My lovely ears...

My lovely ears...(Niki Kefala) “My lovely ears...”
by
Niki Kefala


From the moment I was born - according to my parents - everybody was impressed by my strange ears. They were not just big, but they had also an odd slope upwards. There were many times that my parents tried to blame other relatives for this, but did not succeed, because nobody in our family had this particular characteristic. They were reconciled of course with the idea that their girl will always have big ears and my mom was trying to make me feel better, buying me the most beautiful and multicolored hair ornaments, in order that attention of other people stay there and not… you know where! Since I was a young girl I knew (because for those who aren’t aware, according to the scientists, those who are born with such form of ears often appear of very high intelligence) that this imperfection would make my life more difficult at school.
In the kindergarten laughs and teases were often very uncomfortable for me; however Christmas, for sure, was not the best season of time for me! I always had many gifts, this wasn’t my problem, but why did they always dress me as an elf in the school festivals? I was always sitting in a corner alone and crying, not in the mood to participate in this. I know that my appearance was funny, but the girls teased me and called me ugly, while the boys were indifferent to my existence. I didn’t really care because I was indifferent from them, but growing things changed. I liked boys. They use to say that when you want something a lot, you can have it! I wished many times before sleeping at night, to become "normal", but when I woke up in the morning for some reason, I always was the same ungly girl and I was very frustrated because of this.

In the last class of primary school, something happened that changed my life and especially the way I used to see myself. I was always the best student in class and the truth is that I didn't read very much (you know... the high intelligence I mention before), though I always liked books. Physics was the most boring lesson for me! My ally since first grade, was my friend Maria. She was "different” too because she was overweight. In that year a new student came to our class. She was blonde with blue eyes and perfect skin and clothes and we all wanted to be her friend. However Aphrodite (random name?) liked me or so I wanted to believe. In fact she wanted me to be her friend in order to help her with her math lessons difficulty. The truth is that I didn't mind because finally, because of her, I was friend with all the "normals".

Although highly intelligent, I was a little girl and I really wanted to have acceptance among my schoolmates. My friend Maria was really nice but she was my only friend and I always was an extrovert. My imperfection kept me always back. Therefore one day in a school break, Aphrodite, in front of all the other girls, told me: “You know why you have big ears?’’ Because they function as… antennas’’. And she also added, ’’do you know how they will disappear? If you go somewhere high one day while it is raining and also glistening, lightning will strike your ears and it will make them smaller!” When I heard that, I remember myself laughing. The girl was watching a lot of films in order to have such a vivid imagination, but unfortunately what followed a few days later was not so funny. Now apart from wishing my strange ears to disappear, I was wishing for it not to rain too!

Aphrodite somehow had great influence on all students and probably had brainwashed them - I can't find any other explanation. In school yard, even while I was in class, my classmates were sending me notes. I found one in my cape jacket saying "a rain will make your ears invisible". I could not find my «peace» anywhere. I spent time in school toilets in order to be saved from my misery, but because of my... big ears, I was able to hear everything, like comments and teases for me. My parents, by their side, began to wonder why I had so much interest about the weather, thinking that maybe I was preparing a secret escape from home. But I was too ashamed to tell them the truth. One day after leaving the school, I was surrounded by some kids. Unfortunately Mary was a little sick that day and she hadn't appeared at school. They told me that if I won't do everything that Aphrodite told me, not to show up at school again, something that I did for the next few days, saying to my parents that I caught the flu like Mary did, and that I was not feeling well.

But as long as I liked to fool myself, this was not the solution. There would be a day that I should go back to school and face again the same situation. I wonder to myself... Who to talk to? Who will understand me without laughing at me? Then the physics that was not one of my favorite courses, perhaps it could save me and give the solution I was looking for. My physics teacher Mrs. Papadopoulou was always so good to me. After all I had good grades. I made my decision. I will talk to her, I thought. There was no way to sit and be hit by a lightning, because apart from this being dangerous it was also completely stupid.

My return to school wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The teases continued until I could not bear it anymore. When the bell rang I went straight to Mrs. Papadopoulou’s office and I explained everything to her, bursting into tears. Once she understood what I said -thank god she wasn’t laughing- she happily told me that she had a plan. She would explain to my classmates, without betraying that I talked to her, that this thing with lightning and my ears could not happen in reality, but perhaps only in a science fiction film. The truth is that for some weeks they stopped teasing me and I began to find my «peace» again.

Bad luck -again- the next days were rainy...
Aphrodite started bothering me again and I knew that this would be the moment of truth. Together with five other friends of hers, girls and boys, surrounded me and told me that they would not let me leave the school if I didn’t climb on the roof – where there were the real antennas- until a lightning strikes. The teachers had already left. I started crying and screaming to leave me alone. They threw my umbrella away and started to push me to the ladder which was leading to the roof. "It's dangerous!" I told them, "I love my big ears!", I screamed, and it was the first time that I said it out loud and I truly believed it. I was in a great shock. Lightnings were striking and I was shaking from cold and fear. But my voice, it was louder than ever. Mary! Mary! I shouted and my best friend magically appeared along with her tall and strong brother who knew everything in details. Because of his size (ok I admit my mom is a good cook, but their mom also makes delicious meals that appear to help Jake's size), when the others saw him they disappeared in a second.

The next few days I was really sick. My parents learned everything and supported me. From that moment I changed as a person. I was "different" and I liked it. I wasn’t feeling bad about my big ears. I started to gather my hair up, and I liked it so much! It wasn’t my big ears that drove away my classmates from me, but the lack of confidence, which I finally found! Now I can defend myself well. Of course a little help from Mary’s brother Jake, would not be bad at all... Aphrodite didn't bother me again. As for me, now I look forward to Christmas. I am honored to be Santa's elf!