Elizabeth Harrison's Hope For A Better Tomorrow

6: An Awkward Interaction

She struggled to decide if she was ready to open them yet – she couldnt lie to herself, but she was more nervous to see whats in there – maybe that why she has been avoiding them since she received them. She decided not to procrastinate any longer and sat on the carpeted floor beside the luggage and unzipped it. With shaky hands, she pulls out one of the two presents that Ruby left for her only daughter and sighed before pull out the envelope labeled as My dear Ellie, open this one first. She paused and gave it another thought – she wasnt sure if she really wanted to see, but decided to carry on and torn the envelope from the top and pulled out a letter from it. She once again paused as she was suddenly welcomed by the very familiar scent – the scent of her mother. She almost felt her presences. For a brief moment, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before unfolding the letter. It was a letter written smoothly by Ruby with black ink. Elizabeths eyes rolled on the words.

Ellie,

You are the last person I am writing to. For days I have been thinking about what and how to write to you, my love. You have no idea how many letters are crumpled in the bin – I have tried to start this letter with so many ways, but in the end, decided to just spill whats in my heart. Take it as your mothers last request, but dont throw it away – just read it out. This way I will feel that there is someone that could listen to me.

I know I have apologized to you, Silas, Maria, and Marcus so many times, but what I did was unforgivable. I was blinded by power and money – I couldnt see anything past my own happiness and it had cost me, my children. You all hate me – whats worse could happen to a mother? But, I believe that this is what I get for how miserable I made Marcus – who always thought of me as a mother, but I couldnt be one to him. My dear, I am in pain – mental pain and I just want to be free. I am now just a burden on everyone – especially you and I want you to be free as well. I am leaving something for everyone for them to remember me, but there is something very special for you, open it with a thought that maybe you will forgive your evil mother someday.

Love,

Mom

Elizabeth was feeling a lump in her throat – she had tears filled in her eyes, but she didnt let them fall. She sniffed and put the letter back in the envelope before she removed the wrapping from a blue box. She took off the lid to see that there were two smaller boxes, one wrapped in a dark green sheet while the other – which was smaller than the other was in a red paper. There was also a note over the top of the box covered with green sheet that said, Open me first, Elizabeth had an urge to open the other one first, but then she decided to go as her mother planned and remove the green wrapping paper to see that it was small diary. The diary had Everything your mother wish for you, Ellie, on its cover. She opened the diary to be welcomed by the similar scent of her mother – she traced her fingers feathery over the letters scribbled by her mother.

My love, like any other person I had dreams. But they couldnt come true – I wish for you to achieve everything you ever desire for. Elizabeth flipped the page and continued to read and soon she got lost in her mothers words. After what a while she realized that she was too much devoured by her mothers story – she decided to give it a rest and put the diary back in the box before she put the box in the luggage and zipped it seal. Elizabeth is a bit familiar with the streets around the Hotel – she stayed someplace nearby when she came to visit Chicago the last time. She decided to talk a walk around to divert her mind, so she wore a thick coat, hung her purse on her shoulder and off she went out to wander.

As she walked through the busy pavement on a midday and overcast day – she couldnt help but think about what her mother had written in the diary. Ruby had decided to tell Elizabeth a story of her life and dreams. Elizabeth is determined to read it till the end. So, as she walked around as she recalled what her mother decided to share with her, I was the eldest of all the five sisters – we had no brother and that disappointed your grandfather a lot. He thought of us as the burden – he wanted us to marry at a young age so that he could have a grandson who could look after his well-established business after he passes away. Now, dont you hate your grandfather – he was just thinking like most of the men used to think at that time. Being the eldest, I was bought up with a thought that I will be the one who would be marrying off first. Now, as a teenager – the idea fascinated me. I was a crazy girl with too much adoration on her mind. I used to think that I will meet a man of my life and I will marry him.

But, little did I know – something else was already decided for me. Well, I was thirteen when I first went to Paris with my mother and father – there I saw a couple holding hands and looking at each other with such adoration in their eyes while sitting in a coffee shop on cold French day. I just couldnt help but feel happy for them. That day I wished to meet my soulmate at a coffee shop – now, I know it sounds stupid, but dear, I was thirteen – I was supposed to be a stupid girl who lived in her own fantasy.

When I turned twenty, I was depressed because my first ever boyfriend dumped me. But, that day turned out to be more depressing when I came to know that my younger sister Monica was getting married to a rich man my father chose for her and she was happy. I was upset for two reasons, one, my younger sister was getting married before me – I could feel peoples judgmental gazes on me. Some feeling bad for me while the others were trying to figure out what was wrong with me and two because she never found her own love. Elizabeth, love cant be forced upon anyone – it is found. I wanted to find my love, but when I turned twenty-one, my dream to find love was crushed. On a new years party, at one of your grandfathers friend I was introduced to your father, Owen. Dont get me wrong, my love. Your father turned out to be a perfect man, but I just wish I could find him myself. I wanted to fall in love before I marry the man of my dreams, but it couldnt happen for your mother. I wanted to feel how it feels to develop a crush. I wanted to feel how it felt like to sneak out in the middle of the night to see the one you love – who is waiting for you outside your house. I wanted to hear those words, I love you – it isnt like I didnt hear them – I did but after I got married.

With her head down, Elizabeth walked slowly with her hands in the pockets of her coat. She sighed and halted as she lifted her head up to see that she was near a coffee shop. Her mothers word rang in her mind as she slowly walked nearer to the coffee house. I wish for you to feel love, she recalled what her mother wrote for her. I wish for you to find the man that will always be there for you. Who would put you before him, I wish you a man who would fall in love with you on the first sight. I wish you a man who would guard you against all the evil of the world. Elizabeth stopped in front of the entrance of the office house – she took a deep breath and looked inside. She doesnt know why, but she decided to go in even though, she wasnt in the mood of coffee. Her mothers words push her in.

I couldnt live my dream, but I wish for you to live yours, Elizabeth thought of her mothers story. I always used to imagine that one cold day I will walk into a coffee shop and there he would be, she recalled as her eyes automatically wandered around the hustle bustle coffee house. I would meet eyes with the man, who would be looking at me with such adoration, she recollects the words her mother had written in the diary and somehow met eyes – but not with a stranger, but with a man oh-so-familiar. Instead of adoration, there was a scowl on his face. She stopped breathing for a couple of seconds – there sat Leo Wayne, with a laptop opened in front of him – all alone with one hand on the table while the other held a steamy cup of coffee. She slowly walked towards him with her eyes still on him. He knitted his eyebrow and looked around bewilderedly. I always dreamt of him to look at me and be left dazed, Elizabeth thought of her mothers story as she walked nearer to where Leo was at. I always used to imagine him looking at me and the only word he could utter would be, wow. She called to mind what Ruby wrote for her.

What? Elizabeth snapped out of the world her mother had created in her head and realized that she was standing too close to Leo while staring at him, Marias scary brother/her brothers nightmare/the guy who hates her family. She gulped and shook her head before she sprints out of the coffee shop. Elizabeth was too embarrassed. She pressed her lips together mortifyingly and hastily walked away – she couldnt believe she let her mother control her mind like that.