(The anticipated Part 2 everybody!! By the way, this is a shorter part, only because Part 3 is going to be a lot longer. Hope you like it!!)
Williams Beach was about a mile away from Downtown Chicago, but it took my taxi driver about half an hour to get there because of all the summer traffic. When he finally stopped in front of the beach, I was in awe.
Chicago was located on the shore of Lake Michigan, and even though it wasn’t an ocean, small waves beat against the rocky sand. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and right when I stepped out of the car, rays of heat hit my body.
I hiked up my dress, and took my heels off, holding the bottom of the dress in one hand my stilettos in the other. I was surprised that not many people were there; Williams was always swarming with tourists and kids in July and August.
I walked down to the wake and slowly sauntered northward. The tide rhythmically pushed past my feet, then sucked the water and sand back in, as if it wanted to grab me and fling me into the sea.
Families with their children were camped out under beach umbrellas. A group of older teens, probably in college, were splashing each other ferociously with the lake water. In the distance, a couple of small sailboats were floating serenely, and I could just make out Navy Pier.
I must’ve walked about a mile and a half, I wasn’t counting, when I saw a large limo on the highway, a couple hundred feet away. My heart stopped beating, and for a second, I was sure that my mother was coming to get me. Once it got closer, I realized it definitely couldn’t be my mother’s, since a group of elderly women stuck their heads out and screamed. I wondered what they’d been drinking.
I started thinking about how well the wedding was going. I figured that the ceremony would have been done by then.
I imagined Mom and Joel at the alter. They were saying their vows, and when Joel put the ring on Mom’s finger……
Nauseating feelings came over me, and I leaned over and puked the remainder of my breakfast in the sand. I clenched my fists and got down on my knees as I emptied out my stomach.
People were giving me disgusted looks, and one guy even yelled at me and told me to find a trash can. I didn’t really hear them. Burning tears of guilt and sadness slid down my cheeks.
After I stopped throwing up, I curled into the feedle position and set my head in between my thighs. I was hidden from the world, now in my own little cocoon where I didn’t have to listen to anyone.
The problem was I kind of wanted a shoulder to cry on. I wished that my mother was with me on the beach; I definitely needed one of her world famous hugs.
I slowly got up and made my way back down shore. The bottom of my dress, now covered in wet sand, was obviously no longer white; same with my stilettos. In my mind, enormous, grey, thunder clouds were forming above my head.
It wouldn’t be easy, I knew. A lot of people were going to be disappointed in me. But as I walked back to where the taxi had first dropped me off, I knew what I had to do. Sometimes you have to accept something in order for another person to be happy.
When I finally got to the road, a yellow cab swiftly came to my side. I fished out another twenty dollar bill and flung it at the driver.
“Take me to the Baymore Hotel please.” I murmured loud enough so the driver could hear me.
