Chapter 12

Athena

And so began my life among humans. Was it as I had expected? Were the emotions and the relationships as I had imagined? Over those first few days, I came to appreciate that nothing could have prepared me for it. Just as I had thought, living it was nothing like seeing it through the intranet.

The emotions, however, weren’t the first that I came to know. I was so overwhelmed with all the new sights that I barely noticed them at first. I acquainted myself with the flat, the street outside and a grocery store, and Mona and Gina helped me understand their world, pointing out things I didn’t seem to understand. Slowly, their world became mine, although I suspected it would take me many years until I felt truly at home.

It was only then I could concentrate on the feelings, the very reason I had come down in the first place. There were so many of them those first days, and they all passed through me faster than I could recognise. I did my best to try to identify them, thinking that if I did, I could compare them to the images I’d seen in the intranet and understand them better. I learned to distinguish happiness at seeing something new, sadness when a bird flew from me in sudden fright and excitement as I lay in bed, wondering what tomorrow would bring.

Now, you might be wondering, how was it to experience them in a physical body? I had wondered that myself, before I descended. I must admit that the sensation in itself was no different from where I came from, but their diversity and intensity surprised me. In those first days, I understood the words “whirlwind of emotions”, a phrase I’d heard so many times, but its meaning had always eluded me. I could barely keep up with them all, but I thoroughly enjoyed every moment.

It was only on my fifth day that the relationships started to come to my attention. I had, of course, a bond with Mona and Gina already, just as I had one with everyone I met, however fleeting. You might think that to be a strange thing to say, but remember that I always considered every encounter to be a moment of connection. Some were long-lasting, some were brief, but each one would leave a mark on you. At least, that’s what I had imagined from the intranet. I must admit that I couldn’t confirm my suspicion yet, but I did notice the depth and possibilities they held. The greeting in the grocery store, seeing two people holding hands, and the hug between what I imagined being two friends. It was as I had imagined, only more profound. I still longed to experience them, but I knew I had to take my time. After all, I wouldn’t go away any time soon.