice reached my ears in the middle of the crowd. I turned and I saw a girl in my age running towards me while smiling. I know her. She's my friend and her name is Alice. "Alice!" I answered her back until she reached where I stand with the little boy beside me. Alice is huffing, obviously tired from running. "Oh god, thank you I found you. I need your help. The assignment is way to difficult. Mr. Burrow will surely gonna kill me if I cannot submit the assignment tomorrow." She pleaded and worry is written all over her face. Mr. Burrow is our terror teacher who usually likes to fail students especially when they are not willing to go to school. "I'll teach you then. Come with us." I invited her. I always taught her with our subjects. I just have this odd ability. Somehow, if I saw something or read something, it will mark on my mind like a recorder. Mother called this as photographic memory. She even suspected that this is the reason I was sent to Dunkirk when I was still a baby. If the doctors seen the abnormal brain level, they will consider it as defect. I also believe that it is really a defect. Who on earth, can memorize the entire thick dictionary by just reading it? It's hard to believe but I do. I memorized all the books that I read.  "Oh my gosh. Thank you so much!" Alice was flapping like a bird because of happiness. I shook my head because of her childishness. And even she’s like that, I love her just the way she is.