Amelia

Chapter 3

“My girl aren’t you going to town today?”

Amelia was still sleeping until after eight in the morning, so kind asked as she came into her room and sat on the bed. Her stepfather, Richard, had left early in the morning. When he was at home, Linda used not to come to Amelia’s room because it would make him angry.

Amelia opened her eyes for mother’s voice and looked at her mother who is sitting on the bed.

“It’s almost past eight now. The bus to town is back after 10.00, isn’t it? ”

Linda asked

“Mom, I can’t go to town today. I feel a little unwell”

Amelia lied. Amelia’s heart was disheartened and disappointed because, though the sun was burning from morning to evening, no deal was being made. A little worried, Linda placed her hand on Amelia’s forehead.

“Where? There’s no so much temperature on your body. Why do you say you are not feeling well? What’s the problem? ”

Linda asked a little nervously.

“There is no big problem, mom. My body is a bit tired.”

Linda felt relieved when Amelia said that. But she stared at Amelia’s for a moment.

“I wish you would stop going to town and stay at home.”

Saying that, she got up and went to the window and opened the two closed window shutters. As the cool breeze blew into the room through the open window, Linda wrapped her hands around her body and moved away from the window.

“Winter has started”
Linda muttered softly as she gazed up at Mount Atita in the distance. Amelia got up and sat on the bed, chilled by the cold breeze blowing through the open window.

“Did Richard go to work?”

Amelia asked.

“Yes, he left early in the morning”

Saying that, Linda came back to Amelia’s bed and sat on the bed. Richard’s absence from home brings Amelia a wonderful sense of relief and happiness.

“Amelia, you haven’t gone down the garden since few days, right? When I went yesterday evening, I saw that the potato creeper near the apple tree was almost completely destroyed by animals. There were two or three off-season apples on the tree. I forgot to look at the Cranberry bushed after I saw that the potato beds had been dug up by the porcupines.”

Linda did not want to talk about Richard said that in order to divert the conversation.

“Hmm… Since the day that Windy died, I told you let’s raise another dog. Now you can see how the garden is infected with porcupines and pigs. Is it even possible to cultivate properly in this way? ”

Amelia said by looking at her mother in pain as she prepared to get down from the bed.

“You know that after windy died, I too had a great desire to get another dog. But Richard doesn’t like in raising dogs.”

Linda said sadly. Amelia was really mad at Richard. She moved to the window, biting her lip.

“I still remeber how windy follows you when it was alive. He follows you until you get on the bus to the town and comes back home after you left. Even it was an animal, it had a great intimacy toward us. I feel sad when I remember him. Poor windy… I still can’t figure out the reason for its sudden death. But at one point, I think Richard had poison Windy because he hated the love it gave to us.”

“What is the meaning of our lives mother? You live like a prisoner. You have no freedom to; do whatever you want, raise an animal you desire, go wherever you prefer because of him. And you know how we both suffer because of this man, Richard. Mother, don’t you think that, we would have been living happier if you had not married that man.”

She said in pain with an impulsively voice.

She thoughtlessly looked out the window at the mount Atita which was in a distant. Linda’s heart was deeply touched by her daughter’s word. Both were silent for a moment.

“I can understand your pain my dear. I know that you take those pieces of stone to sell in the town to find your own expenses. But I’m very helpless now. Just like you, I don’t want Richard to be in this house. We’re both suffering today because of that decision I took at that day. I’m sorry my dear! I am sorry.”

Amelia flinched at her mother’s pained voice. Linda had tears in her eyes. She felt an indescribable pain for her mother. She immediately came to her mother.

“Mother, there is no point in suffering like this, let’s face the way it comes. These things will not change just because we are sad. The three of us were very happy until father died. We don’t always inherit that happiness. Life is all about both sadness and happiness.”

Linda knows that Amelia manipulates words like this just to comfort her. She remembered her daughter’s childhood. She thought of how happy Amelia’s childhood had been, as she said and felt that she could never correct the mistake she had made by marrying a person like Richard again.

“I married Richard with so many hopes. I thought he would be a good father to my daughter. I never thought he would be a good father to my daughter. I never thought that our happiness would end like this.”

Linda told it as she was lost in the memories.

“What has happened is now over mother. It is pointless to keep reminding ourselves about this and being sad. Besides, now we are used to this and being sad. Besides now we are used to this life. So let’s think of a way that we can be happy. If you like, I can think of a way to get out of this.”

Amelia looked at her mother, and added a faint hope.

“Mom, you can divorce Richard. I will try to become an author as I have dreamed since childhood. If we can do that, we can find our happiness again”

Linda beamed happily. How good it would be to do as the daughter told, she thought. But by leaving a question mark, Linda felt the happiness which filled her heart suddenly ran away.

“You can do it girl. You can go for your dream, because I know how strong my child’s heart is. The strength of your heart can make your dream beautiful. Let’s not talk about Richard. With that topic aside, let’s make your way to your dream.”

Linda said, by moving closer to Amelia and stroking her head.

“I love you so much no matter what. Even though we live in two separate rooms in this house, you are always my little girl. I value you more than myself.”

Amelia felt shock for her mother’s words..

“Mom, don’t worry about me”

“I can say ok to it but I can’t really do it”

“Okay, let’s not talk about these things again”

“Can you and I do it that way? It doesn’t matter. Now I will make you some tea.  You go wash you face. ”

With that, Linda walked away from Amelia and left to the kitchen. Amelia felt happy.
Amelia knows that, she has to work hard to make her dreams come true. With that in her mind, she too went to the kitchen thinking that she should somehow write a book whenever she has time. Linda was already putting the kettle on the stole and turning it on.

“I need to buy some papers and some pens when I go town tomorrow”

When Amelia said it, Linda’s heart was full of excitement.

“Yes,.. I have some money and I will give it you”

Linda said with a great joy.