Camilla: Violetta and the Pearl 9

-       There is always another way.

Mu was sprinkling brown sugar and pecans over a big batch of banana bread. I had been here more than usual lately. Mom had a new boyfriend. I was happy for her and a new boyfriend mostly meant that she was upbeat and had less time to focus on me, which in her case was a good thing. I really didn’t want to stick around for her stories. She reinvented herself every time a new love came into her life. If this one was an artist she would all of a sudden be an art devotee. If he was a business guy she would quote all kinds of ted talks on entrepreneurship. It was embarrassing. 

-       What do you mean Mu?

-       I know you think that you have to choose between rules or truth. Conform yourself to be able to have a life more…organized than your mother, or be free, express your opinion even when it freaks people out and live in poverty. Work a nine to five job, adjust to what people expect of you, make yourself smaller than you are. Or follow your curiosity, express your vision, do the things that excite you and see what happens. Am I right or wrong?

-       Yeah, well, I do think about that sometimes.

-       There is always another way though, baby girl. There is always another option.

-       Which one?

-       I can’t tell you that. All I can tell you is that you could try to let go of that idea that you have only two options when you think of your future.

The banana bread started spreading the scent of cinnamon, cloves and ginger through the kitchen. I was crumbling sticky brown sugar between my thumb and my index finger. My throat felt thick and achy. I felt really tired.

-       And just maybe, you could try to ease up a little on your mother. I know, I know, she is not like most mothers.

-       Mumu, please, don’t even...

-       She is doing her best Chrys. She is maybe not the ideal mother, but in her own way, she is trying. It’s not easy for you, but you know…you are so much stronger than she is. That happens sometimes. 

-       You’re supposed to take care of your kid, Mu.

-       You’ve got us. Me, all the guests in the Café. More importantly, you have got yourself in a way your mother has never known. That is a blessing and you need to start appreciating it. And be kinder to your mom, even if it is only in your head. 

She gave me the Mumu look. 

-       Are you going to tell me the end of the story about the dragon?

-       Why not. If you wait for a while we’ll have some banana bread to go with it.

For a long long time, Violetta lived, but just barely. Without her pearl, there was no magic anymore. She could fly, but only to get from one point to another. She couldn’t sky-skate anymore, she could hardly travel in time. She couldn’t paint with light anymore. She saw her Dragon friends play and experience adventures and she felt like she was barely holding up.

Unfortunately, she knew the big mystic laws of life and death. She had given away her pearl of free will, so it was now not hers anymore. She could blame no one. Nobody could help her. 

The Dragons who had gotten their special magical instruments stolen were helped eventually, such is the Law of the Universe. Violetta had given away her most precious soul fragment and could not be helped. She would have to find peace with the ways things were. She hoped her human friend was happy and safe thanks to her big sacrifice.

-       That is the most stupid thing I have ever heard.

-       I beg your pardon, miss Merin?

-       That is so not true, that the only thing she can do is suck it up!

Mumu was eating her slice of warm banana bread and her dark brown eyes looked like they had brown, melting sugar in them too.

-       I tell you what. I am handing this story down to you, right now. I give you the very important and honourable task to write the rest of it.

-       I can’t do that! This is your lineage, you got this from your mother!

-       Mhmm. And how do you know that you are not my lineage, or I yours?

Somethings started fluttering inside of me. Like something really huge was going on here and I didn’t understand it really.

-       I’ll write it. I’ll let you know when it’s done. Can I have another slice?