Glimpses

Daughter

The lively chatter flowing through the theater irked her. It's true that sitting in a theater for long in silence is a pretty hard task, but our loving Ada Russel demanded that very thing. It was amazing that her daughter had got the chance to be the final dancer. 

After all, only the best were given that chance, but sitting midst this chatter was hard for her. She would have preferred her daughter's item as the first one for that matter. But it was always worth the wait. She was so proud of her daughter.

Ada's daughter was Margrett Russel, a famous 24-year-old ballerina who was raised by a single mother. Margrett never knew of her father from her mother because she never really spoke of him to her. Even though Margrett often denied so, she really loved her mother wholeheartedly. She just hoped to know a few things.

Back into the dimly lit theater, Ada felt someone sit in the empty seat beside her. The seat was the only empty seat left in the theater and Ada was both glad and sad that it was now filled in. Let's just say she preferred to not be verbal. Well, curiosity killed the cat and Ada sneaked a visual at the person beside her.

Ada's eyes widened the moment she looked at him. Beside her sat a middle-aged man, probably somewhere around her own by the looks. Oh looks! Let's just be short and crisp and say the man was blessed in the looks department. Very blessed indeed. But something felt familiar about this man to Ada and so, she ogled him more.

"If you are done looking at me then shall I talk?" the hazel-eyed companion raised an amused eyebrow at her.

"I wasn't looking at you" Ada tried to fire back, failing miserably and eyeing the man again.

"Oh, were you?" the man smirked.

"you know" She finally shrugged. The next performance had started in the background and now Ada was becoming a part of the chattering crowd she disliked.

"Who are you here to see today?" the man asked. Ada decided to call him Brooks for now.

" What makes you think I'm not just a normal citizen enjoying the show?" she grinned at him.

" You were looking toward the backstage when I sat here." He replied. " Just a wild guess on my part to be honest" Brooks grinned.

"Well, you're right. I'm here to watch my daughter perform. She is the final dancer" she smiled to herself, happy and proud of her daughter.

" Even I am here to see my daughter, but I don't know when she performs. All I know is that she is not done yet"

" Quite a father you are." She teased.

" Believe me, quite a father" he looked irritated at himself so Ada decided to change the subject.

"Um, hey! Do you think I look overdressed? My daughter told me she has something special planned for me and asked me to dress well." She asked.

Brooks considered the question for a second and then smiled shaking his head.

"No, I think you look good." He smiled and then paused looking at her hands. "Is that really an alligator skin purse you have? I've always wanted to know how they make it." He pointed.

Ada's face spread into a big goofy smile. People never asked her what she wanted them to ask and finally, someone had asked her. So, she dived into the story of how alligator skin purse is made and how she acquired it, and how the skin is removed and preened.

 She was still in the midst of talking to the attentive listener when she heard her daughter's name getting announced. Ada shifted in the seat, already forgetting the world and diverting all her attention to her spectacular daughter. 

Margrett was so beautiful and talented that she still couldn't believe that she was her daughter.

As Margrett took her final bow, the man whispered something in Ada's ears. Something, she never could have braced herself to hear. It was as if everything stopped for her just then.

" And that was my daughter you just saw" he had whispered.