By Nicole Hanson
A note from the author:
This week's "Weekly Writing" comes from the inspiration of a side character in NOEL Forgotten. In NOEL Forgotten, we only briefly hear this character's back story. This character is the best friend of the female protagonist. She has a traumatic past and had to deal with it and learn how to overcome it. She is intelligent, charming, beautiful, strong, independent, observant, and will fight for the people she loves. She is all around the greatest friend anyone could ask for. Here is her story...
TRIGGER WARNING
This piece contains references and/or content that may be triggering for some readers.
TW: Drug abuse, Alcohol abuse, Child neglect
Photo By twenty20photos licensed from Envato Elements
Patricia was frightened and ashamed of momma. Momma had a permanent stench of stale cigarettes and cheap whiskey. Going to school was Patricia’s safe haven, even though the kids made fun of her torn clothes and wild hair. Momma never bothered to show her how to do it right. The kids often left Patricia to the side at recess. She felt like that reindeer she saw on a Christmas special that one time momma didn’t come home. Except that reindeer’s shiny nose left him with a happy ending, and Patricia wasn’t as lucky.
Momma didn’t always use to be this way. Not until she got sad and had to start her “special medicine.” Patricia wondered what kind of doctor would give brown sugar as a medicine that left momma looking like an old, used pincushion?
The other moms on the block looked out for Patricia. They fed her when she was hungry and gave her nice clothes that made her feel fancy. They even let her babysit their small children. Patricia enjoyed babysitting because it meant she could escape momma for a few hours. They even gave her money that she hid in the deep corner of her closet so momma wouldn’t find it. But she eventually found it after three years. She tried to tell Patricia it was for her special medicine, but Patricia was older and wiser, and knew momma didn’t take real medicine.
Four weeks is all it took for Patricia to file the paperwork and leave. She didn’t say goodbye to momma and wondered how long it would take her to notice. It didn’t matter. She would be long gone by then.
As she entered the new town in an unfamiliar state, she wondered if she would get her happy ending as the reindeer did. She wondered if she could leave the past behind her or if she was worthy of something good. Patricia vowed to herself to never become like momma.
Two years later, her eyes beamed as she took in the view of the fashion school. “Welcome,” the professor greeted. “What’s your name?”
She glanced at the professor, and for the first time, she was proud. She was proud she had the courage to leave and never became like momma. She was proud she did it all by herself. The past was officially behind her, and she was never going back. This was her time to shine. She smiled at the professor and said, “You can call me Trish.”
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