"Hey lady, why don't you get it?" screams Anna as she storms down the stairway. With anger flushing her face she said something that was swept away with the whistle of the rice cooker.
"Why honey? What is wrong now?" asked Bertha as she came towards Anna with a tablecloth tugging at her wrist. Anna got even more furious, she took a step away from Bertha and stormed back into her room.
The loud thud of the door left Bertha thinking about why the child was always angry with her. She walked up to a photo frame featuring the once happier Anna and wiped it with the tablecloth as a tear trickled down her cheek.
Bertha knew that she could never take the place of Anna's mother. Anna was very attached to her mother and when Kayla breathed her last, Anna suffered a great deal of Post- Traumatic Stress Syndrome. The psychiatrists were concerned about her and they pressurized Bertha to be the attachment figure for Anna.
Bertha took a deep breath, a pain surged her head as it dawned upon her- Anna will never accept her.
Anna would have been a happy teenager with girlfriends, slumber parties and good grades at school. But, she had neither of the above. Anna was different, everything in her room was very orderly and it's place bore a special meaning to her. As a kid, she would arrange her toys in order of color and play only with one very battered teddy bear with a missing eye. She would carry the teddy bear everywhere with her and on separation would yelp with terror. She would also get terribly upset if anything was missing from it's place and many a times astound Kayla with her unusual attachment to unusual things. Kayla had to find a way to keep Anna from carrying her teddy bear to school, playground, parties and practically everywhere she went. This left Anna getting attached to her mother to the extent of tagging along wherever she went- grocery, parlor, therapy and even her chemotherapy sessions. But, Kayla didn't mind it because she loved her daughter. When Kayla passed away, Anna was left alone in this strange world where she was afraid to walk alone. One night, Anna took a little detour to the attic where all of her mother's clothes, magazines, handicrafts had been stacked away. From one of the boxes, she took her mother's scarf and draped it over her shoulder. It smelled of a lovely musk and reminded her of all the days her mother had worn the scarf. Since the discovery, Anna wore the scarf everywhere she went, although she rarely stepped outdoors. It was her only consolation from the grief, loneliness and insecurity. It served to blanket her from the harsh realities of the outside world.
At dinner, Bertha exchanged glances with Anna's father, who looked at Anna and mumbled, " Sweetheart, eat your dinner." Anna took a bite of the bacon and made a face. Bertha offered her some salad to go along and Anna banged her fork to the table. " I will eat it if I want it and I don't need you to show off in front of dad." She looked teary eyed at her father, " Daddy, look what she's doing? I hate her. Take her away from me. I hate her!"
Anna's father stood up and gave a firm word to Anna. To Anna, it was clear that the phrases 'She's your mother now', 'You'll have to learn to deal with it' meant that he didn't understand her feelings either. Anna pushed away her plate, threw the salad at Bertha and grabbed her scarf only to walk out the door. Bertha followed in an attempt to stop Anna and as she leaned over the post box, breathing profusely. Anna's father appeared from behind and said, " Let her be."
Anna was walking on the street at a fast pace with a limp. She didn't remember where she banged her leg and she also didn't remember the last time she walked on tar. The wind was fighting away her tears, but her eyes swelled up more. She stopped at the crossroad and squinted at the street light, trying to absorb all that had happened. She was frustrated and angry. She wiped her face with her scarf and took a seat at the corner bench. She shut her eyes for a moment and felt that there was someone else there in her presence. Tired, she opened her eyes and glanced sideways. Now realizing who it was, she quickly turned away and wiped her face clean and cursed her swollen eyes.
" Hey Anna, If you don't already know it's me Shelly" said Shelly, Anna's favorite teacher at school who Anna believed was a lot like her mother.
" Uh, Hello ma'am. I'm uh just not sleepy so uh, just taking some time out here.What with the fresh air and everything"
Shelly smiled at Anna and said, " You were never a good liar Anna. You don't have to tell me what's wrong. I am here because I have a message for you from your mother."
Anna hurriedly looked into Shelly's eyes and muttered, " What, what are you talking about?". Anna and her mother were so close to each other that there never was a communication gap between them and so, Anna was confused about what her mother would have to tell to her English teacher, that she didn't already know. "Anna, what are you thinking?", asked Shelly. " Um, what did my mum say?", blurted Anna in disbelief.
" She said that it was time you let go of that red scarf now and that you didn't need it anymore. She also said that the Anna she knew would never be angry with anyone and was always the first to forgive anybody".
Anna got up from the bench and looked disapprovingly at Shelly and started walking away from the bench. She remembered her mother and all the lovely moments they shared. She remembered her father and his smile which had been missing from his face for years now and then, she remembered Bertha.
" Hi sister Anna, Do you want some of these crackles?", chirped Anna's neighbor-ling. Anna smiled at her and she smiled so deeply that her jaws hurt. She bent down and kissed the kid before she walked on. Anna took two long breaths before she rang the doorbell. The door creaked open and she ran and hugged her father. He had tears in his eyes, but they were tears of joy and his beautiful smile had come back once again and it was there to stay. Anna caught a glimpse of Bertha over his shoulder and fell on her knees before Bertha, begging for mercy.
" Oh, honey, come on here. I knew you would come back. I love you."
" I love you too", there, Anna had said those words Bertha hadn't ever imagined hearing from her.
"Where is your scarf, sweetheart?", asked her father. Anna turned to him and in one look it was all said and done.
Anna didn't need the red scarf anymore.
"Why honey? What is wrong now?" asked Bertha as she came towards Anna with a tablecloth tugging at her wrist. Anna got even more furious, she took a step away from Bertha and stormed back into her room.
The loud thud of the door left Bertha thinking about why the child was always angry with her. She walked up to a photo frame featuring the once happier Anna and wiped it with the tablecloth as a tear trickled down her cheek.
Bertha knew that she could never take the place of Anna's mother. Anna was very attached to her mother and when Kayla breathed her last, Anna suffered a great deal of Post- Traumatic Stress Syndrome. The psychiatrists were concerned about her and they pressurized Bertha to be the attachment figure for Anna.
Bertha took a deep breath, a pain surged her head as it dawned upon her- Anna will never accept her.
Anna would have been a happy teenager with girlfriends, slumber parties and good grades at school. But, she had neither of the above. Anna was different, everything in her room was very orderly and it's place bore a special meaning to her. As a kid, she would arrange her toys in order of color and play only with one very battered teddy bear with a missing eye. She would carry the teddy bear everywhere with her and on separation would yelp with terror. She would also get terribly upset if anything was missing from it's place and many a times astound Kayla with her unusual attachment to unusual things. Kayla had to find a way to keep Anna from carrying her teddy bear to school, playground, parties and practically everywhere she went. This left Anna getting attached to her mother to the extent of tagging along wherever she went- grocery, parlor, therapy and even her chemotherapy sessions. But, Kayla didn't mind it because she loved her daughter. When Kayla passed away, Anna was left alone in this strange world where she was afraid to walk alone. One night, Anna took a little detour to the attic where all of her mother's clothes, magazines, handicrafts had been stacked away. From one of the boxes, she took her mother's scarf and draped it over her shoulder. It smelled of a lovely musk and reminded her of all the days her mother had worn the scarf. Since the discovery, Anna wore the scarf everywhere she went, although she rarely stepped outdoors. It was her only consolation from the grief, loneliness and insecurity. It served to blanket her from the harsh realities of the outside world.
At dinner, Bertha exchanged glances with Anna's father, who looked at Anna and mumbled, " Sweetheart, eat your dinner." Anna took a bite of the bacon and made a face. Bertha offered her some salad to go along and Anna banged her fork to the table. " I will eat it if I want it and I don't need you to show off in front of dad." She looked teary eyed at her father, " Daddy, look what she's doing? I hate her. Take her away from me. I hate her!"
Anna's father stood up and gave a firm word to Anna. To Anna, it was clear that the phrases 'She's your mother now', 'You'll have to learn to deal with it' meant that he didn't understand her feelings either. Anna pushed away her plate, threw the salad at Bertha and grabbed her scarf only to walk out the door. Bertha followed in an attempt to stop Anna and as she leaned over the post box, breathing profusely. Anna's father appeared from behind and said, " Let her be."
Anna was walking on the street at a fast pace with a limp. She didn't remember where she banged her leg and she also didn't remember the last time she walked on tar. The wind was fighting away her tears, but her eyes swelled up more. She stopped at the crossroad and squinted at the street light, trying to absorb all that had happened. She was frustrated and angry. She wiped her face with her scarf and took a seat at the corner bench. She shut her eyes for a moment and felt that there was someone else there in her presence. Tired, she opened her eyes and glanced sideways. Now realizing who it was, she quickly turned away and wiped her face clean and cursed her swollen eyes.
" Hey Anna, If you don't already know it's me Shelly" said Shelly, Anna's favorite teacher at school who Anna believed was a lot like her mother.
" Uh, Hello ma'am. I'm uh just not sleepy so uh, just taking some time out here.What with the fresh air and everything"
Shelly smiled at Anna and said, " You were never a good liar Anna. You don't have to tell me what's wrong. I am here because I have a message for you from your mother."
Anna hurriedly looked into Shelly's eyes and muttered, " What, what are you talking about?". Anna and her mother were so close to each other that there never was a communication gap between them and so, Anna was confused about what her mother would have to tell to her English teacher, that she didn't already know. "Anna, what are you thinking?", asked Shelly. " Um, what did my mum say?", blurted Anna in disbelief.
" She said that it was time you let go of that red scarf now and that you didn't need it anymore. She also said that the Anna she knew would never be angry with anyone and was always the first to forgive anybody".
Anna got up from the bench and looked disapprovingly at Shelly and started walking away from the bench. She remembered her mother and all the lovely moments they shared. She remembered her father and his smile which had been missing from his face for years now and then, she remembered Bertha.
" Hi sister Anna, Do you want some of these crackles?", chirped Anna's neighbor-ling. Anna smiled at her and she smiled so deeply that her jaws hurt. She bent down and kissed the kid before she walked on. Anna took two long breaths before she rang the doorbell. The door creaked open and she ran and hugged her father. He had tears in his eyes, but they were tears of joy and his beautiful smile had come back once again and it was there to stay. Anna caught a glimpse of Bertha over his shoulder and fell on her knees before Bertha, begging for mercy.
" Oh, honey, come on here. I knew you would come back. I love you."
" I love you too", there, Anna had said those words Bertha hadn't ever imagined hearing from her.
"Where is your scarf, sweetheart?", asked her father. Anna turned to him and in one look it was all said and done.
Anna didn't need the red scarf anymore.
Interesting story - but there're a few things that can be worked on. For example, the origin of the scarf - in case you left it out accidentally. And a little grammatical cleanup, before you can develop this into a more complex story. :)
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your input. I have tweaked the story here and there and of course explained the origin of the scarf. Hope you liked it! :)
ReplyDelete