Choices

My name is Vera. I�m someone who never made any choice in life.
I didn�t choose my name, or my birthday, or my family.
I didn�t choose that my father left us when I was one year old and traveled abroad to work and send us money. I didn�t choose that war began at that time and we never heard from him again�
My mom had nobody from whom to ask help. She went to my dad�s village and asked about his relatives. He had never introduced her to his family, which he had left at a very young age because of heritage issues, along time before his marriage� He wasn�t relying on any parent or relative� He imagined he will never need them again. So, mom found out that dad had an older brother who died a few years ago. She went to talk to his wife, Darine. Darine was his second wife. His first wife died when she was giving birth to her son, Eddy. My uncle married Darine in order to assure his son had a mother who could take care of him. But Darine was ruthless� She kept hiring nannies because she didn�t want any relationship with Eddy�She barely waited until he was five then she sent him to a boarding school. He never came home on holidays. His father died while he was absent, he didn�t know that until he graduated� He knew living with Darine without his dad would be worse than hell�. He chose to travel abroad; he went to college and became a successful businessman. If my mom had known all that, she would have never knocked on her door. Unfortunately, at that moment, also, she had no choice�Darine was living alone; no maid could work for her for more than one year. She was treating them so badly�
When we got into her house, she prepared herself to enjoy torturing a new victim�
She listened to my mom�s complaint and said she would let us live with her and she could give me the best life ever if my mom agreed to become her maid and I become her daughter!!!
It was the most shocking request my mom had ever received but she thought she will never be able to offer me the same opportunities that Darine was suggesting. Besides, she would work either way as a maid in some other house, so it would be better if that house belonged to someone who treated us like his family�.
Ever since then, Darine chose everything for me: my school, my friends, my clothes, the parties I would attend, my Christmas gifts�. Everything. She made me learn painting for 7 years and never admitted I was such an awful painter�
She made me call her mom even though she knew I didn�t like it. I knew who my real mom was and I didn�t want another mom! She often took me with her on several trips without my mom, I never showed enthusiasm, which obviously disappointed her.
As a teenager, she made me date some guys she chose herself, she never allowed me to go out with my own friends. Mom told me what to do to get out of such situations without refusing Darine�s request. I always behaved in such embarrassing manners that all guys never asked me out again and Darine never knew the real reason�
When I graduated from High School, she had already decided that I would be a lawyer. I hated law, I hated courts, I was afraid of talking to a criminal and very shy to talk to a judge! She gave me no attention; she paid all over 4 years to make me successful despite my very low grades and my fiasco at training. I always noticed people whispering around me. I knew they thought I was very useless as a lawyer but no one could say a word because Darine was paying�
Darine never thought about my future� she never figured out that, one day, I�ll be a looser� Indeed I lost all my cases during 3 years. It was ok with me� The worst that could happen was to have a bad reputation as a lawyer, and get fewer clients.
And that was what I wished deep inside!!!
I never imagined what could happen�
One day, I was going to court. When I parked my car, I noticed someone was spying on me. It was a tall man with a scary angry face� He followed me to court.
�What do you want from me?�
�My brother will spend his whole life in jail because of you� What do you think I want��
I remembered him. I saw him many times in court when his brother was being sued.
�Your brother is in jail because he�s a criminal, not because of me. I was only his lawyer; I�m not the one who told him to kill that poor woman!�
I really didn�t think it was a serious threatening�
After court, I drove home as usual. I noticed nothing weird.
It was too late when I found out something was wrong with my brakes.
I had a serious car accident. I spent a whole month at the ICU.
When I got better, my mom told me that Darine refused to get involved in the whole issue. She ran away, she took all her money and left us nothing. My mom had to work in other houses and take loans to pay the hospital bill. I couldn�t work for several months to help my mom. Beside my health sequels, I had to take psychotherapy sessions for a whole year. Some sessions were based on acting to express our feelings. It�s then I discovered how much I liked theater and acting. I talked to my mom and she agreed I get a new major; I couldn�t work as a lawyer anymore.
So, I studied audiovisual techniques. I had to pay the scholarship only for the 1st year. Then, I was granted a full scholarship because of my high grades. When I graduated, I began looking for a job. The first broadcasting institution I applied for had a very encouraging boss. From the first interview, he knew my life story and was very understanding. He hired me immediately. He helped me a lot. He was like a father to me. He always kept asking me about my mom and how we were doing. He never hesitated helping me financially; and expected nothing in return.
One day, he asked me about my father. I said I knew nothing about him except his old picture that mom kept with her. I showed him the photo. He seemed very surprised.
The next day, he told me someone wanted to see me. He opened the door and the man in the picture entered the office!!! He was my father� He was working as a concierge in the building where my boss lived. He recognized him immediately when he saw the picture. He told me he looked for us for several years when he came back to the country but never thought we would be living in his brother�s house.
We were back together�
We were a family again.
And all of that happened because, once in my life, I made a single choice, when life allowed me for once to choose�. A choice that would seem stupid � The choice of becoming an art director!!!
Sometimes I wonder if life let me make choices since the beginning, would we have had to go through all that suffering?...

Author's Note

This was originnally written as a screen play in another language. When I decided to translate it in English, I preferred to write it as a short story

Reviews

[ElJays Nicholas]

You chose a very intriguing concept, Mayaway :) It's sad that this is true for many people. They feel they don't have control over their lives and the choices are being made for them. You present this concept very nicely in your story, and I like how the family reunites again in the end because Vera had dared to make a choice for herself. Much love to you......

[Danielle Khairallah]

This helped me see that I must make my own choices as well, and it pushed me to follow my dreams even I have to fail once or twice before getting there. And it also cheered me up after a while when I completely lacked confidence in myself. Thanks :)