Post by Lancewing on May 11, 2014 20:28:38 GMT -5
Mother’s Day Lament
The sun shone over all of Ponyland. Today is supposed to be a special day; today is Mother’s Day. Ponies everywhere were taking time from their busy schedules to make cards, call, and give hugs to their beloved moms on that day. However, it was a sad day to one pony…
Bright Eyes stood before a beautifully crafted grave marker, holding a bouquet of pale purple flowers. On the headstone, it reads:
Here lies Prairie Lilac
Dearly beloved by her friends, husband, and daughter.
Taken after a long battle with cancer
She set the bouquet before the grave and murmured sadly, “Happy Mother’s Day, Mom.”
Bright Eyes was only six years old when she witnessed her mother losing to cancer. While she didn’t remember her mother very well, she remembered the grief she and her father had felt when she’d left them as if it had happened yesterday. Even now, her heart aches of this loss, though she was able to conceal it from her friends, even Lancer.
Normally she truthfully was able to put her grief in her mental vault in order to focus on the tasks at hoof, but it was painful reminders like Mother’s Day that really had her lamenting the loss. Her strategy, however, was to lay low. The less she saw her friends, the less likely anyone would see her like this.
She spoke to the gravestone, “I know it’s been four years, and I was really young when it happened, but it still hurts.”
There was a painful silence. She almost hoped that she would hear a reply, but nothing.
“Well, I’ll see you next year I guess,” she said before turning away and walking toward the gate.
Bright Eyes was considering something for lunch. She had half considered making a hay bacon sandwich, which was her mom’s favorite...but Bright Eyes didn’t really like hay bacon. On the other hand...maybe it could be like a tribute to her… Maybe…
But it was just lunch! Why did it matter?
But wouldn’t her mom want her to have something she wanted? And NOT eat something she didn’t?
“Bright Eyes? Are you okay?” Her dad, Circuit, asked.
“Uh… I am… Why?” Bright Eyes didn’t notice that she was crying.
Circuit decided that he needed to tread carefully. “You just look… undecided.”
“Oh… It’s nothing, Dad. I’m fine.”
“I know, but… I think you should get some rest.”
“Why? I’m perfectly fine.”
“Well, you can look even better with a little rest.”
Bright Eyes frowned, “Are you saying I look bad?”
“Uh… No. Not at all. I’m just saying that… well… Um…”
“It’s about Mom, isn’t it,” Bright Eyes stated. That wasn’t even a question; she stated it!
“Well… It is Mother’s day… And you normally visit her on Mother’s Day and her birthday… not that hard to guess.”
“Well… I’m fine, okay?”
“... If you want to talk, I’m here, okay?”
“Okay…” Bright Eyes sighed.
“I love you…”
“Love you, too.”
Bright Eyes lay on her bed, trying NOT to think about anything. Unfortunately, with that huge brain of hers, turning off her thought processes was not as simple as pushing a button. Maybe she needed to drain her brain… But how was a girl to drain their brain, anyway?
Reality shows?
Sitcoms?
A good book?
Bright Eyes nodded to herself a bit at that idea. Yeah; nothing was as amazing as reading a novel. Nothing was more distracting than doing so, either.
Bright Eyes picked up a random book from off the shelves and opened it to a random page. Perhaps it was a rousing fight scene, or a dramatic declaration of love…
‘I could have had brothers… or sisters… if only Voldemort hadn’t murdered my dad and my mum. Hey, your mum is dead too, right reader? Good for you. Go cry in a corner.’
Bright Eyes blinked in surprise, and suddenly, the extra text disappeared, leaving behind a simple angsty monologue. Maybe she needed a less angsty book…
She all but slammed the book back into its spot on her shelf and picked off another much shorter book; a story book. When she got back to her bed, she happened to read the title…
‘Are You My Mother?”
“Ugh!” Bright Eyes threw the book down- and broke down, crying. ‘Why did she have to leave me?!’ she internally screamed. “Why…?”
As if in some strange way, her question was answered by; the phone ringing. Bright Eyes choked up her tears and picked up the phone, “Hello?”
“Hey, Bright Eyes. What’s up?”
Bright Eyes swallowed up her tears as she replied, “N-Nothing…”
“Right... So what’s wrong?”
“What do you mean?”
“You didn’t answer the phone like you usually do. Plus… you sound upset.”
“Well, I’m fine. Just… tired, I guess. I dunno. What’s it to you?” Bright Eyes found just a bit of irritation in her tone. ‘Good,’ she thought with satisfaction, though tears still flowed freely down her cheeks.
“Bright Eyes, you still sound depressed. I can help if you’ll just tell me.”
“I-I...don’t want any help…”
Melody snorted. “Of course not. And you better tell me what’s wrong.”
“Why? It doesn’t matter!”
And, before Melody could respond, Bright Eyes slammed the END CALL button with far more force than was necessary. And soon, she felt regret. Someone wanted to help her, and she had just hung up on her!
Luckily, soon after, the phone began chiming its ring again, and Bright Eyes picked up almost immediately. “Bright Eyes, I care about ya. If you’re upset, I want to know why. And if you hang up on me again, I’ll storm right in there.”
“Melody…” Bright Eyes said, trying to get through the tears, “Would you mind storming over here anyway? I...I could really use a friend.”
“You WANT me to storm over there?” Melody asked incredulously. “I… guess I could do that. Uh, give me five.”
With that, Melody hung up the phone.
After about five minutes, Bright Eyes heard her door swing open through her muffled sobs into the pillow on her bed.
In between pants, Melody got out, “Got here… as fast as… I could.”
Bright Eyes removed her face from the comforting softness of her pillow. That made Melody pant for a bit longer in a pause. “You look horrible.”
Normally, Bright Eyes might have refuted Melody for saying such a thing. But before she could figure out what to say, her friend asked, “So, what’s wrong?”
“Well…” Bright Eyes locked up. ‘How should I start?’ she asked herself.
“Just start wherever, I’ll follow,” Melody replied, as if reading her mind. She took a seat on Bright Eyes’ bedside.
It hadn’t even taken a syllable before Bright Eyes was sobbing again as she poured her heart out to her friend. She recognized, with only limited shame, that she was failing at forming coherent sentences, but Melody didn’t seem to care about the abundance of run-ons and fragments, only listening on with a surprisingly open ear.
“I’m sorry you have to deal with that,” Melody replied once Bright Eyes had finished her recount.
The academic was too busy sobbing her eyes out to really think about anything but her lost parent. She didn’t even hear Melody’s comment.
She did notice, however, when Melody’s hooves wrapped around her in an embrace. She didn’t know how to react, except to hug her back. Even then, it was a muscle instinct; but it was comforting.
“You know, I lost my dad too,” Melody commented out of the blue.
“Yeah, my dad told me,” Bright Eyes said, “Also heard that you had an older brother.”
Melody nodded. “Yeah, I did.”
“But at least he’s still out there somewhere.”
Melody tapped a hoof on her chin. “Yeah… I guess, but I still think about them sometimes. Who they are, what they’re doing.”
“Yeah… That didn’t help.”
“Hey, the point is, at least you knew your mom.”
“Which makes it even more difficult for me.” Bright Eyes hung her head.
“Oh, sorry Bright Eyes. It would be harder if I knew who they were, but…” Melody rubbed her eye, as if unconsciously.
Bright Eyes saw the action out of the corner of her eye. “Are you crying?”
“N-No.” Melody choked as she wiped the tear away. “It’s just my allergies.”
“Melody, that is the oldest cover-up in the book.”
“Well… Maybe it’s the truth…” She said with uncertainty.
“Well...they weren’t bugging you before.”
“They are now…”
“What are you allergic to, anyway?” Bright Eyes questioned. Though she knew full well that her friend was making excuses, she wanted her to admit it.
“Uh… Pollen. Yeah, it’s on your window sill.”
“On the OUTside.”
“Well, maybe you left it open.” Melody sniffed and crossed her forehooves.
“I haven’t opened that window in-”
“Okay! I AM crying. Ya happy?”
“Now that you’re being honest about it, yeah. But I’m not happy that you’re unhappy.”
“Well then… Wanna do something that’ll cheer us up?”
“Well…”
“Or we can stay here and cry our eyes out. Which...isn’t so bad.”
“Okay, let’s go,” Bright Eyes said suddenly.
Both girls stared at each other for just a second before bursting into laughter.
