Like a Thorn

Melie has two mothers. She's been certain of this since she was a little girl and saw a television cartoon about twin sisters. The twins were identical, but with totally different personalities. One was gentle and kind, the other bitter and cruel. Her mother is like that. Sometimes she's rosy and charming, sometimes dark and mean. So Melie believes that her mother, like the twin sisters, must be two people, and the two share the task of Melie's upbringing. Melie doesn't wonder whether her father is aware of this or not. And she doesn't know which of the twins is her true mother. There are days when Melie would like her real mother to be the gentle and kind one. Life is far more pleasant that way. But sometimes, when the dark and mean one cries a lot, Melie pities her. She'd do anything to comfort the twin who claims to be unhappy and unwell. Would do anything to see her smile. This is how Melie's life unfolds with her two mothers, the rosy one and the dark one. Things are relatively easy: when her mother is in a good mood, it's Rosy Mom who's there; when she turns nasty, it's Dark Mom who takes over. The only thing to do then is wait for Rosy Mother to return. This evening it's definitely Rosy Mom who appears at Melie's bedroom door. Sweet and Rosy Mother. She's going to a fancy costume ball decked out in a long white and pink lace dress, with light flounces that puff down to the ground like clouds. Threads of gold dance between the flounces. Her bare shoulders are slightly covered with a transparent tulle wrap. On her head, a tiara gleams with shiny stones, adorned as well with a flow of pink and white ribbons. In her hand, she holds a sparkling magic wand, a gleaming star at the tip. There's no doubt about it: Melie's mother is a fairy princess. With a tap of her magic wand, a doe or mermaid could easily appear in Melie's room. Melie wouldn't be the least bit surprised-because her mother is definitely a fairy princess. Behind her mother's magical apparition, Melie's father grumbles in his ogre disguise. All this fancy dress-up bothers him. But he has to go. So he tries to make his impersonation more credible and growls, "I'm going to eat you, my child," sounding totally off- key. He's aware of it and says nothing more. Besides, Melie has eyes for her mother only. The dress, so light and ethereal, flows softly as Melie's mother moves. Melie would like to touch it, to feel the texture of the fabric. She'd like to kiss her mother's cheek. Her blushing skin looks velvety. Her mouth, red and shiny, reminds Melie of a big cherry. But Mother anticipates Melie's intentions and stops her. "Don't come near me, the dress is very fragile!" she says. Mother shakes her magic wand slightly and disappears, fading backward like a ghost. Melie is so dazzled by her mom that it takes her a long time to fall asleep. As she sleeps, she dreams of a princess who gradually turns into a horrible and menacing witch, just like the ones in fairy tales. It is not a pleasant dream.Vidal, Clara is the author of 'Like a Thorn', published 2008 under ISBN 9780385735643 and ISBN 0385735642.