The Things You Can’t Take Back

1427 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Effects of drinking and driving essay

“…So I take him to the club thinking, alright, this is cool, we’re friends now, let’s chill with a few drinks and get to know each other, if you know what I mean. Then we get to the front of the line and it turns out he doesn’t even have a license, so he pulls out his passport! Can you believe that? It’s like, where are you flying, bro? And he says…” Sarah smiled and nodded and laughed at the appropriate times. She learned how to give off the impression of listening when in fact her mind was somewhere else entirely. Now she was focusing on Amira’s heart-shaped face, her vibrant green eyes, her upslope noes, her dimples, her full lips, her dark, rainbow-shaped eyebrows that made her look perpetually surprised. Her black hair which was curled at the bottom. Her frame, tall and lean. She was beautiful, by anyone’s standards. She wearing a jean vest, and a white tank top tucked into an aggressively pink high-low skirt and gold gladiator sandals that looked like they belonged on the feet of a goddess. Sarah could see the meticulous thought gone into the outfit: light enough for spring in Washington Square Park, flirty enough to get double-takes, natural enough to look like she hadn’t thought about it at all. Now Amira was gesticulating wildly and looking expectantly at Sarah, so Sarah leaned in and asked questions like, really? Is that right? What happened then? Some people let things be. And then there are the movers and shakers, like Amira. To Sarah, Amira’s life was what she could only describe as skydiving—it accelerated at alarming speed and was either terrifying or exhilarating, depending on the person. Amira loved it. To Sarah, it felt like Amira was taking enormous effort in order to keep her life inconsistent... ... middle of paper ... ...what she was about to say. It was going to be the first time ever that she was going to tell Amira something substantial that she hadn’t planned in advance. Or perhaps she had been planning it for years. *** “Blow out the candles, Mommy!” Talia cries. Sarah smiles at her daughter and feels the bulge of her stomach that indicates that another one is on the way. She holds her husband’s hand. Today is her 35th birthday. Her face is glowing and her silky brown hair falls just below her shoulders, framing her beautiful hazel eyes and button nose and pink lips. She looks around the kitchen, the yellow paint, the cherry-wood table, the vanilla cake, the assortment of cookies and fruits. She looks at her husband, handsome and loving and happy. Sarah hasn’t been in contact with Amira for 14 years. She smiles as she blows out her candles.

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of Donna Freitas Time To Stop Hooking Up

    267 Words  | 1 Pages

    Freitas begins her essay using personal anecdotes describing the “terrifying” realization that she was one of the many girls that chose to dress sexier and push the boundaries. This allows for the essay to be

    Read More

  • Separation Anxiety and Attachment in Infants and Toddlers

    2903 Words  | 6 Pages

    Susie’s mother opened the door to let Molly, Susie’s babysitter, inside. Ten-month old Susie seemed happy to see Molly. Susie then observed her mother put her jacket on and Susie’s face turned from smiling to sad as she realized that her mother was going out. Molly had sat for Susie many times in the past month, and Susie had never reacted like this before. When Susie’s mother returned home, the sitter told her that Susie had cried until she knew that her mother had left and then they had a nice time playing with toys until she heard her mother’s key in the door. Then Susie began crying once again.

    Read More

  • Narration Essay: How To Be My Haitian Parents?

    1100 Words  | 3 Pages

    Almost twenty years ago, around this time of the month, you had a baby girl on November twenty-six. Like every parent you are happy, smiling at the baby, holding my hands and taking pictures. I grew up, stood up, walked for the first time, said my first words, and lost my baby teeth. It’s time for me to go to my first day of school; you don’t want me to go because you got use to my presence in the house. Meanwhile, you are low-key wishing for me to stay a baby girl, when you know perfectly that it isn’t going to happen.

    Read More

  • Narrative Essay On Night By Elie Wiesel

    911 Words  | 2 Pages

    It was a sunny day with a sweet aroma of blooming tulips. The sunlight glittered on their faces as the breeze rattled the chestnut tree above. There was an occasional giggle as they talked, but there was also a hint of discomfort and awkwardness between them as they peeked at each other’s face and recoiled when the other looked up. When the bell rang twice, I saw them say goodbye and walk away from each other. In the darkness of the crowd, a glimmer flashed into my eyes from Hannah’s cheeks.

    Read More

  • Gender Roles in Alice Munro’s Boys and Girls

    1095 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout the story, the different roles and expectations placed on men and women are given the spotlight, and the coming-of-age of two children is depicted in a way that can be related to by many women looking back on their own childhood. The narrator leaves behind her title of “child” and begins to take on a new role as a young, adolescent woman.

    Read More

  • Imagery in "Everyday Use"

    780 Words  | 2 Pages

    She then shifts to discussing TV shows that bring family members together such as Sally Jesse Raphael or Oprah. As the mother imagines what it will be like when her daughter comes home, she brings out the imagery of tears and wrapped arms, and since we have all seen these shows, the reader can see the stage set up with four chairs and the daughter waiting for the parents to come out on stage. We can see the look of surprise on the daughter's face as they come out onto the stage. She has not seen her daughter, Dee, for a while and imagines b...

    Read More

  • Kay Boyle's Winter Night

    689 Words  | 2 Pages

    The anniversary girl used to have “a mother, real mother, but the mother had to go away"(3). The anniversary girl lost her mother to another concentration camp and even if the night sitter tries to fill that position she can never be her real mother. The anniversary girl lacks basic necessities because the camps do not have“any soap”, “water to wash in", or "any toothbrushes or toothpaste"(4). The anniversary girl"did not have any dresses except the little skirt and pullover"(2). The anniversary girl lacked luxuries, but “they are not crying because they don’t have something to eat. They are crying because their mothers have gone away.”(3) The anniversary girl has nothing, but the thing she desires most is her mother because she needs her mother’s affection to feel safe and secure despite the lack of necessities. The night sitter explains that “the little girl became my little girl because her mother went away”(3). Even though the anniversary girl’s mother’s love can not be replaced she still needs someone to help her feel safe. The anniversary girl helps convey the message that even when you have nothing and are starving you still yearn for the love of a mother more than anything

    Read More

  • Summary Of Somebody Somewhere Poem By Donna Williams

    726 Words  | 2 Pages

    She continues in this sequel to talk about the abuse she faced and the dysfunction that surrounded her life as a child and as a teen, and the ‘empty space’ in which she lived in as a result. She talks about the multiple personalities she was exhibiting, the rebellious “Willie” and the kind “Carol”; as well as hearing noises and her sensory problems. In this book, the author puts more emphasis on the “consciousness” and “awareness” and how important that was for her therapeutic process. She could not just be on “auto-pilot” and act normal; the road to recovery was filled with self-awareness and the need to process all the pieces of the puzzle—often with the guidance and assistance of her therapist. She had a need to analyze the abstract concept of emotions as well as feelings and thoughts. Connecting with others who go through what she did was also integral to her

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Fun Home By Alison Bechdel

    1180 Words  | 3 Pages

    Her family life is depicted with contradictions of order and chaos, love and animosity, conventionality and avant-garde. Although the underlying story of her father’s dark secret was troubling, it lends itself to a better understanding of the family dynamics and what was normal for her family. The author doesn’t seem to suggest that her father’s behavior was acceptable or even tolerable. However, the ending of this excerpt leaves the reader with an undeniable sense that the author felt a connection to her father even if it wasn’t one that was desirable. This is best understood with her reaction to his suicide when she states, “But his absence resonated retroactively, echoing back through all the time I knew him. Maybe it was the converse of the way amputees feel pain in a missing limb.” (pg. 399)

    Read More

  • Sarah Dessen

    1035 Words  | 3 Pages

    Early Life: Sarah’s wonderful life began in 1970 when she was born in Illinois. However, she does not remember much life here but she does remember the majority of her life which was spent in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Her parents were both professors at the University of North Carolina where her mom is a classicist and her dad taught Shakespeare. Sarah always enjoyed reading and her parents usually invested in books for her for Christmas. This was a disappointment to her when she would have enjoyed the presents everyone else got too, however, reading was also important to her. Also when she was about eight or nine her parents gave her an old fashioned typewriter so she could type her stories up. She always had a tendency to embellish her

    Read More

  • I Found Timelessness at Grandmother’s House (Grandma's House)

    1107 Words  | 3 Pages

    I slowly opened the front door -- the same old creak echoed its way throughout the old house, announcing my arrival just seconds before I called out, "Grandma!" She appeared around the corner with the normal spring in her steps. Her small but round 5'1" frame scurried up to greet me with a big hug and an exclamation of, "Oh, how good to see you." It was her eighty-fifth birthday today, an amazing feat to me, just part of everyday life to her. The familiar mix of Estee Lauder and old lotion wafted in my direction as she pulled away to "admire how much I've grown." I stopped growing eight years ago, but really, it wasn't worth pointing this fact out. The house, too, smelled the same as it's ever smelled, I imagine, even when my father and his brothers grew up here more than forty years ago -- musty smoke and apple pie blended with the aroma of chocolate chip cookies. The former was my grandfather's contribution, whose habit took him away from us nearly five years ago; the latter, of course, comes from the delectable delights from my grandmother's kitchen. Everything was just as it should be.

    Read More

  • Creative Writing: Jail Time

    3728 Words  | 8 Pages

    Ow. My head hurts. It has been lying against this wall for at least an hour now. I scratched the back of my head to move around my dark, curly hair. It was beginning to feel plastered against my scalp. It was a bit tangled from not brushing it for a day and my fingers did not run through it with ease; nevertheless, it felt good to keep the blood flowing. I was lying on a thin, light blue mat on the floor. My head was propped up against the cold wall as if it were a concrete pillow. My chin dug into my chest and I could feel the soft, warm material from my sleeveless sweater cushioning my jaw. I looked down. I could see the ends of my hair cascading over my shoulders. The red highlights matched quite nicely with my maroon sweater. My arms were folded over my belly and they appeared more pale than usual. My knees were bent, shooting upward like two cliffs. My baggy blue jeans covered the backs of my fake brown leather shoes. ("Christy, let me borrow your pants, the baggy ones with the big pockets. I can hide more stuff in those.")

    Read More

  • Personal Narrative - Graduation Day

    1132 Words  | 3 Pages

    Right now, a buzz is going through the hall in which all the seniors are waiting and they look like bees swarming in the hall. It’s becoming hot and we’re all getting impatient. Amber is more composed and enjoying the good times in the present. She is standing there happy but sad to be dispersing from the rest of her classmates. Ann, the smartest one is having a little fun but not really. Her feelings are that of a person who realizes she’s going to miss what she had, but wanting to get the ceremony over with because it’s taking too long. Standing in that room we are together and enjoying one last real time capturing a picture with each other. Amber’s mom is so proud of her daughter that she keeps talking and smiling and trying to part of every MOMent. Amber is thinking to herself that she wishes her mom weren’t there but she’s ‘happy inside because someone is cooing over’ her. As Ann is standing beside Amber she keeps getting these expressions that say, she likes being with her friends but, ‘what is taking so long? Can’t we get out of these dang robes, yet?’

    Read More

  • Stranger in a Strange Land

    842 Words  | 2 Pages

    The dark, black sky was covered with a million bright shining stars. The moon shimmered above a small town in the suburbs of London. The gentle wind swept past the bare trees and danced with the leaves below it, creating a colourful array of orange, yellow, red and brown. Across the street, a light was on in a small house where a tall, dark haired woman stood, talking to her two children Nicola and Erin. While she was tucking them in Erin asked, “Mummy, will you tell us a story please?” “I’m sorry but its time to go to sleep now,” she said. “Please mummy,” begged Nicola “Okay but only one story,” she replied “This story is about how I got lost when I was a young girl and how I met an incredible man. It all began when…”

    Read More

  • Family Reunion Essay

    949 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Hey mom, does someone else live here with you and dad?” I asked out of curiosity. “Why would you think that sweetheart? Your father and I have lived her by ourselves since you moved out twenty years ago.” she replied. “No reason.” I responded. “Well Mrs. Sanchez, the meal was lovely, but I feel it is time for Courtney and me to be adventuring home.” Zack said with the same expression he had when we arrived. Just as Zack and I were heading to the front door to leave, a roaring wind came and went carrying an angry cloud of rain and hail with it. “Well Zack, looks like we are having a sleep over with my parents tonight.” I smirked. “I will show you to your room then.” my mother said with a huge smile shooting across her face.

    Read More

More about The Things You Can’t Take Back

Open Document