Caleb

                 I lost count of how many trucks we road, how long we walked, and how much distance we covered.  Once we climbed over the fence and it started to disappear in the distance, that was when my mother hugged me and cried.

“Mama, what’s wrong?” I asked her.

“We made it to the free country,”

            We woke up hearing the honk of a truck outside our apartment.  My mother quickly got me up and dressed me in the best clothing we had, even though it was mostly rags.  She combed my hair, disappointed that she did not get a chance to cut it. 

“Come mijio, we’ll have to work today,”

            When we got outside we saw other people gathered in front of the truck.  Most spoke only Spanish but a few learned a few English phrases.  I was standing next to my mother, unsure of what to do. 

            The white men on the trucks look into the crowd and only grabbed a few people to pull into the back of the truck. 

“Where are they going, mama?”

“Work,” she said.  That was when one of the men saw me. 

“You,” he said and grabbed my arm.  My mother kissed me on the cheek and told me to be good. 

            When the truck was filled, the white men were ready to go.  I was disappointed that they did not pick my mother. 

“Mama!” I yelled at her and she gave me a huge grin.

“Don’t worry mijio, you’ll be home for dinner!” she yelled back as the truck started to leave.  I sat there for a long time, not saying a word.

            The truck stopped behind a building where cars were parked and people were waiting.  I saw more white people come up and talk to the white men who took the others and me.  I was confused with all the talking and stood still until someone grabbed my arm.  It was a woman who was dress in a clean and lovely light blue dress with wavy blonde hair and bright blue eyes.  She said something to the men that I did not understand and gave them some money.  She took me to her car and gave me a nice smile.  I asked her where we were going and what I would do but she did not speak Spanish and ignored me. 

            We arrived at a big white house that surrounded by a gate.  The front of the house had a big yard and bushes everywhere with two trees.  The woman drove the car into the garage and then we got out.  I thought that in a house like this I would be doing a lot of cleaning.  But I was wrong. 

“Billy!” she yelled as we enter the house and down the white marble stairs came a boy about my age.  He was dressed in fine clothing, very short blonde hair, and bright blue eyes like his mother.  The two exchanged and words and then he started to talk to me but I did not understand a word he said. 

“Caleb,” said the woman and I looked at her.  She pointed to me and said the word again, “Caleb,” and I shook my head and told her that my name was Angel Mario and then she slapped me.  I was in shock and held my burning cheek.  I stared into her blue eyes that no longer look nice.

“Caleb,”

            I went outside with the boy name Billy.  I was very upset about my red cheek but I knew that I would be home in time for dinner and that I was not stuck at the big white house.  When I saw Billy starting to play soccer and passing the ball to me I was very happy.  The soccer ball reminded me of how I used to play soccer with the other boys in Mexico but we did not have a green field or goals like in Billy’s backyard.  I started to show Billy some tricks and he tried to copy me.  By the end of our play outside Billy learned two tricks that I taught him. 

            When we went into the house, one of the servants gave Billy a sandwich and he went to sit at the dinning room table.  I sat down next to him not knowing what to do and that was when I felt a huge tug at my arm and nails digging in.  I looked up to see Billy’s mom.  She took me out of my seat and into the kitchen to a corner with a stole.  Then the servant gave me cereal that was only half filled and a glass of water.  I watched Billy eat his sandwich with a can coke and I then I looked down at my sandwich, wishing that I could have a taste of an American coke. 

            After lunch Billy and I played in his room.  His room was huge with posters of baseball players and video game characters such as Mario, Sonic, and more.  Billy loved playing video games with me but I think it was because I did not know how to use a video game.  He also had a lot of action figures of marvel characters as well as pokemon.  Then a servant came to get us for dinner and I knew better this time to not sit at the table. 

            When the family was done eating I went up to Billy’s mother and tried to explain to her that I had to get home to my mother.  She smiled and patted my head.  That was when I knew that she did not know any Spanish.  I tried walking out the door but Billy’s father caught me and gave me a whipping for trying to leave.  I did not understand why I was still in this big white house. 

            When it was time for Billy to go to sleep, his mother took me into the basement where a bed was set up.  I realized that I was going to sleep here and in the corner I found a bucket and some clothes that were better then the ones I had from Mexico but were not as nice as Billy’s family. 

“Good night, Caleb,” she said as she closed the door.  I heard a lock and I knew that I was not going to leave.  It was dark with only a small light and no windows.  I took off my clothes and crawled under the blanket.  I said the Our Father and Hail Mary and prayed that I would see my mother again. 

            The next day I took a peek out the window to see Billy get onto a bright yellow bus.  While he was gone, one of the servants watched me the whole day.  She gave me a bath, cut my hair, and started to teach me a few things in English.  By the end of the week I could say, “hello,” “my name is Caleb,” “good night,” and “family”, but I really wanted to see my mother. 

            When Billy went on the bus I was often left in the basement unless it was a bath day and I was not allowed out until Billy came home.  One day I was allowed out and then I had to go back into the basement, when I looked to see Billy I saw him sitting at the dinning table doing work.  I was wondering what kind of kid worked; I never had to work in my life, not even for school. 

            I begun to lost track of how long I was living in the white house.  I discovered that I was there to be Billy’s playmate, but only if he wanted to play with me.  If he had a friend over, I was locked in my room.  For meals the only thing I could have was cereal with water.  A few times I tried sneaking food but if I were caught I would get slapped by Billy’s mother or whipped by his father.  My hair used to be long, but Billy’s mom like it short like her son’s hair.  I missed my long black hair and I started to miss Mexico and my mother.  I was wondering if this was what my mother was thinking when we came to this country.  Her wondering where I am every night and me being locked up in a house for days, weeks, months, and then a year.

            After living with Billy for a year my English became better and in his new grade Billy started to learn some Spanish.  He was able to say hello to me, ask my name, and where I was from.  When I told him my name was Angel Mario, he punch and kicked me.

“Your name is Caleb,” he told me in my language and I replied, “no” and that was when he got his parents who gave me a good beating and left me in the basement for two days.  That was when my spirit was broken and I decided that my official name was Caleb. 

            After living with Billy and his family for a year and a half we got a visit from a stranger.  It was during a bath day and I was upstairs with the servant as I was putting my clothes back on.  Billy’s mother answer the door and the servant looked worried.  She walked out and closed the door on me, leaving me in the room by myself.  Then the door opened and a woman I never saw stood before me. 

            She was young, like my mother, with dark skin, black hair and bright brown eyes.  She had a nice purple shirt on and black pants.  She started talking to me but I remained quiet and then Billy’s mom spoke to her with a stern voice.  I did not understand their conversation but they both looked mad. 

            The woman stayed until a man in uniform came into the house.  The man was wearing a bright badge on the right side of his chest and his uniform was dark blue.  I wore a belt that had held a gun and handcuffs.  I got very frighten until he started to speak in Spanish.

“Hello, my name is Thomas.  I am a police officer and I am here to ask you a few questions.  What is your name?” I was quiet, afraid to answer.

“You do not have to be afraid,” he said and I rolled up my sleeve to show him my scars from the whipping.

“Where did you get those scars?” he asked and I looked towards Billy’s mom. 

“Can you come with me?” he asked.  I took his hand and he took me into a separate room with the lady in the purple shirt.

“Now, what’s your name, I’m not going to let anyone hurt you, you’re safe,”

“Caleb,” I told him without thinking.  After so long I almost forgot my name.

“Caleb?” he asked and I shook my head.  He seemed confused.

“Angel Mario.  She kept calling me Caleb,”

“Who?”

“Billy’s mom,”

“Who’s Billy?”

“The kid who lives here,”

“Is he your cousin?”

“No,”

“How old are you?”

“Ten, I think,”

“You think?”

“I’ve been in this house for almost two years,”

“Two year, you must know the house pretty well.  Can you show me where you slept?” and I took the officer and the lady to the basement where my room was.  The lady went to talk to Billy’s mom and the officer kept me with him. 

“Angel Mario, how would you like to come with me?  I’ll take you away from here,”

“I want to see my mama,” I told him and for the first time, I walked out the door. 

            I told Thomas everything that happened to me.  From the moment my mother told me we were going to leave Mexico to when he got me out of the house.  Thomas asked me what my mother’s name was, but I did not remember but I told him what she looked like and where we stayed when we first came to the country.  Thomas took me to our apartment but the people said that my mother went off to work the day after I left and never came back.  No one knew where she went. 

            Thomas was able to get me citizenship in the United States but I was put in an orphanage in the city where Thomas said I would be safe and he always came to visit me every week.  I was happy at the orphanage.  I made real friends and some of them knew Spanish and while living there I learned to read, write, speak English, and math.  The people at the orphanage were good to me and when I was twelve a couple wanted to adopt me because they could not have children.  When I heard there story it reminded me of my own and I wanted to helped them.  They adopted me and I moved in with them and unlike Billy’s parents, they never hurt me and treated me as their son. 

            I had not seen my mother in eleven or ten years when they found her.  I was twenty in college when I got the phone call from Thomas.  I went home to tell my mother and father the good news and they were so happy for me.  By this time I could speak English fluently and changed my name to Carlos. 

            I stood in front of my parent’s house as I watched Thomas’ car pull up into our driveway.  He got out and opened the door at the back seat and I saw my mother.  She was older then I remembered her with some white hairs growing and she was moving a bit slow then I remembered.  When she saw me, tears formed in her eyes.

“Angel Mario!” she exclaimed.

“Mama!” I exclaimed back and ran to her and we both embraced each other.  After so long we finally found each other and we both cried with joy.  

The World We Love

South Africa, 2017

            A young boy name Joseph was playing music with the other children in a very small village.  Joseph at this point was like any other five year old who could see nothing wrong with the world.  Except that he excel in any musical instrument and beat.  But while playing with the other boys an older boy named Ziwa walked up to him. 

            Ziwa was two years older then Joseph and also a close relative to the chief of the village.  Ziwa often bullied Joseph because of Joseph’s status in the village: an orphan.  No one knows who his father is and his mother died shortly after he was born and during the pregnancy, his mother was not married and seen as a disgrace to the village. 

            While Ziwa was bullying Joseph, Joseph did something extraordinary.  He made one of Ziwa’s friend pick up a rock and slam it over and over again on Ziwa’s head until Ziwa laid dead at Joseph’s feet.  When the children realized what happened, they all ran away to tell the village chief.  Joseph stood where he was, staring down at Ziwa’s body with a huge smile on his face. 

China, 2018

            A young girl name Xiao Fei was gathered with the other young girls in her village to take part in a physical exam by the Chinese government.  Xiao Fei and the other girls are ask to jump, run, climb, and other physical activities in the presences of doctors. 

            The doctors were extremely impressed with Xiao Fei and wrote her down as a child prodigy in many areas of sports such as gymnastics, weight lifting, track, swimming, and more. 

            Although Xiao Fei was gifted in these areas and should be proud of herself, her home life was the opposite.  Xiao Fei lived in a one-room hut in her rural village with her mother, who vowed she had never slept with a man and had a virgin birth with Xiao Fei.  However, the village banished her to the out skirts along with the unborn child. 

            When Xiao Fei enters her home you would not be able to tell that the two were mother and child.  Xiao Fei had full control over her young mother.  Her mother was always scared and worried about making mistakes because she knew that if she made a mistake, Xiao Fei would make her pay by making her do something that she would not want to do. 

“I want rice,” said Xiao Fei.

“It’s too early.  Dinner will be ready soon, if you give me five minutes,” said the mother.  Xiao Fei got up and stared at her mother into her eyes.  Her mother stared back and sweat started to pour down her face. 

“You will give me rice,” said Xiao Fei and her mother nodded.  Xiao Fei then sat back down with a smile across her face. 

Germany, 2016

            A young boy name Thore Vespermann was coloring in his room when his maternal grandparents were talking in the other room about him.  They noticed his gift for coloring and painting since he was two but never told anyone.  They were worried about Thore’s safety as a child and if he should be known to the world as a prodigy. 

            Thore stopped what he was doing and was about to walk into the middle of his grandparent’s secret meeting when someone came through the door.  Thore immediately recognized the young girl as his mother.  She was drunk again.

“You bastard,” she said when she saw him. 

“Dear,” said Thore’s grandmother as she ran to the door to stop her uncontrollable daughter. 

“You’re the devil!  I should had killed you when you were born!  You ruined my life!”

“Call the police!” yelled Thore’s grandfather who ran to help his wife.

“Thore, come with me,” said his grandmother as she took the young boy into the next room but before turning down the hall, Thore turned to face his mother and looked her into the eyes.  Then all of a sudden, Thore’s mom became like a zombie.  She turned around and left the house, vowing to never return.  Thore grandfather gave him a look.

“You did that, didn’t you?” he said with a grave look on his face. 

“Thore, you know we don’t like it when you do that,” said his grandmother and then Thore walked to his room by himself with a smile across his face. 

United States of America, 2018

            A young girl name Eliza Doe was in her room doing college algebra when she heard her foster mother talking quickly into her phone.  Eliza closed her college textbook and walked into the living room where her foster mother quickly hung up the phone. 

“Eliza darling, come here,” she said but Eliza did not move. 

“Eliza, your caseworker, Mr. Walter will be here tomorrow to see you.  He wants to see how you are doing,” she lied.  Eliza shook her head and her foster mother looked away form her gaze but then looked back. 

            Eliza’s foster mother got up from the couch and walked into the kitchen where she picked up a knife and started to stab herself.  Eventually she fell on the ground in a pool of her own blood and Eliza looked out the window, cross her arms, and smiled at the world outside. 

United Nations, 2020 - 2022

            Dr. Allen Road went before all the representatives of the United Nations in New York during the summer of the year 2020.  He was in charge of a new study program called the Nation Project and he proposed that his program go to every country and give the same exact test to everyone between the ages of five and ten to see who has the best scores and how different the thinking process is between the age difference in the children.  The United Nations passed his proposed and starting in two years in the month of May, children across the world will be given a new and improve IQ test along with the other tests. 

            During the month of June in 2022, Dr. Road and his program received all the scores from every country in the world.  Dr. Road was disappointed by discovering that the best schools were in Asia but it was due to their education system on how they pressure their children, have classes on Saturdays, and teach students to never ask questions.  He found that the worst schools were The United States along with Canada due to their version of education in which they express creative thinking.  But when Dr. Allan checked the exams for creativity, Canada and the US scored the highest and the lowest were the Asian schools.  Creativity vs Non- creativity.  Although you need math and such materials to succeed in life, you also need creativity to stand out from your competition.  However, these results have been known since the early 2000’s, so the results were nothing new. 

When Dr. Road went to look at the IQ test, he was disappointed to find that his findings were inconclusive.  Dr. Road was looking ahead and showing the United Nations his findings: nothing.  Just facts that people already know and he cannot determine which country has the worst and best education due to different ways of looking at the results. 

“Dr. Road,” said a voice at the door.  The door open to reveal one of the staff members helping Dr. Road on his research. 

“Yes?”

“I have some information that may be interesting for you,” While she said this, Dr. Road was thinking that she would show something she found, while Dr. Road would show her the loop whole that she did not see, which would bring him back to his depression state. 

“Tell me,” he said.

“Well, I looked at the IQ exams and due to the numbers, they were inconclusive,”

“I know,”

“However, there are many students with learning disabilities and ADHD including those who have never been discovered.  For those children, they were given both the regular IQ exam and a special IQ exam to meet their needs of disability,”

“I know,”

“Well, we discovered that some children with the learning disabilities scored a perfect score on their IQ exams,”

“It may be a fluke, re-test them,”

“We did.  Five times,” Dr. Road was silent and thinking.  Children who scored a 200 on an IQ exam but due to their disability, their intelligence would had been over look by many.  But only very few have ever scored a perfect score on an IQ exam.  But here, they found more than one.  What were the possibilities of finding not one, but more then one child, a genius who was over looked by everyone? 

“Do you have their files?”

“Yes sir.  I have four files here,” Dr. Road looked at the files to see that to his surprise, the four children were from completely different countries.  Not only that, looking through their files, he also discovered that they had the same exact birthdays.

“I will meet these children in person and give them one final test,”

            After flying to South Africa, Germany, and China, Dr. Road went back to the United States in September of 2022, to a small town not far from New York in New Jersey.  He walked to the local elementary public school to meet a young ten-year-old girl name Eliza Doe. 

            Eliza was sitting at a desk in a classroom that was empty.  In the room was the principal waiting for Dr. Road and Eliza’s homeroom teacher. 

“Hello Eliza.  I have a small gift for you,” and Dr. Road handed her a box that if done right, could be open.  It was one huge giant puzzle.  The puzzle would leave most stress and disappointed and those who could finish it, took hours.  However, Eliza took three minutes without effort. 

“Thank you Eliza, you may leave,”

“Principal Yegger, may have Eliza’s parent’s contact information?”

“Dr. Road, Eliza is an orphan.  She is living with her foster family,”

            Dr. Road stood in front of a house that need repair and quickly.  He was amazed that social service would allow a child to live here with her foster family.  Dr. Road slightly trip up the stairs due to the steps breaking and not even.  When he got to the door he discovered that the bell didn’t work, so he knocked.  A man, who smelled and was wearing clothes that look like had never been washed opened the door.

“Yeah?”

“I wish to talk to Eliza Doe’s guardians,”

“What is it this time?  Whatever it is, I’m not responsible.  Social Services is coming for her at the end of the week, then she’ll be gone, okay?”

“No, it’s not that.  It’s just that Eliza is a gifted girl.  I was hoping I could ask you questions about her biological parents,”

“You’ll need to talk to her case worker about that.  She’ll be here Saturday at seven,”

            Dr. Road sat down in the office of Eliza’s case manger while Eliza sat out in the hallway, waiting to see where she would be place next. 

“I am Dr. Road from the United Nations.  We did a series of tests on elementary school children all across the world.  It’s hard to believe, but Eliza did extremely well, too well actually,”

“What do you want?”

“I wish to know about her biological parents.  I have a form here from the United States government that says you must give me her files,” The case worker look at the documents and then open her drawer to find Eliza’s folder and handed it over to Dr. Road for him to read.

“Eliza’s mother died when she was three.  She hung herself.  Her mother had no other family so Eliza was quickly placed in a foster home,”

“Her father?”

“No father.  Her mother was ill.  Claimed that there was no father, that Eliza was a virgin birth.  After the child was born, her mother became deeply depressed and shut herself in her apartment.  When we found Eliza she was malnourish and underweight for her age.  We were not sure if she would survive a year due to her living conditions,”

“How is she in school?”

“Shortly after starting school she was discovered to have a learning disability.  She was placed in special classes where she excelled.  However, she excels in math and science.  Her prize possessions are college level textbooks.  Although we know she is very smart, it seems she wishes to hide this from her teachers,”

“How is she with other children?”

“Terrible.  Everyone is afraid of her.  Accidents happen around her,”

“What do you mean?”

“Deaths.  Sometimes the foster parent dies or another child dies in her presences.  I’ve had to place her in over ten different foster homes, orphanages, and group homes.  Everyone eventually becomes afraid of her,”

“I can tell you are afraid of her too,”

“Dr. Road, what do you want with Eliza,”

“I want to take her to the United Nation where she will meet three other children like her.  Again, I have the documents from the government that gives me permission.  For a limit time, she will be the foster daughter of the US representative at the United Nations, however she will mostly be with me during the studies,” The case worker looked through the documents until she agreed and allowed Eliza to go with Dr. Road. 

November – December 2022

            Dr. Road kept himself close to the children.  He discovered amazing things about the children, separately.  He noticed that if he showed or shared information with one child, the other children knew immediately.  All four children were “virgin” births, had terrible past experiences with death, at least one learning disability, telepathy which made people fear them, and each one was unique in one area of art. 

            For Joseph, the boy from South Africa, he was gifted with music.  When he is given a simple object such as a piece of wood, a chair, a table, a broom, he is able to turn it into an instrument and create a sound that can be compared to Mozart. 

            Xiao Fei, the girl from China, was gifted with sports.  She was able to watch someone do a trick and without anyone teaching her she was able to do it exactly as it was shown, no matter what sport it was.  She was also a fast runner and swimmer.  In the UN pool she was able to break records that could only be broken by professionals.  In China she was taken away from home to be trained for the Olympics but due to fear, she was sent back home. 

            Thore, the boy from Germany, was gifted in coloring and painting.  He could make an exact replica of famous paintings such as Starry Night or the Mona Lisa, without a single mistake.  His own paintings were extraordinary and were way beyond his years.  No one would believe that his paintings and coloring were done by a mere ten-year-old boy who was never given a single art lesson. 

            Eliza, the girl from the United States, was gifted in mathematics and science.  She was able to make her own equations and solve difficult problems for college students.  Her only resources were books she found in libraries and local bookstores.  She admitted to stealing books so that she could learn.  She was also able to write her equations and problems in code so that she (and probably the other children) was the only ones who could interpret it. 

            It was November and Dr. Road never introduced the children to each other.  All four of them were always looked after by their embassies.  Dr. Road could tell that each representative at the UN was proud of his or her prodigy.  But something did not seem right to Dr. Road. 

            December 4^th was the children’s birthday.  The four embassies came together to through separate parties for each child.  However, when the party was about to begin, all four children disappeared.  Everyone went crazy and looked all over the place for the children.  After helping the search party, Dr. Road went to his apartment to relax and try to think where the children would go.  When he fell asleep he saw a picture in his head.  The picture was of an abandon building near the Hudson River.  Dr. Road suddenly woke up, grabbed his jacket, and immediately took off for that location.

            When he arrived at the location, he followed his dream to an abandon building and walked in.  In the building he saw all four children, standing there, as if waiting for him. 

“Children, everyone is looking for you, you need to return to your embassies,”

“We will not be separated,” said Eliza. 

“We wish to be alone,” they all said together. 

“Your only children, you can’t live here on your own,”

“Get out or we will make you,” said Thore.  Dr. Road became frighten and felt fear for the first time in the presences of the children.  He decided to leave, planning that he would find a way to return them to their embassies and his research. 

            When the embassies discovered where the children were, they became very upset.  Dr. Road was ready to give up his research and allow the children to stay together.  He was wondering if he could make a deal with them or find a suitable place for them to stay together, but somehow he knew it was pointless.  The children would not change their minds. 

            One night, the Chinese embassy hired a group of men to kidnap the children and take them to the Chinese embassy, alive.  When the group of men went passed the “no trespassing” all four children immediately woke up from their sleep and prepared themselves for their guests. 

            When the kidnappers entered the building, they held up their guns and went looking for the children. 

“Come out kids.  We don’t want to hurt you.  We need you alive!” they yelled in Chinese.  Then one of them spotted Eliza and they charged after her with their guns up.  Eliza ran and was trapped in a corner.

“We’ve got you know, girl” they said but when they turned around they found the other three children standing behind them. 

“Shoot the girl.  If we lose one, it is okay.  Three is better then none,” said one of the kidnappers.  This sparked fear in the children and the children made the men shoot one another until they all died. 

            After the kidnaper’s deaths, the children came together and talk to each other through telepathy and they came to an agreement. 

January 2023

            Dr. Road had a dream of the Central Park Zoo and he knew what the dream meant.  The children wanted to meet him at the zoo.  When Dr. Road arrived at the zoo, he discovered it to be empty except for four children standing at the sea lion exhibit. 

“Dr. Road,” Eliza said.

“Children,”

“I know you are thinking about those men.  The ones who died,” said Eliza.

“They should have not been there but there are other ways to save yourself instead of killing people.  Killing is wrong,”

“They were going to kill me,”

“You could have done something different.  Killing only leads to killing,” There was a silence between them for a moment until Eliza responded.

“We agreed.  Because you seem to be the only one who cares about us, we will share with you who we really are,”

“I’m confused,”

“We are decedents of four important apostles of Jesus.  I am the descended of Matthew.  Joseph is the of descended of Mark.  Xiao Fei is the of descended of Luke.  And Thore is the of descended of John,”

“What are you?  Why are you here?”

“We are human, but also not human.  You can say we are in between that of a human and of an angel.  We were sent here to test the human race, to see if you were ready for a savior.  That is why we needed to be together because we had to come to a decision.  But after the killing, we had to come to deal with a difficult reality.  We know why we are here and we must make a decision that will change the world forever,” Then all four children held on to each other’s hands and Dr. Road noticed the look of desperation on their faces.  Then at the exact same time, they fell and Dr. Road saw an orange bottle leave from one of their pockets. 

            Dr. Road went to check on the children but he knew it was already too late.  He should have been wondering what decision the children came to.  If the world was ready for a savior or not.  But he was not thinking that, instead he took all four children into his arms and held them.  They came to this world like any other children, but they were unlucky to face the cruelty of the world at a very young age.  The children should had lived normal lives with normal families and grow up to be doctors, lawyers, teachers, pilots, or any other profession but instead they knew their destiny from the very beginning. 

            Dr. Road could only weep for the children who were unfortunate to not have the luxury to live as normal children which all children should be given, weather they are human or not.