Through Second Eyes

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If anyone would have asked me where I would be serval years ago, I wouldn't be standing at the ocean shore. Soaking up the harsh rays of sun, while my kitted scarf blew gently in the wind. My long brown hair turned gray with age and stress, not a single smooth surface in my face. I don't think I would have imagined even living up to the ages I have now. Being old was not something I had looked forward to.

"Grandma? What are you doing out here alone?"

I turned my frail body to a face that mirrored mine when I was younger, my 6 year old Avila-May had the spunk of my husband no doubt.

"Oh nothing dreary, just adoring the few moments of bliss." I smiled warmly at my grand daughter, my she would be a sight for sore eyes, freckles covered her cheeks, blue eyes; so curious and happy, and brown hair that layered in beach waves danced in the wind. Gently taking my hand she lead me back up the walk towards the house we are renting for this family trip. Shuffling my feet against the sand helped me focus on the ground, my eyesight had only worsened with the years; some could even call me legally blind by this time of age.

"Ma, where have you been? Dad's been going on about how you've left him again," my beautiful son walked in. His warm eyes scold me gently for leaving my lover astray. Maverick shared the same hair my husband had worn in his youth, but his brown eyes had come from my own father. My daughter in law, however; was graced with her own Latino curves bringing a new form of genes into the pool. Mia was a beautiful women, who was the one to get Maverick to go out with her. My son sadly got my quiet quirks or social embarrassment, alas Mia helps with those issues.

"Your father is the least of my worries son, I wouldn't leave him even if the strapping Hemsworth brothers were standing in front of me bare." I laughed at my own joke. I had my fair share of looking at handsome men, but none could be the man I had been together with for 54 years. Maverick looked mortified at my comment, about to project with some choice words, when his very pregnant wife walked in.

Bouncing around 9 months, Mia set the table preparing us for our first meal together sense Avila's 5th birthday. I grabbed a bowl from her, my hand on her lower back to seat her.

"Don't work yourself too hard Babe, you'll make your water break before the boy is ready." I was worried she was working herself too hard. I remember when I was pregnant with my babies, it wasn't an easy experience, but luckily I had the best help.

"Mrs. K, I'm perfectly okay. He isn't ready to leave the cocoon anyway. Ojí I can tell he will be one hell of a hippo though. Much bigger than Avila." Mia rubbed her bloated belly sighing heavily. She reached for her glass of water as Maverick kissed her lips gently placing his hand over hers. I don't let the little gestures go unnoticed. I'm glad we could raise such a gentleman to treat his women and every women with respect and dignity.

"Mrs. K, you really never told me how you met each other."

I looked at Mia and smiled. "That dear, is a very long story. But I reckon we have the time hm? Let's see.."

•

October 4th, 1990.

Breathe.

This will be the first time walking into school sense the horrific accident. I knew I looked different, my once pretty face was now gashed with scars and my perfect vision was now tampered, damaged.

I swallowed deeply, looking around as the many familiar faces ran around bussing about their summers, completely clueless to my existence. Maybe it was better that way, to be invisible. It seemed my life was turning into its own book. My parents made sure my wreck stayed hush hush from any public figures finding out.

"I'm surprised they let their little daughter out from hiding in the shadows"

This came from the one and only person who had little insight to who I was behind close doors and what happened with the accident I was involved with. He didn't know half the story and I planned to keep it that way, I wanted to keep it from everyone. Hagen Savè was the non traditional boy next door. If my parents weren't such chained to his parents, I honestly can't say I wouldn't want to ignore him in the halls, then maybe he wouldn't even look my way.

He had always been teasing me, pushing me into the sand box, taking my lunches in grade school, now the ovaled glasses sitting on my face were to become the next problem. I knew I was never a Marilyn Monroe, or any high class pretty girl, but I was average. Now my face was classified as below average. Scars along my brow and chin, stood as a constant reminder that I was not worthy of the words along side pretty.

"Huh, why the glasses? We already know your too smart beyond any simple social interaction," Hagen laughed slapping the back of my shoulder.

"Hagen, please just let me be." I was already on the verge on walking away and begging my parents to let me do home schooling at this point. My looks deceived me, I could tell I showed signs of hurt in my words and eyes. He didn't care, well he didn't show that he cared. His emotionless face stared blankly at mine. I tucked my head under his view and walked away escaping the embarrassment I would further receive.

I rushed past the heavy iron doors of our basic public school. I refused to let my parents treat me with their wealth, I was not going to be spoiled just because my parents ran a multi million dollar company.

I hated the smell of school, smelt of smoke, sex, sweat, and the overwhelming amount of axe cologne teenage boys wear. Scuffing my black flats against the tiled floor, I made my way to the gym for our homerooms to be given out. Making my way through the wooden double doors, the volume of the students elevated tenfold once in the gym. Looking around the old basket ball Court, our emblem of the Hunters, green and black and gold colors decorated the school.

Suddenly I felt a hand on my backside, I turned around and slapped the person with my binder on the sudden instinct, I was about to apologize when..

"I'm so-."

Hagen stared at me his face flushed from the impact with my binder. He looked overly annoyed , but he had no right to put his hands on my body. I wasn't even dressing to impress, just a black and rusted plaid skirt a few centimeters from my knee and a sweater in a rust color. I had my hair in a loose ponytail, though I was disgusted by my facial features, I would not hide who I was behind my hair.

"Please continue, I did not fucking deserve to get hit in the face, I didn't even TRY to touch you."

"Don't lie Hagen, no man just 'accidentally' touches a girls.. butt," I held my binder closer to my chest. He rolled his eyes and pushed past me, the senior crowd stops their commotion to stare at the rich handsome man. I walked in behind him, rushing to the bottom of the bleachers knowing everyone was trying to talk to Hagen, oblivious to my presence. I over heard a couple of girls behind me gushing at his beauty but they didn't know half of what I knew about him. Surprisingly he never had brought a girl home, never offered to have one in his car, and never ever had a girlfriend.

Now that's not to say he wasn't sleeping around, but I know when he's around his parents he's a saint, kind, and actually helpful and not rude. I like to think he puts on this persona because he wants the school to love him, I half hoped who he was with his parents was the true him.