Finally Free A short story

As I entered the large stretch of grass, I tilted my head back and soaked up the sun; I flung my arms out and spun around and around and around. I fell to the grass and rolled down the scratchy bank aware of all the eyes focused on me but carried on anyway. No one could bring me down from the high I was on. As I got closer to the river at the bottom of the bank, I closed my eyes and revelled in the feeling of being free. When I reached the water the resounding noise drew gasps from the onlookers. I opened my eyes and saw my halo of dark hair surrounding me. I kicked my legs and swam towards the direction I knew he’d be. I felt someone grab my waist from behind and shot up to the surface gasping for breath, turned around to face him. He wore a cocky grin on his face and drew me closer to him. I smiled up at him, kneed him in the stomach and swam away laughing at his pained expression. “Hey what was that for” He shouted. “Don’t ever do that again, you actually scared me! I never knew you were behind me” He dragged himself to the bank and wrung out his soaked T-Shirt. I bobbed up and down in the water not wanting to get out just yet; I wanted to stay in the water away from the dictators of my life. I wished I could stay in the water for eternity, but I couldn’t. 

 I took a deep breath in and squared my shoulder ready for his endless rant. The door burst open and I saw the protruding vein on his temple standing out against his beet red face he pointed a gnarled finger in the direction of the hall way and I stepped in with my head held high, I wasn’t going to let him get to me. I knew exactly what he was going to say; ‘You’ve been getting out of hand since your mother died, I bet she’s rolling in her grave now, if she heard all of the gossip going around about you. I told you not to call unnecessary attention to yourself and you go out gallivanting about without a care of what people are saying about you, it’s that boy too, that one from town who you’re always with, he’s a bad influence. I keep warning you to stay away from him but you never do. You’ll be the death of me, imagine the headlines tomorrow “THE TOWN MAYOR DIES DUE TO INCESSANT WORRYING OVER WILD DAUGHTER”’ 

And that was exactly what he said except he added much more to the end at the end of his rant he had calmed down considerably and his face wasn’t as red but that vein on his head was like glowing beacon against his ghostly pallor.  

 “If you ever do that again, ruin my reputation people will begin to question my role as the mayor of this town. If you can’t rein in your rebellious phase you had better leave my house, I can’t have this type of behaviour under my roof” 

 I just stared at him, his words showed how much he didn’t care; he’d rather have his place as Mayor than his daughter.  

 He carried on not waiting for my reply “I’ve set you up for a day at the spa tomorrow and a date with a friend’s son at the new restaurant in town, try not to make a fool of yourself.” 

 “If you think that a day at the spa and dinner at some prestigious restaurant is going to rein me in you had better think again. You can’t dictate my life so stop trying. When mother was alive she only wanted the best for me. She always told me to express myself and not to allow people to have a hold on me, like you did on her. Now I want to be who I really am and you are trying to stop me. I’m not happy that Mum died, but this is what she’d have wanted for me, now that she’s dead I can finally be free. So don’t try to call me or contact me, you’ve given me a choice between getting out of this house or obeying your rules and I don’t want anyone to tell me what to do and how to feel that’s all up to me. I’ve chosen the latter. I want to be free.”  

I felt a sudden surge of warmness fill me from the inside, everything was falling into place. This is the medicine the doctor prescribed especially for me; Freeness.