3.7 * Girl Drama
Dear Journal,
Cynthia’s 5th birthday had came and as a family, we celebrated together. She blew out the candles all by herself and kept clapping and singing Happy Birthday even after the cake had been semi-eaten and put away. Donte and I were enjoying a nice cup of tea when Cynthia came into the kitchen and stood next to her father. He smiled at her asking her how the birthday girl was doing. She rolled her eyes and told him no one in the house even likes him. She called him the “invisible dad” before skipping out of the kitchen. I could see how much that comment hurt her father so I got up and set off to find the little imp. Cynthia was excitedly telling Kat what she said to their father. I watched as Kat patted Cynthia on the back congratulating her on a job well done. Well, well, this was why Kat was always helping with the toddlers. She wanted some side-kicks. The mother in me told me to nip it in the bud right there but the other part of me that I have kept hidden away for many years wanted to let this “side-kick” thing run its course. My evil side won. I went back into the kitchen and tried to comfort Donte the best that I could.
Kat started to bring a young man home with her after school. He was handsome and seemed pretty polite. His name was Garret Meek. His family was very, very wealthy. They lived in the same neighborhood as us….actually, right across the street. I could tell that she was starting to fall for him because at dinner time, the conversation always seemed to come back to Garret. Not that I really cared, but hearing so much about the kid was starting to grate on my nerves.
After a long day at work, I came home to Kat screaming and dancing around the living room with Pamela. Garret finally asked her to be his girlfriend. I ran over and gave her a hug to show my support. I was hoping that since they made it official maybe we all could get some peace and quiet when it came that young man. About a week after Kat and Garret became an item, disaster seemed to strike. I was saying goodnight to all of the children and when I got to Kat’s room, she was balled up and sobbing on her bed. I immediately went over to her side, stroking her back. She slowly turned around to look at me with her beautiful face now red and puffy from all the crying. In between sobs, she told me what happened. She wanted to spend time with both Garret and Pamela so she had been inviting them both on dates together. Well earlier, they all went to the movies. While they waited for it to start, Pamela and Garret met each other’s eyes and went into a trance. She said you could just feel the electricity in the air from them. I soothed her the best I knew how and told her to talk to them about it. She nodded before turning towards the wall once again. That Pamela made me want to do violent things….very very violent things.
The next night, as I started to snuggle into bed, Kat came into the room looking blue. I patted the side of my bed, signaling her to take a seat. She shuffled over with her head hanging down. I sat up in bed so I wouldn’t nod off. She told me that she took Pamela to the Watering Hole after school to ask her about Garret. Pamela wasn’t even sympathetic when she told Kat about her feelings for Garret. She wasn’t sure if he felt the same way but she was going to ask him tomorrow at school. Kat said she could feel herself fill with an intense rage towards her once best friend and cousin. She slapped Pamela in the face and walked out of the Watering Hole. I could see Kat’s eyes start to tear up but I told her to knock it off. She would have many friends and boyfriends in life if she wanted. She was only 15, she still had her whole life ahead of her. She thanked me, said goodnight and went back downstairs. I just rolled my eyes at all the teen drama. I didn’t remember my teen years being that way…
The next day before work, I walked across the street to have a small word with this Garret Meek. I knocked politely not wanting to give away any signs of the storm brewing in my head. I waited about a minute before knocking again, this time with a little more oomph. I could feel the thunderclouds starting to roll. Another minute passed and the hurricane was unleashed. I started to pound and kick the door, screaming for Garret to come out and face me. The door was opened by a frightened looking elderly lady. I straightened my clothing, took a calming breath and asked for Garret. She said she was the cleaning lady from the real estate company. The Meek family moved to Chicago last night. Something about the father’s business doing better out there. I thanked the elderly woman and went straight to work. I would tell Kat after school…..Well being such a small town, the principal made the announcement that Garret and his family had moved away. I came home to Kat working diligently on a letter to Garret. I just let her be and went upstairs to take a hot bath.
Cynthia was becoming quite the story teller. Donte and I had heard a loud crashing sound coming from downstairs. We immediately thought it was a burglar. Being a man, he wanted me to stay in the bedroom, while he checked things out. I was too tired to get out of bed anyway so I just drifted back to sleep. We had children…we could just sick one of them on the thief. I woke up about an hour later to a very flustered Donte. He said that he went into the boys’ room first and saw nothing then checked out the girls’ room. Cynthia had the light on and was standing next to her demolished doll house. I was furious! That doll house was in my family for 3 generations! He said when he confronted her about destroying it, she started to get red in the face with anger and shouted she didn’t do it.
She told him how she woke up to a crunching sound. She turned on the light to see what was making all the racket and saw a man kicking the doll house. She ordered him to stop but he just kept right on breaking the doll house into little wood pieces. When she got enough courage, she walked over to him and told him to get lost. Realizing someone was watching him, he just disappeared into thin air. All the while Kat stayed sound asleep….I swear that girl could sleep through anything. Donte said he started to argue with Cynthia about telling the truth. Eventually she just told him to go back to bed “invisible dad” and locked herself in the bathroom. I just sat in bed listening to him tell me this feeling a strange mix of emotions. I was livid about the doll house but I’m sure we could find some desperate fool to piece the old thing back together. And I was worried for Cynthia. Seeing a man in her room that could just disappear. That didn’t sound very comforting to me….
At breakfast time I tried to bring up the doll house incident with Cynthia but she completely shut me down. She said I wouldn’t believe her anyway and left her bowl of cereal untouched. I really didn’t want my daughter to be angry with me….Donte, I could care less but I was supposed to be my daughters’ confidante. After work, I went into town to find something that maybe Cynthia would like. Not really knowing my youngest child too well, I picked up a few things. I grabbed a fishing rod, a new baby doll, and a packet of seeds with a book about gardening. She started to jump up and down in excitement at the gifts. I told her to pick one. She looked up at me with her eyes just glowing and grabbed the fishing rod. I told her I didn’t really know how to fish so I couldn’t help at all. She just laughed and thanked me before heading out to our small pond in front of the house. I don’t think there was anything in it but at least she could practice.
My 74th birthday had arrived as well as Mark’s 13th. I was ready to embrace my grays. I had always looked at the elderly as wise and worldly. Mark blew out his candles first. Right as he was about to blow them out, he forgot what his wish was and had to make a new one…When he finally blew them out, I stepped up to cut pieces for everyone. I watched from the corner of my eye as Mark quickly grabbed the candles and slipped them in his pocket. I stopped cutting the cake and turned to look at him. He smiled at me as if nothing happened. I raised an eyebrow at him, asking him if he saw where the candles went. He looked around the counter top saying he thought they were right there. I just sighed and went back to cutting the cake. He was definitely taking after his Uncle Richard…. Before going to bed that night, I took a good long look at myself in the mirror. I was still very beautiful. For being 74 I barely had any wrinkles. I loved my salt and pepper hair, it seemed to only enhance my beauty. Yes, being an elderly wasn’t bad at all…
Sincerely,
