My Dreams Under the Umbrella of Love

 

 

 

The whole hall thumped with loud music. Cameras were clicking and flash bulbs were flashing. There was a large crowd and everyone was shouting madly,

“ONCE MORE! ONCE MORE!

The disco lights in there blinded my eyes and my dried throat caused itching pain. But I had to do it once more. It was my second concert and I never knew I would get that much appreciation.

“So you want it once more? I shouted over the crowd with a hearty smile spread on my face.

“YEAH!” everyone yelled. People were jostling and pushing and trying to gat a bit closer to me. My ears just going deaf with the loud and rocky music and crowd noise. But just leave it all, I was a singer and what could be more than that for me. Singing was my PASSION –MY DREAM.

“Then what am I waiting for?” I bellowed impatiently but the air was still full of “Once more-Once more” cries.

“1 2 3 LET’S GO...” I jumped up and down, enjoying myself he whole hall pounded. Everyone sang with me. It was such a fun. It seemed to be the best concert I ever had but still it was my second one. I’ll have to keep my fingers crossed for the next ones probably.

I was dressed in my best costume, burgundy infant frock and jeans. It made me so happy –a large crowd-happy and mad- just because of me. Everything was totally best. just then even in that much noise , someone called my name, clearly,

“Penelope!”

I ignored, ‘course my audience was much more important than that.

“Penelope!”

A louder one.

 

Eventually I looked around. The song still on my lips. The disco lights once again blinded me and forced me to close my eyes.. I looked behind and jerked open them.

And there I was. The audience and the hall vanished. My clothes replaced with rags. I sighed deeply as I came to my ragged hut from my sweet dream. My dream crushed to powder .Huh! Why can’t it be true? Why only I have to suffer from such a miserable life? As I thought this, a clear picture of my dream zoomed in front of my eyes.

 

And then I saw my mum standing near me with a two inch thick stick.Her face screwed up with a nasty expression. A chill ran through my spine as my eyes again darted to the stick . She was going to beat me again. But it wasn’t the time. You see ‘beating me’

was my mother’s breakfast, lunch and dinner. And sometimes when she wanted extra then I also had to appear on supper time. It was a hard job.

My eyes already flooding with tears, I asked her in a little frightened voice,

“Yeah?”

“Check the time!” she ordered in a drunken voice. She was always drunk and I loathed her for this because whatever I earned she got herself drunk with that money.

I glanced at the clock. I was 10:30 in the morning. GOSH! I had to go to the school by 9:30.

Well I didn’t go to study rather I worked as a sweeper type there. I swallowed nervously. I was late. And now I’ll have to face double trouble-one from mum and the other from Mr. Murdstone, the master.

Just then my mother hammered me with the stick which inflicted a painful shudder through my body. I became numb. My whole body cramped and once my mum has started there’s no refuge. the whole air was now full of my soreness cries but I had to bear it. I don’t know what the feeling really was but whenever she beat me an imaginary picture of my dad flows through my mind.

Handsome face, piercing blue eyes trying to comfort me. Trying to lift me up, mustering my courage. But he wasn’t there was he?

Finally when it was over and she had whipped me as desired, she let me go. It was 11:00 now and I knew that one more session of beating was drawing nearer and I’ve got to be fast because if I don’t reach school at time Mr., Murdstone is probably going to strangle me to death.