Journeying Towards Identity: Adalbert and Rebecca's Adventure

Adalbert had been around his Upper Buenos Aires neighborhood long enough that he felt as if he had absorbed its essence into his being. He was a morbidly obese Argentinean who had fair complexion and proclaimed himself to be white, believing that his name could have no other ethnicity. He moved through the neighborhood confidently, feeling at home until he noticed a group of men following him one night. He quickened his pace, but to no avail; they cornered him and surrounded him in a threatening manner. Upon questioning, they found him guilty of deceptive practice of racial assimilation and quickly set upon him, beating him nearly to death.

Desperate to escape, and battered to boot, Adalbert managed to locate the nearest door and force himself inside. It happened to contain the abode of his enigmatic neighbor, Rebecca. A girl of a small build but with a fiery disposition, Rebecca was appalled by the sight of Adalbert and immediately administered first aid. Twice Adalbert caught her checking the color of his skin and wondered if he had made a mistake in proclaiming his race.

Over the following days, Adalbert spent much of his time recovering from the wounds of his encounter, both physical and spiritual. He turned to a fascination of his, the painting of his ancestors - stored in an attic belonging to Rebecca’s space pirate father aboard an idle vessel orbiting Leo II. Reluctantly, Rebecca agreed to take Adalbert with her on board the vessel and the two departed almost immediately.

That night, with the stars twinkling in the sky, Adalbert and Rebecca began the deepest of conversations. Adalbert stumbled over himself and waited with baited breath as Rebecca reached into a trunk and pulled out a stained parchment. A sixteenth-century census revealed the original surname of Adalbert’s family had been African. In this realization, Adalbert felt a sense of hope and belonging, and also shock and anguish that he had not uncovered his truth sooner. Rebecca laid a surprisingly tactful hand on Adalbert’s shoulder; between them, a strong bond of friendship and empathy was birthed.

Their conversation continued through their visit aboard the vessel, as did their shared studies of the great monuments on Leo II, the origins of the profound canvases and more importantly, the silent examination of both their values and experiences. Adalbert revealed more doubts about his identity, to which Rebecca objected passionately in a manner that spoke more emphatically than words. The characters become more engrossed in each other and their dilemmas, as the examination of society’s ironic societal judgments began to shed light on both their confusing worlds.

As questions arose, the duos rejected secrecy and embraced honesty, allowing the truth to set them free. Ultimately, they reached the precipice of understanding and of something even deeper, moments of clarity and of insight. Together, they must battle the preexisting notions of the world in order to foster the appreciation and embracing of their unique experience, recklessly sparing no prejudice or wrong assumption. They tackled questions of identity, racism and belonging, whilst still taking time to kindle a mild sensuous atmosphere that only further encouraged the participatory reader’s grasp of understanding.

At length, a quiet strength and assurance filled both Adalbert and Rebecca as they ventured into their newfound adventures and into the unknown with undeniable courage. The pair had only each other in this outside world, yet they were resolute and determined to overcome the knotty and unavoidable problems. Until, finally, at the climax, an unyielding camaraderie and faith in each other—not necessarily the case when they first met—borne out of a shared understanding, overcame any foundering and enemies of prejudice or bad faith.

Together they had essentially revolutionized their destiny with an acute defiance towards established limits, a revolution that began with Adalbert’s inquiry into his racial identity. Braced by the knowledge and unwillingness to be anything less than themselves, the metaphorical curtain dropped to reveal a new form of success that could not possibly have been predicated upon any other basis. This was the end of Adalbert's story.