Exploding flowers

Maria ✂️

It was Wednesday, and the first time Maria was going to feel a sense of independence for months, possibly years. Independence from her mum in particular.

As she stuffed various items into her backpack, some that were there just for precaution in case the day went tits up (painkillers, plasters, basically all items recommended by her mother), Maria wondered how dangerous the first day of University could possibly be. Was she attending an English literature seminar or a military obstacle course?

She looked in the mirror to check she looked reasonable. What kind of girls would be at the seminar? Was she just asking to be a laughing stock with her long-sleeved yellow blouse, flowery skirt and black loafers?

I look like a housewife from the 1970s. And a virgin. She thought to herself, and undid the first two top buttons of her blouse to make sure people didn't catch on that she was, in fact, a virgin.

Maria's mother, Irene, knocked on her bedroom door. Maria was still finding the middle ground with adjusting her blouse buttons, somewhere between "I am young, new and fruitful" and "I am professional enough not to show too much tit-crack."

"Yeah, mum, I'm still getting-"
Irene let herself in without listening to her daughter. Maria didn't really know why she even bothered telling her not to come in, as her mother did so whenever she pleased.

"I'm glad you're up, don't you have to leave at 8.30?"

"8.45, mum. It doesn't take five minutes to get there."

"Oh, right. But it's probably best to leave early anyway, isn't it? With it being your first day."

Maria went and stood with her back turned so that her mother didn't see her roll her eyes. Her mother was always adding 15 minutes to whatever time her daughter provided, but in this case, it was completely unnecessary. She could see the football field of the University campus from her bedroom. It would literally take her less than 5 minutes to walk to her seminar.

"Yeah, sure." She replied, picking up her backpack and trying to suppress her sigh so that it instead whistled through her nostrils. Although it was an advantage to live right next to the University campus, it was also going to be a disadvantage, too, as she knew her mum would want her to come home on her lunch break.

As she turned and approached her bedroom door to leave, Maria knew she was walking into conflicted emotions. Her mother was like a parachute who had kept her from landing into the unknown, dark, intimidating jungle of life for the 18 years she'd been alive - she didn't want to see her sad. But she was intrigued to see that jungle she'd never explored. She was a young woman now, and she had to land the parachute somewhere.

"I'll start walking over now." Maria said, as she came face-to-face with her mother.

Irene put her hand up to stroke her daughter's face, her pale blue eyes growing dewy and wrinkling as she forced a smile.

"My baby girl," she said, "I can still teach you everything that they can. You know that."

Maria's fabricated parachute harness suddenly tightened, and she gasped, feeling her breathing become restricted. It started pulling her up, higher and higher towards the clouds, until the treetops beneath her meshed into one green, giant, mossy mess.

"You can still decide not to go..."

As Maria drifted further into the troposphere, the blue, meandering rivers that had been clear before became tiny, black veins writhing through the moss. The high altitude felt like how life would continue to feel if she were to continue homeschooling - crushing, suffocating. Feeling dizzy, she stretched her arms to feel for a pocket on the outside of her parachute backpack.

"I know, mum." Maria said, staring into her mother's pleading eyes.

The parachute situation continued to play out in her imagination. She had located the pocket on the side of the backpack and unbuttoned it. She clasped onto the smooth handles of the scissors inside.

"But I want to do this. You know that."

She hugged her mum quickly, feeling her fragile frame for a few seconds, and turned right to make her way downstairs. When she reached the bottom, she called out.

"I'll text, okay?"

In her mind, she was now holding the scissors in her left hand.

Maria then bravely turned her back on her mother's bewildered face, already feeling the guilt setting in. She put her hand on the front door handle and turned it.

And in one swift move, Maria cut the cords attached to the parachute, tumbling headfirst into a world where she would meet strange new creatures - girls who'd experienced school, friends, life...

...and boys. Oh so many boys.