Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop: The Letter

Thunder crashed overhead and lightening flashed through the small dusty window. Elle paused to glance outside before continuing to thrust her belongings into a small travel case. She didn’t have much time before she had to catch her transport.

Stuffing the bag to bursting she glanced about the room considering what else she should bring. Lillian had told her to travel light. Her eyes rested on a small trunk shoved into the corner of the room. She should look inside in case there was something that might be useful. She still hadn’t found the old pocket knife her dad had given her.

Opening the trunk she sneezed at the sudden dust cloud. Giving the contents a quick once over her eye caught sight of a bundle of letters. A lump formed in her throat. She’d forgotten about these. Reaching in she grabbed the stack and went to put them into the bag when a single letter slipped from the bundle and tumbled to the floor. The solitary page fluttered open and fell face up. Elle went to grab it and put it back into the bundle when the salutation caught her eye;

Dearest Elle,

Happy birthday, my sweet baby. You are 18 today and if your beauty from your childhood has carried through, as I imagine it will, you are a breathtakingly lovely young woman.

I hope that this letter won’t be necessary. That in the end, I’ll have been there to guide you, to help you, and to protect you through your life. But in case it is, I want you to have the knowledge you need. I want you to understand how incredibly special you are.

You should never have been born, darling Elle. Based on what medical science had told me, the fact I became pregnant and managed to deliver a healthy full term baby was impossible. And yet it happened. Through it all, you were born and the world will never be the same.

You are such an intelligent girl it frightens me. You walked early; you talked early…it was as if your developmental timetable was sped up. You are reading full novels on your own right now at the time I write this; you are only 4 years old!

Your father thinks it is amusing. He has in depth debates with you as soon as you have finished reading something new. Your knowledge retention is astounding and your ability to argue your point and to convince someone else that your view is correct makes me think if you had been able to be raised as a normal child you would probably end up as a lawyer.

But, you are also like every other 4 year old I have met and dealt with in my life (and I dealt with many in my role as a preschool teacher). You love to play. You have a wonderful imagination. You still have tantrums when you can’t get your own way. And you suffer from horrible night terrors. I wish you could tell us what happens in those dreams, my sweet. I want so badly to make it all go away for you.

There is something special about you, Elle. There was a reason you were put on this earth and I have been working as hard as I could to figure out what that reason is. I am no closer to that answer today than I was the day you were born. Except, I do know that Lillian is an integral part of your life and the reason you are here. She will be there to help you and guide you, should I be unable to fulfill that task.

I don’t think you are alone out there. I truly believe there are other families like ours who have had to hide their child’s origins form the world. My greatest wish is that by the time you have reached this particular birthday that you won’t need to hide anymore.

I love you so much. You’re birth is, without a single doubt, the most amazing and important event of my entire life.  Be strong, be brave, be true.

Love,

Mama

Elle sank to the floor, her mother’s words echoing in the small room. She slowly folded the letter back into thirds and placed it in her shirt, next to her heart.

This post is part of Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop. This week I went with prompt #4  A letter to your future teen. I hope you enjoy this brief little foray into Elle’s world. If you want to read more about her check out the page at the top Elle’s Story Novel in Progress