My Daughter, Audrey [ON HOLD]

The Homesick Girl in America

Audrey sat by the window of her mother’s house.   She had been there before, so there was nothing new she could investigate or get her mind off the comfort of her stay with Peter and Jennie.  It, too, was raining heavily in California.   Audrey, in her midst of glum, pressed her tiny finger on a raindrop behind the glass and followed it with her finger until it soaked into the sill.  She did this with countless raindrops until Helen stormed in and jerked her arm from the window, getting her immediate attention. 

               “Now, darling, you promised not to sulk!  Finish up your homework and you can watch TV.”

               “I don’t want to,” Audrey said softly.

               “Are you arguing with me, young lady?”  Helen said sternly, pulling her clenched fists onto her hips.  Her foot tapped the polished floors impatiently.

               “No,” Audrey said.   The little girl, having been under profound stress, couldn’t help herself when she burst into tears. 

               “Quiet!” scolded her mother, slapping her own thigh.  It wasn’t long before she boxed Audrey’s ear.

               Audrey gasped, and in shock, she stopped crying.  But when she felt the stinging pain spread across her face, she cried even louder, much to the further annoyance of Helen.   Helen grabbed Audrey by the arm, her nails digging through the patterned cloth, and dragged Audrey to her bedroom upstairs.

               “I will not have you crying in my house all the time!  This is where you’re going to stay, you here?  I’m a busy woman, and I don’t need you to get in the way again!”  

               “I want to go back home!”  Audrey wailed, her breathing coming out in uneven paces, for she had never been struck before.   “I want Daddy!”

               “Daddy’s not here and he never will be!  He’s gone forever.  The sooner you realize, the sooner you’ll hush up and be happy here!”  Helen threw Audrey’s door open and tossed the child inside, she was about to slam the door on Audrey when she noticed the drawing Audrey had done back at Peter’s.  Hating the story behind the picture, Helen marched up to the piece of paper, yanked it down from its strip of tape and tore it up.  

               Audrey watched in absolute terror as her work of art fluttered into the air in quarter-size pieces.  They all landed on the ground in rainbow streaks, only this time they formed no picture of Peter and Jennie coming home to her.  All Audrey could do to console herself was balling up and sniffling silently to herself.   

               “That will teach you, you little brat!  Now be quiet, or you won’t have any supper!”  Helen, in her high black heels, took off and shut the door behind her.

               Audrey’s chest tightened at the sound of her door being locked from the outside.   She had a moment of fear at the thought of not being able to escape, but she soon found it nicer to be away from the mother.  Audrey scooted over to the pile of mismatched pieces and began slowly connecting the tear marks together, hoping she could resurrect her treasured drawing.

               That evening, Helen’s grandfather came over to look after child while Helen went out for a photoshoot. 

               “She’s upstairs, Papa,” Helen said hurriedly, scooping all her cosmetics into one bag.   “She’s to be fed at seven o’clock; she can be taken out, but don’t spoil her with sugar—don’t want those lovely teeth falling out.”

               “Now, Helen, she’s just a child, those teeth are going to fall out.  I would love to treat her to one bag, if I may?”

               Helen exhaled loudly and wiped her glistening forehead with the back of her hand.  “Fine!  But no more than a bag!  Goodbye, Papa.”  She gave her father a peck on the cheek and then raced out to her waiting vehicle. 

               The grandfather shook his head at his daughter’s wayward ways and headed up the flight of stairs to Audrey’s room.   He was a kind old man with a white head of hair and a well-groomed mustache decorating the top of his lip.  He wore a tweed suit and brown shoes that never matched his outfit.  His tie was bright green with little white dots splattered in an disorganized fashion.    When he made it to Audrey’s door, he knocked on it and called out in a pleasant tone, “Audrey?  It’s Grandpa!  I’m here to take you for ice cream!”

               Audrey, upon hearing a gentle voice, stood up quickly and dashed to the door.   The fringes of her dress blew her almost completed picture to bits again, but Audrey didn’t mind, someone that cared for her was waiting outside.   Audrey tried the doorknob, but she had forgotten Helen had locked it from the outside.

               “I can’t get out!”  Audrey called through.

               “Oh, dear, you poor thing!”  The man leaned down and turned the lock.  He opened it carefully, and upon seeing Audrey’s sweet, childish face, he dropped to one knee and held out welcoming arms.

               Audrey did not hesitate to fill his arms.   If there was anyone she had missed the most, it would’ve been her grandfather.  After kissing both cheeks, Audrey took his hand and waited for him to take her somewhere.  

               As if reading her eager brown eyes, the grandfather chuckled and walked side by side with Audrey down the stairs.  “Where would you like to go?”

               Audrey chewed on her lip and thought about all the pretty memories of the city.  She loved the dress shop because she could watch the “pretty ladies” waltz out in fine bright garments adorned with sparkling jewels; she loved the candy shop because each day there was a different flavor lollipop; she also loved going to the pet store because of the rabbits, which she wanted dearly.   But, even though she was shy of turning seven, for her birthday was a week away, Audrey’s mature mind thought of the people she loved most.   She looked up at her grandfather and smiled her sweetest.  In a soft tone, she said, “I want to go back home to Daddy.”