Nothing has ever changed for Kanna Ellis, who has lived life on black-white- gray mode, a severe and rare color-blindness. Something she didn't prepare for, nonetheless happened. At eight years old, not only was she incredibly smart, presumably because she constantly studied, but she was also wise beyond her years. Shy, quiet, solemn as a judge,and decorous - unlike her parents or a child's behaviour, similar to her late grandmother instead, with whom Kanna spent most of her time when she was younger. Her world of ever mundane living, devoid of hobbies bothered her parents since she would never venture outside neither at home nor school to interact with other kids as she was terrified of being labelled out of ridicule. So to help Kanna find a release, they bought board games, among them a riddle game which Kanna grew to love as her family played them every family night. In her parents' minds, they couldn't force her to socialize but the situation was at the point that they needed to try something for their daughter's sake. Something to make it up to her for their faulty actions as they felt it might be their fault. Her parents had realized their faulty actions recently and knew that however embarrassed they felt about their mistakes, they needed to apologize.
Kanna wasn't born colour-blind but it happened one day miraculously soon after her grandmother's death, unexpectedly. It is believed that she was traumatized perhaps, to some extremity, by her grandmother's passing but whether this is what somehow triggered or caused her illness is unknown. Kanna's parents couldn't accept it neither could she but their unacceptance made it even more difficult to bear.
Nothing needed to be said, just by their actions Kanna noticed that her parents did not accept her illness but she could tell that her grandmother did, even though she never uttered the words. For their wrongs, they did apologize. After ten years, Kanna was accepted to Harvard university, where she met a pretty redhead girl at the university cafeteria, who had never approached her before but always kept a close eye on her because Kanna caught her attention. Kanna was a mystery that she wanted to uncover. Sitting down where Kanna was seated, she unhesitantly said, "Hey! You're Kanna, right? My name's Rachel. You're colour-blind, aren't you? And you're probably wondering how I know that! Well, it's actually not that hard to notice if you're paying attention. It's okay, you know…I have a cousin who's the same as you! Instead of trying to hide it, why don't you accept yourself and move along with your life? Before that, let's be friends?" While feeling a little nervous, not having an inkling about what this may actually mean, she replied, "Yeah! I am!"
Soon after, Kanna and Rachel became best friends. It was an autumn blessing to Kanna as she finally opened up her heart to someone besides her grandmother, thereby gaining a true friend who brought colour to her life despite living with her condition.

© St. Clair