Anastasia's Absolution: The Unforgiven Series

POWDER BLUE EYES

Ana groaned softly as she slowly opened her eyes, squinting through narrow slits. She was still feeling quite sleepy. Ana pressed the back of her hand firmly against her left eye socket to alleviate the strain on her eyes, causing her to momentarily see stars. Then, shielding herself from the light, she felt some tension drain from her eyes, allowing her to gradually reconnect with the world around her.

She gazed out the window and realized how high she was in the clouds. Being on a plane for the first time, the view was both thrilling and a bit unnerving for her. She imagined spending hours flying over the majestic mountains and endless oceans below.

The baby girl murmured to herself, "I wish my mom was here."

Kyira turned to look at her and inquired gently, "What did you say hun?"

The girl spoke a little louder, "I wish my mom was here!"

Kyira smiled with her gentle, compassionate powder blue eyes and replied, "I know, hun. I know."

Whenever Kyira was near, Ana could smell a combination of flowers and salty sea water that made her feel at home. Like a big sister, she opened her arms to invite the small child into her embrace. Ana felt secure and comforted in her embrace as she breathed in the salty-sweet aroma.

All Ana wanted was to sleep peacefully in Kyira's arms. Spending time with Kyira was undoubtedly the highlight of her long and tiring international trip, which has now lasted two weeks.

CREEPY, CREEPY

Ana was suddenly jolted out of her thoughts by the earthquake-like turbulence gripping the plane. She instinctively inhaled the sweet aroma of flowers into her lungs as Kyira held on to her even tighter. The aircraft shook and rumbled with such intensity that it seemed almost uncontrollable. Amidst the chaos, the captain's voice boomed over the speaker, loud and commanding.

As the captain's voice became more distant, it seemed like a guided meditation from a YouTube video. At that moment, memories of her life flashed before her eyes, one after the other, with each one slipping away like pictures fading into the background. She couldn't help but think she might never see her Mama again.

Ana cried uncontrollably into Kyira's purple sweater. The grief was so overwhelming that it seemed to have stolen her voice box, leaving her with nothing but sadness and no stories to share.

Then the moment passes as if it never happened. Big Sis pats her on the back and asks if she is okay. Ana only nods because her voice box has not come back, and miming is her new reality.

THE OLD LADY

Upon boarding the plane, Ana noticed that she and Kyira were assigned to seat 17 A-B. However, the lady in seat 17 C-D was sitting alone by the window, which Ana assumed was seat 17D. Hence, she simply named the woman "the lady in 17D."

Ana and the lady in 17D would exchange quick glances throughout the flight. However, Ana would always look away, as she had been taught not to talk to strangers. Ironically, though, she had met a lot of strangers on this trip, making it an altogether peculiar experience.

According to Mama, they couldn't afford much. Ana had been on a few trips before, but they were always short and taken in an old, run-down car that would often overheat. They mostly stopped at gas stations on these trips, but not for gas. Ana remembers getting out of the car on the side of the highway and standing in the ditch as cars and trucks would pass by at high speeds. Mama said it was safer down there. Ana just remembers the stench.

In just two weeks, Ana had taken a flight, several train rides, and rode on the back of mopeds, a trolley, and a couple of strange carts with a bike in the front. She even rode in a wheelbarrow-like cart while a man ran on his feet. During her travels, Ana stayed in numerous motels and slept in fancy cars and strangers' houses and apartments. Once, she even slept outside on the rooftop of a beautiful building.

Ana felt uneasy as the woman in 17D stared at her intently. She tried her best to avoid eye contact, but the woman's intense stare made it challenging to look away. After a while, Ana offered a small smile and turned her attention to the night sky outside the window.

Kyira struck up a conversation with 17D. At first, the older woman seemed hesitant to engage with Big Sis, but it was hard to resist her soft blue eyes and warm, caring smile. The old lady engaged.

Eventually, Ana got bored, rested her head on Kyira's chest, and gazed out the window awhile.

THE ARGUMENT

The woman in 17D began to grow increasingly agitated and irritable. Eventually, she called over a flight attendant to complain about Kyira. Ana was confused about the old lady's behavior.

The woman pointed to seat 17 A-B, and the flight attendant apologized and asked if Ana and Kyira needed anything to be more comfortable.

Despite the old lady's sour mood, Kyira remained kind and gracious, attempting to engage her in conversation. Finally, however, the woman turned away from the aisle, staring out the window and muttering unintelligible words.

A little while later, the lady from 17D suddenly sat up and moved to the empty seat in 17C. Then, she abruptly tapped Big Sis on the shoulder and exclaimed, "Who are you to that child!?"

Despite the rude outburst, Big Sis remained calm and smiled gently. "Ana is my little sister," she replied, placing her arm around Ana and enveloping her in the comforting scent of her perfume. The little girl relaxed into Kyira's embrace and breathed a sigh of relief.

But the lady from 17D was not appeased. "I heard her say earlier that she wished her mom was here! And you don't look like her kin!" she continued complaining. Finally, big Sis explained that they were both adopted, and she apologized if their conversation had made the lady uncomfortable.

"It's a sad reality that there are people out there who take children away from their safe and loving homes. That's why it's important for people like us to look out for those kids," she said before turning sharply, kissing Ana's hair, and laying back to close her eyes for a while.

THE FIGHT ISN'T OVER

When Kyira finally drifted off to sleep, a light snore escaped her mouth, and the lady in 17D took the opportunity to lean over and whisper to Ana.

"Hi, sweetie, is this your sister? Your adopted sister?"

Ana hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should tell the truth.

But she felt like she could trust the lady in 17D, so she nodded and whispered back, "Yes, we only met last week. But Kyira has been kind to me on this trip and told me my Mama will be at the airport when we get off this plane. Mama could not afford to take the same flight as me."

The lady in 17D looked at Ana with a mix of surprise and sympathy. "Oh, little love, I'm so sorry to hear that. But I'm glad you have someone like Kyira to look out for you."

"I need to go to the potty and don't want to wake Kyria. Do you think you could take me?" Ana said to the old lady's surprise.

The old lady sighed in relief, put her hand over her heart, and said, " I sure will."

Shortly after, Kyria woke up to find both Ana and 17D missing. She panicked and pressed the call button for the flight attendant, trying to keep her composure and not cause a scene on the plane. They are on a plane, after all. The old lady can not just disappear with Ana. The thought still did not calm her down.

The flight attendants were taking forever to appear. Kyria felt anxious and wanted to get up and search for Ana, but she took deep breaths and reminded herself to be patient. She knew that she would eventually find Ana and get her back.

The flight attendant walks up to Kyria and says, "How can I... Where is Ana?"

"That's what I need to know."

"Now!" Kyria whispered loudly.

The flight attendant quickly went to initiate procedures for a missing child.

Kyria remained seated at first, but as the panic and worry grew inside her, she hurried down the aisle to catch up with the flight attendant. Initially, the attendant seemed surprised, but she took a deep breath and spoke calmly. "I understand this is difficult, but we need you to stay in your seat if Ana comes back. This is a large international flight, and we have protocols to handle missing passengers."

The attendant, whose nameplate read Anna, placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes, nodding slowly to convey her understanding. Kyria felt a brief moment of comfort before returning to her seat, hoping and praying that Ana would be found soon.

The flight attendant did not return. Finally, however, a tall black man with a bald head and goatee, wearing a leather bomber, came, leaned over the seat, and said, "Kyria Goosemen, may I?"

His badge was dangling right in front of her face. She figured that was why he leaned in. Kyria moved over to Ana's seat and let the man sit by the aisle.

Glancing towards Kyria, the man offered his hand for a handshake and introduced himself as Captain Carmichael, one of the Air Marshals on the flight. He informed Kyria that he had been updated on her and Ana's situation by Lieutenant Lufsky.

He told her that Ana was safe and Lieutenant Lufsky had been watching her the entire flight from 17 C-D. Usually, these things go differently or more challenging, but Ana was a unique child.

"I don't want to waste my breath explaining things to you. So I will say this. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in court. You have the right to talk to a lawyer for advice before we ask you any questions. You have the right to have a lawyer with you during questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be appointed for you before any questioning if you wish. If you decide to answer questions now without a lawyer present, you have the right to stop answering at any time."

Kyria used her right to remain silent.

International child trafficking is a severe issue affecting countless children worldwide. This illegal trade involves abduction, transporting, and selling children for various purposes, such as forced labor, sexual exploitation, and adoption. Children from disadvantaged communities are particularly vulnerable to this crime, and the consequences can devastate them and their families. Despite efforts to combat it, international child trafficking continues to be a persistent problem, and governments, organizations, and individuals must work together to prevent and address this heinous crime.

The Wake Up World Summit holds annual meetings to raise awareness, locate missing children, and reunite them with their families. In light of current challenging circumstances, staying informed about child safety is essential. You can visit the Wake Up World Summit Facebook page, watch past summits, and learn more about how to educate and protect our children.