The spirits of this world stood still as a being made from sweet earth and sky was born.
The Bright Lady smiles.
N’Dare stared at her sweet white-haired angel peacefully asleep in her crib. They’ve only just come back from the hospital and she couldn’t believe it. N’Dare could only stare almost mesmerized at her little creation. Ororo had all the traits, the white hair and blue eyes, practically screaming her tribal heritage while still having traces of N’Dare’s beloved husband. She had these peculiar pointed ears but N’Dare believed that she would grow out of them. N’Dare was exhausted but was actively fighting sleep, she didn’t want to miss one minute.
“Darling get some rest she’s not going anywhere” David, her husband, said sitting next her. N’Dare was laying on the couch, while she wasn’t in any pain due to pain killers given to her at the hospital, she still went through a lot physically and hasn't had any rest. David placed a gentle kiss on his wife’s head, caressing her cheek. “ I’ll take over for now. I got everything she needs right here. Just rest, you deserve it.” A few more assurances and N’Dare had felt comfortable enough to doze off.
Now it was just David and the baby. He always knew this day would come since the moment he saw the positive pregnancy test. Though accepting the concept of fatherhood and actually experiencing it are two different things. There was some fear in his heart but mostly excitement. He couldn’t wait to see who his beautiful daughter will grow up to be.
A few years have gone by and Ororo has grown to be a bright and sensitive child. N’Dare and David couldn’t be more proud. Even the smallest achievement was treated as something worth a huge celebration.
Ororo loved her parents; they were like her best friends. She had trouble fitting in with kids at her school due to her physical differences. It was difficult with many times her parents having been called into school because of her not being able to acclimate to her new school. Ororo being young was not fully aware of the increasing worries her parents had for her.
Ororo enjoyed going home and playing with her dad. She would look forward to the weekends where her mother would tell stories about her home and promise to teach her real magic. Every night one of her parents will read stories to her: either ones from their respective childhoods or one from the books that they bought. Due to the nature of the relationships her parents had with their families there wasn’t much of a relationship between Ororo and her extended family. N’Dare could never go back and David’s parents, while they have tried, can never really leave their cabin as frequently as they want to. David and N’Dare did their absolute best to make sure to fill that hole in Ororo’s life with stories they had from their childhoods.
This was very therapeutic for N’Dare who had left her homeland to explore the world and make a life of her own, one where she gets to choose. She missed her family, she missed her brother, her parents, aunts, and uncles. She couldn’t go back. Not with how she left and not with the mountain of responsibilities that would be thrown at her should she ever return. Telling these stories to her daughter kept the memories of her family alive.
N’Dare never wants to go home, but she is tempted when she sees how the world views her daughter. Back home N’Dare was treated as the royalty she was, her looks were the reflection of her heritage, and her gender was her right to the throne. Leaving the safe nest of her home she was bombarded with the reality of the world. First it was her gender, when she left her country, and then her race, when she left her continent. Despite the sting N’Dare took it with stride. She swore to herself she would never look back. Part of it was the guilt she had for the way she left the other because even though she faced these hardships she still thought it was worth it. Then she had Ororo.
All the things that were normal in her homeland or looked highly upon were the very things that set Ororo apart from everyone else. The very things that made the other kids her age make fun of her and adults feel unease with her. N’Dare was aware of the dangers that lurked for people of color in this country but she pushed through, not allowing the hatred and ignorance stop her from living the life that she chose. Now that she has Ororo she has come to regret it. For all she can see is how easy it would be to lose her.
Sometimes she doesn’t want to follow up on her promise of teaching Ororo magic in fear that it would be another reason why her daughter would be a target. But she sees the wonder in Ororo’s eyes on the rarest occasion she does use her magic or the excitement she had when N’Dare starts to teach her and she couldn’t bear keeping this part of her heritage from her.
“Mother, I feel it!” Ororo gasps. Lately N’Dare has been teaching Ororo about meditation and sensing the energy of the world around her. They would often take walks in the park practicing sensing the energy of the nature that surrounds them. N’Dare believed it would be a long time before anything could come of it. It took her many years for her to do this. Ororo was only six years old. How could she be able to? Then again Ororo was no ordinary child; she was very bright and learned very quickly.
“Oh really? What do you feel Ororo?” N’Dare decided to indulge her. They were sitting on a blanket in a secluded area of the park they frequently went to.
“I feel….the wind?” Ororo was unsure how to explain it. N’Dare couldn’t help but stare at her child; she was trying her best not to show her amusement. It was a slightly windy day and there was just a gush of wind that passed their way. Ororo sensing her mother’s disbelief was quick to defend herself, “Really I felt it was like waves! And then it came here.”
“Alright Ororo just keep practicing,” N’Dare said still not fully sure if her daughter was telling the truth or not.