Speak!

Speak!

On a rainy Tuesday afternoon, Anna-Claire leans against the window counting the raindrops as they went down the smooth pane of glass that protects her from the lurking eyes outside, of curious people wondering why this girl looks drained of her youthful spirit. Almost as if the weather perfectly resembles how she feels inside. Although, for Anna-Claire it was more complex than just that. The rain always comforted her, even as a little girl – she loved sitting on her father's lap as he gently swings on a rocking chair pointing out the circular window of their warmly-lit attic turned vintagestyled reading room, telling his daughter of how much fun he had with his younger brother during rainy days as a kid. She could see how comfortable her father suddenly became talking about his late brother, during their rainy-day story sessions. She always felt overcome with feelings of safety and warmth, during these times with her dad.

Gone are those days with her loving dad. Now she sits wallowing in despair, deriving a sense of nostalgic comfort from the outside weather. While listening to the slowly falling drops, she glances at the mindless rushing of inner-city life. Wondering who out there knows this feeling, who out there can relate to her current state. As the rain pours, it comforts her and yet serves as a reflection of the sorrow she feels within. The bell softly jingles as people continue to enter, she patiently sits and wonders which one of those people will finally be who she’s waiting for. Plip, plop, plink are the sounds of slowly falling drops she has been listening to the whole time, and it suddenly stops just before the person she’s been waiting for arrives.

“What a coincidence,” she thinks to herself that the slow dripping sound of the brewing coffee stops just as her mother (Josephine) walks in and greets her.

Josephine: Hi, sweety. I hope you haven’t been waiting too long. How’s your day been?

Anna-Claire: Hi, mom. No, I haven’t. You actually came in just as our coffee finished brewing.

Josephine: Oh, really? That’s good. You didn’t answer my question, how’s your day been? I know how you tend to miss your dad when we have this type of weather.

Anna-Claire: I haven’t been---

(The waiter interrupts Anna-Claire just as she was about to speak, and gives them their orders for coffee. Then Anna-Claire suddenly looks down and appears shriveled for some reason.)

Waiter: Okay, here are your orders. Freshly brewed coffee for M’ladies.

Josephine: Great, thanks. Oh, you’re cute, what’s your name?

Waiter: Thanks, my name's Trent. I don’t have a name tag yet because this is actually my first day at work. In fact, you ladies are my very first customers.

Josephine: Oh, really. My name is Josephine. Nice to meet you “coffeeshop Trent.”

Trent: Wow, I hope that name doesn’t stick. (He jokingly says.)

Josephine: Ha! It already has. Have you met my daughter Anna, AnnaClaire?

Trent: Anna-Claire? Is that you from Lakehouse High?

Josephine: Oh, you know each other?

Trent: Yes, I go to that school too!

Josephine: Oh, cool. Anna, you didn’t tell me that there was such a cute boy at your school?

(Anna-Claire barely responds, she continues looking down and just shrugs her shoulders.)

Trent: Oh, and smart. I’m captain of the chess club at school.

Josephine: Oh, cute and smart. Quite the catch, aren’t you? Anna don’t be rude. Why aren’t you talking to your friend? You not even looking at him?

(Anna-Claire continues looking down and doesn’t even shrug her shoulders in response this time.)

Josephine: Excuse my daughter, she can be quite shy at times.

Trent: Oh, it's fine. I’ve noticed too. I just haven’t seen her in so long, I used to see her at least once a week when she would sometimes attend chess lessons at school but after a while, she just stopped coming at all. In fact, the last time I saw you (Anna) was at that house party weeks ago.

Josephine: Oh, I remember that party. The one you (Anna) refused to tell me anything about. (She jokingly says.)

Trent: Really, it was great! Well, it was nice talking to you folks, but I don’t think my boss we’ll be too happy with me standing around and doing nothing. Especially on my first day at the job. Gotta go, bye!

Josephine: Bye! Oh, he was cute. Why were you acting so weird Anna?

(Anna-Claire finally looks up at her mom, with what almost seemed to be a look of relief on her face.)

Anna-Claire: Mom, can we go?

Josephine: What? We haven’t even touched our coffees yet, plus it’s cold and raining outside. I need this to warm up again. Anna-Claire: Mom, can we go? (She sternly says.)

Josephine: Baby, Are you okay? I know days like this can be a little bit rough for you but that’s why you need to speak to me. It’s only been three years since your dad passed away. This is not easy for either of us, but that’s why we need to openly communicate and support each other through this.

Anna-Claire: Mom, I haven’t--- Josephine: What baby, what?

Anna-Claire: I haven’t been okay. (She reluctantly says.)

Josephine: I can see baby, please tell me what’s going on. (She pleads.)

Anna-Claire then continues to tell her mom a story. “I didn’t want to go at first, but Michelle (Anna’s best friend) told me to go because a lot of seniors would be there. I still didn’t want to go but I said yes anyway. Then the next day (Friday night), we went to the party and Michelle promised me that she’d stick with me the whole night, but two minutes after we had arrived, she went off and disappeared. Feeling out of place, I tried striking up conversations with other girls on the couch, but they ignored me, chatting amongst themselves. Frustrated, I stepped outside for some fresh air. Then I heard people talking by the side porch of the house, so I went over there and saw two guys sitting on a couch. They invited me over; I went and joined them. They were drinking beer, they were friendIy so I decided to join them. We eventually finished all the beer; they drank most of it and then one of the guys said he’ll go look for more beer in the house. Then me and the other guy just started talking for a while, until we realized that the one who went to look for more beer had been gone for a long time. So, I said I would go inside and look for him. Then he told me not to bother, his got a bottle of good brandy in his car. After that, we went to his car which wasn’t too far from the house. Then drank his brandy while listening to the radio, everything was okay until he said, “I noticed you, noticing me, noticing you” then he leaned over for a kiss. I told him no and pushed him back, he tried kissing me again and I still told him no and tried to get out of the car.” Anna starts crying and says, “he didn’t let me out the car mom, I

screamed and told him no, but he didn’t let me out the car mom. He---

Josephine: Wait, baby girl. What---what are you trying to say? (She hesitantly asks.)

(Anna-Claire continued crying, shaking her head, and crying).

Anna-Claire: I miss dad, he always made me feel protected.

Josephine: I know baby girl, what are you trying to say? (She asks with teary eyes.)

Anna Claire: He--- (She continued crying.)

Josephine: Baby, you not---you need---Anna-Claire Speak! Wh---Who?

Anna-Claire: If---If I’d---

Josephine: If what baby, if what? (She desperately asked.)

Anna Claire: If I’d known

he’d start working here. I wouldn’t have come.