An unforgettable person -everybody has one. He or she has either played a vital role in our lives or has touched our souls by their actions or the things they have done that affect and influence us and our lives tremendously. For instance, the person I find so hard to forget is my mother, Victoria Montgrave. It all really began when I was nothing more than a wee lass.
"Mother?". Victoria Montgrave deliberately ignores 5 year old Surrey, parks her trolley and begins filling it with packets of instant oatmeal. "Mother?" says Surrey again, almost whispering. She gives out an exasperated sigh, looks down at her daughter and says, "Wot is it?!". Surrey springs into life. "Could I please, please, please have this doll?" she asks, pointing to the latest Barbie. Victoria rolls her eyes and looks away from Surrey. "No," she says flatly. Surrey frowns. "But look, mother," Surrey goes on pleadingly, "she even has her own car and it's pink! When I grow up, I want-" "No, Surrey," Victoria cuts in, "Now put it back where it belongs!" "But mum-" "NO, SURREY! Alright? No!" Victoria shouts, glaring at the poor child and attracting the attention of other shoppers as well.
The funny looks and raised eyebrows, however, fails to bother Surrey as she crosses her arms, on the verge of throwing a tantrum. Surrey feels her face grow hot, the heat then quickly spreading to other parts of her small frame, like wildfire. Tears well up in her blue eyes as she clenches her fists, tightening her grip on the Barbie, as if never wanting to let it go. "Why not?!" she shrieks. Victoria ignores the question but and yells out instead, "Put that thing back where it came from now!" "WHY?!" "BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY!"
The wailing stops and so do the tears. They have everyone's attention now. Surrey wipes her wet, freckled cheeks with the back of her hand, making her face seem sticky and unclean. Slowly, she walks to the shelf, taking tiny steps as dozens of pairs of eyes stare after her. Standing on her tip toes, Surrey places the doll back in its place without a word. Giving it one last look, Surrey turns and walks back to her mother as silent as a mouse.
A few years pass and Surrey has just completed primary school. She is much taller now, her short, curly, strawberry blond hair now luscious locks of golden brown. She is grooving to her favourite rock band on the radio when her elbow accidentally knocks over her mother's favourite coffee cup. There's a loud gasp. Victoria's beloved mug is shattered into pieces and there is coffee everywhere. "Not good," Surrey thinks. She hurries into the toilet and back again with a mop, hoping to clean the mess before she got into any trouble. But before she even tries, Victoria Montgrave pokes her head out from her bedroom and says, "Wot was that noise?"
Her mother only stares at the remains of her only coffee cup. How useful that thing was to her before going to work as a clerk in the mornings. If there was one thing that kept adults sane, it was coffee. And as you might already know, without it and that mug, Victoria was on the fringe of crazy.
"What happened here, Surrey Montgrave?!" Victoria shouts, her face the colour of a tomato. "I...I acciden-" Surrey manages to mumble. She takes a few steps backwards, trips on the mop and falls on her bum, the word 'trepidation' clearly portrayed in those blue eyes. "You wot?! You wot, Surrey?!" Victoria shoots. "It...t'was an accident, I'm really sorry, mum, I really-". Victoria lets out a scream, grabs her unsuspecting child by the head and starts tearing her hair off.
"Mothe-" Surrey chokes, in tears, her body pressed against the cold floor, her hair pulled by an enormous force -Victoria. "Mother, I'm sorry!" she yells, barely breathing. But Victoria doesn't listen. "Mother, please! It hurts!" Surrey pleads, "Mother, I'm sorry!". Victoria stops and Surrey feels relief, happiness and utter relief flooding her system. But then her mother comes back, holding the wet mop and then tries pushing it down her throat.
It is the year 2010. Surrey gets a scholarship to study psychology in Oxford university. "After all those years of watching other girls show off their new toys, of never achieving my dreams, of being afraid, I'm here now. I've earned it." she thinks to herself one day in the library. Suddenly, her cell phone rings. The librarian shoots her a dirty look. She then exits into the hallway to take the call.
"Hello? she says. "Good afternoon, is this Surrey Montgrave, daughter of Victoria Montgrave?" a voice replies. "Why, yes, yes I am" Surrey answers, slightly nervous and literally feels her palms getting sweaty. She tightens her grip on the Nokia. "I'm calling from Blackburn hospital. I'm sorry to tell you that Victoria Montgrave has suffered a major head injury after a freak car accident this morning and has passed on" the voice says. She loses her grip and the Nokia drops on the floor.
***
My mother wanted to become a lawyer. She was about to enter college when she got pregnant -with me. My so-called father ran off with another woman and when her parents found out, they kicked her out. That was when she lost the only thing she ever had -her family. I often wondered how different things could've been for the pair of us if grandfather and grandmother had only supported us, but it's pointless. She had a very hard life, mum. My mother had never taught me things like valuable life lessons or said anything like what your parents would say to you -I just learned from her mistakes.
And unforgettable person -I have one. She played a vital role in my life and touched my soul by her actions and the things she has done that affected and influenced myself and my life tremendously. The person I find so hard to forget and never will forget is Victoria Montgrave, my mother.
SUMITRA
And unforgettable person -I have one. She played a vital role in my life and touched my soul by her actions and the things she has done that affected and influenced myself and my life tremendously. The person I find so hard to forget and never will forget is Victoria Montgrave, my mother.
SUMITRA
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