Kale was a normal young boy, full of spirit and adventure. In grade school, he loved going to school and interacting with his peers. His energetic personality made him loved by all of his classmates and teachers. From a young age, Kale's eyes gleamed every chance he got to hold a football. Athletics were something that appeared to come very natural to him. Kale had a great family life as well. He was constantly supported by his parents. His mother beamed in the stands every time he played in a football game and his dad jumped at any chance to play catch with his beloved son. Kale appeared to live the picture-perfect life. However, things took a turn as he entered high school.
Kale continued to excel in athletics. He was a star both in the classroom and on the field. He continued to grow bigger and stronger. But as he continued to grow, he started to feel different. He found himself growing much taller than the rest of his family, something that made him an all-star on the football field. Kale was extremely fast and naturally very athletic. He worked hard to develop his strengths, but he was born with a great deal of natural talent. No one else in his family had been very good at sports. Whenever Kale would ask his dad about his high school football career, his father would shy away from the topic.
Kale often found himself wondering what made him different. How did he acquire talent? He started to notice that he looked different than everyone in his family too. His hair and eyes were darker. His skin had a different tint. Was he being ridiculous? Did every teen go through this identity crisis? Going into his senior year, Kale was surrounded by stressors. He was worried about grades, college applications, and being scouted by coaches with the hopes of playing college football. He concluded that his suspicions were all stemming from his stress. He decided not to think about it any longer and went to bed.
That night, Kale had a dream. In this dream, he was a small child floating down a river in a basket. He was scared and did not know where he was. How did he get here? Who put him in the basket? Then, a man and woman came running toward him and scooped him out of the water. They were confused and concerned. He could tell that they weren’t the ones who put him in the basket. But with a loving heart, they took him home to feed and clothe him. When the people turned around, he realized that they were his parents.
He gasped and sat up in bed.
Kale knew that he had to talk to his parents. These thoughts weren’t letting him rest.
The very next day, Kale told his parents that he wanted to talk to them. Always eager to help their precious son, they immediately turned off the TV and sat down with him. Nervously, Kale stared at his feet and spilled every uncertainty that he had about his identity. When he looked up he almost expected to see his parents laughing…but instead he only saw tears.
Kale’s mother proceeded to tell him that he was, in fact, adopted. Kale’s parents had been unable to conceive a child when they finally turned to adoption. He learned that they didn’t know much about Kale’s birth parents other than that they were exceptional athletes and not prepared, emotionally or financially, to care for a child at the time of his birth. She explained that giving up a child was hard for the couple, but that they knew it was the right thing to do. The couple trusted them to take care of Kale and raise him to chase whatever dreams he had. With tears streaming down her face, she looked up to Kale and told him that she hoped they had met their wishes.
Kale rose to his feet. He couldn’t believe that his wild, irrational thoughts were true. He went to his room to think. He wasn’t sure how to feel. He had so many questions. With tears in his eyes, he lay down on his bed.
At that moment, visions of the baby in the basket filled his mind. He reflected on the man and woman who grabbed the baby from the water. They weren't expecting to find a baby that day in the water. They had no idea who that baby would grow up to be. Would he be kind? Athletic? Creative? There was no way for them to know. Even though the baby was not biologically theirs, they put their lives on hold to welcome them into their family. Kale's parents did the same thing. Adoption is a selfless act. A smile came to Kale's face as he realized the immense amount of love and courage that his parents had in their hearts. Reflecting upon that vivid dream, Kale realized that he was extremely fortunate. He couldn't be happier for the series of events that gave him the most loving parents in the world.
Kale continued to excel in athletics. He was a star both in the classroom and on the field. He continued to grow bigger and stronger. But as he continued to grow, he started to feel different. He found himself growing much taller than the rest of his family, something that made him an all-star on the football field. Kale was extremely fast and naturally very athletic. He worked hard to develop his strengths, but he was born with a great deal of natural talent. No one else in his family had been very good at sports. Whenever Kale would ask his dad about his high school football career, his father would shy away from the topic.
Kale often found himself wondering what made him different. How did he acquire talent? He started to notice that he looked different than everyone in his family too. His hair and eyes were darker. His skin had a different tint. Was he being ridiculous? Did every teen go through this identity crisis? Going into his senior year, Kale was surrounded by stressors. He was worried about grades, college applications, and being scouted by coaches with the hopes of playing college football. He concluded that his suspicions were all stemming from his stress. He decided not to think about it any longer and went to bed.
That night, Kale had a dream. In this dream, he was a small child floating down a river in a basket. He was scared and did not know where he was. How did he get here? Who put him in the basket? Then, a man and woman came running toward him and scooped him out of the water. They were confused and concerned. He could tell that they weren’t the ones who put him in the basket. But with a loving heart, they took him home to feed and clothe him. When the people turned around, he realized that they were his parents.
He gasped and sat up in bed.
Kale knew that he had to talk to his parents. These thoughts weren’t letting him rest.
The very next day, Kale told his parents that he wanted to talk to them. Always eager to help their precious son, they immediately turned off the TV and sat down with him. Nervously, Kale stared at his feet and spilled every uncertainty that he had about his identity. When he looked up he almost expected to see his parents laughing…but instead he only saw tears.
Kale’s mother proceeded to tell him that he was, in fact, adopted. Kale’s parents had been unable to conceive a child when they finally turned to adoption. He learned that they didn’t know much about Kale’s birth parents other than that they were exceptional athletes and not prepared, emotionally or financially, to care for a child at the time of his birth. She explained that giving up a child was hard for the couple, but that they knew it was the right thing to do. The couple trusted them to take care of Kale and raise him to chase whatever dreams he had. With tears streaming down her face, she looked up to Kale and told him that she hoped they had met their wishes.
Kale rose to his feet. He couldn’t believe that his wild, irrational thoughts were true. He went to his room to think. He wasn’t sure how to feel. He had so many questions. With tears in his eyes, he lay down on his bed.
At that moment, visions of the baby in the basket filled his mind. He reflected on the man and woman who grabbed the baby from the water. They weren't expecting to find a baby that day in the water. They had no idea who that baby would grow up to be. Would he be kind? Athletic? Creative? There was no way for them to know. Even though the baby was not biologically theirs, they put their lives on hold to welcome them into their family. Kale's parents did the same thing. Adoption is a selfless act. A smile came to Kale's face as he realized the immense amount of love and courage that his parents had in their hearts. Reflecting upon that vivid dream, Kale realized that he was extremely fortunate. He couldn't be happier for the series of events that gave him the most loving parents in the world.
(The dream that changed Kale's life. Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Author’s Note: For this story, I was inspired by Episode 18 of the Epified version of the Mahabharata. This episode is titled 'Karna's Quest' which is why I decided to title my story “Kale’s Quest." I tried to use Karna’s character and turn him into a more modern character: Kale. In the original episode, Karna learns secrets about his past. He is informed that when he was a baby, he was found floating down the river in a basket. This means that he has no idea who his real family is or why he has his strength. I thought it would be interesting to use these feelings of confusion and curiosity to create a story of a child learning that he was adopted. Where did I come from? Why am I the way that I am? These are questions that Karna had and questions than an adopted child faces as well. I had fun turning this epic into a story that could easily happen in real life. Adoption is a topic close to my heart and I enjoyed writing a story about the struggle that children sometimes must face. I decided to implement the river part of the original story as part of Kale’s dream to add a twist. I liked being able to blend the original story into my own thoughts to create something totally new.
Title: The Mahabharata: Karmic Revolution (Part C)
Title: The Mahabharata: Karmic Revolution (Part C)
Author: Epified TV (India)
