"What am I even thinking over this little thing?" Martin uttered as he kept staring at the broken part of the tap in his hand.
As per his mother's advice, 'one should eat with their family while they are living together,' Martin went down to have breakfast. The eatables were already lying on the dining table. His mother saw his son's confused face and asked, "what was that sound last night?"
"Nothing, maybe a cat barged in. When I switched on the light, there was a vase shattered on the floor and some books too."
"Did you see the cat?"
"Not really," Martin replied after a second.
Mrs. Fernandez thought that it was high time she should tell him about the inheritance of special powers in their family. He should know it. She was about to continue saying, just then Demelza came down. "I am here. What are you both up to," she asked as she saw the mother and son looking serious.
After the breakfast, the mother waited for her younger child to go back to her room, and then spoke to Martin with a worrying tone, "Martin, wait a moment, I have to tell you something, very important."
"'Something very important?' Like what?"
"Do your arms and hands feel heavy?"
"Mom, did you take medical sessions? Yes, I felt heaviness in my arms after returning from the restaurant because I was too tired."
"Oh! So you felt that." She understood and let out a sigh.
"Mom, what do you want me to know? I cannot understand anything."
"This may sound unbelievable but listen to my words. You have the power of moving things and this is inherited by every male born in our family."
Martin laughed, "I think you had an overdose of web series or some fiction movies, and these are the side effects. I can't believe I am hearing such things from you."
"I know it is hard to believe what I'm saying but —," Mrs. Fernandez was upset that she was not able to convince her son.
That evening his mother intentionally sent him to the croissant shop to buy the list of goods. While Martin stood at the counter for billing, he saw that the female worker had a tattoo on her left hand at the back of the palm. It was the same tattoo of a grasshopper that he noticed on the hand of that cap girl in the restaurant. He suddenly grabbed her left hand and said, "was it you? A girl with a cap sitting in the same restaurant as ours on my birthday with head down?" She mumbled in a faint scared voice, "No… no." The girl knew she was caught. She hastened and packed the goods with her shaking hands. Martin did not say a word and hurried towards home.
He went to his mother and poured out all that he had been waiting to say, "you know, there was a girl in the restaurant which we went to for my birthday a few days ago, turns out that she is the girl working in the croissant bakery." He took a deep breath and continued, "I feel like she is following me. We both study at the same college. She also seems suspicious." His mother listened to his words carefully. To avoid further misunderstanding she stated, "I told her to do so."
Martin's mouth opened with surprise. His mother continued, "she is a trustworthy person, although I didn't know you both were in the same college. That day I asked her to do me a favour of keeping an eye on you in case you show some symptoms. She also has special powers. I wanted you both to interact." Martin could not understand half of her words but now he confirmed that the girl acted suspiciously because of his mother.
"Mom, why are you supporting her?"
"Her mother is friends with me. I have seen that child grow. I know that girl well. She was just doing what I said."
"Okay, I get that you were worried about me, and whatever about the powers and all, but she has got no detective skills." Martin went back to his room on the first floor.
He threw himself on the bed, out of habit and thought, "I forgot to ask why she wanted me to meet that girl. Only because we both are unique or something?" Then he heard a thud. He sat back to see the book lying on the floor. It happened again. Now he began to doubt himself whether his mother's words were really true. He straightened his arms projecting towards the bookshelf, and saw some books move initially. Then he looked down at his palms, "do I have power or something," he questioned. He again projected his hand towards a book on the floor, trying to move it. He felt as if he was trying to push an invisible object and yes, the book was rising against gravity. But his hands started to hurt. His body wasn't used to the magic till now, so he sat down on the floor out of pain. He was happy about acquiring a power no human had. He felt unique and a little bit superior.
He tested his power to sway the plants, to pull on the curtains of windows, to open and close doors. "I don't even need to stand up to do the work now. Everything is on my fingertips." He excitedly went down the stairs to tell his mother that he believes her now. For sure a mama's boy. Demelza was sceptical at first, but after witnessing the effect, she had no choice but to believe.
"I think you are right. I can move things," he told his mother.
"Just be careful to not expose yourself. People might take advantage of you."
"Okay, but Demelza knows."
"She'll be the first one to use your magic, I guarantee."
On his way back home from the market, he entered the same croissant bakery and decided to talk to that girl. "Where is that female worker with a tattoo on her left hand? Can I speak to her for a minute," Martin asked at the counter. That girl appeared from behind the curtains and asked, "why do you want to see me now?"
They were both seated at a table. "Are you– no, do you have special powers?"
The girl thought that Mrs. Fernanadez might have told him about her. "Did you hear from your mother? I just did whatever she told me too, since I owe her."
"But ma'am– no, girl–," Martin stuttered, finding it difficult to find an appropriate word to address her. "Could I know your name?"
She hesitated at first, but later said, "Vanessa is my name. You must be knowing that I'm your senior in college."
"Was that your deed? Both of us ending up in the same college?"
"No, certainly not. That was purely a coincidence, I guess."
"Okay," Whenever Martin says 'okay', it means he found something difficult to digest. "I am Martin Fernandez. You already know that I'm eighteen."
"I am nineteen by the way. I know 'almost' everything about you, our mothers were and still are friends. I know that you can conduct psychokinesis. I knew that you will show signs just after turning adult."
Here comes Martin's unpredicted question. "Are you protecting me from someone?"