Wind Blown ✔️

5. My mother is the most selfish being to ever exist

We drove to the library in silence, Marine's eyes glued to the road. We pulled into the familiar carpark, easing into one of the many empty spots.

Marine wrenched open the door and trudged across the car park to the library's automatic doors. She disappeared behind the tinted glass and I let my gaze drift to her keys in the ignition. She only had one keyring, I'd won it for her at a fair once.

I can still remember the excitement that danced across her features and the distorted light that reflected off of the 'crazy mirrors' onto her as she looked up at me, like a child on Christmas morning.

I was snapped from my stupor by the buzzing of my phone in my lap. I flipped it open and groaned inwardly when I read the contact.

My mother.

Pick up eggs and milk on the way home. Mom.

I snapped the phone shut, tucking it into my pocket. My mother had always been selfish, perhaps the selfish being to ever exist.

My thoughts stirred a memory within me and I leaned back into the passenger seat of Marine's blue Hyundai as I was pulled into it.

The scenery around me changed and suddenly I was at home, sitting on the kitchen counter and glaring at my mother. She was fluttering around the kitchen, pulling out pots and pans frantically. She noticed me sitting down and turned her panicked gaze to me, "Eric! Get up and help me," she shouted angrily gesturing wildly to the house that seemed perfectly clean.

"I can't believe you've forgotten," I replied, my tone icy.

She looked up at me incredulously, "Forgotten what?"

I rolled my eyes, pushing myself out of the chair I'd sunken into, "You're throwing a dinner party on my birthday."

She furrowed her eyebrows, glancing down at her watch to check the date, "Oh, well perfect then we can celebrate your birthday at the party."

I shook my head, "You don't feel the slightest bit guilty?"

She laughed, "Guilty?" straightening she pointed the wooden spoon in her hadn't at me accusingly, "What do I have to feel guilty for? Do you know how much your doctor's appointments cost?"

I groaned, falling back into the seat.

"A heck of a lot and your father left me with you. I have to pay for everything myself and that includes your ridiculous doctor's appointments, so if anyone, you should be feeling guilty," she reasoned, I shook my head as if she'd attempted to propose that the world was flat.

"Now get up and help!"

I let the memory wash away like mud being washed off a car with the rain. Slowly I drifted back into consciousness and became acutely aware of how stuffy the car had become, sitting in the heat in the carpark.

I rolled down my window and let the cool breeze wash over me. The wind ruffled my hair and reminded me of the way my old dog used to lean out of the car window and let the wind push back his ears.

I let my eyes drift back to the tinted glass of the Library's doors and much to my pleasure I saw Marine exit, her blue knit sweater in her arms.

The doors slid shut behind her as she marched triumphantly back to the car, pumping her fist above her head as if she were in The Breakfast Club.

She yanked open the door and slid gracefully into the driver's seat, throwing her sweater into the backseat in one fluid motion. She turned the ignition and as she did so the smooth jazz that had been playing resumed its quiet hum.

She pulled out of the library's parking lot and hummed along to the quiet jazz song.

Perhaps her music wasn't all that bad.