Over the years Pilar learned the real truth. Beneath Celeste’s handsomeness lay a lonely person who, like the women prisoners Pilar had once worked with, had no way out of a life-style known from birth. Celeste Brookstone had played the role of ahigh society mom and perfect wife well. Now, though, Pilar hoped she was finding her way to more rewarding pursuits.
Pilar half-wished her mother would turn to her, find a teenager, and say, “Hurry up or we’ll be late for your sailing lessons,” or wherever they would go on such a flawless day. Instead, Celeste remained immobilized by deep thoughts which seemed to distance her from that time and place. She looked proud yet wounded, like an abandoned fawn alone in the woods, lost and incredibly tired.
“Mother, is there something wrong?” Pilar finally asked.
Celeste snapped out of her dreaminess as though a loud sound startled her. She blinked while she examined Pilar at the other end of the table. “I don’t know. I guess I’m uneasy about you working in that prison. I have this vision …” She didn’t complete her thought.
For a moment, Pilar wished she hadn’t come home. Her mother’s darkened eyes gave Pilar an eerie sensation. Celeste was troubled by more than Pilar’s job. But, what?
Celeste’s eyes drifted upward, above Pilar as though something else caught her attention. She put her fork down, eggs untouched. She dabbed her mouth with a napkin and asked, “What should we do today?” The question seemed to drift across the placemats and silver.
“It’s your call.” Pilar finished her coffee. She pushed away from the table and waited for her to answer. When none came, Pilar asked, “Mother, do you have any plans?”
“No, not really,” she said in a wispy, unfamiliar, Marilyn Monroe voice.
“My new apartment needs everything and there are few decent stores up north.” Pilar waited for a response. “How about we shop for some of the basics I need? Then, we could have lunch.”
“That would be fun, like old times.” Celeste raised her fingers to her cheek as an unexpected tear released. “Where should we go?” she asked, yet appeared to slip again into another world.
Pilar wanted to press Celeste about her mood, but relented and answered, “I think to Eastland Mall. It’s close and everything’s there.” Pilar waited for Celeste’s endorsement.
Celeste scrunched up her nose as though she were smelling spoiled milk. “That mall? But if you want …”
“I do want,” Pilar whined as though begging for a candy bar. “I’m not buying expensive items. I’d be more of an outsider than I already am driving a Mercedes when all the other Yupers drive 4×4 pickups. And,” she added more forcefully than she intended, “we are not eating lunch at the club!”
Celeste placed a hand over her lips and appeared to process the day Pilar planned. Then she bolted up from the table and retrieved her purse from the hall stand. Pilar followed.
Celeste yelled over her shoulder, “Let’s go. I’ll powder my nose in that Mercedes.” She was out the front door before Pilar found her keys. Her sudden devil-may-care attitude surprised Pilar. After all, her mother still dressed fordinner, and never, ever went anywhere without her makeup applied. Celeste’s abrupt mood change promised a pleasant day, yet her overall demeanor that morning concerned Pilar. What was really going on in her mother’s head?
T.G.I.F RIDAY’S WAS NOISY, INCONSPICUOUS , and delightful for their lunch. The two women feasted on hamburgers and french fries, forgetting about their usual constant calorie counting. They tattled about everyone they knew from the club. Celeste glowed like a teenager sharing a morning at the mall and secrets with her best friend. “You remember that Muffy girl you went to high school with?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“She had her nose done. Weren’t you thinking about that, too?”
“How dare you bring up changing a part of me I’ve grown
Pilar half-wished her mother would turn to her, find a teenager, and say, “Hurry up or we’ll be late for your sailing lessons,” or wherever they would go on such a flawless day. Instead, Celeste remained immobilized by deep thoughts which seemed to distance her from that time and place. She looked proud yet wounded, like an abandoned fawn alone in the woods, lost and incredibly tired.
“Mother, is there something wrong?” Pilar finally asked.
Celeste snapped out of her dreaminess as though a loud sound startled her. She blinked while she examined Pilar at the other end of the table. “I don’t know. I guess I’m uneasy about you working in that prison. I have this vision …” She didn’t complete her thought.
For a moment, Pilar wished she hadn’t come home. Her mother’s darkened eyes gave Pilar an eerie sensation. Celeste was troubled by more than Pilar’s job. But, what?
Celeste’s eyes drifted upward, above Pilar as though something else caught her attention. She put her fork down, eggs untouched. She dabbed her mouth with a napkin and asked, “What should we do today?” The question seemed to drift across the placemats and silver.
“It’s your call.” Pilar finished her coffee. She pushed away from the table and waited for her to answer. When none came, Pilar asked, “Mother, do you have any plans?”
“No, not really,” she said in a wispy, unfamiliar, Marilyn Monroe voice.
“My new apartment needs everything and there are few decent stores up north.” Pilar waited for a response. “How about we shop for some of the basics I need? Then, we could have lunch.”
“That would be fun, like old times.” Celeste raised her fingers to her cheek as an unexpected tear released. “Where should we go?” she asked, yet appeared to slip again into another world.
Pilar wanted to press Celeste about her mood, but relented and answered, “I think to Eastland Mall. It’s close and everything’s there.” Pilar waited for Celeste’s endorsement.
Celeste scrunched up her nose as though she were smelling spoiled milk. “That mall? But if you want …”
“I do want,” Pilar whined as though begging for a candy bar. “I’m not buying expensive items. I’d be more of an outsider than I already am driving a Mercedes when all the other Yupers drive 4×4 pickups. And,” she added more forcefully than she intended, “we are not eating lunch at the club!”
Celeste placed a hand over her lips and appeared to process the day Pilar planned. Then she bolted up from the table and retrieved her purse from the hall stand. Pilar followed.
Celeste yelled over her shoulder, “Let’s go. I’ll powder my nose in that Mercedes.” She was out the front door before Pilar found her keys. Her sudden devil-may-care attitude surprised Pilar. After all, her mother still dressed fordinner, and never, ever went anywhere without her makeup applied. Celeste’s abrupt mood change promised a pleasant day, yet her overall demeanor that morning concerned Pilar. What was really going on in her mother’s head?
T.G.I.F RIDAY’S WAS NOISY, INCONSPICUOUS , and delightful for their lunch. The two women feasted on hamburgers and french fries, forgetting about their usual constant calorie counting. They tattled about everyone they knew from the club. Celeste glowed like a teenager sharing a morning at the mall and secrets with her best friend. “You remember that Muffy girl you went to high school with?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“She had her nose done. Weren’t you thinking about that, too?”
“How dare you bring up changing a part of me I’ve grown
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