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The Eiffel Tower shone against the Parisian night sky, attended by a bright full moon. Amber and Grandma strolled down the street, their arms joined like old friends. This was the best summer vacation ever, at least so far. Her pending duty loomed before her but she did her best to block it out. There was a saying to live for the moment and Amber was doing exactly that.
“There is something I must tell you,” Grandma said, breaking her momentary bliss. “Tomorrow I will tell my father where we are. Before I do, I must teach you how to use the amber necklace.”
Amber let go of Grandma’s arm and stepped back, almost running into the young couple sauntering behind them.
“Pardon moi,” she said. The couple weaved around them, smiling as they walked away.
“Read them,” Grandma said.
“I don’t feel like it,” Amber replied.
“When you stand before the Elders of Marai to choose the new Sana, how you feel won’t matter. It will be the most important decision of your life and the people of my city. There will be no room for selfish feelings.”
Amber had never seen her Grandma so serious. She searched the elder woman’s eyes for a bit of sympathy but found none. She concentrated on the man first.
“He’s in love with her. He has been for a long time. Their relationship is new and he’s thinking marriage one day.”
“Now her,” Grandma ordered.
“She’s not as happy. She just broke up with a man she loved deeply. This man is a distraction until she heals. She doesn’t see a future with him. She thinks he’s weak for loving her so much.”
Grandma smiled as she came to stand beside her. “Now, grasp the necklace and read both of them again.”
Amber grasped the necklace and was jolted by a bright flash. There was darkness; she groped for Grandma and felt a tight squeeze of her hand.
“I’m right here, baby,” Grandma said.
Amber squeezed Grandma’s hand for assurance then searched the darkness for the couple. Colors walked before her, hues in human form travelling the streets of Paris. She found the couple and though she couldn’t distinguish their features she knew it was them. The man pulsed with a fuchsia hue; the woman radiated dark blue.
“The man is joy, she whispered, “the woman is pain.”
“You see their feelings,” Grandma replied. “Now you must see their ka.”
“Ka?” Amber tried to remove her hand from the necklace but Grandma stopped her with a quick hand squeeze.
“The ka is the soul. It is the truth of what we are. To see the ka is to know what a person is. Concentrate, Amber!”
Amber felt her eyes clench as she focused on the couple. The competing colors faded away, replaced by a faint green glow.
“They are good.” The words sprang from her lips before she had time to think. “They will fall in love and marry.”
Grandma took her hand from the necklace. There was another bright flash and the world was normal again.
“That is your gift, Amber. You have the power to see the essence of a man or woman, to know how they will live their lives. With your gift you will select Marai’s next Sana.”
Amber’s stomach tightened. “What if I’m wrong?
“You can’t be.” Grandma patted her hand. “This ability is natural to you. It’s like breathing. You cannot control what you see, nor can a person hide their ka from you. You will always know their true self.”
Amber’s legs weakened. She found a bench and sat. “That explains so much.”
Grandma sat beside her. “What are you talking about?”
Amber looked into Grandma’s loving eyes. She always truly listened to her. Mama and Daddy tried, but they were too anxious to give advice to really hear what she had to say. Grandma had the patience of the ages and now she knew why. Still, it was hard for her to speak.
“I don’t have many friends, Grandma,” Amber began. “Most kids don’t like me because they say I’m mean. I say things that hurt their feelings. The really bad part is that I’m usually right.”
“I would suspect you’re always right, even if they don’t admit it.”
Amber shrugged. “Grownups don’t care too much for me either. I manage not to be rude most of the time, but sometimes it just slips out. Now I know why.”
“It was the same for me, Amber.” Grandma patted her hand. “That’s why I ran away. I wanted to be normal and I knew I couldn’t be as long as I remained in Marai.”
“How old were you when you left?”
Grandma smiled. “Thirteen.”
Amber’s eyes reflected her shock. “You came all the way from Africa to America when you were thirteen?”
“I had some help,” Grandma answered. “My father taught me a few spells that helped me survive the desert. They also helped me hide on a ship headed to America. The skills faded as I became older. By the time I met your grandfather my nyama had faded completely. I was normal and I loved it.”
Amber was confused. “Nyama?”
“You call it magic, but that’s not the right term,” Grandma replied. “It’s all that and more.”
“You lost the sight?”
“No, child, I didn’t lose the sight. I found your grandfather with my gift. His soul was golden, but I didn’t need to see inside him to know. I lost the nyama my father taught me, not that which was natural to me. But it didn’t matter. I never planned on going back.”
“And now you must,” Amber said.
Grandma patted her hand. “We’ll be fine. Baba is sending someone to escort us home. I’m sure whoever he chooses will be more than capable for the task.”
Grandma stood. “Come on now. It’s time for bed. It’s way past my curfew.”
Amber grasped Grandma’s hand. They were more alike than her and Mama. That’s why Grandma gave her the necklace instead of Mama. She looked into the sky, memorizing the stars and the moon as she listened to the sounds around her that were different, yet familiar. After tomorrow, the world would never be the same.