You are my home

Saturday, January 7, 2006

Valerie

After walking a bit, Melissa and I sat down on a bench. Rose is sleeping wonderfully in the stroller. "I just got a text back from Emma. She'll be there in twenty minutes." Melissa gives me a nod. "You really don't have to keep waiting with me." I look at her with a smile. "I don't mind sitting here. It's actually nice outside. Or do you want me gone?" She shakes her head. Which I'm glad about, because I really don't mind sitting here with Melissa. "But you really shouldn't have stopped by the house first? I can imagine your parents wondering where you are". Melissa looks at me a bit annoyed. I've tried several times to bring up her family, but she always avoid it. "If it had been necessary, I would have done it. are you excited to start Monday?". And with that she cuts it off again. I can see that her family is a touchy subject. I could sense something when she brought up her twin sister. I could feel a pain with her and she also made it clear to me that I shouldn't go into it any further. "Melissa if there is anything I can help you with, I am happy to do it. Whatever it is". She looks at me angrily and then stands up.

I grab her wrist to keep her from running away. "Please sit down again. I'll stop talking about it." With a sigh, Melissa takes her seat again. "And to answer your question. Yes, I'm looking forward to Monday, but I'm also nervous". Melissa looks at me with a smile. "Is this your first time in front of a class?". I shake my head. "I teaches for a year and then I got pregnant. So it was a while ago and that was also a much smaller school". She nods in understanding. "Don't you think it's strange that your mother is your boss?". I look at her smiling. " No not at all. I'm actually happy with it. Not many people at school know that she is my mother. If possible, I would like to keep it that way." Melissa makes a move to zip her lips shut, which makes me laugh. "Will I get you or Emma in class, by the way?". She shakes her head. " No Unfortunately not". I look at her with a smile. "And why is that, unfortunately?". She shrugs. "You are relaxed". Come out to her a little softly and shyly. Which only makes my smile bigger. " That's good to hear. Do you happen to get Miss Martins?". Melissa thinks for a moment. " I believe so. I thought for economics. Is that correct?". I nod. " How so?". I give her a smile. "I will pass on to Anne that she has to be extra strict with you". Melissa nudges me on the shoulder with a smile on her face. "Please don't do that. I have no problems with any subject. Only in economics do I manage to stand just enough. So you know her?" I nod. "We did the education together and have become good friends. Which makes it extra fun that we start here at school together. But if you ever have problems with school work, you can always ask me for help". She looks at me with a smile. " Thank you. I don't think it will be necessary, but I'll keep it in mind."

We chatted for a while and in the meantime Emma joined us. "Hey sleepyhead. Did you sleep well?". Emma asks Melissa laughing. Who then looks at her a bit angrily. "I slept well, but you should have woken me up". Sighing, Emma sits down next to Melissa. " How so? You slept well anyway. I do not see the problem". Melissa shakes her head. Then she looks my way. "Do you mind if I go to the playground with Rose?". I'm glad she asked. Rose woke up a few minutes ago and has been whimpering ever since. I just don't feel like going home just yet. Melissa gets up and walks towards the stroller. She bends down on her knees to undo the straps. "Rose, are you coming with me to the playground?". Rose gets a big smile on her face. "Mommy, can I come with Lissa?". I get a big smile on my face. "Of course sweetheart. As long as you listen to Melissa". I don't have a chance to say more because the two of them are already running off.

"Until I got your message I didn't expect to see you here". I look questioningly at Emma. "And why not?". She shrugs. "Mel usually runs away from people as quickly as possible. But then again, you are not human." Smiling, I shake my head. "It turns out that way. She wanted to go right away this morning, but I didn't want to put her through it to keep her waiting here alone for so long. So she ended up staying anyway. Did you know that Melissa could play the piano so well?". She nods with a smile on her face. "I have heard her play many times, but she is even better with a violin". I look a bit surprised. " Real? Even better than the piano?" She sighs. "Much better. She just doesn't play anymore." I look at her questioningly now. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything". I shake my head. "Emma?". She sighs. "It's not up to me to say anything about that." I nod understandingly. Emma takes out her phone. "I can show you how good she is." She is busy on her phone for a moment and then hands it to me. She looked up a video that I now press play. It's really beautiful, it even brings tears to my eyes. "She's really, really good." I say as I hand Emma her phone back and wipe my tears away. " What is going on?". Startled, I look up when I hear Melissa ask that with concern. I look at her with a small smile. "Emma showed me how well you can handle a violin. It was really beautiful". I see a pain in Melissa's eyes. "Um oh. Do you have a washcloth. Rose is completely covered in sand". I give her a small nod. I'm not going to go on about the violin now either. It turns out to be a sensitive subject.

I hand Melissa a pack of wet wipes and she doesn't know how fast she has to get away. I look at Emma. "So that's not a topic to talk about." She shakes her head with a sigh. " Give her time. Maybe she'd like to talk about it sometime." I give her a nod. " I heard from Melissa that you have known each other since primary school. Were you already such big buddies?". Emma nods and gets a nice smile on her face. "I was seven when I came to the same school. Melissa was one grade higher. I ended up in Fenna's class". As soon as she says that I see her look shocked. I give her a small smile. "Is Fenna her twin sister?". With doubts, Emma nods. "Um... Yes. You've heard about her?" I shrug. "The only thing Melissa has told me is that she has a twin sister." I see Emma look a bit surprised, but she tries hard not to show it. " Okay. Fenna and I didn't get along at all. That was later changed though. I had to go to her house one afternoon because Mr. and Mrs. Morrison were not at home". She gets a bigger and bigger smile on her face. "That's when I met Mel for the first time. Of course I had seen her at school, but that was about it. Mel and Fenna may be twins, but they were completely different. Fenna was a bit of a bitch in the beginning and Melissa the happy clown. She was always singing and dancing." I look at Emma in disbelief. " Who? Melissa?". She nods and looks sad. "Mel hasn't always been the way she is now. It's not my place to say what, but things happened that changed her." I nod understandingly. "But to continue with the story. Melissa and I hit it off right away. She brought back my smile after my parents died. In the beginning I was bullied at school. Of course I was the new one. Melissa has always stood up for me, which has made us even closer. She had to do her first year here at school again and we have been in the same class ever since". I have so many questions, but I know I'm not going to get answers to those questions. I try to put it off me a bit and look at the playground. I enjoy the view. How Melissa and Rose have the greatest fun together. Is this the part of Melissa singing and dancing that I see now. I'm really curious what happened to make her so calm and quiet now.

Emma and I have left the subject for what it is. She was too afraid to say too much. That just goes to show how good a friend she is, because she really doesn't want to say anything that Melissa has entrusted to her or that she doesn't want to be told. We spent the rest of the time chatting. After half an hour, Melissa and Rose joined us again. Rose is sitting comfortably on Melissa's lap having a drink. I'm glad Rose isn't so dependent on me for once. Normally she wants to do everything with me and sit with me. "Hey Sofia". I look to the side and see Emma sitting with her phone to her ear. She talks to her sister for a while. I see Emma looking at me questioningly and I know why. I make the gesture to her that I'm not there." Uhm no idea. I haven't seen or spoken to her today." Not much later she ends the conversation and looks at me again. "Why don't you pick up your phone and don't respond to messages from Sofia?". I sigh. "I don't need it right now." Emma keeps looking at me for a moment and notices that Melissa looks at me in surprise. "Is it because of what I said yesterday?" I nod. "I can't be friends with someone who doesn't accept m.. people for who they are". I can just barely avoid speaking up. "Did you tell Valerie why your sister doesn't like me?" Emma nods to Melissa. "And yet you let me sleep in your house?". I look at Melissa with a smile. " Of course. I wouldn't know why not." I can read the relief on Melissa's face. "Val, I'm against my sister's way of thinking too, but it doesn't make me love her any less. You've been best friends for so long. Don't let this be the end of your friendship." I shrug. "I don't know, Emma". I say when I get up. " I have to go".

I lift Rose from Melissa's lap and put her in the stroller. "We're going to have a quick sandwich at home and then we're going to grandma's." What a big smile on my daughter's face. "Val, what's wrong?" I give Emma a small smile. "Nothing to worry about. We'll talk about this another time. I really have to go now. I hadn't realized it was so late. I think you yourself know that my mother does not like it when you are late". That brings a smile to Melissa and Emma. "I'll see you at school on Monday." I look at Melissa and pull something out of my pocket. "If you ever need me. Here you have my number and email address. And what applies to Emma also applies to you. My door is always open for you". With a small smile on her face, Melissa takes the piece of paper from me. "Thank you, Valerie. It also counts the other way around. If you ever need someone, I'm here. Or if you ever need a babysitter for your princess, I'm happy to do it". I give her a nod and then I'm really off.