“I’m so sorry.” Brother Isa turned and looked at Ester. “I can see that you tried to take responsibility for your actions, but I still cannot pass you without a final project.”
“What if I do something else?” Ester blurted. Brother Isa and Luck both looked at her. “If a project on plants is what you need, what if I write a detailed paper about the care of opalias? I learned a lot these past couple of weeks. I can tell you the whole process by heart.”
Brother Isa looked at her and pressed his fingers into his temples. She had done very well these past couple of years, and it would be a shame to see all that progress derailed because of an accident. Brother Isa looked up with a stern look.
“I can’t give you full credit.”
“Half?” Ester perked up.
“A quarter, and the paper has to be five pages plus a presentation.”
“Oh, thank you, Brother Isa!” Ester jumped up and down.
“But this is the best I can do. If your turn in an exceptional project you’ll pass my course with decent marks, but it’s due in three days.”
“Thank you sir, thank you!” Ester bowed, as Brother Isa returned the gesture with hands clasped together.
Ester and Luck left together. She was so relieved, even if she only had a few days to start and write a paper. She walked briskly beside Luck, eager to get through the day, almost completely ignoring him.
“Ester, wait up.” Luck called. They were practically jogging. She twirled around and looked him in the eyes, catching him off guard. She looked happy, happier than he had ever seen her. “It’s not a race.” He smiled at her.
“I know, it’s just, well, I just can’t believe I’m going to graduate and that means,” she gasped suddenly, “that means I still have a chance to get into ranger academy! Yes! There’s still hope I’ll be able to blow this dust wave.” In her excitement, she completely forgot Luck was standing there. He had stuck his neck out for her without knowing the full story. He had truly been a good friend. She froze in her excitement.
“Luck, I—”
“You’re welcome, and I hope you get your ticket out.” He smiled warmly.
“I don’t mean it like that.” Ester averted her eyes.
“I know,” Luck chuckled. “I’ve known you since you were thirteen, and all you’ve talked about was getting into ranger academy. I’ll be fine, besides you owe me. Go out and kick some ass and show those metropolis kids that we folks from Adum-la aren’t to be messed with.”
Ester fought back the urge to tear up and threw herself into Luck’s arms. He was surprised but embraced it. He would miss her dearly, but he knew her spirit wasn’t meant for the rich farmlands of Adum-la.
***
Ester whipped together her final project almost overnight. Luck was right about one thing: she had learned a lot about opalia plants. Her presentation went off without any hiccups and impressed Brother Isa enough that he boosted her credit to half. She was still mad at Adis, but she was finally graduating and, in a few days, she hoped she would be receiving her acceptance letter as well.
On the last day of school the entire school gathered for the graduation ceremony. It was a lovely sight to see. Family and friends of the graduating students stood in the fields to honor the students’ final passage from youth to adulthood. For many of them, they would be taking jobs at their families’ farms or entering trade school. For the children under Sister Genevieve’s care, their fates were decided by the placement program, a program that offered post-orphanage support. Under this program, the government would give young orphaned adults tones for housing and job placement options. It was a heartbreaking and stressful time, but a fate they had all prepared for since the day they entered the orphanage.
Just three days after the ceremony, the younger children prepared to say their final goodbyes. Everyone had placement plans, everyone except Ester, who had yet to receive her acceptance letter. Jermane had been placed as an apprentice cook on a farm in the northern lands. Adis would be traveling to the mid-town region and become an office worker apprentice, and Luck was being sent southeast to work on the Fular’s fruit farm. Sister Genevieve worried Ester would not receive the news she hoped for, but there was no convincing her otherwise. Even still, the deadline was fast approaching, and she was running out of time.
“Algaza, have you seen my summer skirt?” Jermane threw things around their large rectangular room in a panic.
“I haven’t, I’m sorry.” Algaza watched her search.
“Oh no, I can’t go off without my favorite skirt. Sister Genevieve made it for me,” Jermane said as she ran her fingers through her hair.
“Don’t worry, you’ll find it,” Algaza reassured her.
“Ugh, why do these things have to be so complicated?” Jermane plopped on the bed. “I don’t want to move, Algaza. I don’t want to.”
Algaza hurried to her side and hugged her. “I know, I don’t want you to go either.”
There was a light knock on the door, and the girls looked up to see Ester grinning. In her hand was the very skirt Jermane was looking for.
“Oh my goodness, where’d you find it?” Jermane rushed to the door and held the skirt in her hands. It was fresh and clean, just like new.
“Well, we can’t send you off with dirty clothes.” Ester wrapped her arm around her friend and hugged her tight.
“Oh Ester,” Jermane began to cry.
“It’s okay, Jermane. I know you’ll be happy whereever you go.”
Jermane sniffled. “But-but what about you?” She looked up with watery eyes.
“Don’t worry about me.” Ester forced a smile.
Jermane was the first to go. It was hard to say goodbye, but another child had already been sent to fill her place. That’s how things worked; it made it hard to get attached, but Jermane had been a true friend. Ester would not forget about her. Just two days later, everyone said their final goodbyes to Adis. Ester wanted to skip out on it, but Sister Genevieve would not allow family to part on bad terms. Ester and Adis played nice, but Ester wouldn’t be lying if she said she’d be happy to never see her again.
Now all that remained were Luck and Ester. It was hard in these final days waiting for a response. She wondered if her letter had been lost in the post and wished they would just call. She assumed for normal kids this wouldn’t be as stressful. They all had homes and families. Normal kids didn’t have to worry about being evicted.
The next day, Ester sat outside on a stump alone. The clouds were rolling in; it would probably rain later today. What would she do if the letter never came in? What would she do if the later did come in and it was a no? Ester didn’t even want to think about it. She looked up at the sky and followed the sun’s shadow behind the clouds. Sometimes she wished that she could have had a normal life or at least given the chance to live with someone from her tribe. She felt so lonely sometimes. She looked down at her necklace. It was all she had left, along with an old wrinkled picture of her family. She smiled a little thinking about the day she took that picture. She could remember it so well. It was just after she had turned eleven, after her naming ceremony. Her family was at the markets, and a vender was selling portraits. She and her older brother, Corta, begged their parents for a picture and finally her dad gave in. She remembered her mother being skeptical at first, but when the picture was printed and framed everyone was shocked. Back then Ester thought it was magic because the picture captured their essence perfectly. Ester hugged the memory. There must have been a reason for her to survive. Ester looked up at the sky. Why else would she be here and not the rest of her family?
It rained in the afternoon, just like Ester thought it would. She watched Luck send off another taxi. He wasn’t fooling her; he was only staying because of her and on somedays she briefly wondered what a life with Luck would be like.
Luck covered his head in vain as he ran back inside. Ester smiled a little, feeling grateful that Luck even wanted to stay. She started to daydream when a ligh
t knock at the door stirred her awake.
“Hey.” Luck appeared, trying his best to play it cool in his damp clothes. “Just our luck it would rain today. I kind of wanted to go for a walk.”
Ester turned and sort of smiled. He walked over to the windowsill and joined her. Normally boys weren’t allowed in the older girls’ room, but he was sure Sister Genevieve would make an exception.
“Hey, don’t worry. I think everything will work out,” Luck said.
“You’re just saying that.” Ester laid her head back on the windowsill, wishing the rain would wash her away.
“I’m not.” Luck put his hands up. “If you’re the same girl who put together a five page paper and presentation in three days, then I’m sure you aced the entrance exams.”
Ester smirked. “I padded that paper so hard.”
Luck laughed. “I kind of figured. You were using one too many descriptive words, but you had Brother Isa hooked.”
“He does have a thing for flowers.” Ester smiled. “But that was just dumb luck. Those exams I took back in Tel-Sa were the real deal, no padding those.”
Luck placed his hands on her shoulder, catching her gaze. “Some things aren’t the result of dumb luck. Somethings happen because you work for them, that is the Adum way.” Luck inched in closer, and Ester started to close her eyes when she heard the hum of a hover engine outside.
“Mail,” Ester peered through the foggy window. “Is that the mail deliverer?”
Luck squinted through the foggy glass. “I guess so…”
The excitement in Ester’s eyes was uncontainable. She took off down the stairs with Luck trailing behind her. She swerved past kids, leapt over toys, and squeezed past groups of talking children. She ran down the third set of stairs and through the foyer and swung open the door. It was pouring now and the mail deliverer had just closed their mailbox. Without thinking, she ran out into the rain.
“Ester!” Luck called breathlessly after her.
Luck cringed at the pouring rain and the prospect of going out again, but at the last minute he grabbed a jacket and umbrella, covering his head, and ran after her.
“Ester!”
She was facing the mailbox. The door was open and there was a single, unopened letter inside steadily getting wet from the rain. She was frozen with her eyes locked on it. Luck immediately popped open his umbrella to cover them both.
“Well, aren’t you going to open it?” Luck looked at her.
She stared at him, then swallowed as she pulled out the letter. Her eyes glued to the florescent ranger academy lettering. Her heart raced as the envelope shook in her hands. Sister Genevieve and some of the younger children gathered at the front door, waiting in anticipation. She took a deep breath and tore open the letter, pinching it open a little then sliding her thumb across the crease. She pulled out the cream colored stationary and unfolded it.
Thank you for applying to the Academy of the Rean Coalition of Rangers. On behalf of the recruiter and commanding officers, we would like to extend an invitation and welcome you into our program. We look forward to seeing you soon. May Rean be with you.
Ester looked at Luck and back at the letter again, then back at Luck again.
“Ester!” Luck struggled to balance the umbrella. “You made it! You got in!”
Ester clasped her month with her hand then looked down at the letter again. “I made it!”
She shouted this time. Sister Genevieve and the other children shouted and cheered as they watched Ester dance in the rain. She was right about one thing; this rain had washed away something. It washed away all her doubts that she was on the right path. This was her fate.
Chapter Four
Ester sat at the bus stop alone. The sky was clear and perfect. It was a beautiful day but bittersweet day. She stared down at her shaking hands. She made it, finally, after all those years of hard work; she was going to ranger academy. It almost didn’t seem real. It was an hour till noon and the wind picked up, blowing spirals of sand across the dunes. She wouldn’t miss the dust storms or the blaring heat, but a peg of sadness grew in her heart at the thought of this being the last time she might be in this place. She shielded her eyes with her arm as the dirt blew through the makeshift bus stop. She would miss her friends dearly; she would have to at least make a plan to visit them one day. She was sure they would find happiness in their placements.
As she sat, her mind drifted to what her new life would be like. No more walking for miles to get to the nearest town. In the metropolis, they had super trains and everyone owned a hover car or jetter. She wondered what it would be like to soar high in the sky on the back of a new model hover jetter. She loved air bikes. She remembered her trip to Tel-Sa, seeing those amazing bikes soaring high through the trees. It would be her first purchase, she thought, even though she hadn’t a clue how much they cost.
Up ahead and from the west, she saw a hover cart breach the horizon. She squinted as she jumped to her feet. Her heart raced as the hover cart toted forward, slowly. She kept her eyes on it like a bird, but it wasn’t the bus. It was too small. She sat back down and sighed as she watched it slowly pass. She waved at the family on board. They must have made the long journey from the markets outside of Tel-Sa, a very popular trading spot. Ester remembered passing them on her trip into the metropolis. It was so much bigger than the markets around here. Sister Genevieve use to tell her stories from her youth about how her tribe would make garments to sell there. Ester yawned and stretched back on the empty bench. She doubted any other travelers were heading to Ans-On; nobody went that far. She laid back and closed her eyes and tried to piece together what Ans-On looked like. Skies crowded with hover cars, people wearing clothes wildly unfamiliar to her, and buildings that seemed so tall that they looked as if they held up the sky. She imagined zooming trains and giant floating telescreens. Galaxia. A smile appeared on her face. Ans-On was where her idol lived. What if she got to see her? Ester tossed the idea. That was asking too much, but Ans-on was where all the big idols lived. It was the hub of the planet.
Another hour passed, and Ester began to drift to sleep. She was stirred awake by a low rumble in the distance. The sound was coming from the east, so it wasn’t her bus, but the noise would not let her sleep. She sighed and leaned up as the sound got louder. It must be more merchants leaving for Tel-Sa. She repositioned herself and closed her eyes again, allowing the sound of the engine to lull her back to sleep. The hover cart approached and slowed to a stop a few yards away. She listened to the door slam and feet shuffle in the sand. It must be someone being dropped off at the stop. She forced herself awake, rubbing her eyes.
“Tired already?” A familiar voice said to her.
Her head sprung up as she pulled her hand from her face. “Luck?”
“In the flesh.” He chuckled, in his dirt covered farm uniform.
“What are you doing here?” She rose and stretched. He was the last person she would expect to see.
“Aww, not happy to see me, and I came all this way.” He walked closer, leaving only a foot between them. “I came to wish you luck.”
“Again?” She laughed.
“Again.” Luck stared at her like he would never see her again.
“Well, it’s not like I’m never coming back…” she trailed off, but they both knew that was a lie.
Luck laughed. “Right, well if you do come back, I’ll be—”
“At Fular’s Fruit Farm, I know. You’ve told me a thousand times.” She stared at his face. Why did he have to look so sad? “Luck?”
“Yes?”
“Thanks for seeing me off, even if it was for the four-hundredth time.”
“You are welcome, and I’d gladly see you off four-hundred times more.”
“I know.” Ester stared into his eyes as a low rumble hummed in the background. Luck looked pass her and saw a large hover bus approach.
“I think your ride’s here.”
Ester spun around, her eyes wide. She nearly l
eapt into the road to get a better look. There it was, just like the one she road to Tel-Sa. It hovered above the dirt, displacing the sand around it. Ester danced in place and threw her fist in the air. Luck chuckled, and in that moment, Ester remembered him.
“Luck.” She turned to him.
“Good luck.” He turned and waved as the bus pulled up. It was the only way he could say goodbye without it hurting.
Ester stood there and watched him head back to his hover cart as the bus came to a complete stop. Her brow furrowed, but this didn’t have to be goodbye. She was always welcome at home. The doors skidded open, and a few people got off. The driver eyed Ester.
“You got a ticket?” The middle-aged man shouted over the hum of the engine.
“Yes sir!” She pulled out her ticket card and scanned it and turned around. Luck waved as he slowly started to make a U-turn in his hover cart. She quickly found a spot in the back and watched Luck drift away off into the distance. It felt so odd, but watching him leave made her feel like she had finally closed the book on this chapter of her life.
“Good luck, Luck,” she said under her breath as she settled in for the long ride.
***
The sun had crawled all the way to the other side of the sky when Ester arrived at the east bus station in Tel-Sa. She hopped off and stretched before heading to her next stop. The ride had been unnaturally long, but at least they didn’t have to stop because of a dust storm. However, her journey was far from over. Even from this station she would have to take another bus to get to the grand station on the west side, but she had time before her next bus arrived. This time she wasn’t leaving until she went to Fried Tuzan, the chain restaurant of her dreams. She exited the station and walked out onto a platform and was surprised to see so many people. Even at dusk people still littered the streets. It was pandemonium. She wondered if businesses ever closed.
Across the street from the station there was a food platform. Only the metropolises had eating platforms. They were like the shops in the marketplaces back home but with big name eateries. She checked her watch; the time was seventeen hundred hours. Her next bus left in an hour and a half, plenty of time for her to grab a bite to eat. She walked across the platform and went to the railing and stared at all the people below. Hover cars zipped by, and people chatted and rushed in and out of the station. There were a lot more people from Adum-La here than she expected. They were easy to point out because of their simple clothes. She glanced at the people wearing ride suits, a very popular style of body suits that people wore in the metropolises. All the rangers wore suits similar to ride suits, but ranger suits were specially designed for combat. She looked at her rags. She had on her favorite tan short sleeved shirt with her patchy faded green button up over shirt and matching patchy mud brown pants. It wasn’t a ride suit, but she could still kick some ass in it, and she was not ashamed. She walked across the short sky bridge to the food platform. Sister Genevieve had been nice enough to give her some extra tones for a few meals and packed her fresh bread and salted meat for her trip. She’d eat that later. Today, she wanted Tuzan. She walked up to the door and opened it. The scent of freshly fried foods invited her in. The clerk at the desk greeted her with a warm smile.
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