The Next Chapter...

Her past was a different land of no regrets, no turning back. Annamarie was not gaining too much maternal support in this quest. Once when younger, she had thought love was a sign, but it was all going cactus now. She supposed she had to ski the angst from her young daughter, coming home from her first year of secondary school.

The big issue was now that Annalie had no dad's name on her birth certificate. Annamarie had loved to party when not much older tban Annalie. Unfortunately, she was still quite sure which of those hotty hornbugers was her baby's daddy. That little pigeon was coming home to roost now. She could tell herself, " I should've known better." Annalie was determined to argue and label her mother over every little thing. As well as that, she had turned a true mini-me of Annamarie, as she slammed her bedroom door one more dramatic time.

The cornices nearly collapsed, but Annamarie did not. Wryly, she sang to herself, "Guess she's not mama's little girl no more!" That was an old song she had heard once, some tune from someone's past too. All she could do was to keep on keeping on, a single mum, bit of old town gossip, so old now, about who had been Annalie's father. "Time takes care of us all, we are only humans....."

Annamarie could still echo her late father's advice, when his number came up, and he did not survive.

That had meant Annalie had no male figure to guide her in life, to lighten her days. She had never had a man at her sport days, or concerts, in front of that stage of scholars, and their parents' labels. Her grandma was bad enough, Annamarie had reflected, "Some women have mothers, tough!" She tidied and retired to the empty bed, no time hesitant to contemplate a beau, despite working hard and still to being attractive. Considering Annalie's little witchy comments, that was not an option.

"Imagine a white wedding! Ridiculous!" So Annamarie read her social media in bed, and was soon sleeping, hoping Annalie did not make her a grandma in these insensitive teenage years. One morning led to another, Annamarie kept on keeping on, as Annalie always felt different to all those entitled families.

She was not studying or achieving much, and had got mixed up with some joy boys of her own. Annamarie suggested that her lively young babe apply for a part-time job, see how she could earn some money for her trending fashion choices, see how the working gals liked it. Annalie had finished her minimal resume in a class in careers, and set off to work in a takeaway chicken store.

Her first two days in her new path one weekend on a vacation were a nighmare, a real wake up alarm. On tbe third day, Annalie stayed in bed and refused to get to her job. Annamarie tried some of this gentle parenting, trying to understand what made her teenager tick. She knew that Annalie would eventually tell her. So she did.

"I am never eating chicken again. I have been standing there, deep frying feathered friends, beyond disgusting. That's a revolting way to eat! I only want to eat vegetables now!"

Thus began Annalie's new stage in life as she was struggling to mature. Not only was she now a vegan, she inspected all groceries, saucepans and flatware, reviling any meat eating tendencies for anyone she met, especially Annamarie. The cost of vegetables and all those salads were dear, but Annamarie aimed to go with this flow. Unfortunately, she did not really like Tofu, she always wished she could marinadeit in best soy sauce and garlic, throw it in the bin, and buy some fried chicken for her din-dins.

Resourceful as always, a survivor so far so far of this teenager vegan from hell, Annamarie started working at the popular takeaway chicken store. This was as well as her usual mundane weekday job as an office cleaner. She was still sincerely hoping Annalie would make better choices. One day she might stop enduring this parent policing from her teen sprog.

Annalie had turned at least one corner, she was now applying herself, aiming a bit higher than her mother. She had decided she could use her brains, rather than being a cleaner or frying foods, or bagging chips. But Annamarie found some measure of success in such humble employment, and was assigned a job there as assistant manager. She had a quite charming air about her, could smile and a manage to negotiate staff disputes over rosters, as well as handle smoothing the feathers of whining customers. She could achieve sales targets quite well.

Annalie was not impressed, but what teen parent police ever is? An added bonus for her mother was she could be a closet meat eater, after the clients were satisfied. But chance can anyone's future. One summer evening. Just as Annamarie had wiped down the serving surfaces, a quite attractive, greying man entered the takeaway store. He was escorted by two twin sons, about 12 years old.

"I was about to close the servery." Annamarie told him.

"Please, have you got any food left? We just moved to this town, this is all that is open. We're starving!"

Annamarie smiled, saying, "I've starving too. My teenager has turned vegan and banned me from meat loving. How does some drumsticks and thighs sound, chips as well?"

He grinned, "Join us at our table. I'm Brendan, nice to meet such a welcome smile."

"What's a vegan, Dad?" asked one of his boys.

"You don't want to know, son. Eat your chicken dinner, great!" Brendan turned to Annamarie, who was munching the forbidden fruit, fried protein. He continued,

" I can recall going through all that when I was young. Worse, I joined Animal Liberation, and forced my sisters to march with me."

"I'm hoping this is only a stage," Annamarie commented.

"Do not worry, I came back to the burger way of life." Brendan said, charming Annamarie already, as she was enjoying her chicken drumsticks. That was before she had to go home where Annalie was browsing for recipes for curried lentils. Forgettable, but the next chapter was unfolding.

Annamarie and her teenage food inspector went to the supermarket for more such tortuous menu ingredients the next morning at the only supermarket in town .There Brendan hailed her across the aisles, and there were introductions all round. Annalie looked a bit amazed by her mother's sudden appeal factor. Brendan seemed equally attracted to this township's mother/daughter combo, coffee followed, and even Annalie had nothing to criticize,. for once.

A firm neighbourhood friendship was unfolding, sharing their daily updates on single parenting. A truce was formulating, as Brenda knew some really delectable vegan burger recipes, reducing Annalie's determination to monitor her parent. Brendan and Annamarie wer soon far more than friends, his sons looked upto Annalie as their unofficial big sister, even if they loved meat. But they all started campaigning for safe livestocks practices, less animal experimenting. They were all barracking for their land's fur and feather.

Annamarie and Brendan accepted they were never going to live in a palace, but they filled their own temple of love. Brendan took an active interest in Annalie, stopping her worst excesses. Hell, he even bought her own personal saucepans and a frypan, specifically for vegetables. Annamarie still hoped her teenager would take up with the burger and fried chicken ways of her world, but that might never happen.

Annalie eventually matured, some dreams were achieved, as her parents had their own happy hearts in each page of their joyful days in the next chapter.