Stella Martin's 'second Sight'
Children's Story
Stella Martin first became aware of her unusual gifts when she was quite small. When she was three, Stella had been a bridesmaid at her cousin Katy's wedding. Just three months later, Stella had looked at Katy and uttered just one word, "baby." Katy's mouth had fallen open in astonishment. She'd looked at Stella's mum and asked, "How did she know? I only found out myself yesterday. I was coming to tell you - we're expecting a baby in September."
All the grown-ups had looked anxiously at Stella, who had been quite unconcerned. She assumed everybody knew the things she knew and could see the things she could see. After that, Stella would often tell her mum what the weather was going to be like on a certain day, and she knew the name of Katy's new baby long before Katy had chosen it.
One day, Stella's mum had told her all about her great-grandmother, who had been a gypsy. "You get it from her," Stella's mum had said. "She had second sight. But it's missed a couple of generations. You be careful, Stella. It's a gift from God, but don't abuse it."
Stella didn't really know what she meant. But she nodded and put on her serious face, and her mother was satisfied.
Stella didn't much like school. She enjoyed the lessons, but she hated break because all the other children played together and she was always left out. She took to standing on the edge of the playground watching, but it was very lonely. Nobody seemed to notice whether she was there or not, and nobody bothered to speak to her.
When her mother asked her why she never brought any friends home from school, Stella shrugged and told her mother that all her best friends lived too far away, in different villages. Her mother asked the names of her best friends, so Stella made up three names to keep her mother happy. After that, she sometimes talked to her mother about these "friends," telling her mother what they had done at school that day, and even inventing whole conversations with them. But she grew lonelier and lonelier.
One day, Hannah James came to school looking very upset. She wouldn't talk to anyone, so the class was agog with speculation, wondering what had happened. "Her father's gone abroad," said Stella. The words were out of her mouth before she had time to think.
The class crowded round Stella. "How do you know? What do you mean? Gone where?"
It was the first time anyone had paid Stella any attention. She knew where Hannah's father had gone, but she had a twinge of conscience. Did she have the right to tell the others? Then she shrugged. After all, Hannah hadn't told her, so she'd never been sworn to silence, so she couldn't be doing anything wrong. "He's gone to Dubai," she said. "It's one of the Arab states. He's gone to work for the British Embassy there, and he won't be home until Christmas. That's why Hannah's crying."
Suddenly, Stella found herself the most popular person in the class. Suddenly, she was noticed, and she loved the feeling. During the next few weeks she began to use her gift to gain friends for herself. But after a while, she discovered it was becoming more difficult to "see" anything. She knew instinctively that she had abused her gift, and her mother's warning flooded into her mind.
Stella went home and shut herself in her bedroom and cried. She cried because she had betrayed her gift, and had hurt Hannah in her use of her gift. She cried because without her gift, she wondered whether any of her new friends would continue to like her. And she cried because she felt she had betrayed God. Then she prayed for help.
When she woke next morning, Stella knew what she must do, and she knew she must do it even if no-one ever spoke to her again. She knew she must never use her gift for herself ever again, but would only use it to help other people.
At school, when her new friends asked her who was going to win a prize at the end of term, she told them she didn't know. When they asked whether their teacher would ever leave, she shrugged. She was sure they'd then go away and leave her to be lonely once more, but to her surprise, she discovered her new friends liked her for herself.
Before long, they forgot she'd ever had the gift of second sight. Stella learned how to enjoy friendship, and to quietly use her gift so that no-one knew about it. She found she was happy, and to her delight, her gift grew stronger and stronger. But from then on, she kept so quiet about it that nobody knew ever again that she had a gypsy for a great-grandmother.
All the grown-ups had looked anxiously at Stella, who had been quite unconcerned. She assumed everybody knew the things she knew and could see the things she could see. After that, Stella would often tell her mum what the weather was going to be like on a certain day, and she knew the name of Katy's new baby long before Katy had chosen it.
One day, Stella's mum had told her all about her great-grandmother, who had been a gypsy. "You get it from her," Stella's mum had said. "She had second sight. But it's missed a couple of generations. You be careful, Stella. It's a gift from God, but don't abuse it."
Stella didn't really know what she meant. But she nodded and put on her serious face, and her mother was satisfied.
Stella didn't much like school. She enjoyed the lessons, but she hated break because all the other children played together and she was always left out. She took to standing on the edge of the playground watching, but it was very lonely. Nobody seemed to notice whether she was there or not, and nobody bothered to speak to her.
When her mother asked her why she never brought any friends home from school, Stella shrugged and told her mother that all her best friends lived too far away, in different villages. Her mother asked the names of her best friends, so Stella made up three names to keep her mother happy. After that, she sometimes talked to her mother about these "friends," telling her mother what they had done at school that day, and even inventing whole conversations with them. But she grew lonelier and lonelier.
One day, Hannah James came to school looking very upset. She wouldn't talk to anyone, so the class was agog with speculation, wondering what had happened. "Her father's gone abroad," said Stella. The words were out of her mouth before she had time to think.
The class crowded round Stella. "How do you know? What do you mean? Gone where?"
It was the first time anyone had paid Stella any attention. She knew where Hannah's father had gone, but she had a twinge of conscience. Did she have the right to tell the others? Then she shrugged. After all, Hannah hadn't told her, so she'd never been sworn to silence, so she couldn't be doing anything wrong. "He's gone to Dubai," she said. "It's one of the Arab states. He's gone to work for the British Embassy there, and he won't be home until Christmas. That's why Hannah's crying."
Suddenly, Stella found herself the most popular person in the class. Suddenly, she was noticed, and she loved the feeling. During the next few weeks she began to use her gift to gain friends for herself. But after a while, she discovered it was becoming more difficult to "see" anything. She knew instinctively that she had abused her gift, and her mother's warning flooded into her mind.
Stella went home and shut herself in her bedroom and cried. She cried because she had betrayed her gift, and had hurt Hannah in her use of her gift. She cried because without her gift, she wondered whether any of her new friends would continue to like her. And she cried because she felt she had betrayed God. Then she prayed for help.
When she woke next morning, Stella knew what she must do, and she knew she must do it even if no-one ever spoke to her again. She knew she must never use her gift for herself ever again, but would only use it to help other people.
At school, when her new friends asked her who was going to win a prize at the end of term, she told them she didn't know. When they asked whether their teacher would ever leave, she shrugged. She was sure they'd then go away and leave her to be lonely once more, but to her surprise, she discovered her new friends liked her for herself.
Before long, they forgot she'd ever had the gift of second sight. Stella learned how to enjoy friendship, and to quietly use her gift so that no-one knew about it. She found she was happy, and to her delight, her gift grew stronger and stronger. But from then on, she kept so quiet about it that nobody knew ever again that she had a gypsy for a great-grandmother.
