Generations

New York City 2021

“Maya, come in here you need to help with some of these boxes,” Maya’s mother Donna called from the living room. 

Maya opened her bedroom door while looking down at her phone, disinterested in the entire packing process. Maya finished the text she was typing and shut off her phone and put it in her back pocket. “Do we absolutely have to move? I’m about to start my senior year of high school. I already have my life here,” Maya complained.

“Yes, we absolutely have to. I know you already have a lot of friends here but your father cannot turn down this job opportunity. Just think about how amazing it will be when we don’t have to worry about finances ever again,” Donna said and developed a starry eyed look while she was talking. As she talked about the future, the look of her face seemed to reveal how excited she was on the inside. 

“Fine,” Maya gave in. Her and her parents have had this fight about three times since her father got the news of his new job in California. 

Donna handed her daughter packing tape, newspaper, and a box. She explained to Maya her packing system and Maya tied up her big curly hair and got to work. Before the news of the mood, Maya and Donna would use this time to catch up on each other’s lives. They would spend this time alone as an opportunity to gossip and joke about everything under the sun. When Maya realized that her mother wasn’t going to back her up on her position on the move there was a rip in the relationship.

The only sound that was heard was the crinkling of newspaper and the occasional clinking or ceramic knick knacks bumping into each other. When Maya filled up the box she asked her mother, “What do I label this?”

“Living room,” Donna replied with an accidental short note.

Maya raised her eyebrows, a little shocked at the tone that her mother used. She reached over to the coffee table and grabbed the marker and labeled the box. Maya lingered with the marker open underneath her nose and indulged in the chemical scent for a few extra seconds. Donna’s eyes flickered up to see her daughter taking part in her guilty pleasure. She clicked her tongue and shook her head.

“What?” Maya asked.

“You shouldn’t do that with the marker,” Donna said while still looking down at her work.

Maya did not even bother to fight back and just asked her mother where she put the box that she just packed. Donna pointed to the corner in the living room and Maya got up and put it there. 

When Maya sat back down in her spot, Donna handed Maya another box and some more newspaper. “Could you please go into the closet in the hallway and start clearing that out? I’ll get there as soon as I’m done over here.” Maya nodded, took the box and walked away.

When Maya got to the closet she started to put in the different jackets and bags into the box. She cleared about half of the closet when she saw a loose floorboard in the back right corner. This was the first that Maya saw this being that this closet was stuffed for as long as she remembered. 

Maya paused her packing and crawled more into the closet in order to get a better look at the floorboard. She pushed her fingertip into the gap that was exposed and slowly lifted the board. When the board was lifted, Maya found a small brown leather bound book. Maya furrowed her eyebrow, confused on what this could be. 

The initials “L.D.” were stamped in the center of the cover of the small book. Maya flipped through it and quickly scanned over the yellow pages. Soon after flipping through the book Maya realized that in her hands she was holding a diary from the year 1951.  

***

Mar. 17 1951

Dear Diary, 

Today was a great day until it wasn’t. Dylan took me to Coney Island for the day and we walked along the pier. He was the perfect gentleman. He bought me ice cream and won me a teddy bear from one of those games where you have to knock down milk bottles with a baseball. Dylan is so dreamy. I bet all the girls at school are going to be jealous when they find out that we’re going steady. 

Get this, we were sitting on a bench facing the beach when we saw the last person I wanted to see. I was licking my ice cream when I made direct eye contact with my mother and some of her friends. I didn’t tell her that I was going to be with Dylan that day and I knew that once my mother saw me she was going to flip her lid. Well, she did but not at Coney Island. She came up to us and was very cordial and that’s what made me so nervous. 

“Hello, Lottie. Dylan,” Mom said when her and her friends walked up to us. My mom’s friend smiled politely and stayed silent, they knew that I did something wrong, I could tell.

“Hi, Mom”

“Hello, Mrs. Donaldson.”

“I’ll see you at home, Lottie,” my mom said and walked away with her group of friends. 

At that point, I knew I was in for it when I got home. When my mother is calm when she catches you in the act that means you’re really going to get it when you’re in private.

It was almost dinner time so Dylan took me on the train and brought me home. Even though all I could think about was my mom he kissed me at the door before I went in. I mean he KISSED ME. I swear I felt my knees buckle and at that point I was completely swooning over him. Except, that moment of bliss was cut short when I walked through the door and my mother was sitting at the kitchen table with the worst look on her face. 

“Loretta Marie Donaldson, what in the world were you thinking today?” Mom started in immediately.

“Mom, it was innocent. All we did was go to Coney Island. He even won me a bear,” I tried to defend and held out the bear to show her. 

“Yea, you just went to Coney Island by yourself with a boy. A boy. Not to mention the fact that you didn’t tell me or your father. Do you realize how dangerous that is?” 

“I didn’t tell you because I knew you guys were going to say no and I was worried I wouldn’t have another chance to go out with Dylan.”

“Well if you were worried we were going to say no maybe you shouldn’t have gone at all.”

“But, Mom I wasn’t going to be able to have another chance to go out with him,” I unintentionally whined.

“There are other boys who are less willing to put you into such dangerous situations.”

“Mom, you’re acting like you were never a teenager before,” I shot back and I knew that was when I messed up.

“Don’t you try to lecture me. Go to your room right now,” my mom practically screamed.

“But-”

“Go! Now!” she yelled again and at that point I had no other choice.

So, I turned around and headed to my room. Dinner was awkward because Mom and I weren’t speaking to each other. Dad kept looking between the both of us but he was too worried to say anything, I think he sensed that Mom and I had a fight. I’m just grateful that Mom didn’t tell Dad anything, I bet she was tired out from all yelling she did earlier. 

Mom just doesn’t understand what it’s like to be a teenager nowadays. She acts like she’s never had fun before, like she never broke any rules. I can’t believe her. She just makes me so mad. I wish that she would lay off. 

I think I just heard the phone ring. It might be Dylan. Ahhhh, I hope it’s him. I’ll talk to you later.

• L.D.

***

Maya was interrupted by a knock on her door and all of a sudden the apartment in 1951 vanished. Maya quickly stuffed the diary underneath her pillow and turned around. She didn’t get the chance to say come in when her door opened and her mother was on the other side. 

“Hi, sweetie, are you busy right now?” Donna asked gingerly.

“Not, really,” Maya answered. Donna nodded and walked over to sit down on the bed.

“I just wanted to talk to you, I feel like we haven’t talked in a while.”

“Because we haven't,” Maya said dryly.

“I’m just going to ask. Are you mad about the move?” Donna finally spilled out.

“Mad?”

“Yea. Do you resent us for making you leave the home you’ve been in your whole life?” 

Maya didn’t know how to answer. She didn’t know how to tell her mother that she was disappointed in her parents. How was she going to say that she wished that she was talked to instead of the move just being sprung on her? Maya sighed and answered, “I’m not mad. I just wish you considered what I would think.”

“In what way?”

“I wanted you guys to talk to me first about making the decision. You just told me what was happening instead of considering what I was going to say. I mean it felt like you guys didn’t even consider that I had a life of my own that was going to be affected. Maybe I was already happy here, already established. You guys wouldn’t have known because you didn’t even ask me. When something like that happens how am I supposed to be on board? You can’t just expect me to embrace this idea,” Maya finally let out all of the things she was feeling for months. 

Donna had tears in her eyes and she turned her head away to wipe them away before her daughter could see them. She let out a shaky breath and said, “I’m so sorry. It could have been done so much better than it was. You didn’t deserve to find out that way. But, you have to understand that your father and I did it the best way we knew how. We were afraid you were going to say no and this opportunity was too good for your father to give up.”

“Well, if you told me this then I wouldn’t have made him turn it down. I’m not that selfish.” 

“I wasn’t saying you were selfish. I just wanted to make it easier on you.” At this point, Maya didn’t know what else to say to her mother. “Can we just stop this cold thing between you and I?” Donna asked while reaching her hand toward Maya. 

Maya didn’t need to say anything. All she had to do was take Donna’s hand and that would be confirmation enough. So, that’s what Maya did. 

***

Mar. 30, 1951

Dear Diary, 

The oddest thing happened today. Mom came in after dinner and apologized to me. She said she was overreacting to the whole Dylan thing and that maybe she was forgetting what it was like to be young. After a few days of thinking it over, I came to realize that maybe I should have told her about the trip to Coney Island. We hugged and she said she was willing to give Dylan a real chance. Now, we’re on our way to getting back to our old relationship. I hope it actually happens. 

Mom just called my name. We’re going out for a movie tonight, a first venture that we had in a while. I’ll be back with updates. 

• L.D.

***

“Maya, come on. You’re father’s waiting downstairs with the car,” Donna called out to Maya who was in her room reading the diary. 

“Okay, I’ll be right there.”

Maya had been reading the diary every day since she found it. Since then she’d been learning all about Lottie and the life that she lived in this apartment. She’d grown attached to her and her family, but she decided to not take the diary with her. Maya figured that the next tenant deserves the privilege that she got when she lived here herself. So, Maya put the diary back under the same baseboard in the closet where she found it. When she walked over to the door, she looked around the general space of the apartment. Maya said goodbye to her home, her childhood, and finally to Lottie. 

“Stay lively, Lottie,” Maya said to the empty apartment and turned and walked down to her waiting parents.