prelude
(Hi everyone, A.C. here! I'm not certain how the content warning works. But just before you read, you must know. The following contains mentions of verbal abuse, manipulation and narcissism. Please read at your discretion! Sorry if it isn't a sufficient warning.)
Eden Colton, September 20, 20XX
Eden looked at the white living room she had grown up in, seeing the lack of pictures and warmth she craved.
Everything about this house screamed “wrong” and “empty.” She may have lived here with her mother, but sometimes it felt like she lived by herself. The nauseating scent of lavender made her gag as she placed her last luggage bag in her car. She was about to leave in silence when her mother finally awoke from her nap; maybe she should have used a higher dosage. Pure rage emanated from the short woman as she glared at Eden.
Then, the never-ending argument took place.
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“For the last time- Mom, I’m moving out. I’m not staying here any longer. I’m leaving the Island.” I argued for what seemed like the millionth time with my mother. “I have the rare opportunity to find a better job in the States. Don’t you want me to do well in life? This is my chance! Why’re you so pig-headed about it?!”
How to describe her, my mom?
Ah, she was the Devil.
Manipulative and bossy could sum her up. If I wanted to be accurate, ‘a raging bitch with anger issues’ fit her a lot better. She was a short Hispanic woman with long dyed blonde hair reaching her back.
Small round glasses adorned her face, owning a powerful voice that echoed through our entire neighborhood; right alongside her obnoxious and all-knowing attitude.
“Eden, I don’t care how old you are. I don’t care what you think. You are not leaving this house, even if it’s the last thing I do. You are NOT leaving me. Do you realize what you’re saying?” She countered, trying to persuade me to stop and obey.
Despite giving her a decent dosage of sleeping pills, there stood my mother in all her glory. Leaning against the wall to avoid losing her balance and angry enough to pick a physical fight. I intended on keeping my distance and leave sooner rather than later. Her hot pink nightgown swayed as she moved and shrieked.
“You’re saying that you’re moving- do I know where?” She tried to take a step and had to lean on the dining table as I took a healthy step back. “Do you even have a place to stay? Or did your stupid friends convince you to leave? You know how unreliable they are- and I bet the place you chose is so far away from the family- so you won’t have any help.”
I had no inclination to answer any of her questions. She could say whatever she wanted- I didn’t care anymore.
She took a breath, eyes glaring deep into mine, something I genuinely hated. “This job offer could be a scam. Don’t you watch the news nowadays? You’re acting stupid. So stop being difficult and stay here!”
Another pause as she tried to step closer, her body straining to stay upright as she placed all her weight on her arms- leaning on the table. Her eyes made her look crazy as she tried to get closer while I took smaller steps away, a foot’s length from the door but still far enough from her.
“You keep talking about this idiotic subject, and I’m going to ground you- OR better yet, keep it up. You already drugged me, all I have to do is say you attacked me and you’ll never be able to leave me- EVER!” Her expression, which was menacing a moment ago, turned into wild amusement as her lip curled at the instantly bright idea. “And I’ll have a plausible reason to beat you black and blue.” Her face was menacingly red, and her glare intensified as she locked eyes with me.
That was not an empty threat. She meant every word she said. And I’m sick and tired of it.
Being 23 and an MSN nurse, you would think that I would be allowed to make decisions of my own. I had hoped for a better life the moment I graduated. A life where I could leave everything behind, be free- move somewhere that didn’t remind me of home… or better said, this house.
There was nothing wrong with said house, just the person living in it with me.
For 15 odd years, I lived obediently under my mother’s roof, listening to her orders without hesitation and argument. I listened to her “nuggets of wisdom” to the “endless knowledge” she had to impart to me. Her knowledge- she claimed- included knowing the world like the back of her hand, without ever leaving this house or island in her life. Without a college or university education, without ever really accomplishing anything meaningful.
Health? She was an expert, a ‘natural.’
Mechanics? She could tell what the problem was with a single glance. Once or twice, she got lucky and got the answer right.
Engineering? She can fix any obstacle without breaking a sweat. Even if it meant tearing a perfectly working fan apart just to ‘clean the motor.’
And every other profession existing in the world? She claimed she knew everything, to the point she knew more than ′these so-called professionals.′
She’d always be calling me disrespectful when I pointed out her mistakes, arguing with me about not being as intertwined with our cultural beliefs as she was. Manipulating me in any way possible to stay with her.
In a sense… a grade A Narcissistic Karen.
But I had finally drawn a line.
I recently lost something I could never replace. In truth, I didn’t know what ‘it’ was, but the nagging sense of needing to leave hadn’t left me. And no matter what she tried, my mother couldn’t keep me here any longer.
I had a medical degree to my name, and I had a plane ticket waiting for me tonight. But I wasn’t leaving alone; I was heading out with my two friends. They had their reasons to go, but mine was to leave for a job opportunity that had reached me.
Recently, things haven’t been going well for us. Ivory was going through a breakup. Drestia was undergoing pressure for not finding a stable job as a fashion designer, something she excelled in.
My story was, I couldn’t stand living with someone who undermined my every decision and argued over the most minimal and simple things in life. This HAD to end.
“How about Grandpa? Are you going to break his heart by leaving too?” Moira LaFayette was honestly trying anything in her power to keep me here.
Why? Only God knew.
At 58 years old, she could pass for someone in their 40s, standing at 5′4" and having a round figure like a basketball. She pushed my father, her late ex-husband, away before I turned 2 with her raging antics and hasn’t remarried- yet. Instead, she was dating some man I hardly tolerated. Another fool who believed every stupid idea she comes up with, without hesitation, and with enough audacity to act like he’s my father. And chime in when ‘I disrespect my mother.’
“Grandpa Lou is fine with me leaving. As long as I maintain contact with him, and all that, he gave me his blessing.” I added with a shrug as I realized I almost forgot my purse - the rest of my things already in the car.
I looked around the room, still a fair distance away from my mother, as I noted my belongings. My brown hair whipped me in the face as I craned my neck to look around; I took another step back as my mother continued to glare at me.
“You can’t leave! Who is going to help me run the hardware store with you gone?” She was pleading, taking a seat as her legs continued to wobble. Her eyes held anger, despite her voice becoming thinner and laced with what I think- is uncertainty.
I finally looked her way, crossing my arms. Anger suddenly overcame me. “Well, Lionel can help, since he clearly thinks he owns the place.”
I then sighed as her eyes softened. “Hire people, vet them as you see fit and give them a job. The hardware store is not a family business. That’s what you want; I worked there since I was 13, Ma. I helped with everything: deliveries, heavy lifting, making new orders and inventory… I’ve helped soften the load. You can’t expect me here forever. Let me go. Let me live my life. I’m asking you this as kindly as I can. I want to go; I am going. The question is, do I have your approval?”
My navy sweats made me feel itchy as I awaited her response. Hopefully, for once, she was considering my feelings. My hand was on the door handle, my t-shirt snagged against the screen clips as I placed my back against the door. Moira raised her head and scowled at me.
“If you leave, I will throw your dogs out into the street. I don’t care about them, and they’re useless. Leave, and they leave too.” Another smile adorned her face as she thought she won.
I felt my heart squeeze, momentarily stopping. That was her most common threat, emotional manipulation at its finest. How was she capable of such heartlessness, you ask? I don’t know. This was the woman who claimed to have God in her heart. And I hesitated for show- digging deep into my acting skills for this precise moment, before shrugging.
“No need. Both of them are coming with me.”
She gritted her teeth, realizing her trump card had failed. “I’ll find something of yours and get rid of it.”
I shrugged once more, not caring or answering. That is until she pressed for an answer. “Do whatever you want. I took everything of value with me. I’m leaving nothing behind. If it’s still here, it means it’s worthless to me.”
She took a step forward, rising from her sitting position and nearly face planted. I almost reached a hand out to help her; I hesitated at the last minute. With this conniving woman- who knew what she was capable of?
“Y’know something, Moira? I became a nurse for your sake. I worked myself to the bone here for your sake as well! There has been nothing I’ve done for me. This plan I’ve made is my first step towards independence. So, watch me.”
The look of utter betrayal and disappointment overcame her. She hunched over the dining table, trying to regain her balance.
“I’m leaving Moira, and so help me God, I hope you know you’re the reason why. Be well.”
And with my head held high, I sauntered out the door. She began screaming my name, but I didn’t even look back. My purse was under my arm, and my keys were in my free hand as I walked towards the car. The old 2020 model Nissan was a rental; I had sold my car and everything else that tied me here. Whistling for my dogs and ushering them inside the car, I turned to look at the house. My life here, or the life I had known here, was about to end.
Taking a cleansing breath, I smiled at this old house before getting myself inside, staring at the cream and gray-colored house- before peeling off the driveway. A hint of guilt overcame me as I drove off. I was leaving Moira behind, under the influence and alone.
But one look at my neighbor wave goodbye to me as I left had reassured me. I was making the right choice. She lived beside me for as long as I could remember, and she knew what happened in my household. She promised me she would keep an eye on Moira, despite my mother’s personality.
With a bite on my lip and a shake of my head, I made my way towards the highway, leaving everything about Moira LaFayette behind.
But of course, I couldn’t leave without my dear friends. Drestia and Ivory lived near each other. And our flight was in two hours. I still had time. One of my dogs, Midas, wouldn’t settle down from his excitement- he loved car rides. About 15 minutes from now, we would arrive at Ivory’s house.
Luckily, Ivory and Drestia agreed to stay together to make the airport trip easier for me. It took me a week to bid farewell to everyone that mattered to me. Only Ivy’s family remained- unbothered by their 17-year-old’s decision to emancipate herself and move out. But she wouldn’t be alone, she would be in Drestia’s and my care. And Derrytown, Pennsylvania, was calling us.
After considering where to move for months, Ivy had the bright idea to move to Derrytown after much research and investigation.
‘Pennsylvania, here we come!’ We often cheered.
‘Hershey, here we come!’ I always added, a giggle or an instant craving for Hershey’s chocolate accompanied that statement.
It was a loud and emotional farewell as we left Ivory’s house. Drestia had shed a tear or four as we piled into the rental to get to the airport in time. Drestia almost sobbed when Mrs. Carter gave her an expensive sewing and marker set.
It was midnight once we boarded the plane and realized that our dreams were finally coming true.
Drestia was sitting beside me, as Ivory sat in the row beside us with Xena, my other dog. “Think you’ll miss your home?”
I turned from the window, looking at Dre and Ivory- who was gaming on her phone while Xena begged for her attention.
I considered my thoughts carefully, all the emotions I felt- and every memory tied with them.
“I will miss a lot of things. Leaving Puerto Rico won’t be one of them.”
Although my voice wavered momentarily, my decision was resolute.
And with that in mind, we left our homes and didn’t look back.
