Page 38 - Contrast2008

is so unexpectedly sharp that she suppresses a course, " he says. Buutt imnSsiId e he begins to .ache,
yelp. She excuses herself and walks rigidly into the terrible ache of reliving, of hearing slre~s,
the kitchen, where she touches the cool mar- screamm. g, and desperate moans, J.Ust to bring
ble surface of the counter and spins one of the
wooden chairs. She props her elbows up near peace for this family.
the sink and leans heavily on them, letting her
head fall into her open hands. She remembers Jocelyn was thi.nki~ng, as a1ways, of w. here
a day when her daughter was home after mid-
dle school sitting with her feet crossed under she was headed next. The song on the radiOwas
her, doodling on her homework at the table.
Her daughter laughs because she is stumped, soft now, and she let her mind wander to green
and holds her hands up in frustration. "1 don't er dresses.
think I'll ever understand," she says, but her fields, shafts of sun 1ighr, an d summ d
voice is lighthearted. Marian unpacks groceries
and shakes her head, prodding her daughter to She loved to make scenarios in her hea ~~
focus and try again. Her daughter narrows her
pretty eyes and conjures all her might to solve follow songs; this one brought to mind a glr
her math problems, until she gets frustrated
and stops once more. The pattern repeats it- sneaking off with her boyfriend. She COUlds.ee
self, with small stories and smiles exchanged in
their daily process of homework. Her daughter birds around her flying through the sky in ~l1ne
sings some of the questions out loud to Marian
and fiddles with her pencil, swinging her hair to the rhythm of the music, and felt happIness
houg ht about
around her face. for her imaginary couple. Shet - h at
Marian raises her eyes now to look at the
the secrets they shared and the moonlightft h
chair, but after a year of waking up and flying hfioroumgh. tth0e te
to her daughter's bedroom with hope pressed they were waiting for. She aIso t .
into her soul only to find a stiffly made bed, fn.end she was gom.' g to pICk up alr~
she has no expectations. The chair is empty. he
Marian curves her back forward, willing it to
again be filled, and covers her eyes with her port, Anne, whom she had known sl~ce.~es
thin, feeble hands.
was a little girl. They always had gOOdt~ling
When Marian rejoins her husband and
their guest, Mike smiles warmly at her. "There together, taking walks in the woods an te evr
you are," he says and puts his arm around her loud stories. Anne was allowed to sleep °h y
shoulders. He looks at her with a meaningful d soon t e
glance, asking for unspoken approval. Marian when the girls both turne d ten, an . d w
braces herself and nods.
perfected the art of si.lent 1y sli1diing the two twn at0eh
"1 think you know we have some ques- open and sneaking out of the house were
tions for you, Pete. But please, only answer clastthe stars from her backyar.d 1heir dreamShands
wha.t you can." M'1k e's VO. Iceis strong and as- huge and sometimes they would mise
~unng, and he pats Marian on the knee. Pete
ISall eyes. He looks from husband to wife, "Of and make promises and predictions. pro or

to never marry someone who doesn't like you~ to
, '. Anne wen
I bet well be famous moine stars. ld be land~
the West Coast for college and wou. break.

ing home in less than an hour for spr~ngd eveIl
Th e girls were ready to 1r·ve I.t up, exCIte ,

if they were in Pennsylvania. d her
So as Jocelyn flew a1ong the rohaer best

head was filled with stories of loversbeaurf of

friend, and a joy in her heart at the h oghtS
is wehre h er last t
the day. And this Ltor a 1oss o.f futore 0nd nO
stay, with no grie f aes that

fear. They end here in the movmg tr~l addi~

surround the road, with only the sma

don of distant, kind words. early SO
But Pete,s rhoug hts were not n