LJ Idol: Week 2
The snow fell heavily. She worried about her wedding dress. Her father carried her from the house to the car and from the car to the church. Once inside, she was surrounded by her friends and family. It was a bittersweet day, for the bride was barely seventeen and pregnant. This was more a marriage of necessity than of love, although, if you asked her, she'd swear she loved him more than words could convey.
Four months later, her daughter was born. They lived in the basement of her childhood home. Her father had been kind enough to make it into a kind of apartment for them. Her husband worked full-time, and she prepared to start her senior year of high school, knowing her mother would care for the child.
Time passed. They bought a house. A son was born. She worked as a hairdresser, a waitress, and a bartender. Her husband worked long hours as a truck driver, and spent Friday evenings in whatever bar he could find.
As the kids got older, an air of discontent settled over the household. This marriage of necessity was holding her back. Her daughter was disabled. Her husband wanted to live in the wilderness. She longed for a normal life, a good job with benefits, enough money to do the things she loved. Instead, she depended on her husband for insurance, and the tips she made to buy extras.
Eventually, her children left home. Her daughter went to graduate school and her son got a job. Both were out of state. She and her husband were finally alone. Both realized they were unhappy, but neither could do anything to fix it.
Today, little has changed. Her children have returned to the state of their birth. Her son lives at home, and her daughter is just a few miles away. Her husband dreams of living far from civilization. She only wishes her house wasn't falling down around her. At fifty, she is a bitter, lonely woman. Sure, she has friends, but that's not enough. Those who know her well are afraid of her dramatic mood swings, her anger, her contempt. All she can see is her own unhappiness, and her inability to fix it.
Before falling asleep each night, she looks back on her life. She thinks of all the things she could have done differently, wishing she could go back and find the step she missed. One misstep on life's road to happiness has eluded her. Unfortunately, no one is able to go back in time and fix things. She knows this, and falls asleep with the taste of resentment on her tongue. Tomorrow, she'll wake up and begin a day just like the one that came before, a day filled with unhappiness and bitterness. Nothing will change. Thirty-four years ago, she began to walk this path. Her only option is to see it through to the end, no matter how unappealing it proves to be.
This has been my contribution for week 2 of
therealljidol
If you enjoyed this, please consider voting for me when the polls open on Monday evening.