How Long is Forever? Part 2/3 of Chapter 12
Mara tells Destiney about an upcoming art gallery. Comments would be greatly appreciated :)
After the whole incident with Serena's sculpture, I've been pretty distant with my Mother, the outcome wasn't pleasant, but the feeling, somehow was. She didn't give me a cold shoulder, but she was kind of hesitant when interacting with me. This was going to be hard, but it was progress. I mean how would I expect to change? Of course the hardships of it are all in the package. So I laid patient. And I went about my chores as always, and not once did we ever speak of that moment. Well if she was holding tight, then I decided I was going to hold tighter.
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"This, would be the second vase that you made. Not bad, huh?" Mara said as she reached for it inside the cabinet before handing it to me with care.
"Hm, who knew I was even capable of making something like this?" I turned it over on all sides, examining it. "But of course it would never come close to one of yours."
She smiled, rubbing her belly. She was really showing now. "Over time, trust me, you will."
"Is the third one still at the kiln site?" I asked, setting the vase down on the counter. She nodded at this, her raven black curls bouncing up and down. For a moment we didn't say anything to each other, only because Mara had this weird expression on her face.
"...Destiney, I have a question."
"What is it?" I asked, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
"...It's concerning Serena...She hasn't been performing in class...well, how should I say this?" She stood there, thinking hard while her fingers played with her bottom lip, her arms crossed above her pregnant belly. "She seems kind of down lately...not as creative, or as daring as she once was.."
She needn't explain further, I already knew how Serena has been acting these past few days. "Lack of support from my mother...my Mom works a lot so it's hard for her to make time for us..."
She nodded, a puzzled look still visible from her face. "Well...can you explain more? If you don't mind, I don't want to be nosy, I'm just concerned for her."
"She..well, my Mom's always busy...I think Serena needs all the support she can get, I mean I give her all the support I can give but it'll never be the same as the one that comes from a Mother, I guess. She'll be alright." I said this all too fast, so I was afraid of giving her more ideas.
"But...she's just a child, wouldn't most Mothers find her talent quite extraordinary?" She asked, her eyebrows crinkled.
"You don't understand my mother...when she gets stressed, she gets very cold, and very close minded, she gets cranky if things don't go her way."
"I understand...but, Serena's just a child."
"You don't think I know that?" I looked down onto the ground as I fiddled with the strings of my sweater. "Mom's just like that, it's quite sad, actually. She'll be fine pretty soon, so you don't have to worry." I tried closing the subject, not really wanting to get into it. Not at the place that made me forget about the world. My mother. My responsibilities. And most importantly, my Father.
"Well...ok." She said, giving up the topic. "Oh but I wanted to remind you, there's going to be a gallery sometime in the fall, I'm not sure when but I promise to keep you posted. You should be excited, it'll be yours and Serena's first one!" Her face brightened up as she flashed me her million dollar smile.
"Is it for all categories?" I asked, relieved to have something else to talk about.
"Yes, it is, but of course it'll be in different wings, separated from each other."
"Well, I have to go and pick up Caleb from the baby sitter's." I said, slowly walk towards the door.
"Destiney." I looked back to find her concerned face plastered on once again.
"Yes?" I said softly under my breath.
"Can you tell Serena that I believe in her, that I have all the support in the world for her? Can you do that for me?"
"Certainly, yes...I will." I gave her a quick toothless smile and laid a hand on the knob, disappearing out of the room. I realized something. I walked quick paced through the hall and past all the beautiful artwork, my hair dancing behind my back. No, she can't grow up this way, she just can't. I won't allow her to become like me, even if it's the last thing I do.
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I told Noel everything, what I said to my Mom and how I thought about my responses before answering her. How I told her I wouldn't stop attending the arts center because I simply didn't want to. Because I didn't want to. These words felt new to my tongue, and even my mind. But it was refreshing. Noel had just arrived at my house and we were about to go pick up some paint.
"That's great, it really is." He said, his eyes squinting in the sun as he looked up at me. "...I'm proud of you, how does it feel?"
"Crazy." I said with a smile. "I mean, I don't know...I know it breaks my Mother's heart...but she just needed to hear what I had to say. Overall though, it feels refreshing...it's different, but I like it."
"See, I told you. Don't be afraid. It was right that you did what you did." He said, scooding over to make some room for me on the steps.
"Oh and look at this." I held up my wrist to his eyes and jingled the bracelet that was wrapped around my wrist. Once he saw the bottle, his eyebrows went up.
"Impressive." He took the bottle in his fingers, examining it. "You did find something to do with it, huh?"
"Yeah." I couldn't move, well at least my arm couldn't, his hands were cupped around my wrist, still gazing at the charms. His touch reminded me that there was a pulse beating there in my wrist, there always was, but at this time, I felt it really well, as if it had its own heart. Weird.
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"This, would be the second vase that you made. Not bad, huh?" Mara said as she reached for it inside the cabinet before handing it to me with care.
"Hm, who knew I was even capable of making something like this?" I turned it over on all sides, examining it. "But of course it would never come close to one of yours."
She smiled, rubbing her belly. She was really showing now. "Over time, trust me, you will."
"Is the third one still at the kiln site?" I asked, setting the vase down on the counter. She nodded at this, her raven black curls bouncing up and down. For a moment we didn't say anything to each other, only because Mara had this weird expression on her face.
"...Destiney, I have a question."
"What is it?" I asked, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
"...It's concerning Serena...She hasn't been performing in class...well, how should I say this?" She stood there, thinking hard while her fingers played with her bottom lip, her arms crossed above her pregnant belly. "She seems kind of down lately...not as creative, or as daring as she once was.."
She needn't explain further, I already knew how Serena has been acting these past few days. "Lack of support from my mother...my Mom works a lot so it's hard for her to make time for us..."
She nodded, a puzzled look still visible from her face. "Well...can you explain more? If you don't mind, I don't want to be nosy, I'm just concerned for her."
"She..well, my Mom's always busy...I think Serena needs all the support she can get, I mean I give her all the support I can give but it'll never be the same as the one that comes from a Mother, I guess. She'll be alright." I said this all too fast, so I was afraid of giving her more ideas.
"But...she's just a child, wouldn't most Mothers find her talent quite extraordinary?" She asked, her eyebrows crinkled.
"You don't understand my mother...when she gets stressed, she gets very cold, and very close minded, she gets cranky if things don't go her way."
"I understand...but, Serena's just a child."
"You don't think I know that?" I looked down onto the ground as I fiddled with the strings of my sweater. "Mom's just like that, it's quite sad, actually. She'll be fine pretty soon, so you don't have to worry." I tried closing the subject, not really wanting to get into it. Not at the place that made me forget about the world. My mother. My responsibilities. And most importantly, my Father.
"Well...ok." She said, giving up the topic. "Oh but I wanted to remind you, there's going to be a gallery sometime in the fall, I'm not sure when but I promise to keep you posted. You should be excited, it'll be yours and Serena's first one!" Her face brightened up as she flashed me her million dollar smile.
"Is it for all categories?" I asked, relieved to have something else to talk about.
"Yes, it is, but of course it'll be in different wings, separated from each other."
"Well, I have to go and pick up Caleb from the baby sitter's." I said, slowly walk towards the door.
"Destiney." I looked back to find her concerned face plastered on once again.
"Yes?" I said softly under my breath.
"Can you tell Serena that I believe in her, that I have all the support in the world for her? Can you do that for me?"
"Certainly, yes...I will." I gave her a quick toothless smile and laid a hand on the knob, disappearing out of the room. I realized something. I walked quick paced through the hall and past all the beautiful artwork, my hair dancing behind my back. No, she can't grow up this way, she just can't. I won't allow her to become like me, even if it's the last thing I do.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I told Noel everything, what I said to my Mom and how I thought about my responses before answering her. How I told her I wouldn't stop attending the arts center because I simply didn't want to. Because I didn't want to. These words felt new to my tongue, and even my mind. But it was refreshing. Noel had just arrived at my house and we were about to go pick up some paint.
"That's great, it really is." He said, his eyes squinting in the sun as he looked up at me. "...I'm proud of you, how does it feel?"
"Crazy." I said with a smile. "I mean, I don't know...I know it breaks my Mother's heart...but she just needed to hear what I had to say. Overall though, it feels refreshing...it's different, but I like it."
"See, I told you. Don't be afraid. It was right that you did what you did." He said, scooding over to make some room for me on the steps.
"Oh and look at this." I held up my wrist to his eyes and jingled the bracelet that was wrapped around my wrist. Once he saw the bottle, his eyebrows went up.
"Impressive." He took the bottle in his fingers, examining it. "You did find something to do with it, huh?"
"Yeah." I couldn't move, well at least my arm couldn't, his hands were cupped around my wrist, still gazing at the charms. His touch reminded me that there was a pulse beating there in my wrist, there always was, but at this time, I felt it really well, as if it had its own heart. Weird.
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