By Brenda Gvozdanovic
Alice kept her mother in a box in her brain. Her childhood mother, that is. It was simpler that way.
Past memories didn’t taint the present, or get confused with her other mother, her here-and-now mother. The mother she fed tiny cubes of cheese from a cocktail stick, whose every need she met without complaint. The mother whose mind was lost.
To all the world they were the grateful mother and the dutiful daughter. Maintaining this illusion day after day required untold mental effort on Alice’s part. She couldn’t fail.
The trick was not to lift the lid off the box.
Pandora’s Box? Try deleting a sentence, and placing a bow on the box.
Thanks for your feedback, though I’m not entirely clear as to what you mean.
Fantastic story, Brenda! I know many people who are in Alice’s position right now and it’s difficult to deal with for so many reasons. Easy to judge on the outside, tough to keep your mind focused on the inside.
Thank you for your kind feedback Ariffa. I really appreciate it.
This says so much. Thanks
Thank you Vee. I’m glad it resonated with you.
Brilliant Brenda! I keep my crazy mother in a box too- Weld that lid. 🙂