At the age of five, I recall these long babysitting periods becoming more rigorous in intensity. He would teach me beyond just the realm of quick, two minute magic tricks. By the age of six, nobody could keep me out of the air. Aerobics were my strong suit, and nobody would take that away from me. Just when I thought I was ready to go on stage, my uncle cranked up the dial even further. I remember it very clearly. Age seven. He handed me a stick that was bigger than I was. I don't know what I was doing, but I did it. Then came the flames on either end. If that wasn't the coolest thing I've done, that I don't know what is. Fire routines soon became my favorite thing to practice. Two years later, I was the vibrant nine-year-old spectacle of the Sands. Carrying my uncle's legacy on my shoulders was lighter than you'd think. Especially when it was all about having fun. Sure, I messed up several times, but I laughed along with the crowd and learned to forgive myself just as easily as they did. It was all about taking the time to be better, my uncle and I. I rarely paid attention to my parents anymore, and spent most of my time in fields rehearsing routines and comedy acts. Soon enough, I became the first child to perform fire aerobics in my region. You would think I had it made, right? Wrong. As my career grew larger, it created a distance. That distanced stretched for miles between me and the real world. My confidence grew. My ego inflated. My reflexes sharpened. I hit fifteen years old, the peak of my career. I would travel everywhere, skipping school to do so. I noticed that whenever I returned to class, it seemed like I was in the room alone. I started to become aware of everything around me. Were the desks always so spaced out? A room so full, it would be impossible to feel any emptiness. But alas, with envy brings chaos. Whispers floated around halls, and they would get louder and louder until they weren't whispers anymore. What's there to be jealous of, anyway? Anyone can easily make their own standing in society. Why focus all your attention on one person who's enjoying life? Naïve, I was. My father demanded that I were to be taken out of the school to have private lessons with tutors. From that day, I was isolated from everyone else outside mansion gates. But I had my uncle, so I had everything.
