The Laws of Paxia

34. Awkward

Chapter Thirty-Four

Awkward

    Imagine standing face to face with the grandmother you never met and realize that she’s nothing like you expected her to be. This Meryl is the opposite of me. The woman in front of me doesn’t look a day over thirty years old and her flawless appearance makes me wonder if she ever had to work a day or had a single struggle in her life. Her yellow one-piece doesn’t hold a single wrinkle that my eyes can see and her light brown hair is pinned perfectly at her head. Not to mention her pearly white skin. I should get used to that unhealthy colour, but I can’t help but stare.

    “Um, are you Meryl?” I ask her nervously and tug at my plain brown shirt. Maybe I should have dressed up for this occasion? Why didn’t I bother to actually use all the tips the Petals taught me a while ago? I didn’t even prepare a speech. Oh my gosh, what have I gotten myself into! Isn’t it weird enough that I have to get used to another world again, though I spent most my time in this world, but in another type of setting?

    “Yes, are you my granddaughter Meryl?” my grandmother asks back.

    “Well, yeah.”

    “Come in.” She takes a few steps back to give me room to enter her home.

    This whole apartment complex is built with a deep blue crystal. It wasn’t hard to find the right door to knock on because Lila gave me clear directions when she dropped me off a few minutes ago. I just thought it would be a nice idea to get to know my family a bit while getting used to all this Paxia stuff. Vita is already doing her specialty as a shadow and is collecting information for us and that leaves me with free time. Being a Goddess is so overrated sometimes. I’ve got plenty of time to live a life. I want to be normal for a little while.

    Inside the apartment is just as tidy and elegant as the person who lives here. Grandma Meryl leads me through the hall to a living room with a big comfortable leather couch and a purple round crystal table in front of it. I expect to see a television in front of it, but it’s not. This world doesn’t communicate through social media, televisions, radio or other appliances I’m used to from Earth. It’s so quiet in here. This whole situation is awkward.

    “You look so much like your Dad,” she says after a little while. She’s sitting next to me on the couch and her eye holds a small twinkle. “How is he?”

    “Good I guess,” I answer her. “He’s living a nice life. He and my Mom are very happy together with us children. I have two brothers and two sisters on Earth. I just don’t know why it had to be me who was given all this Iris responsibility. You know all that right?”

    “Yes, the Iris matter is not foreign to me. Five children from Earth.” She smiles and closes her eyes at the thought. “I’d like to meet them and your parents too of course.”

    “Well I will pass that on when I see them next time.”

    I look down at my own white arms. Lila forced me to change my appearance to Paxia style so I can be undercover for a while. Force is a harsh word, I knew I had to do it. I just don’t like looking at an alien every time I look myself in the mirror.

    “You’re uncomfortable in this situation,” Grandma says. “I can also see that you have a very strong mind. You’ll need it for dealing with Paxia. We have a very corrupted system and I have worked really hard to maintain the old belief in the chameleons. It’s good that you have come now. There is an uprising trying to take over the whole system. You need to step up as our rightful leader and unite our kind. We need peace. The people on this planet are very tired.”