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| Caught In This Moment; [INACTIVE. CLOSED.] | |
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| Topic Started: Jun 3 2007, 07:37 PM (244 Views) | |
| Mina | Jun 3 2007, 07:37 PM Post #1 |
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"And Grandpa took me to a mu...mu...museeee..." the four year old struggled with the strange word as she sat in the back of her mother's black Mercedes, a coloring book draped over her lap and several crayons scattered over the leather upholstery. "A museum," Mina clarified, glancing to Meghan in the rearview mirror as she enunciated the word slowly in order to let her daughter catch the proper pronunciation. But the little girl had already moved on. "And we saw birds and elephants and zebras but they're not real and dinosaurs, they were waaaay big and Grandpa bought me a lion..." she continued on as she carelessly scribbled with a purple crayon. Mina couldn't help but smile to herself at her daughter's enthusiastic, rambling, carefree manner of speech that all children her age seemed to possess. It didn't really matter if they were making sense or not, or even if anyone was paying attention, they were just happy to be talking. She figured it had something to do with the fact that they were still amazed at the fact that they could actually communicate with the people around them now, even if their word choices didn't always make sense. There began to be longer and longer pauses between Meghan's thoughts until she finally dozed off, lulled to sleep by the quiet hum and gentle vibrations of the car's engine as it ate up the miles, heading back towards upstate New York. As usual Mina had met her father and mother-in-law in Pittsburgh to pick up Meghan for her monthly visit; it was almost exactly between the Institute and their home in Richmond, Virginia, and just made things more convenient for everyone. Meghan's grandfather had repeatedly offered to drive the little girl all the way to the Institute to make things more convenient for Mina, what with her being the headmistress of a prestigious private school and all, but she enjoyed the time spent with her daughter in the car catching up on things. And she was more than happy to listen to her nonsensical storytelling for as long as she cared to talk. She didn't get to hear nearly enough of it. Gradually the sprawl of the city gave way to tree-lined streets and two-lane highways and she slowed slightly, turning onto the private lane that led to the Institute. It was marked by a single street sign to deter tourists from turning down it in search of a photo op but they still occasionally got the wayward car. That's what the gates were for. She eased to a stop in front of the gate, rolling down her window and punching in a code on the keypad. The wrought iron gates swung open and she creeped forward, driving slowly down the lane towards the front of the school. Meghan awoke with a yawn, blinking sleepily as she peered out the windows, rubbing a hand against her blue eyes. She was every bit Mina's daughter with her blonde hair and blue eyes. Not only that, she seemed to already possess a bit of her mother's kindness and gentleness. Mina parked the car a little past the front steps (she'd take it to the garage a little later) and climbed out, stretching her legs a bit and pulling up her blue jeans in the back. She wore a simple button up white shirt with three-quarter sleeves, her hair down and falling in loose waves over her shoulder. "C'mon baby girl, we're here," she said brightly as she opened the back door and unbuckled Meghan out of her booster seat, lifting the still sleepy girl into her arms easily enough. The upside of working out almost every day? You can carry your four year old around with practically no effort. Of course, Meghan was a bit petite for her age, but Mina had been the same way as a child. Like mother, like daughter. Meghan practically wrapped herself around Mina's slender frame, resting her head on her shoulder but still managing to look around at everything. When Mina closed the car door she raised her head quickly. "Mama, my bag!" she exclaimed. "I'll get it, I'll get it," Mina soothed, popping the trunk. Meghan's bag was really only a small backpack since she had things at bother her mother's home and her grandparents, but inside were a few essentials: her favorite books, the stuffed lion her grandfather had bought her at the museum as previously mentioned, and other random and rather unnecessary odds and ends that Mina didn't see any point in carrying around but Meghan refused to go anywhere without. She lifted the light blue Tinkerbell backpack out of the trunk and slung it over one shoulder, shutting the trunk a moment later. Turning towards the steps that led up to the front door she placed an affectionate kiss on Meghan's cheek, smiling as the little girl began to giggle and turned her head away. Holding her to her hip with one arm she tickled Meghan's side with her free hand, raining tickling kisses on her face and neck. Within moments she had her in fits of laughter and giggles as she tried to twist away. Meghan put a hand on Mina's cheek and tried to push her away, still laughing as she buried her face against her shoulder. With a happy, genuine smile on her face Mina cradled her close, spinning around and bouncing her daughter on her hip as she looked out over the main courtyard, letting out a content sigh as Meghan began to drift off to sleep once more, the golden rays of sunshine streaming through the trees alighting on her skin. "It's not fair that you're so beautiful," Mina murmured softly, placing a gentle kiss on Meghan's head. This was what kept Mina going on those days when she thought, What's the point?. Little moments spent with Meghan, the both of them feeling like they had never been separated. It was moments like this that made her feel alive. |
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| Alejandro Villalobo | Jun 5 2007, 03:30 AM Post #2 |
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It was a nice weekend for a car trip. The weather was crisp and fresh, the air experiencing a sort of spring effect , bright sun and cool breezes giving the surrounding landscape a cleansed feel. Of course, granted the green patched of gentle Nature that the Insitute was nestled in, that ambience wasn’t too hard to achieve. The suffocating heat of summer had yet to really set in, luckily. A day definitely best invested outside of the four walls of a bedroom, for example, or the confines of a teacher’s lounge. And with classes done and the school year over with, the Spanish teacher certainly had to entertain himself. Not that his room was any bad. He was a surprisingly clean guy, despite what the growing stubble on his jaw and that shaggy head of black hair might have suggested. His room had an airy openness… which was quite easy to achieve when your roomie spent his days out in a boat house. He couldn’t see what appealed to that Canadian so much about a lake…. Then again, spending three years aboard a freighter back and forth across the Atlantic could definitely influence that sort of opinion. Not that he minded. Alejandro was grateful for the privacy. But that, and his room, were far from him and his mind. He had the entire day to himself and wasn’t about to spend it looking at a ceiling. A blue sky was much more agreeable, especially when combined with the company of a idealistic washed-up soldier who picked fights with windmills. Lying out on the lawn, he sighed with relative content as he rested his head against the grass, savoring the cool smell of earth that could only be enjoyed at this level. Giving a languid stretch he blinked a few times, hazel eyes glancing back down towards the book on his chest. Various creases and cracks coursed down its spine, testament to how often the book had been read. El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha. There was something about Cervantes that never got old, and he hoped his future students, or the advanced ones, at least, could appreciate the social commentary and classic story-telling presented in this priceless piece of Spanish literature. The Gitano resumed his reading, about halfway through the novella. Regrettably, or maybe not so regrettably, his easily distracted train of thought was drawn away from the small text on the yellowed page by the soft hum of a car engine. He looked up to see a familiar black sedan coast down the driveway and stop at the mansion’s steps. Sorry, Cervantes, but you can wait. Folding the corner of his current page, he closed the book and languidly ambled to his feet, drifting across the vast expanse that was the front lawn. From afar he watched Mina step out from her car, smiling warmly to himself as the mother rained an assault of loving kisses and tickles on her daughter. He never saw that woman any happier than when she was with her daughter, a common thread shared by all mothers. Well, the ones that truly deserved the title. The close bond between the pair was something Alejandro knew well and missed dearly. In hindsight, he realized how important it was to savor any moment spent with family, little instances like the one before him so easily taken for granted. Definitely, nothing like a mother’s love. “Welcome back! How was the trip?” the Gypsy called, his voice soft enough to be heard from his shortening distance and soft enough not to stir the sleeping child. Or so he hoped. Going around the car, he peered downwards at Meghan’s face, laughing to himself. “Muy fatigoso, I see. She has gotten bigger. Stretching out,” he mused, tucking his book into the back pocket of his loose-fitted jeans and making a little vertical stretching gesture with his hands as he spoke. “Any luggage in the car you need help with?” he asked, tilting his head and glancing at the back seat and trunk of the car. |
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| Mina | Jun 5 2007, 03:57 AM Post #3 |
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For a few moments Mina stood in the peaceful serenity of the courtyard watching Meghan as she slept, her cheek resting on her mother's shoulder, a few blond locks of hair draping across her face. Holding her with one arm she gently brushed her hair away from her face, humming a quiet tune beneath her breath. Her gaze dropped to Alejandro as he approached, that contented smile still on her features. "It was good," she replied with a small nod. "The drive up here is always so nice, especially this time of year," she added, nodding towards the vibrant scenery that surrounded them. Things were pretty much in full bloom right now, trees and plants decked out in full regalia as they greedily soaked up the summer sun. “Muy fatigoso, I see. She has gotten bigger. Stretching out,” he mused. Mina nodded in agreement, looking to Al. "The drive always tires her out. When she gets in the car she can't stop talking long enough to take a deep breath but by the time we get here she's out cold." His comment about Meghan's obvious growth gave Mina a little pang of regret. She was missing out on so much, so many wonderful memories by letting Meghan live with Jonathan's parents but she knew it was for the best, at least for the time being. She was just too young to understand all of what went on in her mother's life. "It's like every time I see her she's different," she mumured softly so as not to wake her, looking to Alejandro's eyes. "She's growing up so fast...before I know it she's going to be asking for a cell phone and begging me to teach her to drive," she added with a bit of a laugh. "She's just growing up so fast." “Any luggage in the car you need help with?” he asked, tilting his head and glancing at the back seat and trunk of the car. Her eyes shot to her car and she opened the back door, peering inside. "Umm...there's some coloring books and some crayons in here, could you get them for me?" she asked. A few pieces of her hair had fallen across her eyes but she fixed that problem easily enough, giving her head a small shake. "So, how've things been with you? Enjoying your summer break?" she asked. |
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| Alejandro Villalobo | Jun 5 2007, 11:16 PM Post #4 |
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Alejandro nodded at the reply, his hands sliding casually into his pockets as he listened. "You enjoyed the trip then. That is good." Of course, who didn't like joy rides through the countryside? The climate here was excellent and reminded him so much of Spain, especially since both regions laid on the same lines of latitude, more or less. It didn't take too much effort to acclimate. A deep laugh stirred in his chest, the young man giving a slightly crooked grin as he glanced back down at Meghan, her talkative nature exposed. Hard to imagine the little thing speaking a mile a minute, but Alejandro had heard it a few times to be a believer. "I know. And she will have even more things to say once she wakes... Have you ever thought of recording her during one of those stories?" he asked thoughtfully, keeping a hushed tone so to not disturb the girl's sleeping state. Most parents these days recorded nearly every waking moment of their child's lives, what with the advanced and accessible state of technology. His parents had only a few photographs of his infancy, but Alejandro wasn't too sure if they still had those around. He doubted it. "Those would be funny to watch. And make excellent blackmail later." Well, he hoped those photographs weren't still around. "It's like every time I see here she's different... She's growing up so fast..." He didn't have to be an empath to know what Mina was feeling, those few but troubling inner doubts she had in the way she was raising her daughter surfacing. It must have taken a great amount of selflessness and sacrifice as a mother in raising her daughter away from home, especially during those formulative years. He couldn't imagine how difficult it was... if he had a child, a daughter especially, he wouldn't allow her to be a single moment away from his side. But he didn't have much room to talk. The Spaniard remained silent, if only for a moment. He wanted to comfort his friend, reassure her that she was making the absolute best decision in raising her child. But that was a hard point to make when you had no children of your own and had in fact abandoned your own family. And having to translate that thought process from another language into English didn't make things better. "I do not think it will be that quick. But she will appreciate and understand what you have done for her." Ha, well that came out corny. But he couldn't have been more sincere. "Umm...there's some coloring books and some crayons in here, could you get them for me?" Mina didn't even need to ask. "Por supuesto." Alejandro was just one of those... helpful persons. Almost to the point of fault, really, where he'd practically not allow you to do anything in order to be of some help. Though he really did try to curb on that habit, least of all wanting to get on someone's nerves. He ducked down slightly to take a look at the back seat, scooping up the nearest crayons within arm's length, then finally sat on the edge of the seat, gathering the rest of Meghan's artistic supplies. "Sabes Mina, you have a very good kid. If I were her age and been sitting back here, you would have a colorful but very hard to clean mural on your leather seats... maybe the ceiling too, if I could reach," Al grinned, though mainly to himself as his back was turned, trying to pry out a periwinkle crayon wedged between the cushions. But once that was done, he climbed back out of the car and shut the door, coloring books and such tucked beneath his arm. "Summer break? Aha. It has been... nice." Which was code for boring. "I think I may start a few repairs at the stables. One of the horses needs her shoes replaced, and I would rather get that done before one of the students tries it." Obviously, he found ways to occupy himself. It was all he could do, considering he had no family to spend his time with. Mina was very fortunate. "Y tu? Does the Headmistress get a vacation like her students?" Alejandro laughed. |
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| Mina | Jun 6 2007, 02:42 AM Post #5 |
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Mina pursed her lips together slightly in thought. "Recording her?" she mused. "I haven't really thought about it, but that's a good idea. Maybe I could send it in to ABC and she could replace Rosie on the view," she added with a laugh. "I'd certainly rather listen to a 4 year old than that crazy woman." "I do not think it will be that quick. But she will appreciate and understand what you have done for her." She couldn't help but smile at his words, nodding gently. "I hope so," she murmured, meeting Alejandro's eyes. "I do what I can, you know, to see that she has the best, but I can't help but have my doubts that I'm doing the right thing. I'm sure all parents feel the same way, though," she added with a light chuckle. "Sabes Mina, you have a very good kid. If I were her age and been sitting back here, you would have a colorful but very hard to clean mural on your leather seats... maybe the ceiling too, if I could reach." A merry laugh slipped out of Mina's lips. "She was too busy either talking or sleeping to really ponder all the trouble she could cause," she said. "I only get worried if she goes quiet but is still awake. Then I know she's up to no good." She could vividly recall a day a few years back when she, Jonathan, and Meghan were living in Italy. Meghan was in the living room while she and Jonathan had been cooking dinner and she'd suddenly gone quiet. When they had gone in to check on her a few minutes later she'd already managed to uproot every plant in the room from it's pot, scattering dirt all over the carpet. Not a fun mess to clean up, no doubt, but she'd still gotten a kick out of it. Hearing his description of his break, she smiled. Alejandro was the type that always had to be doing something or he got unbelievably bored. "I don't think I pay you enough for all that you do around here," she joked. Gently she inclined her head towards the school's doors, a motion for him to follow as she headed inside. "My work is never done," she joked. "But I have a little more time to myself now that classes are over." |
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| Alejandro Villalobo | Jun 15 2007, 01:07 AM Post #6 |
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The View? Rosie?... Was he supposed to know what those were? His unfamiliarity with daytime television was a bit obvious, judging by the slightly puzzled look on his face, though he continued to laugh right along as easily as ever. His smiles always came easy, especially when he didn't know what was going on. Not that he didn't watch television, but odds were, you weren't going to catch a guy his age wrapped up in the latest Star Jones rant about how awesome her wedding was. Latino machismo. You know the drill. "I do what I can, you know...." As Alejandro caught her gaze, he only shook his head ruefully. He considered Mina to be one of his few close friends--close enough that she sometimes let those little maternal insecurities slip around him. Not that he minded; far from it. Having many inner doubts of his own, he didn't like seeing others weighed down by their own. He tried all he could to assuage them, with well-meant words and frankness. "Por supuesto. Meghan has everything she needs. You have made sure of that." Perhaps she didn't have a fatherly presence, but Mina more than made up for it. And through personal experience, Alejandro found fathers to be... over-rated. Still, compared to many other children, Meghan was far ahead of the game. Few children could boast having such a careful mother as Mina. And if time revealed a mutant gift, Alejandro could not think of a more accepting mom, or a more fitting environment than that of the Institute. Who knows how things might have turned out for the Gitano and his family if they'd known about this place sooner, or had grown with the knowledge and acceptance of mutant-kind ingrained into their upbringing. Lo que sera, sera. "I don't think I pay you enough for all that you do around here," she joked. Her laugh snapped him out of his brief moment of thoughtful silence, the guilt-ridden what-ifs passing through his mind vanishing with a simple grin on his part. "Bueno, I cannot say I would be opposed." Of course, having a roof over his head, a bed to sleep in, and three full meals a day were definitely enough of an incentive for him to stick around. To think, when he'd first arrived those few years back, he planned on staying only a few days until inspiration (or motivation, one of the two) took him and drifted into the next town. This place had grown on him. But there were people who weren't so lucky. On in particular came to mind, and for her he prayed for a forgiveness he knew wasn't deserved. Following her gesture, Alejandro accompanied Mina up the steps, shuffling the order of the crayons he held between his fingers. "You should take a vacation. The place would not fall apart. Not literally, at least." Ah, the advantages of having a geokinetic on premises. He smirked at his own triteness, clearing the last few steps in just a few long strides, opening the door for Mina and Meghan. "Adelante, señorita." ((So short x_x)) |
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8:20 AM Jul 11