Sunday, June 20, 2004

Good day to you all. How is everyone? Good? Good. Well, you all know what today is, right? It's Father's Day. So if anyone is a daddy (let's hope not), but anyways, Happy Father's Day Dads!

Okay, now that is taken care of, I have been inspired by actual events of my personal life. I am going to share with you. It's something that has been pulling me down for the past 2 years. I have talked to many friends, received much needed advice, and I have slowly come to pass through the storm. But in recent days, the problem has come back..and it will only get worse once I go back home to New York. So here it goes:

"New York?! Why?"

"Your dad has been hired for a better job, it pays more and we'll live in an actual city. You'll go to a bigger school, have more friends," her mother tried to offer a sense of comfort.

"Are you kidding me? I like the school I go to now. I have plenty of friends."

"Alex, the guys on the fire department are too much older than you. They have lives of their own and families. You can't just depend on them to be there for you all the time."

"I don't depend on them to be there for me all the time. They are there for me more than my friends at school."

"Alex, you'll have much better opportunities to go to a nice college in New York. You do want to go to college, don't you?"

A silence filled the room. Intense, complex emotions hung over their heads. The kitchen began to feel as if it were withdrawing from under her feet. She didn't want to leave her childhood home. Not now.

"But, Momma, I'm in my last two years of high school...I wanted to graduate with my friends," Alex leaned against the counter.

Her voice shook as she struggled to speak without crying. Her eyes swollen with angered tears. Her mother began another heated lecture of how she didn't want her daughter to stay with the boyfriend she was with.

"You'll never get anywhere with him....You'll end up pregnant and in a trailer home...never accomplish your goal of being an artist.."

As her mother continued, Alex calmed down and thought about everything. She came to the all condoning conclusion that her mother was indeed right. The guy she was with was an asshole, and she probably wouldn't end up going to college. She would be doomed to flipping burgers at Micky D's for the rest of her life.

"When?"

"We're going to wait until the end of the school year. Your dad is leaving in a couple of weeks to start looking for a house."

With that, preparations for dinner began..and not another word was said that night.
_______

Weeks later..

"What?! When were you planning on telling us you were moving?! The day before you left?"

A group of Alex's girlfriends sat at the lunch table. She just picked at her food. She remained silent.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do a thing about it."

"You can stay with me. You know my mother adores you," Malerie offered.

"I know, but you know my parents won't go for it. Thanks for offering, though," she stood and took her tray to dump it.

-Outside-

"New York, eh? Well, it will be an escape from this Hell hole," her friend Shaun replied as he put a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah, but.." Alex started.

"No 'but's, Alex. You need to get out of here. You have too much talent and there aren't any good art schools here in Oklahoma. I know there are tons in New York..plus, you'll get to go to New York City and visit Ground Zero, the Empire State Building and all of that," Shaun tried to cheer.

Alex smiled and gave him a hug.

-In the Art Room-

"Oh Alex, that's great! You'll get into a very nice school for your art! I'm so happy for you!" Mrs. Russel, Alex's art teacher, hugged her happily.

"Thank you, Mrs. Russel," Alex clung to the sweet woman.

Mrs. Russel was the teacher that supported her students no matter how poor their talent actually was. She was the most loving woman that Alex had come to know. This woman was like her second mother. Always pushing her into art contests, getting her enrolled in more advanced art classes, taking her on trips to museums and fairs.

It pained Alex to leave this amazing woman and teacher. She had done so much for Alex in the years she had known her.

"You'll do just fine, Alex. I'll be looking for your work," Mrs. Russel smiled and teared up, giving her one last hug and kiss on the cheek.


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