The Significance of Orange Juice

Chapter 29

Chapter 29

When I finally caught up with my mother, she was almost to the car park. The doors crashed into the walls as I flung them open, desperately calling out for my mother, a little child who was lost in the dark.

“Mother, please!” I exclaimed urgently, “We need to talk about this.”

My mother laughed mockingly as my father, Jay and Olivia chased out after us. “Talk? It’s a bit late for that, Isabelle. You have humiliated us.” With a disgusted look, she spun on her heel and made towards the car, but she was caught by my father. She stared up at him in outrage, but his eyes were firmly fixed on me. His brown eyes pierced into mine and for the first time, I realised that I had inherited my eyes from my father. I had never really considered it before, but the eyes staring at me now were undoubtedly mirror copies of my own.

“Helen, Isabelle is right. This is something we need to talk about.”

My jaw fell open slightly. One of my parents was willingly conceding that we needed to talk about my future, rather than deciding it without my input? It was a first to say the least.

I nodded slowly in agreement as my mother’s horrified stare flickered between her husband and her daughter. Understanding slowly dawned in her eyes. “Don’t tell me that you’re on her side?” she shouted accusatively.

My jaw dropped even lower. Not only was my father willing to discuss my opinions, he was open to letting me go to art college as well? Jay nudged me and mimed closing his mouth. My jaw snapped shut immediately, but it didn’t stop the overwhelming shock that flooded through my body.

 “There are no sides, Helen.” He said soothingly. “It’s Isabelle’s life after all. It’s only fair that she would have the final decision.”

“She’s a child.” My mother spat back derisively. “She doesn’t know what’s best for her.” She glanced condescendingly over at me. “Look at her. She’s planning on throwing away an illustrious career in law in order to slap paint on a canvas. What does she know about planning for the future?”

My father opened his mouth to retort, but I beat him to it. “Mother, I am an adult. I am eighteen years old, and I have the right to decide my own life.” Eighteen years of repressed anger and longing burst from my words, sending them slamming into my parents’ figures. My father even rocked back on his heels slightly from surprise. “I don’t want to do Law. I never wanted to do Law. That has always been your dream – first for Rhys, and then after he died, you tried to force me into your little mould too.” My hands were trembling slightly by my sides as I tried to show just how desperately I wanted this. No, art wasn’t a fantastic career choice. As an artist, I would probably never make the money that I would as a lawyer, and true, the job security is near none-existent. But at least I would be able to rest easy knowing that I did everything conceivably possible to fight for my dream. I wouldn’t give up on my dream before it even had a chance to be realised.

“It was him, wasn’t it.” My mother whispered threateningly, gesturing to Jay who still stood close behind me, one hand resting on the small of my back to anchor me to the ground. “He’s the one who destroyed everything!”

Ice cold fury burned through my veins. She could blame me all she wanted for deviating from her perfect little plan, but I was not going to let her drag Jay into this as well. I had already risked losing Jay once for her, I wasn’t prepared to do so a second time. “Mother, Father, meet Jay Roberts, my boyfriend.” I stressed the word ‘boyfriend’ and my mother understood my message crystal clear. By defiantly admitting that I was dating Jay, I had sided with the enemy.

My mother stormed towards me, hand flung out to slap me. I flinched away, but the blow never landed. My mother’s palm hung inches from my face, her face contorted with anger and grief.