Rose,Their Obsession

 As I open my eyes, am greeted by the familiar smell of coffee. Today marks the start of my adult life. Yep you guessed it! Today is my eighteenth,  Birthday and a big occasion in our community, as it marks the day that I will be introduced to all the eligible 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 will take things on my pace and do what I want! As my eyes wander over my room, I notice  a red gift box, wrapped neatly with a white ribbon, sitting on the only chair in my room, next to my mirror. The gift reminds, me of mother ,who died 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 pull the string of the ribbon and it comes undone under my hand. I forget to breathe, as I unwrap the gift and open 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 and looks so exquisite.  The fabric, alien to my touch and I slowly pull the champagne gold fabric, from the box. The gift, a pelisse fit for a princess,  the hood's edges covered with soft silky, off-white fur. I drape the pelisse over my shoulders and it 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. As I read the letter, I am dumbstruck. Mother confessing, that I am adopted, Farther found me in the woods wrapped in this golden pelisse, when I was just a baby. They loved and raised me as their own. What I thought was a gift from my Mother was a gift from my biological mother.  I  put the fabric to my nose and inhale deeply, wondering if I will be able to smell anything on it, maybe the slightest fragment of her aroma? The pelisse smells dusty and any smell that lingered on it, long gone.  Tucked inside the pelisse is a necklace, in a small strange looking, unfamiliar box.  A beautiful golden necklace, with a pendant of the moon, stars and sun intertwines with each other. It is absolutely gorgeous and I admire the look of it, as I hang the necklace around my neck, in front of the mirror.  The pendant, once  nestled between my breasts comes to life as it gives off a, blinding white light. It sears into my skin, with force and becomes part of my body with agonising pain. The pain subsides as soon as the blinding light vanish. I try to get a grip on the necklace, to rip it off, but to no avail!  I force myself to look in the mirror, I see myself, a girl not tall, five foot two or three , tanned olive skin, long brown locks with highlights of gold shimmering as the sun kiss the strands of my hair, big brown eyes with golden shimmers, the same as my hair, champagne 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 run my fingers across the tattoo and it comes to light under my gentle touch. I  frighten and quickly 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 velvet, green thick ribbon, her wedding ring. Her and Fathers promise to each other of their eternal love for one another. 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 the tears running down my cheeks, 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 velvet green ribbon. Before I leave, I just cannot  resist and tie my mother's pelisse around my shoulders.