Beaming Through It All

Chapter Three

One day, as I was in my room, brooding, someone knocked at my door. I didn't answer. They knocked louder. I ignored it again.

'Jenny?' I heard my sister say. 'I know you're in there. I know you're awake. Let me in please'.

I stayed on my bed without moving. Jill sighed.

'Okay, you leave me with no choice. I'm entering' she said.

I stood up as the door opened. Jill stepped forward and closed it behind her. She stared at me.

'Oh-my-God' she said.

I just stared back at her.

'Look at you!' she added. 'When was the last time you took care of yourself? Seriously. You've got to do something about your hair. And please you can't spend the rest of your life depressed just because of a little fall. There are such more important things in a life'.

I sat on my bed and stopped looking at her. I did not want to have this conversation.

'And for God's sake, answer me. Talk. I don't know, do something! Jenny...'

She sighed again. I kept silent. And then, suddenly, she grabbed my arm firmly and took me to the bathroom where she made me sit on the edge of the bath. I sort of let her take me, as I had no energy at all since my fall. I could smell her perfume and surprised myself once more thinking she was the perfect girl.

'I've always thought you had to go out. To do something with your life. I should have been more persevering,' she told me while looking for something in the drawers. 'Ah.'

She took a pink box out of the cupboard and opened it in front of me. It was a make-up box.

'Are you kidding?' I asked her. 'You're definitely not putting that on my face!'

'Well, at least you haven't lost your voice.' She walked to the door, locked it and put the key in her pocket. 'We're going out Jenny. If you don't want make-up, fine, but believe me you'll be glad to have some.'

I was in no position to argue and let her keep on. After all, she was a professional when it came to girly things and I didn't think she could ruin my face with her make-up.

I therefore let her approach my face with several brushes and different colors without saying a word. Until she stepped back and smiled.

'You are perfect,' she said.

She took a mirror near the washbasin and let me take a look at myself. I had to admit I was not too bad.

'Now, we definitely have to do something about your hair.'

Well, when she said 'we', she actually talked about herself because I didn't help her combing my hair and arranging it with hairclips and products that smelled like lemon.

When she was finally done, she opened the door and took me to her room to dress me up.

That is how I found myself wearing a short blue dress with heels and a bag that suited with it, my hair nicely done and my face looking pretty after all this time spent without even a smile on it. Jill even gave me some perfume.

She seemed to be quite happy with herself.

'Mom!' she called after checking my plaster for the last time - she had managed to make it look better by writing cool things on it with blue colors (like the dress). 'Mom, you've got to see that!'

My mom joined us in the entrance and opened her mouth widely. She had tears in her eyes.

'Jenny!' she whispered. Then she hugged me. 'You're so beautiful... You look so good...'