Conveyor Belt: Gripping Tales of a Transient Reality ©2023 by Gentri Gaines

"Amelia, Like You And I" ©2023 by Gentri Gaines [drama]

©All Rights Reserved.

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In a New England coastal town draped in the whisper of ocean waves, lived a fifty- something landscape painter named Amelia Peters who carried the weight of a lifetime's solitude...

Her path to this tranquil haven was paved with betrayal - her husband of thirty years-- his infidelity with their housekeeper shattered the foundations of trust she had meticulously built within that marriage.

Seeking refuge from a world that had wronged her, she arrived in the small town, hoping its serenity and isolation could mend the fractures within her mind and life.

The tight-knit community, however, greeted her with suspicion, casting judgment upon her frumpy clothes and reserved demeanor. To them, the frowning and aloof Amelia, often covered in diverse colors of paint, appeared as a bitter outsider, an arrogance she never intended but had grown accustomed to as a shield against past traumas. In Amelia's defense, most of the townsfolk presented to her as being equally unfriendly, judgmental and aloof.

She was managing alone reasonably well at her little cottage on the coastline. She only came into town when she was almost completely out of supplies. Unbeknownst to her, the townsfolk, driven by ignorance, began to label her a witch, and their children echoed these unfounded accusations directly to Amelia's face at every bratty opportunity. As for Amelia, this added layer of disdain became an unbearable burden atop her pre- existing pain. She recognized the goodness within herself. No one could ever dim her recognition of that, at least.

After months of enduring the cold shoulders, the taunts, and the unkind whispers, Amelia decided to confront her antagonists. With a newfound courage, she stood before the townspeople in a pivotal town hall meeting.

Amelia, usually guarded, laid bare the chapters of her life, beginning with the loss of her mother (the only person who had ever loved Amelia, an only child) in a horrific car crash when Amelia was six and Amelia's official diagnosis of autism at age seven. Each sentence was a brushstroke, thick with pain and meaning creating a portrait of her misery and struggles in life, nearly feckless at social cues, interacting with people and making friends. She explained how creating art saved her life and was now her only reason to exist.

She explained her purpose in the town - a journey of self healing and discovery after a bad marriage and a lifetime of inner turmoil. "I am not some loathsome, emotionless, evil creature without a spark of divinity," she declared, her voice unwavering, "I have feelings just like all of you. I have the right to be happy and unbothered by the judgments of others."

Her words echoed across the room, breaking the silence that had surrounded her. As the truth of her pain and resilience unfolded, the town's collective conscience began to stir. Shame crept in, casting shadows on the faces of those who had misjudged her.

The townspeople, recognizing their unjust treatment, extended tentative hands of reconciliation and Amelia wasn't sure how to handle the sudden switch from their hating her guts to their now trying to love bomb her. All she really wanted was to be on decent terms with everyone and to be left alone.

Slowly, the disingenuous withered away and left Amelia be. Slowly, real friendships blossomed between Amelia and those who truly got her. It was the hardest thing Amelia had ever done --letting those precious people into her life. But she did it and she didn't regret it. And, for the most part, the little town and it's people laid down its arms against Amelia Peters and began to treat her as one of its own.

Yet, the greatest test awaited her when her ex-husband, the architect of her initial despair, reappeared in her life. Drawn by the magnetic pull of her newfound strength and contentment, he sought reconciliation. But Amelia, having tasted the sweetness of self-discovery and the warmth of genuine connections, stood firm. Her past, once a shackle, now served as a stepping stone to a brighter future.

With a resolute heart, Amelia declared her independence from the shadows of her past. The expanse of the coastal town, once a backdrop to her pain, now witnessed her triumphant stride into a life defined by self-love and the genuine bonds she had forged.

As the ocean whispered its timeless tales, Amelia walked along the shore, leaving behind the echoes of her painful past. The coastal town, once a place of judgment, had become her sanctuary, a testament to her resilience, and a canvas for the vibrant strokes of her renewed life.

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