A Hollow Empty Canvas

●dos

The young lady nodded in understanding and smiled at the old woman apologetically. She understood her position because she herself has that same struggle with her husband but unlike  with the old woman, she fought, and she gained her prize. A family, a complete family is what she fought for. She fight for her daughter and for her love.

And that's the difference of her and the old lady.

The old lady flinch for she felt uncomfortable on talking about what happened so she changed the topic,"Would you mind if you come over to my house? I baked cookies but there's just me who'll consume it cause I'm alone."

The young lady looks she's about to refuse but the little girl clapped excitedly,"Cookies? I love cookies! Is it chocolate chip?"

"Yes, it is,"the old woman answered, completely dazed with the little girl's excitement.

The girl's eyes twinkled and pleaded to her Mom. Her mom sighed and agreed,"Well, no ones going to refuse such a cute angel like you."

"Oh Mom! I love you. I truly do,"the girl hugged her Mom and she dreaming looked at them.

How she wish she could feel the warmth of a daughter's hug. Too bad she lost them to early.

"She's such a darling,"she said to the mother as she admirably looked at the kid, happily munching a bunch of cookies that was stuffed at the sides of her cheeks. She definitely looked like a chipmunk, a very adorable chipmunk.

"I know. She's my bundle of joy. My family is my happiness,"the lady chirped feeling emotional today for a reason she doesn't know.

The old lady chimed in,"I wish I knew how it felt."

"Why? You don't have a family or perhaps a child?"

She looked at her and put a faint smile,"I do have but they...they left me. He left."

She was surprised as arms wrapped around her tightly and she heard a vague sob. The lady pulled away and tears made her eyes sparkled though it's puffy.

"I'm sorry. I just felt a thing to hug you. I never knew it would be like that. The stories were so different. I-I misjudged you."

"What are the stories about me?"

"They are about your d-" she trailed off, horror flashed to her eyes as it widened,"I mean your dethroning, divorce and loss. They say you're house is empty. No one lives here already. I found out it's lies."

"It's not completely lies. I feel dethroned not literally but yes, I felt I lose the crown of living. And it's because of the loss I have a hard time keeping."

"But the divorce and the empty house? It seems like they don't see you in here but I do. Some does,"she said and an idea popped on the young ladies head. A thought which frightened her to the limit but she chose to shrug it away.

"There's never a divorce. I was never married and I've been leaving here since,"since I have them and I'm happy she thought,"since I'm eighteen."

"I don't know. It looks like only a few people remembers you and sees you,"she blurted out of confusion.

The old lady's brows ceased,"Maybe they wanted to forget about me. I'm a shame."

The lady console her and rubbed the shoulders of the gloomy old woman,"You're good, far from those descriptions they told about you. If only they knew how miserable your life had been, I know they would be nicer. They would understand."

"Mommy? The cookies are no more. I'm very sorry. I didn't mean to eat them all."

They all turned to the little girl and laughed as she gave her another jar of cookies. It's good she always is prepared for extras. The kinder gladly accepted it.

"Too much for my problems. I didn't even caught your names,"she glanced back to the little girl.

"Oh, yeah. My name is Caleah and my baby's name is Fleur."

"Fleur? She sure got the nice name,"she complimented as she took a seat and they started conversing.

She felt her house wasn't a house no more. She felt it like the home she used to have and she always love to be in here, with him. She felt an indescribable happiness when she's with her family which is gone by now.

And this time, it made her feel like the past time. It made her house not just an infrastructure built to live in, it made her feel like home filled with laughter and love.

Later that afternoon, Caleah invited her to come with them to the park after Fleur finished all the cookies she'd baked. Now she has a reason to bake more.

She sat on the bench while she watched Caleah and Fleur playing tag. Fleur soon found a swing and asked her Mom to push her and she thought,

I don't know why people are so fond of swings. What is so special about it? Nothing right? It's just swinging back and forth but I guess they view it as a challenge how high they can reach if they push themselves.

I can see it as a foundation of a good relationship and teamwork. Teamwork of pushing and the other swinging. Relationship because that person who pushes doesn't think of being tired just to keep the other one happy. An act of unselfishness.

And it provides comfort for those people broken. When they swing, they get to think, analyze the world.

That just like the swing it goes back and forth like our problems. No matter how problems come to us, there will be a time it'll stop like a swing that stops swinging.

Also, it gives as an idea that however high you reach in swinging, you're feet will always end up touching the ground. Apply it in life, whatever you reach, stay humble and Jeep your feet on the ground.

With that an image flashed to her mind, a young version of her and an unfamiliar little girl swinging as their laughs echoing.

WP_LIGHTS :)