Messages Through Time

Marie placed the key into the lock, unlocking the front door to her home, a small quaint house that sat at the end of the street with a field of yellow grass and occasional wildflowers that sprung free during spring, leaving a sporadic pattern of colors to be viewed from the distance outside Marie’s bedroom window. She loved her room just for that picturesque view she was fortunate to see everyday.

Walking into the living room, the lights were out, darkness engulfing the room, pervading every corner within its vicinity. The house was empty, no signs of a human presence, a norm that Marie had become accustomed to. Her mother spent most of her days and nights making up for the loss of their father, earning enough income to cover the bills. No, her father was not dead. Worse. He’d left. Abandoned them to be with a younger, more spry and adventurous woman, one who didn’t complain or rant at his shortcomings, so he said.

Annie, Marie’s younger sister, had suffered greatly at his departure, her being the closest to their father. With their father out of the picture, it appeared everyone had become detached from each other, walking in separate paths. Their mother’s absence took a toll, and slowly Marie noticed that Annie began spending all of her time with close friends, ignoring Marie and seeking company elsewhere. Marie missed her sister deeply, missed their long conversations among other things, and just the connection with anyone, but she understood that Annie needed time. Time to familiarize herself to their new life, their present reality.

Heaving a sigh, Marie climbed the stairs, making her way to her bedroom. Only a few more months and she would leave this hellhole, a town that ostracized her since her father’s exodus. Theirs was a town that looked down on those who were different from their own, and Marie’s father had left an undeniable mark on her family. Wives whose husbands left them were shunned, blamed for the man’s guilt by default. Their children sneered at for being fatherless, and hence, Marie had suffered cruelty at the hands of her peers.

Throwing her backpack on to the bed, she grabbed a loose shirt and some sweats from a nearby dresser, eager to wash the dust and grime that had gathered on her face from the walk back home. Although she was currently in her own bathroom, her mind pulled her back, reliving the moment from earlier, the reminder of that moment set on her cheeks and lower chin.

“Marie! Maarrriie...Where are your clothes from, hmm? The thrift shop... or perhaps, the dumpster near your mother’s work?” Samantha spat, Marie’s own personal bully. It was after school, and Marie was on her way back home. Unfortunately, her bully took extra efforts to bother her after hours, often following Marie to get her kicks in. Marie hastened her steps, heaving a sigh and squeezing her eyes tight, a desperate attempt to tune out the taunts of her bully.

There were only a few months left until graduation, and Marie’s self-control had not cracked yet, otherwise, she would have let her anger explode at her adversary, swinging arms at her opponent. Unfortunately, the scholarship she applied for required good conduct and exceptional grades. She had the grades, however, the bullying had escalated in the past few weeks, no doubt an effort to ruin Marie’s chances at receiving the $20,000 scholarship. Repressing her emotions were getting harder everyday, but the reminder that the scholarship was her one way ticket out of this backwards town, helped maintain her composure when faced with her nemesis.

“Hey!!! I’m talking to you!!!. Answer me, or I’m going to think you’re purposely ignoring me, and you wouldn’t want to see me get angry now, would you? Samantha gritted through her teeth, her voice echoing down the small neighborhood, garnering attention from a few pedestrians strolling by and a couple sitting on their front porch. Marie stumbled a few steps and halted, Samantha walking past her to stand before her, face to face, glaring down at her with disdain.

“Look, I don’t need any problems. I just want to go home and work on my assignments, eat a small meal and go to bed. Is that a problem?” Marie rolled her eyes, crossing her arms across her chest, a semblance of courage reverberating through her body. With an audience watching, Marie was sure that Samantha would not act out.

Samantha lifted her right hand, a dark aura emanating from her presence, waves of anger crashing down on Marie, causing Marie to wince before the hand would come slamming down on her face.

“Excuse me, young ladies, is there a problem here?” an old man in his late 60s, dressed in a white polo shirt and khakis, stood behind Samantha, scrutinizing them both, eyes narrowing in on Samantha’s raised hand. A sense of relief flooded Marie, grateful for the old man’s appearance.

“Aaaissshh…..no...no problem old man. I was just saying my friend here is funny...haha!” Samantha said, words rushing out of her mouth, a hint of red spotting her cheeks. “I’ll see you tomorrow, ‘friend,’” Samantha exclaimed loudly, appearing to make her leave but not before kicking her right leg out, hitting Marie’s shin and knocking her out of balance. Marie crashed head first into a pile of leaves stacked at the edge of the lawn, coating bits of dead leaf stems and dust on the side of her left cheek and temple and a faint scrape beneath her chin.

“My gosh, young lady, are you alright?” the old man rushed to her, slightly bending down with a hand held out, a kind gesture indicative of the strangers decency, given her family’s reputation. Helping her back up to her feet, Marie brushed the few dead leaves clinging to her long wavy ebony hair, and cupped the stinging scrape to assess the damage.

“I’m alright... Thank you for your help,” Marie responded.

“No need, young lady. Kids these days, always looking for trouble. You stay clear from it, okay, young lady? I see a bright future for you,” the old man said, “don’t let those kids bring you down, you hear me?” Marie politely nodded, acknowledging his statement.

“Yes, I won’t,” Marie smiled at the old man, signaling her gratitude. Gathering her backpack from the pavement, she shoveled the books that had fallen out during the fall and turned to head home, ready to forget this whole day.

With a full stomach of leftover lasagna, and dressed in comfortable clothing after a warm shower, Marie prepared to work on her assignments, laying out her books from her backpack on to her desk. Sitting in front of her picturesque window, she sat down on her chair, viewing the sun casting colors of oranges, purples and pinks as it slowly sank down the horizon, the darkness of night creeping steadily in to steal the day away.

Hours passed with no interruptions, not a sound to be heard, as Marie completed the last of her assignments. Looking at the clock hanging above the window sill, she yawned as she observed it was past her bedtime. Her mother wouldn’t be in until an hour before midnight and by then she’d be asleep. Getting up to brush her teeth for the night, she knocked a book from her desk, a little black book that she’d found mixed in with her other school books. She must have accidentally grabbed the book somehow, perhaps when she’d fallen in the old man’s lawn.

The little black book laid open, bearing its empty pages for her eyes to see. Bending forward to pick it up, a peculiar sense of déjà vu rushed over her, and then the strangest thing happened. Words started to appear from nothing.

“What the…” Marie dropped the book immediately, collapsing onto her knees, at a loss for words for what she’d just witness. Fear surging through her veins, she lifted her hand to pick the book back up, convincing herself there had been nothing, only her imagination. She was tired, and had barely slept the night before.

Collecting the book, she shifted through the pages, noting the empty lines with no script to be read. “I’m imagining things now...It’s definitely been a long day and I need sleep,” Marie yawned again, stretching her free arm, gathering the book onto her knees, but within seconds of grasping the little black book, words began to race across the top page. A message, only a few lines.

Don’t worry, Marie. Your future is set and it is going to be magnificent.

Trembling, Marie fell back on her haunches, dropping the book in the process, her heart beating rapidly in her ears. She was going crazy. No. It was a lack of sleep. That had to be it. Pushing up onto her feet, she seized the book, and threw it on her desk. Rushing to brush her teeth, she exited the bathroom and dashed towards her bed, throwing out the lights along the way. Sleep finally crashed upon her in the wee hours of the night.

Marie’s day started out like every other day, alone and isolated from her peers, she focused on her assignments, silently resenting her father for ruining her life. And just like the day before, Samantha followed closely behind her, taunting and teasing Marie. The old man that had helped her yesterday afternoon stood on his porch, waving at her with a large smile on his features. Seeing him, Marie was reminded of the strange little black book. She’d left it on her desk, a result of Marie avoiding the hallucinations of last night.

Half an hour later, Marie ran up the stairs, dropping her backpack and racing to her laptop. Cracking it open, she logged into her email account, awaiting a message that would determine the direction of her life. Today was the day the decision for the scholarship was made. Crossing her fingers, Marie clicked on the new email, exhaling a breath as the message traveled across the screen.

“Congratulations, Marie! You have been selected as a recipient of our scholarship…” Marie read aloud. The rest of the words blurred together, excitement and remorse overtaking her at the same time. Excitement that she was leaving this town, but remorse that she would be leaving her younger sister and mother behind. Just like her father.

Tears clouding her sight, the corner of the desk caught her attention, the little black book’s presence reminding her of the message from the night before. Hesitantly, she shifted in her seat, clutching the book in her arms and slowly unfolded the pages, revealing a new written message scrawled in familiar handwriting.

Change is inevitable. Don’t be scared of it. Walk your path and always remember that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, a breath of fresh air out in nature, and new adventures to be had at every turn... you just have to get through the darkness of life’s storm to reach the colorful rainbow that is bestowed on those who seek it. So don’t deter from your path. Walk it, own it, and in the end you won’t be alone. I’m rooting for you.

Marie smiled, tears running down her cheeks. She didn’t know how this was happening, but she knew that writing. The slight curve of the t's and the wide waves of the y’s. It was her handwriting, but yet it wasn’t. This was the handwriting of someone who had persevered, had successfully become who she was meant to be. Marie didn’t know what the path ahead had in store for her, but she’d gain confidence that she was heading in the right direction. After all, she could trust herself, right? For the first time in a long time, Marie didn’t feel so alone, and smiled, laughing at the thought of having a conversation with herself.