Jenny Lynn Day 2 Flashcards
6 paragraphs
Worst Proposal Consideration Decision Vows Epilogue
Worst Part 1
wasn’t there either. Then I noticed father’s study door open which was strange because it was closed when he’s away, then I saw Mother inside holding a photo and a letter. “Mother” I said. No reply. I saw that she was crying. She dropped what she was holding and walked out of the room like I wasn’t there. I picked up the letter and read the first line. “To my love, William”. It wasn’t my mother’s handwriting though. What I saw next froze me. I saw my father, who I loved, with his arm around a woman who wasn’t Mother, I saw the Statue of Liberty in the background of that photo.
Worst part 2
I understood now why he had really kept going to New York. A tear raced down my cheek. Once that first tear broke free, the rest followed in an unbroken stream. It felt like an eternity before I started slowly walking to the kitchen where Mother was.
“Go to your room Jenny.” She said to me strangely calmly.
“Bu-“
“Now. Your father is expected home soon.”
I walked away as my noisy sobs echoed through the house.
Proposal
Mother met him outside so I couldn’t hear them. Eventually the front door opened and footsteps raced towards my room.
“Ma fille” I had never heard his voice sound so sad. Tears were running down his cheeks as well. I won’t forget what he said.
“I’m sorry, I…I.. have to go. I can’t stay here anymore. I have to go back to New York. I know how much you wanted to come see the world and you still can. Live with me. I will be back tomorrow, pack your stuff.”
He left before I could say anything and that’s probably a good thing because I didn’t know what to say.
Consideration
He offered me what I always wanted but could I accept it? When Mother told me about the ‘The Choice’ I didn’t know I would have to make it so soon. I pictured myself in New York with my father, it was everything I wanted but could I have it? Could I leave Mother with her sickness? She wouldn’t admit it she needed me more than anything. Could I really leave? I didn’t know
Decision Part 1
I had to decide the next day. My father returned home in the morning. I slowly walked to the kitchen where I saw him standing there looking at me pleading agony and my mother sitting down crying. Looking at the tears run down my mother’s face It hurt me to realise that my father wasn’t the man I thought he was. I couldn’t leave Mother who needed me, to be with a liar. No matter how much I thought I loved him, I couldn’t live with him when I knew that he left my mother when she was sick to be with another woman.
Decision Part 2
I had to accept that the man who raised me was not the man he seemed to be. If I didn’t accept it I would be forever blinded to Mother’s pain. The only sounds were the the waves outside and my mother’s cries. The silence was painful. I couldn’t look at him but I managed to say in the shakiest of voices “I’m sorry Father but I can’t leave.” I knew that he turned his head to look at me but I couldn’t bring myself to look back, then he just left and I never saw him again.
Vows
I gave up my dreams of travelling and promised that I would always be there for my family. I threw out all my books and never touched one again other than ‘Ivanhoe’ for school. They always made me think of my father who not only left Mother, he also left me. It was hard to give up my dreams but how I couldn’t let myself love the what my father loved now that I knew who he really was. I wouldn’t let anything like this happen to my family, I would always be there for Mother and my children would value family more than anything.
3 YEARS LATER EPILOGUE
I grew closer with Mother more than I thought possible. I began to share her passion for our home. I came to love the horseshoe harbour, the sea winds, the sound of the waves crashing against the shoreline and most of all, Mother more than anything. She was getting better too so my brother didn’t have to worry as much. We came to be a happy family. We even got to know my brother’s partner more. He had reddish copper hair and crystal blue eyes. There was something about him that I really liked, perhaps it was that he had dreams too, but a stronger sense of duty. It became hard not to think about him.
