Half My Heart

4) Carina

"Now if you take this piece of copper, it will turn a pale green simply because it's here in the water. The water is made up of many compounds, but mainly like oxygen, carbon dioxide and hydrogen. The oxygen is the main reactant that causes this element to turn green. That's why human machines are not made of copper, but rather steel because it is the only metal that withstands the harshness of the water. Every other metal rusts from the oxygen in the water and weakens as time goes by."

I listen to Baba with avid fascination and decide to ask her something that mother would never dream of hearing.

"Baba, would it be possible to get to see and example of actual steel up close?"

"Why of course my dear, here I'll show you a sample of steel that I got from a sunken ship I happened upon a couple years ago," she turns to her cabinet of samples, searching for the steel.

"What about going to see an actual human machine up close?" I ask as innocently as my seventeen year old self can possible ask.

Baba stiffens upon hearing my words and turns to look at me.

"Look at an actual human machine?" She asks me, not falling for my attempted bargaining.

"Yes."

"And would this field trip want require us to go up to an abandoned ship down here or up to the surface?" She says as she crosses her arms.

"I was hoping it could be up at the surface," I say shyly, knowing she'll probably say no.

They always say no about the surface.

"Well, a trip to an abandoned ship might certainly take take one or two days. There aren't that many sunken ships in our area and beyond the kingdom, closer to the human coast there are no sunken ships. All the sunken  ships have been cleaned out."

Baba's not saying no, but she's not saying yes either. That's still progress though.

"Of course, the best example of a love subject would be a real human ship."

Yay! We might actually get to go!

Sensing my growing excitement, Baba turns a sharp glare to me.

"We risk being seen though. If we're lucky, they'll mistake us as a figment of their imagination and we'll escape. If not. . ."

She stops, not daring to say the rest of the sentence.

If not, we'll end up like Alina.

I swallow quickly, trying to stop thoughts of her.  She's gone and the humans are at fault, but that won't happen to us. We'll be careful.
Baba will make sure of it. As long as we're together we're safe.

Baba seems to be having the same thoughts for when I take her hand in mine, I notice unshed tears in her pale violet eyes.

"As long as we stick together, we'll be fine, " I tell her gently as though she's the child in need of comfort and not me.

"I know you and mama worry for me, but I'm old enough to see the rest of the world. I'm almost eighteen, that's practically an adult in the human world! I know the world is dangerous and you want to protect me, but I can't be protected forever."

Baba looks at me and smiles as two tears roll down her cheeks, "My Carina, growing up to be so wise. I wish your sister was here to help you grow."

I wish that too. I wish my other half was still here with me.

"I know Baba. I know," I start shedding tears of my own and give Baba's hand a gentle squeeze before I let go.

"Baby steps though!" I exclaim, my mind set back to pure determination, "We don't have to go too close to the ship, just close enough to see the steel! And it doesn't have to be right now! I'm just giving ideas so we can see real life examples!"

Baba looks at me tenderly, and smiles, "Yes, of course! Baby steps."

She looks tired when she says this. I feel a little guilty now. She probably didn't want me to act like a selfish merbaby and ask her for more than she can give me.

TWICE in one day!

And to top it all off, I reminded her of the loss of her other grandchild with my selfish request.  Part of me wishes Alina hadn't died so that we could all go together and none of us would be filled with this never ending grief.

She swims towards me, "Now, as much as I want you to stay here forever, your mother is worrying for you and I don't want her yelling at me for teaching you crazy vidma stuff."

I smile at her, "Oh Baba, you're not teaching me crazy witch stuff! You're teaching me more than they teach me back at school."

"Shush!" She winks mischievously "Don't let Madame Zhorstoka hear you say that!"

I giggle as I pass through the algae curtain and wave goodbye to her.