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Chapter 14 - Stunted Foliage
Barbara arrived in Baltimore Sunday night. After her children went up to bed, she sat across the dining table from her mother. A contemporary chandelier of thin crystal plates of many widths and lengths hanging from a chrome, lit rectangle, cast odd shaped patches of bright light and dark shadow on the tan, cloth covered walls.
Looking past her Mother’s heavy, drooping face, at the patterns on the wall, Barbara said, “Chuck left the tour with Sonya Clarke. He left from Paris.”
She hated her mother. For the first time in her life, she knew without a doubt, she hated her mother. She felt energy pulsing through her forearms and fists. She wanted to hit her.
She focused on her Mother’s large, dark eyes circled above by bulging black eyebrows and below by layers of droopy crescents. “You should know Chuck has had affairs in the past, lots.” Barbara laughed, hoping her Mother would respond, hoping for a fight.
Mrs. Nichols was silent, staring at her daughter.
“Wow,” Barbara began again. “I tried to have fun without Chuck, go to Rome and everything. It didn’t work out. So now, I am going to divorce him. End of speech.”
Mrs. Nichols looked at her daughter, then down at the dark wood table. Her head bowed, she pushed her arms across the table towards Barbara. Barbara looked at them and then realized what she was to do. When Barbara folded her hands over her Mother’s, her Mother looked up, her face firm, and said, “you and your children will live here. I will not hear of any alternative. If you are to divorce him, Barbara, for your children’s sake and for mine, get it over quickly so you can start over.”
Mrs. Nichols was silent, staring at her daughter.
“Wow,” Barbara began again. “I tried to have fun without Chuck, go to Rome and everything. It didn’t work out. So now, I am going to divorce him. End of speech.”
Mrs. Nichols looked at her daughter, then down at the dark wood table. Her head bowed, she pushed her arms across the table towards Barbara. Barbara looked at them and then realized what she was to do. When Barbara folded her hands over her Mother’s, her Mother looked up, her face firm, and said, “you and your children will live here. I will not hear of any alternative. If you are to divorce him, Barbara, for your children’s sake and for mine, get it over quickly so you can start over.”