Mia (A Short Story)
She is 20 years old, trying to balance and figure out her life. Mia is very nice & sweet with people who treat her equally. She cries while watching sad commercials, loves giving back to the needy and gift giving, and can give you a complete beauty makeover in minutes. She was raised in NYC by both her parents.
In her childhood she had a wonderful life, everything a little girl desired to have, a pretty pink room and dozens of toys. Her parents tried to raise her as best as they could. She went to Catholic school, had Great nannies. I wish that I could say she took ballet lessons but forgot to mention she was physically ill. At birth she suffered a hemorrhage in her brain. She was so small, her body couldn’t resist it and it caused part of her body to be different.
As a child, she didn’t mind or completely understand her condition, besides the fact that she wears a brace on her left leg & goes to physical therapy twice a week to help her walk. Although, she is aware of it, her parents encourage her to have friends and be normal, even though she can’t ride a bike, jump rope, play hopscotch , or hand games.
Time goes by and little Mia is now a 12 year old girl, with two best friends, divorced parents and a gorgeous two- year old brother named Geo. At that time she focuses more on keeping her friends together, so that it won’t crumble like her parents did. She was always quiet around people who intimated her (everyone else in public school) both her friends, were fun to be around with, but also comforting and to an extent understood her. She told them all her secrets, crushes, & worries, and they accepted her for what she was. Her parents’ divorce wasn’t shocking; she would hear them argue every night before bed. Sometimes she even tried to stop it by crying and sometimes it really worked. It might have not been shocking but it was a bit life changing. The divorce happened when Mia was 10 and when Geo turned 1, when her dad got arrested, when her mom was heartbroken from a residual affair, when they went to a shelter, when life became even more complicated. Mia’s emotional state was like a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle. Her only escape from reality was her friends.
At the age of 14 she wanted to go partying, get piercings, and dye her hair blonde, be with the crowd and have fun. Her mother didn’t let her because anything can happen to fragile Mia. Being a teenager caused Mia to lie to her anxious mother many times. She experienced things like alcohol just to fit in or maybe just to hide her real feelings. Two years go by and it’s still the same story. She wants to explore different things with her friends but she can’t because according to her mother “her friends are not like her”. To an extent her mother was right. Her best friends were too wild and crazy– one was very promiscuous due to lack of attention and the other wanted attention. Her friends were an important part of her life at that time and she didn’t really care what her mom thought. For once Mia felt normal. She partied and drank and danced (not so much, legs would tire) like all the other teens; she never lost her humble caring self though. She was always there for her friends, even at the worst moments. Towards the end of high school things began to change (again). The people that once were really important, that once never judged, that helped her escape reality were slowly distancing away. Mia would see her only friends on birthdays and graduation. Mia is now 18 and thought everything would magically change, that she would instantly become popular. But it was nothing she expected. She spent her birthday with her best friend & her best friend’s boyfriend. She wanted to do so many things but she only really knew her two friends. She would talk to everyone else but they would ridicule her. Choosing a college was difficult for Mia. In her soul, she wanted to go away to be more independent and feel normal. Her parents say no it’s too dangerous and anything can happen to Mia (you’re not like the rest) even though she’s 19 an adult. Mia ends up going to a 4 year community college to please her parents, because they can’t afford it, because she can’t leave her little brother Geo behind. At the start of college she discovers she loves beauty & fashion. She has dozens of products & brushes to let her creativity shine through. She loves applying makeup on herself, it raises her self- esteem and unconsciously helps her to be accepted.
She tries to cover her “imperfections” with expensive creams & foundations. She focuses more on her face because you can easily change it. You can enhance a tired face with the right products and tools. She can’t conceal 4th degree burns that recesses all over her back. She can’t contour the scar of a collapsed lung. She can’t strengthen her weak hand with a nail hardener. She can’t add extensions to her uneven feet. She can’t apply oils to loosen her stiff left shoulder, knees & paralyzed toes. She can conceal her unhappiness, her remorse, her pity, herself entirely. When Mia begins applying her foundation it’s as if she’s putting on a mask of another girl. One that’s fun, exciting, popular, rich, amazing, loved, beautiful, accepted, normal. A rush of good energy flows through Mia’s body as she’s enhancing her face. Everybody’s hearts melts when they see a pretty face.
A face; that is the only thing people see. Mia has to project her beautiful face so they won’t see her hurt in her soul. A smile, a smile changes everything; in a smile you never see pain and only love.
In My Make Believe Land
In my make believe land
I am admired
In my make believe land
Hate is nonexistent
In my make believe land
There are no worries
In my make believe land
I’m not a bank
In my make believe land
There is no currency
In my make believe land
Love isn’t sex
In my make believe land
I had two Heroes
In my make believe land
I’m still a child
