Uncle Jim explains Amanda's abilities

10/9/2021 Contest Round Protagonist Background Story. Word count: 407 words

POV: Uncle Jim Stewart concerning his niece, Amanda Stewart (protagonist)).

I loved Amanda from the first day I saw her. Agatha and I flew to Seattle, Washington, to bring her home with us. Amanda was so fragile looking, standing next to the airline stewardess holding her tiny hand. Amanda was only 4 years old and dressed in blue jeans with an elastic waistband and a long-sleeved orange sweatshirt with an embolism of a witch flying on a broomstick. Her light brown hair pulled into small ponytails on either side of her head. The backpack dwarfed her as she fought to regain her balance. After losing my brother and his wife in that tragic airplane accident, Agatha and I were named Amanda’s guardians according to the instructions left in their Wills.

I discovered early that Amanda was a talented child with a great sense of empathy. She would answer questions before I spoke. Agatha enjoyed having Amanda in the house with her during my many trips out of state on business. Agatha told me often that when Amanda heard the telephone ringing, she would announce who the caller was before Agatha could answer the call. I am sure this ability would help her as she became a young woman. We sent her to the best private schools to broaden her education and then to college, where she majored in psychology, science, law enforcement, and personal investigations activities.
In traveling for my business, I encountered various people who had skills beyond the scope of “normal events.” I wasn’t surprised by Amanda’s budding abilities. I didn’t divulge what I suspected; I just supported her in developing her abilities.

As Amanda excelled in her schooling, I would bring her on some of my trips to sit quietly in a corner and be observant. After my business meeting was completed, Amanda and I would discuss what she observed and her impressions of the other participants in the sessions. I found her insights to be beneficial. Amanda’s observations of body language, speech, and eye movements were correct when a contractor was untruthful about his/her company’s abilities to fulfill a contract or explain details when the work was substandard, resulting in a fatality. Could Amanda read minds? I don’t think so, but she had a very uncanny skill that seemed as if something from the unseen world was able to help her understand that information is not always collected in the usual human manner. In my own mind, I believed Amanda could talk to ghosts.