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Story Starter: Opening

James Warren November 04, 2014
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”Ma, that’s why your name is Violet.” Gwendolin looked at her mother in the eyes. When they stood close together like this, Gwendolin was just slightly taller than her mother, although it always seemed that her mother was the one who was larger than life.

“What are you talking about?” Violet asked, her arms still around Gwendolin’s waist.

Gwendolin sighed, as if she had explained herself on this very subject numerous times before. “God made you a pretty flower. Sometimes you lose your petals, but every spring, you’re there in full bloom again. God made you our flower.” She smiled that toothy smile of hers, beaming at her mother.

Violet thought about all the things that happened to their family over the past few years. She looked toward heaven, and closing her eyes, whispered “Thank you.”

Then she looked again at Gwendolin. She was still smiling at her. Slowly, almost hesitantly, Violet’s lips parted, as her own face broke into a grin. And the tug on her heart was irresistible. Violet threw her anns around her daughter’s neck, and squeezed hard. “Gwendolin,” she said, “I love you. I really do. I know it’s been tough lately, but finally, thank God, finally, things look like they’re gonna be alright. The Lord’s been good to us, yes he has. He gave us one another, didn’t he?” Violet’s eyes got moist, just as Gwendolin’s did. She continued, ”You’re my flower, honey. You’re mine.”

Gwendolin closed her eyes then. For the few seconds her mother held her in embrace, Gwendolin breathed a sigh of relief. She remembered how she had felt just a few hours ago, when they had heard the news on the radio that there had been a bombing in Oklahoma City, at the same building that Rudy worked at. They had sat there stunned, for what seemed to them like a day and a half, but really had been only a few minutes.

Then, what seemed to them like a miracle happened. Rudy called. He was okay. He couldn’t talk long, but that was okay. He was alive. She remembered how they had felt stunned again, but this time, it was an overwhelming flood of joy. Her mother had prayed, thanking God, and then, they somehow got onto a trip down memory lane, going way back, remembering all the things their family had been through. Then, her mother, for the first time in a long time, started to cry, saying how much she loved Gwendolin and Rudy. She had never heard her mother say it with as much conviction as she did then.

Gwendolin opened her eyes and looked up. In her heart, she hoped this moment would never end. But in her mind, she knew it would. In a few minutes, things would go back to n01mal, with her mother stepping back, and brushing her skirt, and using her pinky finger to wipe the tears from her eyes without smearing the mascara , and using her hands gently pat her hair into place. Yes, it would be over in a few moments, and her mother would say something like, “Gwendolin, you know me, can’t get too emotional…” These moments only happened every once in a while for mother and daughter. But whenever they did, Gwendolin seized them and treasured them for eternity. It would be okay, though. She knew how her mother was. She knew that she and Rudy were loved. Even if it was at arm’s length, most of the time.

Photo credit: John Lodder

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