One Winter Night (on Hold)

chapter 12

Lesson 1) that I have learned in life; explaining why you have a huge gash on your cheek isn’t as easy as it may seem.

I was sitting forced to sit on the sofa and explain why I had a huge gash; I gulped hard, my palms sweaty as I rubbed them against the fabric of my jeans. My mom was standing in front of me hands folded with a crossed expression on her face while Susan stood behind her smirking.

She liked seeing me in trouble.

“Well?” my mom spoke as she tapped her leg anxious for my reply.

“Um, mom you see, uh you send me to get groceries right? And there was this kid yea! And he um was holding this knife from the utensil aisle and um he didn’t see me and uh gashed my face...” my mom didn’t have much of an expression on her face, not that I could read it, even if there was one”

“That is so irresponsible! What were his parents blind?! Leaving their kids with a knife in their hand” mom fumbled to herself as she walked to get a bandage as I saw the smirk fall of Susan’s face.

Mum put the bandage on my face and started on dinner, I went up in my room sitting by my window as the snowflakes would freeze on the glass.

When I was three dad would take me out on snow day just me and dad, it was our day. We’d go get hot chocolate and he’d help me catch snowflakes but it just stopped after a few years. Dad got invested in his work that he didn’t really have the time for “fun and games” as he would put it.

I lay on my carpet in a small ball, touching the soft fabric of the carpet; it was white it made me felt as if I’m lying on snow, that’s why I loved it so much.

But everything seems so empty now, my house, my soul, my life; just like this very carpet.

I close my eyes till I pass out for a while.

                              *** 

I woke up around dinner; I felt Goosebumps on my arms so I grabbed a cardigan from my closet and walked downstairs.

“Hi honey dinner is almost ready”

“How long did I pass out” I ask as I grab a glass of water.

“About an hour, you looked so peaceful so I didn’t wake you up”

“That’s hard to believe” mom chuckled as she put the bowl of noodles on the dinner table.

“Come dinner is ready” she took a seat at the head of the table and I joined her soon.

“So aren’t we going to wait for Susan?”

“She’s out with her friends”

“Okay then?” I fished into my noodles and ate them in silence.

“So Maddy what has been going on?”

“Mom are you trying to make conversation?” I asked a little surprised

“Well it’s good to know what has been going on with my daughters”

“That’s new”

“New is good” that was the first time I actually didn’t mind talking to my mom, the first time she acted like a mother.

“Well I’m flunking chemistry, but that’s cool because I’m going to join an indie band and I’ll get tattoos and get high” I smiled a little to myself as I said that, so did mom.

“No daughter of mine is joining a band and getting all hipster” she said pointing her fort at me.

“You never know” I said shrugging and we both laughed, like a proper full of life laugh, it felt nice.

“Now seriously what’s been going on with you?”

“Nothing much, the same old, trying to not think of Jessica” I shrug as a play with my food.

“It’s okay to miss someone dear to you, it’s life, you take and you give and sometimes things which seem like the worst can sometimes turn things differently”

“I guess you’re right”

“Oh Maddy, I’m sorry for being such an awful mother”

“Ugh why do you call me Maddy?” I say in a playful manner.

“Why do you call me mom?”

“Because you’re, you’re mom!” I laugh and so does she.

“Come on, let’s get some ice cream”

“Ice cream in December?” I smile

“Changes are good” she reaches for my hand and I reach mine out to hers. She holds my hand and gives me a warm smile, she looks so beautiful when she smiles, she looks younger her blonde hair fall gracefully on her shoulder and her light brown eyes shine like the stars when she’s happy.

I get my coat and mom gets the keys, and we drive to the ice cream parlour.

                                  ***

“Mint chocolate is way better than vanilla crunch”

“Maddy dear I have lived more than you have I know vanilla crunch is way better then mint chocolate” Mom and I were arguing about which ice cream flavor is better than the other.

“Mom I have lived in this generation, I know what is the best flavor ever”

“I doubt that honey” I laughed as I ate my chocolate mint and mom ate her vanilla crunch.

“Madeline?” I turned around and saw Sean standing there a little startled and mom giving me the ‘I knew something was up’ look.

“Um hi Sean, what are you doing here?” I ask a little uncomfortable with this position.

“I was um picking up my brother, his tire went out” he never mentioned a brother or any family remember as far as I remember. My mum gave a small cough which put me out of my daze.

“Oh um this is my mom, mom this is Sean, he goes to my school”

“Hi nice to meet you”

“Nice to meet you too ma’am”

“Um mom weren’t we leaving” I pinch her thigh and she pinches me back.

“Yeah I got to get going to, see you around Madeline”

“You too” and he left.

“SO WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT”

“Mom calm down Sean is just a friend”

“Friend sure, whatever way you want to put it” she winks at me as we head to the car.

“Mom I don’t want you making a big deal out of this because this is nothing”

“You’re a very bad liar hun” I sigh, there was no point arguing with the ‘new’ mom, I like her this way but she gets in character real fast.

“How about we watch a movie” mom says as we walk back in, as mom turns the light on the colour from our faces drains.

Everything was trashed and in bold red it said

‘I’m coming for you Madeline’, I’m coming for you, that’s when I faint.