Sublime

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Nyakei’s ears tipped sharply and he stood up abruptly as if jolted by the thunderstorm threatening the suburbs of Whimsy Town. His ears were always the first senses to perceive them even as a child. He could now see them drifting through the air and bodies of people with ease. At six, Nyakei had begun seeing what others couldn't and he grew to learn they were called specters and paranormals.

His black coat and short spiky hair stood motionless beneath the wind like ice. It wasn’t the storm that made passersby in the park stop and stare. It was Nyakei’s dull appearance. He was of slightly lower than average weight for a man of twenty-six. He had tapering ears, pale skin, and dark rims beneath his deep eye sockets that shone in the dark.

Nyakei was already so used to the reactions of strangers that he even began to act the part. He'd wear only dark clothes and barely spoke to anyone. The air around him was often eerie and he liked it most of the time. Aside from the occasional name-calling, no one bothered him and he loved life that way.

The voices in his head were enough distractions that he could barely stand the company of others. Nyakei had many unexplained abilities ever since he was a child but the one that bothered him the most was the voices in his head. Nyakei could hear people's thoughts. He didn't want to know what the entire Whimsy was planning for dinner, whose dog was sick, or whose child dipped their sister's toothbrush in toilet water.

“Mum, look! It is the grim reaper.” a little girl clutched her mother's arm.

Nyakei looked at her and for the first time, the fright in her eyes worried him. Nyakei knew very well that he was different and he had grown to accept himself that way. However, the frightened little girl made his mind wander back to years ago when he was only six.

“Mum, I'm different from the others. Why?”

“You are a love child Nyakei. You defy every law of nature and your existence transcends dimensions.”

Those were always the answers Nyakei got from his mother whenever he tried to know anything more about himself. Alaya was a great mother even though sometimes, Nyakei often wondered if she was sane. Alaya spoke a lot in her sleep, mostly uttering his father's name. If Nyakei was ever sure of anything, it was that Alaya loved his father dearly and she was an excellent writer. He had never met his father. Alaya had told him that he was born in the year 1993. However, his father's headstone read 1990.

Nyakei blinked back the tears that threatened to stream down his eyes. He wasn't sure why he was feeling those emotions. Was it the terrified child, his mother's memories, or his new determination to unravel the mystery of his life?

As people began scurrying to avoid the droplets of rain forming, Nyakei merely stormed away into the night.

Nyakei now lived alone after his mother passed when he turned eighteen. He never really cared for her belongings but that night, a fire was brewing inside of him. He searched her bedroom for something. Anything that he could find. He knew there was much more to his story. Nyakei was almost giving up when his eyes fell on her Diary. He recalled how she always scribbled in the little black book and kept its pages close to her heart.

A little hesitant, he picked up the diary and began to flip through its pages. He sighed as he read the thoughts of his mother in ink. “Typical Alaya,” he muttered. He found nothing of interest in her personal life until he flipped the next page. It had his name on it in caps. His curiosity piqued and he began to flip through the next pages.

“The first time he came to me right here in this bedroom was a dream come true. The moment was electrifying as his full view became visible in the dimly lit room. I shuddered from looking at his tall slim frame that had turned very dull and pale. “Did you stop eating, Akei?” I reached for his arms. They felt so cold.

“We don't eat over there, Alaya. We just exist.” Akei smiled. “I've missed you just as much as you yearn for me. It is the depth of our connection that brought us back together again. It’s been two years but I couldn't find rest.” He held me in a cold embrace that surprisingly warmed the essence of my very being. That night, you were conceived.

We spent the rest of the night enveloped in each other's arms barely speaking. Akei began to visit me every night. I longed for his deep stares that always washed over me. The way he'd stroke my hair gently and kiss my shoulders.

Nyakei leaned back on the bed as he got really into the details of his mother's diary. Something inside of him was longing and desired a feeling of clarity and closure. Her words played out like a vision before his eyes. Alaya always had her way with words like that. He continued reading.

One night Akei lay in bed with a blank expression on his face. “We’ve held on to this mirage for far too long Alaya. We've opened up a dimension that should never have been found.” He turned to face me.

I knew the moment when our little forbidden rekindling would end had come. I dreaded the moment but I knew in my heart that this abomination that defied every law of nature was very short-lived.

“The fate of a child between the living and the dead is unsure. I will not be here to find out. Give him all my love and call him Nyakei-my son.” Akei spoke in whispers. He placed his palms on my bulging belly and slowly, he began to fade away into white smoke. I tried to hold him but he wafted through my hands like a cold wind. Now here you are, my beautiful boy. I would do this again just to do life with you.

Nyakei tried to force back the tears but they streamed his face freely. He now knew why his mother always called him a love child who defied every law of nature. He knew how Akei fathered him even years after his death.

Nyakei had found closure and clarity. He had embraced his existence and he promised himself to just live the life that the universe had gifted him. Perhaps he'd find others of his kind. After all, his parents had opened a new dimension.