Before the Ever Green (BTEG #1) ✔️

Chapter 2

I am out on the balcony, thinking, when I hear the carriage coming up the uneven gravel driveway. I get up, and head down stairs, with my book to lay on the couch. Mom wouldn't get too mad, if she saw me on the couch, I don't think.

She opens the large wooden door, and I turn to a sitting position, so I can see her better. Her dark brown hair is pulled up into a knot above her head, with a hat to cover it and help keep it in place. She is wearing the hat I 'made' her. She looks surprised to see me, so I smile and say, "There's better lighting down here."

She laughs a little under her breathe, and carries the few bags she has into the kitchen. Mom was a great cook, she liked using recipes from cook books hundreds of years old. Her favorite is one published in 2001, I believe. I can't be sure, the cover is torn off, and the only indication of a title is rubbed off, but there is a hand written date and word on it: pub. 5/24/2001.

Mom never pays any attention to details like that, she just understands if things work, or if they don't. When ever Mom tries a new recipe, she does one of 3 things:

1. Puts a star in the right hand corner to indicate it's a good recipe.

2. Crosses out the recipe, or tears it out if there's not a recipe on the back.

3. Tries to fix the recipe in pen, and tries it 100 times, tell she gets it right.

I don't agree with what Mom does, but I can't stop her. Mom always likes things her way, and once she told me, 'my way or the highway'. I'm not quiet sure what a highway is, but I think what she meant was I either did it her way, or I get out.

I did it her way, but to this day, I still am trying to figure out what a highway is. They don't teach you much past 50 years ago in school. I have tried to convince Mom to get me the history books of ancient times, but each one costs $500, and we can't do that when Mom makes $20 a month.

Mom tells me that $20 used to only get you a meal, but now everything is so cheap, you can go 2 months on $20. I'm not sure I could live in a world where milk costs $3, instead of 5 cents like it does now. I'm not sure how anyone would live. You'd need to make a few hundred dollars a month, and that is just crazy talk around here, and we live in one of the bigger neighborhoods.

"Rose Petal," Mom calls, and I turn to her, "Can you grab me the wooden spoon, please?" she asks, and I get up off the couch, and go over to the utensil drawer for a wooden spoon, which I hand to Mom, before sitting down on a bar stool.

Rose Petal is what Mom liked to call me, though my real name is, Addilyn Ember. Mom told me Dad picked it out. She never told me much about my dad, just that he had green eyes, like mine, and gorgeous blonde hair.

Mom always told me I was a total mix of the two of them, in personality and looks. Dad loved reading, and making people laugh. Mom was more kind, and sensitive. She told me it was love at first sight, and that Dad recited Shakespeare on there first date, "When I first saw you, I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew," I didn't realize I said that out loud, until Mom turned around quickly, searching the room, I guess for Dad, "Sorry," I say

I was really sorry.

Mom had been through a lot in her life. A lot I didn't know about, but thinking Dad was back, I couldn't imagine. She told me he was the only man she ever loved, and he died before I was born. I don't think I'll ever fall in love. Mom keeps me by her side practically 24/7, and when I'm not by her, I am either at school or in the garden.

I'm not sure anyone would want to try and love me, anyway. Being as who my mother is to everyone in the town, they might be scared I'm just like her, not that I know what that means, for all I know, mom could be a werewolf from the stories I read who will wait tell I am nice an plump to eat me.

Odd thing I do #2: I think way too much, and always over think things

I really do over think practically everything. I think it has to do a little with all the stories I read. I am always in another world that has witches, and flying frogs. But, I don't know what I'd do without books.

I found a few pages of a history book on the ground once, and I shoved them in my bag to read, they told me of this thing called TV, and how the new rulers banned it.

I never really understood most of the words they used. I'm really not sure what a TV is, but it sounds cool from what I read, something about pixels on a screen, and some movie thing. I also read about this thing called a laptop, and a phone. I'm not sure why the new rulers got rid of it, it seems like such a cool part of life, but maybe it was controlling people, or something.

Before I read those pages, I thought the coolest technology was a refrigerator, stove, and oven. Mom gave me a whole lecture about how all the appliances work, since she works in the bakery, though her manger is always watching her, making sure she doesn't poison any of the food, is what she told me.

I'm not sure if I believe it.

Mom sets the plates down on the table, for us to eat, and lights 5 candles in the center of the table. Mom doesn't like to use a lot of electricity. It's what makes her different, she likes to use as little as possible, and focus on using natural light and foods.

Most of the people in town buy these things called french fries, but Mom would kill me if I ever ate a single one. I don't spend a lot of time in town, mostly because I am afraid someone might attack me, and force me to shove oily foods into my system. Mom told me they'd do that if I ever stayed in town too long.

I don't talk, and neither does Mom. The only time either of us really talk is when something interesting happens at school or work, but since I am staying home, because I am sick again, we have nothing to talk about.

Mom never gave a name to my monthly sickness, but it sometimes hurts to move, and I am pretty sure I am loosing way too much blood. I think my illness will eventually kill me.

Or-am I already dead?

I pinch myself, nope, I am just living in a world where I get sick once a month, and have a mother who is hated by everyone, who apparently is going to destroy everything, says the people of the town. Oh, and I have no friends, and I will never fall in love because of my overly protective mother.

I think if I fall in love and get married like Mom, it will be to my friend named Turtle, who is a turtle who lives in the pond close to our house.

I love my life.