End Of The Year Digital Portfolio - Memoir Vignette
Maybe Love Isn’t Forever
I hoped and dreamed that he wouldn’t leave, but their life
was such a hell being together. (Opener) Now my parents, they
put up a front. Every time they come to my school for a meeting or conference,
they have on a front
“Nobody needs to know our situation,” my mom says.
“But, some people already know cause it isn’t a big
deal.”
“I don’t want anybody teasing you.”
“It is fine, nobody cares anyway.” (Dialogue)
I always thought that parents would always be in love,
be together forever, and be happy together. (Magic Three) I was
wrong, and I realized it when I was just 7 years old.
5
A.M waking up in a cold room like any other day like every other day. At my
age, no one should know about this time of day. The house was dark as a cave
(Simile); I rolled out of bed and into the bathroom. The house, it feels
different. It is like the house is angry, maybe even sad about something.
(Personification) Maybe, I should just ignore it. My teeth are now brushed
and they are white as pearls. (Simile) and off I go to get some breakfast
with my parents! I walk in the kitchen; there isn’t a piece of bacon to be
found, or my dad. My mom is standing in the kitchen alone with this blank expression
that I don’t recognize. “Morning, Dakota,” (Dialogue) my mom says in a
monotone voice. Her tone, her eyes, and her posture it is different. (Magic
Three) I can’t identify what it is, but it isn’t happy and it isn’t tired.
“There isn’t breakfast today,” she says.
“Why not?”
“Dad and I need to talk to you about something.”
“Is it bad? Cause you seem sad.”
“You won’t be happy about it.” (Dialogue)
What could I not be happy about? Whatever it is, my dad
always makes the best of it.
My dad, his footsteps, they
aren’t peppy. They are loud and sad. The floor vibrates, more than usually. I
can barely keep still. I want to see what is going to happen. I run over to
my dad fast as a cheetah, (Simile) “HI DAD,” (Dialogue) I say
enthusiastically. “Hello Dakota.”
(Dialogue) We walk over to my mom. Her eyes, I can see them better now and I
could see the horrible emotion that filled them. Puffy, red, and cloudy, it
is like somebody just punched her in the eyes but, they haven’t swollen up yet.
(Simile, Magic Three) I look at my dad. His eyes, his breathing, and his
clothes, they are all out of sorts. (Magic Three) He is never this messy.
“What is going on,” I ask cautiously.
“Your dad and I, we need to talk to you about something
important.” My mom states firmly.
“What is it? I am shaking in my pjs!”
“Your mom and I have been
having some problems. Problems that aren’t getting ironed out.”
“What kind of problems?”
“Your dad and I aren’t getting
along as well, as we use to.”
“WHAT? What does that even
mean? You guys love each other and you are supposed to get along, perfectly.
I’ve never seen you guys argue.(Dialogue)
The
tension in the house becomes thicker. The house creaks, waiting in anticipation
for the answer (Personification). The answer isn’t coming fast enough. I
stare at my parents, in agony. I want, need, desire to know what it is going
on.(Magic Three) Am I too young? Will I not be able to understand? I just
want to know. My mom, she hasn’t said anything. My mom is holding on to the
table as if it keeps her from falling. My dad is holding on to the wall like
he is an old man and needs a walker (Simile). I am frightened, what if
somebody died? I don’t know what I would do. I need answers and I need them
now. TALK, PLEASE!
“Your father and I need some time
off.”
“Cheryl, don’t lie to her.
This time is off, Dakota. It is going to last forever.”
“WHAT! WHAT! I DON’T
UNDERSTAND!”
“Your dad and I are
separating. He has to move out.”
“SEP-ER-ATING? What does that
mean?”
“Dakota, your mom and I aren’t
getting along. We argue a lot more than is normal.”
“Wait…Dad. You are
leaving…forever?”
“Yes, Dakota. I can’t live
here anymore.” His voice is cracking like he is a teenage boy
going through puberty (Simile).
“Dakota, this isn’t your
fault. Your dad and I just don’t love each other anymore. We need to become
different people”
“You said that love last
forever! This isn’t forever!”
“I know. But remember, your
mom and I will still be your parents, even though we aren’t together. We will
still love you. I will still love you. You are my daughter, I will never stop
loving you.”
“Dakota, mommy loves you. I
will always love you.”
“Who do I live with?’
(Dialogue) I say as the tears fall like a stream from my eyes, to my nose,
to my chin (Simile, Magic Three)
“You will be living with me.
Your dad will be moving in with somewhere else.”
“Dad, you can’t leave! I need
you! Your hugs when I have awful days! Your jokes when I need cheering up.
You..can’t..leave!”(Dialogue)
I
am yelling and they don’t even seem to care. The room quiets down and I hear my
mom sobbing. She has no reason to cry, it is not like she loves him anymore. I
still love him and I will always love him. I have these memories and I can’t
even make new ones with my dad anymore. He is basically gone. His hands, his
embrace, his laugh are so warm (Magic Three) and they are leaving me. Now,
I won’t be able to have them everyday, they are my own personal drugs and I
am addicted. (Simile)
“I have to leave now, Dakota.”
“YOU CAN’T LEAVE!”
“I have to leave. I will be back.
Not to live here, but to see you. Promise.”
“YOU CAN’T LEAVE!
NOOOOOOOOOOO!”
“Don’t follow me.”
“Don’t let go.” (Dialogue)
He
lets go. I am standing in the middle of my parents, my mom is holding on to me
and my dad has let go of me. I haven’t let go and I need to chase him back to
where he belongs. I dash after him and grab hold of his leg. He isn’t going
anywhere now because I won’t let him. The scent of tears travel to my nose,
they are my dad’s. (Imagery) I didn’t know tears existed in my dad’s body.
I thought he was too manly to have tears or to even cry. I feel his huge arms
picking me up from his leg to his chest. My forehead is gently kissed as tears
spill on to me. My dad’s shirt is drenched with my tears and the hallways
echoes from my wails. My dad carries me back to my mother, who has fallen to
the floor, and sets me down with her. She grabs hold of me and her touch is
cold; (Imagery). My mom is making my dad leave the house; how can she think
to even touch me. I am furious at her and try to wiggle out her grip but she
just grips harder.
My
dad’s footsteps become quieter. The front door opens, shuts, and my heart stops
working. (Magic Three) He is officially gone and I am with my mom. There is
nothing else to do. She puts me in my bed and I cry until I fall asleep. I
awake later on that day and realize that what happened wasn’t a dream. I
yell as if somebody just broke both my legs (Simile) and my mom comes
running in. Her eyes are worst than before, which I imagine my eyes look like
too. I gaze up at her, turn over, and go back to sleep.(Magic Three) I
want nothing to do with her right now. She closes the door and walks to her
room. Sleep comes easily because I am fragile like glass. (Simile) Just
a few hours ago, all the water in my body rushed out through my eyes.
(Hyperbole) Life goes on and school comes the next day. The rest of the
days, months, years of my life are different. (Magic Three). I become more
and more unlike the person I was before the separation. I am stronger but I am
weaker. I don’t fall for peer pressure but I get mad at meaningless things.
Things like somebody bumping into me and saying excuse me. Things that I didn’t
notice before my dad left. I am older now and understand everything. They won’t
tell me the reason why they separated because they say I don’t need to know. “Not
everybody can keep up with the changes a person goes through and they
eventually fall out of love,” (Dialogue) says my mom. People can’t
control if they fall out of love, it just happens,”(Dialogue) says my dad.
Sometimes people take on bigger roles than they should of. As the years past, I
realized that my dad was never actually gone he is always still here. My dad
still loves me and I see him often. I realized that things happen and marriage
isn’t always for everyone. Divorce was made for a reason.
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