​ELIS'S BORROWED LIFE

Chapter 6 | Elis Steps Into the World

"I welcome everyone who is present."

Is that Mother's voice I hear so loudly? The tone sounds a bit different, but I’m sure it’s Mother’s voice... Why won't she take me to the hall, honestly?

She put me in a room in the corridor right next to the hall and left, telling me to stay. So I have to stay until Mother comes. She is still talking. Mother, please come quickly, oh...

Everywhere in the room is just white. The chair to sit on is also white. It’s so boring; there’s nothing to see in the room. I’ve counted the forty tiles in the room two hundred and eight times. It’s boring, gosh. I can hear the sound of people talking from the hall. I don’t need to wait for Mother. I’m going by myself. Are you crazy, dummy? Mother will get angry...

"Even though you have known me, only the servants who worked for me know the secret I have hidden for 26 years. Give me a minute, and I will show you that secret."

What is Mother saying? What is the secret she kept hidden? Yes, yes, that is me. Why show it on my birthday after hiding it for 26 years? It would be fine if she kept it hidden forever. Now she will come to take me...

Ah, there’s a sound at the door, isn't there? Oh dear, didn't Mother come to take me? Why did she send a maid?

"I was told to bring Madam to the hall."

Why is the maid looking at the floor while talking? I am right here, you know...

I started walking behind the maid. My shoes are such a nuisance, oh, it feels like my feet are trapped. The sound they make when hitting the tiles is more of a bother to my ears than the sound from the hall.

Why is the maid standing at the door to the hall with her head bowed and pointing one hand towards the hall? I wonder if there is some discomfort. I stopped next to the maid. I need to take a good breath. Okay, now it's okay.

"Do you have a problem?"

The maid didn't even look at me. Don't be so proud, please. When I ask a question with difficulty, she doesn't even look.

"Madam, please go inside."

Why can't you come with me? Do I have to go alone? It doesn't matter, I'll go alone then. Proud maid... The hall looks beautiful. Oh, people wearing different colored clothes are sitting around tables and watching. My whole body is turning cold. I wonder if my legs will lose strength. Why did the sound of people talking, which I had been hearing for so long, stop the moment I came into the hall? Oh, everyone is looking at me, aren't they? I can't even take a step. I can hear the sound of my own heart beating... Why did the whole hall become so silent, oh? Do they want to make me feel uncomfortable?

Mother, please come, oh... Where are you, Mother? Is that Mother coming towards me wearing the black dress? Yes, yes, it is Mother. Thank goodness...

"Why do you look so scared?"

How can I not be scared, oh, when being told to come to such a big crowd of people? But didn't I want to talk and chat with people? Now the opportunity has come. But I am scared, oh.

Mother started walking to the end of the hall, through the middle of the tables where people were. I am following her too.

"Who is this?" A man asks Mother, pointing at me. No, not just one person, many people.

"Wait, wait, I will tell you."

That's all Mother said. Why, oh, is everyone looking at me so strangely? Have they never seen a girl? We walked to the very end of the hall. There is a long chair there, like the one on the fourth floor where I stay, isn't it? No, no, one more beautiful than that. Because of the white cushion, it is really attractive. Mother is pointing to the chair with her hand, telling me to sit, right?

Sitting down is a big deal too. Standing with these two shoes is so difficult. I sat on the chair. All the tables can be seen from here. There are 30 tables. There are four people at one table. That's 120 people in total, ah no no, with the servants there are 140. I don't know where Mother found so many people...

Mother stood a little ahead of me. Turning towards the people at the tables... She has something in her hand. She brought it close to her mouth. Huh... is she going to eat where everyone is?

"This is my secret... Her name is Elis. I think there is no need to keep her as a secret anymore. This is my daughter."

Oh, it wasn't food at all... it’s a device to make Mother’s voice louder. Mother just introduced me, what is this noise, everyone... Oh, it’s like my ears can’t hear anything either. Make it stop, oh... Mother gave the voice-increasing device to a maid and sat down next to me.

Mother, I love you. Even if I say it in words, Mother won't hear it because of the people's noise... I'll tell her later.

Everyone at the tables is looking at me; I must be really attractive. Today I will talk to everyone somehow. Even though it's a birthday party, I don't know where my cake is... I looked around. It's not there, oh.

"Mother, where is it, isn't there a cake?"

Mother smiled and squeezed my cheek. Ouch... it hurts, Mother... I can't say anything. Mother might get sad; she does that out of love, after all.

"There is, there is, darling... I will bring it in a little while."

No matter how many people have come, my 26th birthday won't come again... I want the cake. Mother is just smiling. There are people my age at the tables too, right? I didn't think there would be this many men.

"Darling."

I looked at Mother. Mother started stroking my cheek.

"You are going to find out something today that you haven't heard until now..."

What is the thing I haven't heard? What is Mother talking about?

"What is it, Mother..."

So many people I have never seen in my life... colorful clothes... devices that make noise... I have seen so many things I haven't seen before, haven't I? Now, what is this thing I haven't heard?

"This is called music... Wait, I will play it."

Mother turned towards a maid and gave a hand signal. Isn't music something you sing? When the rain falls, I have heard music plenty of times.

What is that? The sound that suddenly fills the whole hall... I looked at Mother. She had a beautiful smile on her face. I looked everywhere in the hall. But that sound is heard from every direction. It’s like it’s falling into a glass of water when it’s raining. What is that, oh... It’s beautiful. It’s like my whole body is having a strange change from that sound. I wonder if the people in the hall even became more pleasant than they were before, from the moment that sound was heard. Oh, if my shoe tapped on the tile, I wonder if it would be even more beautiful... Yes, oh... The sound heard when the shoe hits the tile, and that sound heard from the hall... It’s really strange. It’s like that sound is changing the way my heart beats... I wonder if the sound is getting louder or softer... All this time, I thought what I heard when the rain was falling was what was called music. Is this really what music is?

"As the moonlight flows..."

What is that? Someone is talking amidst the sounds, right? No, no, they aren't talking... Those words are very long. Oh, when the words and sounds come together, it’s so beautiful. It’s like a strange pain is coming from my heart... I close my eyes. Oh, am I floating in the hall?

"Miss Foster."

I opened my eyes and looked. Who is saying Mother's name in a gruff voice? He has a big body. He has some hair on his face like the servant I met yesterday, but it has a strange shape and order. A woman who is completely smaller than him in body... she is wearing a shiny dress. That must be this big man's wife. Is the young lady with them someone of my age? She has a big shiny box in her hand. I don't know what that is, she is holding it with so much difficulty.

Ah, Mother is hugging them, isn't she? Oh, I can't do that, Mother... I stayed sitting. After the big man hugged Mother, he smiled at me and stretched out both hands. Oh, he is asking me to come and hug him, right? Oh, I can't. Seeing that man's smile makes me feel scared. No, no... I won't get up.

"Is your daughter a bit proud?"

The gruff voice defeated even the music that was playing. Mother looked at me. I gave Mother a smile. Mother, please understand... I can't hug.

"She is not used to these things yet..."

Thank you, Mother, for saving me... Oh, thank goodness.

"We didn't know... that Miss Foster has children... Actually, your daughter is beautiful. Why haven't you introduced her to us for so long?"

The big man's wife actually has a nice voice. She touched my cheek. Why is the young lady holding the box looking angry at me? There isn't even a smile... She is someone my age, right? I should try talking to her. I stood up from the chair. First, I need to take a big breath. Okay, now it's okay...

"How are you?"

Why did she look away? Did I ask something wrong? I looked at Mother. Mother is talking to the big man and his wife.

"If I asked something wrong, I'm sorry."

I wonder if that young lady can feel my voice trembling... She probably can't, right?

"What is your name?"

Why, oh, won't you talk? I am talking so much with difficulty. Maybe she is scared to talk too, I don't know... But why is she looking away as if she is angry?

"My name is Carol... This is for you."

Oh, thank goodness, she talked. But there isn't even a smile on that face... Why is she pointing the box in her hand at me?

"Is this for me?"

Why, oh, is she giving that shiny box to me? Is she giving me a gift? But why did she bring me gifts? It’s Mother who gives me gifts... I took it into my hand. Oh, the weight of it! I put it on the floor.

The young lady left without even talking. She went and sat at a table. Why is she looking at me? I didn't even see a smile on that face... Someone hugged me.

"Happy Birthday, dear."

My ears felt deafened by that woman's voice. I moved back a little from her. All this time, only Mother called me 'dear'. Who is she?

She is a bit pretty in her blue dress, but her face is very wrinkled.

"Your mother is very mean... She didn't even tell us that she has such a beautiful daughter."

She looked at the man with her and smiled. The way that man was looking was strange. Is he coming forward to hug me? Oh, I can't. Mother didn't teach me how to be when I become a girl... I looked at Mother. People are gathered around Mother in a conversation. Why, oh, are they talking so much? Mother told me to talk to people my age. She said not to talk to people when I am with adults.

The man came right up to me.

"Happy Birthday."

Is he trying to hug me? Oh, I can't.

"Thank you."

I smiled and moved back. If I stay here, every man will come and hug me. Mother told me to be careful of men. Plus, I remember the things that man in that video did to the woman. I sat on the chair.

I looked at the side where the young lady, who went and sat down as if she was angry with me, was. She is still looking at me. Why, oh, didn't she talk to me?

What is happening all of a sudden, why is a blue light coming? My eyes are also hurting, I closed my eyes.

Is that the blue wall? The one I saw... The messages I saw there before are there again.

My heart is beating hard. I wonder if it will break and come out... What is this feeling like my head is burning from inside? Maybe it's because I'm keeping my eyes closed that I'm seeing this blue wall... It’s when I see the blue wall that my head starts to ache. I opened my eyes.

Why do the things on that blue wall feel like messages that came to me? They even have my name on them... Oh, I don't understand. After this party is over, I must tell Mother about these things I'm seeing...

I looked at the hall; the young lady is still sitting on a chair at a table far away, watching me. I looked at the side where Mother is... Mother is still talking, isn't she? Why are they looking at me while they are talking? Are they talking about me? I looked at the young lady again.

Why, oh, is she looking at me as if she is attracted? You didn't even talk to me... Why are you looking now? That way she is looking is strange.