Clementine had become a wild child. Born in America but raised abroad, she now had little regard for the expectations of high society. But her reckless ways eventually catch up with her when she is kicked out of college in New York City and forced t...
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45
The next morning everyone acted like everything was alright. Though it clearly was't. Clementine didn't know how much her father knew but she had a feeling it was enough.
Her mother wore sunglasses to breakfast, and even though the sun was shining, she had a feeling it was not just the sun she was shielding herself from.
At the end of the meal, her father told Ernesto, "we'll have coffee on the terrace, thank you very much."
And sos they moved to the set of outdoor couches,.
Her mother and father sitting on one, and Clementine sitting in an arm chair across from them. Ready for the wrath that was surely about to envelope her.
"Clementine," her father began "there's no way top approach this but directly," and Clementine felt that she was ebbing interrogated Aton e of his business negotiations. "It's time we talk about your 'mental problems'."
Clementine chocked a little bit on her drink, "my what?" She asked incredulously.
"There is no use in pretending they don't exist," her father responded quietly.
Clementine looked at the floor, "That is very vague. What exactly are you talking about."
"Oh be real, Clementine, New York! Leaving it the way you did. Doing the things you did..." Her mother looked up at the sky, as if she would find some answer there.
"It's your coping mechanism we're worried about. Your partying is simply a response to the stress you face in your life. Your problems," her father said, holding his gaze steadily on her.
Clementine could feel tears brimming behind her eyes.
"If you're such a great psychologist, how do you propose I cope?" Clementine asked self defensively.
Her father sighed, "I don't know if its genetics, or the environment or how we raised you, but you're going to be fighting you're insecurity your whole life. And you better learn how to live with these monsters, instead of always fighting them. You're scared Clementine, I can see that. You're scared of me, and you're scared of yourself."
Clementine could feel a tear drop, rolling from her face to her hand, laying limp in her lap. There it goes, the tears and the pressure of everything she was holding in.
"We'd like you to take counselling," her mother said. "I know some great people. They could help you."
She din't want counselling. All she wanted now was to run away and be able to live her life the way she wanted to. Her freedom was nonexistent, couldn't they see that?
Maybe what she did was not coping, but rebelling anyway she knew how?
"You are so creative," her mother continued barraging her, "how could you waste so much potential? You could be anything! Do anything! The world is your's if only you got out of your own way. You have to fight the fear. You're so afraid of people. Why aren't you out there, doing things. Meeting people, going on dates?"
She didn't even bother trying to prove them wrong, because little id they know that she did go out and she did love, and this love was the bravest thing she's ever done.
Meanwhile her parents love was tied around like an anchor to her feet, keeping her down fro building a life of her own, on her own terms.
At that moment, she promised herself she would leave. No matter how hard it would be.
Clementine couldn't stop the tears from coming, and she felt the shame surrounding herself. Feeling like a teenager again.
"Is this what you wanted?" She asked both her parents, sitting across from her and starting to look a little bit as lost as she was. "Well, congratulations you did it!"
What about love? Is love insanity? Clementine though to herself, the thought racing through her mind, but she was mute to say anything.
She had an urge to get up and run. Escape like she's done all her life. But she realized she would have to face this now. She realized that the hardest person to face is yourself.
