Master's Chamber

Chapter 2: Her Past

Raeliana Ackerman had been an unusual child. Studious and quiet. She herself had preffered to think she turned out the way she was because she had been motherless at the age of ten and had spent the rest of her childhood a lone female lost in the company of men.

Indeed, it was not uncommon for her father's house to serve as a dormitory for the many various male colleagues. Yet those who knew Raeliana, such as Addison and some other colleagues, did not blame the overwhelming male company for her shyness.

Heinz Ackerman had one overriding passion in his life since his wife Camille had died, and it was his work. In the Ackerman household, it was not uncommon for days, even weeks to go by without little Raeliana seeing her father, even though she and her father occupy one building.

Raeliana would recall running to her father's laboratory, excited to show off her new blue satin stash. Unfortunately, he might as well have also been just like one of his patients, for he was deaf and dumb to not notice her presence. The idea that perhaps her father had been neglecting her wasn't even possible. Her father provided her with everything a little girl could want. Toys, dresses and more. Everything except his attention. Yet, even as a child, Raeliana had found that she was self-suffecient to a fault. Without any playmates, she had learned happily to play by herself. Without a mother to guide her, she had taught herself arts of needlepoint and watercolors.

Then came the day of discovery, her father had been glued to his notebooks scribbling his latest techniques, and Raeliana happened to come in with a cup of tea. As usual, his thoughts were elsewhere, littered by hyphoteses, clouded by theorem. Normally she would not bother him, but at that day he was working with a deaf five year old boy whom she noticed had slipped from his mama's grasp, walked right into their parlor and had begun to pound on the piano keys.

Without even thinking about it, Raeliana mention to her father before leaving that she believes that the child had responded to the various vibrations of the piano. She then place the tea tray beside her father's elbow, and to her surprise, watched her father's head jerk upright.

Heinz Ackerman stared at his daughter who was fourteen that time, as if he never quite noticed her before. Intrigued by the possibilities, he dragged Raeliana to the parlor along with the child and began experimenting.

It was the first time Raeliana actually felt a connection with her father, and she never let it go. From that day forward, she had found her place at her father's life. Science was essentially closed to her, given her s*x, there was no hope of a formal education because even the well-respected Dr. Ackerman coudn't break the barriers his colleagues had placed before women. Nonetheless, she became his assistant.

Raeliana found that if she could talk to his father about his work, then all the lonely hours in the schoolroom will be over. The work was interesting, and her father never treated her like a woman. She had always been a special kind of colleague to him. He gave her everything her mind can absorb, regardless of her s*x, regardless of her youth. But youth itself was harsh.

Ever since her father died, her youth had ended, and she was adrift with grief. Yet still, there was Aaron. He had dirty blonde hair, handsome and witty. Finally, amidst sorrow, her dream might come true. With her father's death, there was no reason not to let work take second place to more earthly needs such as the need for love, marriage and kids. The time had come, she had begged for them to unite in marriage. And surely Aaron understood this too, but he had made it clear that was not what he wanted. Aaron then patiently explained why the answer was no.