a perfect life !!

This is just something i kept on working on in my spare time. i'm not really good at writing so please don't be too harsh. also what other ideas can you give me to put into the story ?? oh yeah, and the romantic part will come later on.

thanks everyone

-budding

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'Honey, its time for school'

It is my mom. Everyday she wakes me up as part of her routine. Comes into my room. Draws the curtain and speaks in a hearty voice,’ rise and shine, my young lady'.

Everyday through my thin bed sheets I can smell the trail of her strong perfume and can feel the presence of her overbearing figure. Today like everyday is the same. The door clicks open and in she walks.

‘Get up sweetie,' she tells me while picking up some of my crumpled clothes spread across the floor. I can smell a faint trace of alcohol. She has been drinking. Drinking and grieving over her crushed hopes.

'Come on,' she urges me while struggling to draw the heavy curtains.

The room which was dark now became flooded with dim sunlight. The wind is pretty strong. In fact so strong that it blows my thin bed covers of me. A small laugh escapes my mouth. The wind had done what my mother had not been able to do. My mother had her back to me so she didn't see what I had laughed about.

'What is is?'

“Oh nothing, I just woke up.'

'Now off to the bathroom,'

'mom I am 15, I know what to do'.

Without another glance back, I walked towards the bathroom. We had these little kinds of fights everyday. First she tells me what to do and I would get mad because I already knew what to do. And I had known what to do since the very minute that dad left. actually what was the point in getting angry with her, even after all these years, she had been trying to round up her shattered heart and convince herself that everything was in one piece. But the truth was that she couldn't do it, dad was the glue that had held us together, without it our lives was like hanging on the edge of a cliff. While lost in thoughts I manage to trip over poor pearl. Pearl’s my cat. She was my 6Th birthday gift. My gift from dad................

8yrs ago. We were the perfect family. Dad, mom, pearl and I. we lived in a big house with two verandas and a pearl white floor. Actually come to think of it that's when I had got my birthday gift. That tiny round ball of fur. I can still remember how I felt when I had hunted through those pile of gifts to find dads. There it was with a red ribbon and pink wrapping paper with teddy bears waving all over.

As was our family ritual, we had to take a picture with every first gift we opened. It was especially effective there for as soon as I had put my chubby hands into the rather heavy box, I pulled out a round ball of fur. After examining it all over I decided that it should be named pearl. The picture of my first meeting with pearl still makes me laugh. It shows a very surprised me with a round o for a mouth and pearl climbing on my shirt threatening to tear my birthday hat off because I had interrupted her peaceful sleep.

I will never forget that. My mom, the perfect housewife. Always catering to dad's endless supply of friends and the amount of parties we had, phew, with loud music blaring out and shaking the house to its very foundation! But, she never got tired, how could she, she had always owed dad something and it felt to her that she was only doing her duty. You see, mom was actually not very literate, not that it was on purpose but since in those days it seems

Those girls were married of quickly. She had finished school in grade 12 but had never opportunities to go to university. The problem was that her father, the late Livingstone, had found a husband for her. In those days husbands were hard to find especially ones from rich families, but he had done it. She had pleaded with him but her love for her family and father was very big, and so she agreed. According to what mom had told me, dad had heard about her not going to university and the amount of sadness that hither and so he had taught her day after day and night after night all the things she would need to get a decent job. In the end she had got it, the one thing in life that she had always wanted, eventually that was what drove her and dad apart.

My dad, an adventurous man who had loved his family very much. The fact that he had wanted to settle down and have a good life with his wife and children scared my mother. After a lot of crying and protesting I was born. But no more kids ever were my mom's policy after that. Take it or leave it. Unfortunately I think that went too far, he insisted that mom stay home with me till I was at least 3 and then go back to work. But no, my mother was greedy about her job, not realizing the consequences. At the age of 1 and half I was left with a baby sitter or mostly dad. Dad’s reputation was at stake. Whenever neighbours saw him returning after work they nodded their heads, but gossiped behind his back.

Matters became worse when he started to drink and the parties began. I had no idea what happened after that. One Christmas after dad came back from Paris he told mom to sigh the divorce papers. I since I was still small, I watched from behind the door. There was a lot of shouting and in the end mom signed the papers and dad went out the door. before going he had told me something,' Kylie, he began, life is not as it seems, life is never a happy time, friends who are friends now can become your enemies in a couple of seconds, and you should be the same, choose your friends careful, for they choose carefully too'.

I had not said anything. 'What? I asked.”

He gave a little sigh. Digging through his pockets he pulled out a tiny ball of paper and a thin necklace with a cross on it.

‘What’s this for?' I asked.

'You’ll know one day' he said as he placed it on the palm of my had.

Oh boy, I was exited, I couldn't wait for him to come back and see me wearing the necklace. I waved as he went, never realizing that it was the last that I would ever see him, ever again.

After a month had gone by I asked mom where he was. He’s gone dear. Two tears slipped down her cheeks. I hugged her hard and promised to never leave her. From then on I hated him. I did what I could of my mom, and shared whatever she went through. I became the mother and she the daughter. 1 year later as I came back from school, I found two wedding invitations in the mailbox. There it was written in big black letters:

Patrick

Weds

Ruby

I was disgusted. How could he. Leave us and sending us wedding cards. I never showed them to my mother. She was already in an overtired state. It would only burden her troubles and worries. If she had seen them she would have wanted us to go. Wearing our best clothes. Beautiful gold and cream crinkled gowns with matching roses in our hair. To buy the most expensive gift available, a honeymoon to Hawaii, an expensive furniture set, or even a trip of a lifetime with a mansion attached........... If she could afford it. She would have wanted to show that we were in one piece, that we could survive without him. But what use would it do. Dad was like a robot; he would just take one look at us and know what was going on in our hearts. Even a pack of desperate lies couldn't have helped my mother. The gasps, failures and dejectedness overtook her. She was like a live mummy. Living working, breathing yet not somehow awake. Like the world was passing in front of her eyes yet the pictures were fuzzy, unclear, and unsure. Many a night, she would swing on the hammock and stare ahead. Sometimes a little smile was pasted on her lips. I know she is remembering of the good old times. That life lies awake in her heart and mind. The real world is just a movie, a movie to be seen and forgotten.

Back to the present. I can hear mom humming an old song. A tuneless song. It goes like this:

Every night in my dreams

I see you

I feel you

That is how I know

You go on.........

I decide to ignore it. The coldness of the marble reminds me that I am bare foot. The floor seems even colder than normal today. I wonder where I put toddles. It’s what I call my bedroom slippers which has two little bunny sticking out of it. Bit raggedy now but it has never lost its warmth.

It’s made by my grandma. A little childish you may think, but so what at least it’s better than the ones they sell in the shops which gives you a sharp poke as soon as you put your foot in it. I can see where they are later I tell myself.

Next thing to do is get myself ready. as you have read some of my flash backs you may think that I am quite certain about most things I do ( why not everything you ask ? well if I was sure of everything I wouldn't’t be a human in the first place ) then wouldn't you find it funny that I get scared of looking at my own reflection. It’s my closest secret. Only Mary knows. She’s my best friend.

I look in the mirror now. What I see haunts me. A thin girl of fifteen looking back at me. Not thin as a good posture but as a close resemblance to a skinned chicken, slightly hunched forward with knobby knees. I know you must be thinking that isn't that bad. But it is....... pale black shadows under each eye, smeared mascara all over my face and my hair looking a most frightful mess. The remains of purple lipstick smear across my lips are evident. My light brown skin looks almost bleached today.

Out of my whole figure I find only two things that I find that seem okay. My long graceful legs and my bundle of curly raven hair. I got them from my mom. Although her hair is of a lighter shade than mine. I got my eyes from dad. Blue. As pure blue as the open ocean.

I snap out of my reviewing when I hear pearl scratching her claws on the bathroom door. Unlike most cats I know she actually hates to eat rats and mice of which we have plenty here, how wouldn't I know when these disturbing creatures make the most annoying noises in the dead of the night. Many times I have tried to set aside some food for them so they won't make noises in the kitchen. They absolutely don't even give a glance and insist on messing around in the kitchen. Drat these creatures.

Pearl loves to take a view of the garden every morning. She does that so she is convinced that there are no intruders in the garden. Again, unlike cats, she is like so rough and tough, she even creeps all the dogs out for all I know. I lead the way into the garden. The morning mist has settled leaving dew drops on the flowers. The lease look fresh and the sunflowers are blooming on one side. Such a beautiful garden. While pearl is still looking around I stop to take a glance around my neighborhood. Its one of those relaxed ones in which you can hardly see anyone walking around in the early hours. Now it was not the early hours of course but the majority of people In this neighborhood was plain lazy to even head out in the morning and look out the window. Not that anyone would of course.

It consisted mainly of oldies, and middle aged people. There were hardly any kids around, except for my best friend, Mary who happened to live at the end of the street. My other best friend, Liz lived bit out of town. She had her own transport which brought her to school every morning. Other than, Mary there was, Nicky and Sheldon, the twins, Paul, Elizabeth and Jake. The twins lived next door. The annoying brats. Though they are 2 years younger than me, they are not the most well behaved boys. Why I say annoying, because I have to watch my feet wherever I go. Traps always seem to follow me around.

Paul was this other kid who lived two houses away. He is the quietest and shyest person I have ever seen. For a boy of 17 he was unnaturally polite. Elizabeth was the total opposite. She was the noisiest person I have ever seen. The music starts blaring from their house at 5 in the morning and you can even see her dressing with her windows open. Crazy if you ask me. What do you mean by that? You ask, well going into the details is not my favorite pastime especially about someone like her. Lucky, I haven't told you the other things she does, the list would never finish. Why she does this?

Well that easy enough to answer, to get Jake’s attention, to show off her perfect bikini body dancing to the music. Last person of all, Jake. The most popular and handsome guy in the school. Well that's what my friends say, I don't think so. While his looks may be charming, if I do say so myself, he is the biggest jerk I have ever seen. He doesn't even care about any one's feelings, least of all mine, considering we live in the same neighbourhood. Why should his car, when everyone is practically drooling over him anyway. He is like everyone dreams come through, but for me, he would be the last person I would want to see on the face of the earth.

A whine comes from the neighbor's dog. Looking around I realize that pearl is not here. She was probably the one who made the dog whine. I smile a little to myself. As soon as I turn around to go into the house. The ringing of a bell gets my attention. I think I know who it is. The jerk.

“Go away,” I say

“Aww, come on Kylie won't you say hello to your neighbor,”

“Not interested.” “Get lost.” “You’re spoiling my morning.”

“Correction I’m making your day,”

“Maybe to others, but not me”

“You are so annoying,”

I say clapping my hands on my ears and closing my eyes. I took a step forward and oops, I tripped. I fell on to pearl's freshly dug hole of manure.

“I think I am spoiling your day,” he says,” see you in school, freak, oh and remember to wash yourself. You wouldn't want the mice to follow you.” laughing to himself he goes.

He thinks he is so funny. Well too bad I don't think that. Anyway it’s nearly time for school. I can see Elizabeth dancing as if she was on fire. Wonder if she's doing the funky chicken? Hahaha. Oh I’m so evil I know. She starts shaking even harder as Jake rides by. Oh, did I mention, she's a cheerleader. Yeah, she's trying out her moves on him. Jake doesn't even notice. Can’t help it but I start to laugh. The sight of her doing all these flips and everything, and oh, I think she actually tripped on one of her heavy brocade curtains. Serves her right. My laughing must have been really loud because she turned to me and gave me the rude finger. Whatever. As if I care.

“Honey,” mom calls from inside, “can you see to the toast?”

“Sure,” I called back.

She’s probably having her bath. I turn and walk into the house. The unmistakable smell of burnt toast reached my nose.

“Shit,” I yelled and sprinted to the kitchen.

It was full of smoke and smelt pretty bad. Using the clippers I took out 4 black pieces of toast and deposited them into the already dirty sink, full of dinner trays.

“Mom,” I gave her a questioning look. She grinned back at me sheepishly.

“Sorry, I guess I just forgot I set it when I went to wake you up.”

“That’s, okay.”

I went over and gave her a hug. She’s been really distracted recently over trying to find herself a new job. She was up all day and night going to interviews, writing resumes plus the everyday things. It was still way out of our budget to afford a house keeper.

“I’ll just make us some pancakes,” she said.

Till then I decided to get changed into my school uniform. God, I look so stupid wearing it. Well, my school uniform consists of a green and blue plaited skirt with a matching striped shirt. I also plop on some lotion and add a pair of hoop earrings. My hair, I’ll just let it loose. My cell phone buzzes suddenly. It’s Mary. I wonder why she's calling so early.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“Oh my gosh, Kaye you have got to hear this”

“What? Tell me”

“Not now, meet me down by my house, it’s a long story”

“OK, meet you there”

“Bye”

“Bye”

Okay, so I’m so filled with curiosity.

“Kylie, breakfasts ready,” mom calls.

But I don't even hear her. I grab some money out of my drawer and run downstairs. “Bye mom,” I call.

I don't even wait for her response. On the way I grab my school bag and rush out. I can see Mary waiting by her post box.

“hey,” I call to her.

I can't wait to hear what she says.

-the end-