“I come from another planet, far, far away. I am not sure how I got here. All I remember is that my parents were taking me to a fancy restaurant to celebrate my fourth birthday when I suddenly found myself practically at your front door. My planet is called Zorbus. I am surprised how much we Zorbians resemble people here on Earth. I guess our two planets are very much alike.”
For the first time since her arrival, Allison broke down and began to cry. “I just want to go home but I know that is impossible,” she said. “Please don’t send me away. I don’t know where to go. I am so scared that I will be taken away and be locked up because I don’t belong here.”
Peggy, with tears in her eyes responded. “Oh, honey we would never send you away. From now on, you are one of us. We will just keep this a secret between us. From this day on, you are a Dawkins and that will never change.”
4
Spurketts Family
The Spurketts lived in the city of Janus, the largest city in the country Woozy. The Spurketts’ daughter, Racine, just turning four gave the Spurkett’s the idea of going out to a famous restaurant to celebrate her birthday.
The pilotless vehicle arrived on time. Racine’s father placed four-year-old Racine in her own, personal space capsule made of heat-resistant material. A type of material not found on planet Earth. The space capsule was magnetically attached to the main frame of the taxi, a common means of transport in and around the city of Janus.
The restaurant trip was supposed to go smoothly without any interruptions A trip the family had taken numerous times. But, for some mystical reason, a strong magnetic storm flared up just about the time the family began their journey. With strong magnetic forces tearing the little space capsule from the main body of the carrier.
With ferocious speed, little Racine was hurled out into the unknown, on a journey with an unexpected outcome. With incredible ease and luck, the small craft plummeted into space. After many hours of non-interruption, the small space capsule landed in the exact cornfield where a funeral was in process.
5
Farm Life
The Dawkins farm was the poorest, and smallest farm around the farming community—with barely enough livestock and home-grown, fresh vegetables to support the struggling family. A small patch of corn planted every spring season—just barely produced enough corn to feed their own livestock, leaving very little left-over corn to sell on the local market. The distraught family could barely afford the kitchen appliances they owned. An upgrade in kitchen appliances usually found in most rural homes was out of the question.
Ms. Dawkins had not fully recovered from the ordeal of giving birth to Allison over four years ago and was grateful the children took to doing more than their fair share of house chores without complaint. To her eternal relief, many of the house chores normally took on by the most housewives, were completely taken over by her children. Rebekah and Charlie routinely cleaned house and helped in the kitchen, often preparing the evening meal. Allison was free to take a nap if she liked or play outside with the chickens and goats. And little piglets if she stayed away from the old cantankerous sow who didn’t tolerate anyone coming near her little charges.
Given the option, Allison, too excited to sleep, chose playing with the barnyard animals. To Allison, everything about her new life was fascinating—she was determined to learn everything possible about her new life. Sometimes, just sitting for hours in absolute awe, observing the quaint behavior of the barnyard livestock and chickens. She vaguely recalled, before her fourth birthday, visiting the Janus Zoo with her parents, and seeing the exotic zoo animals. None of them, as she recalled, compared to what she was now a witness to. Sitting and playing with these gorgeous creatures was an unexpected joy.
Her favorite: the goats. Though they smelled a bit, goats were, by far, the most playful and fun of all the barnyard animals. The other Dawkins siblings, had from birth, been around farm animals, but did not see them the same way. They saw them as work, and in some cases, food for the dinner table.
6
School Daze
To Allison, time seemed to go quickly as she entered the third grade—already considered by her classmates and the community at large as somewhat of a celebrity—recognized as having an eidetic memory: more commonly called photographic memory and considered a polymath by her teachers. Tall for her age, with striking red hair, which, oddly, some thought unusual as none of the other Dawkins children seemed to possess. Her class grades exceeded the school’s expectations.
Allison possessed a secret she could not reveal---at this stage, only Peggy knew her true identity (she thought)— having the innate intelligence to perform at a high school level or higher if she chose. For her not to disclose her range of intelligence was her decision and for a good reason, she thought. Allowing someone to poke around her head, to try and determine why she was different from the other students, was something Allison wanted to avoid, no matter what it took. Getting another person to take your physical exam seemed a small price to pay for one’s privacy.
Allison, wholeheartedly decided planet Earth was where she wanted to stay, finding America her dream home, another reason not to expose to the world who she really was—an alien from another planet. Moreover, she dearly loved her adopted family and found new and exciting things to celebrate every day—the usual things native Americans take for granted, not giving them a second thought. It was those exact same things she found astonishing and unusual. Allison was determined to become an Historian: to learn as much about her new world as possible. Already studying the classics of ancient history and the history of her new country. Sadly, she felt, “if only I could share this gift given to me with my real mom and dad.”
During the new school year, like in previous years, when it came time for physical examinations and the updating of required immunization shots, Allison used a power she possessed that no one knew about. The ability to hypnotize others to do her bidding, a well-kept secret which she rarely used. But, in this case, Allison felt compelled while taking her required physical exam to use her hypnotic suggestions to convince the attending nurse that her blood type was O+ positive, a common type of blood among the general population. If, by chance, she feared, if it ever came out that she had a rare blood type, every scientist in the country, if not the world, would have her put under constant surveillance. With the possibility of being placed under quarantine, subjecting her to some very painful mind-altering tests.
7
Reflection
Our main character Allison was literally dropped on this planet at the very early age of four. She was fortunate to haven landed at the doorsteps of a very loving and caring family: the Dawkins. It doesn’t take much of a brain to imagine what her life would be like had her capsule had the misfortune to land under a more hostile environment.
When you consider just these two cases: an incredibly young child, kidnapped, found, and returned to her loved ones, you would expect that child spending many hours on a psychiatrist’s couch. Second case: a child’s fairy-tale life suddenly interrupted by the unexpected death of both parents, spending a lifetime in professional counseling.
Which brings about the unusual case of Allison—who experienced nothing of the above. Displaying reticence, resilience, and total adaptability of her new surroundings. She suffered none of the expected psychosis of one so young. Fully accepting her fate, well-adjusted to her surroundings, family, and friends. Quickly accepting her unusual life changes, learning to love the food she ate. Picking up the lingo spoken by her friends and family with unbelievable speed. Gaining the love and respect of her adopted family members as well as the love and respect of all those around her small community.
Allison loved her Earthling friends and family. She also had a deep and equal love and compassion for her little animal friends--tirelessly, cleaning and grooming the little goats, piglets, and calves. Making sure their sleeping areas were clean, drinking water fresh, and food served to a rigid schedule.’ They, in turn, loved her for all the attention given. To farmers, farming is a business. For one to get too attached to any of their barnyard animals is not a good idea. It can be incredibly sad and painful to send an animal you have become attached, to the market to be sold, ending up being slaughtered.
For instance, “If I had my way,” she declared, “we would all be vegetarians, with none of the animals in my care sent off to the slaughterhouse to be slaughtered for food.” She knew her thoughts were not practical as she struggled with the truth: —in order for man to survive in this life, something must be sacrificed. That said, it was obvious: “Lower life forms must be sacrificed for man to survive.” It’s necessary to learn to separate the two: the ideal life versus the harsh reality. Life as we know it is not fair. Life has never been fair—and it never shall be.
A business-minded Allison, even at her young age, was able to convince Ms. Dawkins: “We should sell all the chicken eggs not needed for home consumption on the open market. She used, shall we call it, alien ‘magic’ to make the hens produce more eggs— increasing the baby chick population proportionately higher. When it came time to prepare one of the chickens for an evening meal. Allison made it a point to hide. Sometimes going as far as to cry, knowing one of the chickens she loved was being sacrificed so that humans might eat.
When it became time to sell off one or more barnyard goats, Allison stayed in a ‘funk’ mood for days. Curiously, for the ducks that hugged the backyard fence and waded in the nearby pond, Allison showed little or no affection. That is, until the first arrival of a new family of ducklings that spring, Allison was the first to rush to the pond to look on with awe, as the newly hatched ducklings took their first swim around the pond, with the duckling’s proud mother in lead.
Allison, discovering the origin of pork and beef for the first time, seriously considered becoming a vegetarian. Pork and beef, something that humans eat daily, a concept she did not understand. “They are killed just so human beings’ lust for cooked red meat can be satisfied.” “Was it necessary to destroy all of nature’s beautiful creatures?” she wondered. When it came to the milking of the family cow, Betsy, Allison discovered she was a natural. Old Betsey, always produced the largest quantity of fresh milk when she knew it was Allison milking her.
8
Help from Allison
Paul, Allison’s oldest and dearest Earth brother, a junior in high school lived with Uncle Bubba during the week, only returning home for the weekends. It was one of those weekends when Allison overheard his twin sister, Pauline, let it slip, expressing her concern about Paul.
“Paul is struggling with two of his classes, algebra, and calculus,” Pauline said. “I’m worried that if Paul doesn’t pass those two required courses, he will end up being just another dirt farmer.”
Shocked to learn that Paul may not achieve his goal of a better life, Allison was determined she had to do something to help him. Later that weekend, Allison politely asked, “Paul, if you are having problems with some of your studies, maybe I can help.”
At first, Paul, feeling a little chagrined, hearing this from someone so much younger than him, just laughed. “How can you help me? You are just in the third grade.”
Reluctant at first, Paul shared with her the two subjects he found most difficult: algebra and calculus.
“Those subjects are not a problem for me. Numbers and algebraic equations come easy to me,” responded Allison.
At the age of two, children of planet Zorbus were required to study high school-level math problems. Math equations that earthlings do not study until the fourth grade. Allison, from the early beginnings of her studies already excelled in the sciences and problem solving. With patience and determination, under Allison’s tutoring Paul, every weekend began to get a better grasp of both subjects.
