Photographs are a Million Words

The brunette teen stares at the cameras before her. She isn’t even sure which one she should be getting. So many options and the prices just keep going up.

“Kensa, you can get whatever one you want. You need not worry about the price darling,” her father whispers in her ear.

“Daddy, I can’t decide which one I want. I have it narrowed down to two, but there are other things that I have to consider and I haven’t weighed those options.” She sighs about the choices before her.

“What do you mean?” His tone is curious about her hobbies.

“I have to think about the practicality of the accessories for each one of them. Sometimes, particular manufacturers don’t make everything that I would need. I have to think about flashes, props and the different lens to do different things.” Kensa paces between the Canon and the Kodak cameras. She kneels down to look at the different flashes in the secured case.

“Sir,” she waves over the sales associate. “Would you mind if I take a look at this particular package?” The box showed the lens, the bag, the camera and two different flashes.

“No problem miss,” his words were polite, but she could hear a twinge of sarcasm.

She waits for his return. “Daddy, I appreciate everything you and Mom do for me. Without your support, this hobby would mean nothing to me.”

“Darling, you know that we both think you have a talent. I would really like you to start summer interning at the company though…” he lets his subtle hint be more obvious than he was implying.

“I want to be a teen though. One day I know I’ll run the empire, but for now, I just want the experience. To see if any of my photos attract others besides you.”

“There’s not a doubt in my mind that once you start putting yourself out there and marketing your brand, you will fly through the levels of success. In your eyes, I can see you climbing the corporate world quicker than I did myself.”

Their conversation pauses as the sales associate comes back around. “Sorry it took me so long. My manager was on lunch and he is the only one that has a key to this case.”

“No problems at all, young man,” her father pipes before she can say anything. “I’ll take that and anything else this princess needs for her school photography class.”

“You don’t want to know the prices sir?”

Her father shakes her head. “The price is immeasurable as long as they work and make her happy.”

“How would you like to pay for this transaction?” The teen is caught off guard as he is handed a black credit card.

“Daddy,” Kensa calls in a hushed tone, “you know how I hate you flashing that card around in public.”

“It is a business investment, which is exactly how it is getting written off for tax purposes. I’ll have all the models available whenever you need them. I know there are some contacts of mine that want to get exposure and that would be good for you and them.”

“Just be careful with that card next time.” Her voice gets a little sterner.

“Yes darling. Anything for you.” The teenage sales associate comes back and hands them the bag and the card. They begin to make their way towards the door and the car.

“Let’s get home before Mom starts the manhunt.” They both laugh as the thought of her mother pacing around the living with a cop center set up in their foyer crosses their minds.

“No one wants that now,” her father chimes in. They hop in the old Ford truck and the engine roars to life before they back out of the parking space. Making their way down the dirt backroads, Mr. Evergreen pulls the vehicle over. “Don’t tell your mother I let you do this.” He hops out of the truck, walks to the other side and scoots next to her. “Move over darling and drive us the rest of the way home.”

Mom would totally freak if she knew Dad was letting me drive his truck. She would flip if she knew I was even sitting behind the wheel of a vehicle that was started. I would always be her precious baby. No matter how old I got.

“Dad! Are you serious?” Her excitement rings through her question and all he does is nod. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” She moves over quick and puts the truck in drive and signals to pull back into traffic.

They make it home and she grabs the bags and climbs out of the passenger side so her mom can’t see her driving the truck. As soon as she has a grip of the bags, she sprints towards her room.

“Hi Mom. Love you! Had a great day. Playing with new toys. Let me know when dinner is done,” she calls out as she heads upstairs and avoiding obstacles. Kensa puts the bags on the bed and takes out the smaller boxes first. Pulling out the bubble wrap and paper, the shiny black metal falls on the soft comforter.

Box after box she unpacks laying all of her new equipment out before her. She glances at the clock. An hour has passed. The rapping at the door startles her as her mom pushes the door open slightly.

“I’m sorry if I seemed like I was being rude earlier when I came upstairs. I didn’t mean for it to come off that way.”

“Your dad told me about the gifts he got you. As soon as he said equipment, I knew I’d be surprised to see you at all. When you get new toys, you try to figure out all of the quirks right away.”

“It’s the best way to be proficient Mom.”

“Trust me, I learned how to deal with this from your dad. You should’ve seen him whenever they rolled out a new program at the company. He’d spend hours with the developers trying to find out what worked and what didn’t. There would be times where he showered at the job.”

“How did you do it, Mom? I think it’s why after Santo I’ve never looked for a relationship. I know that my craft takes time to fine-tune. Sometimes people aren’t strong enough and they will assume the worst, even if the worst is only in their minds.”

She sits down beside her daughter. “It wasn’t easy. There were times when even I did wonder if he was really working those long hours. Days would pass where I would grow suspicious of who was spending all their time with him. I had to keep faith that our marriage was stronger than anything else. Sounds easier said than done.”

“Is there a way we could hang out tomorrow after school and take some pictures with the new equipment? I want to try out some portrait shots. The leaves are finally changing colors and would provide a perfect background for you.”

“Sure darling. Let me know if you think I should wear anything specific or should I just go casual?”

“Casual, for sure.” She states with a smile on her face. “Thanks, mom. I appreciate everything you guys do for me. Most kids have to worry about finances and how they are going to compete with only talent. You guys allow me to fine-tune my talent with the most expensive things. However, I know I’m not entitled to them and I always remember to be humble.”

“That’s the most important thing. Without remembering where you came from, the drive can be lost easily. The determination you demonstrate to be something different is incredible.”

“You have to say that because I’m your daughter.”

“This mother tells no lies either. Daddy on the other hand, well, you are his pride and joy. He’d do anything for you. Always remember that too.”

Her mother walks out of her room and leaves her a plate with leftovers on it. Kensa looks forward to tomorrow knowing they will have time to talk about everything going through her mind.