Eveline

Malena Alonso García

Everything was paralysed around her. But suddenly everything moved even faster than before. Eveline could not make a move or a sound, she could only watch the ship sailing away from her and the people going away without knowing that Eveline´s future had just escaped on that boat.

When she was finally able to move she started running and didn’t stop till she arrived at her house, at the exact same place where she had been weighing her decision a few hours before.

She hadn’t had time to assimilate what just had happened when her father arrived claiming for his dinner, a dinner that Eveline had not prepared since she was at the dock. She tried to explain to him that she thought he would be late that night and she thought of preparing it later, so it could be warm when he arrived. But Eveline´s father did not even listen to her and he started throwing thing away, plates, glasses, everything that was on his way. Obviously, he had been drinking. Eveline cried while sitting in the kitchen’s corner and when her father finally left, to go back to the bar she guessed, she continued crying for an hour, only thinking about the boat and her dark future.

She thought she could never move again, but without knowing how, she stood up and went slowly to her bedroom. She grabbed her mother’s old suitcase from the wardrobe and started packing the few clothes she had. She hadn´t packed before because she knew she wasn’t going with Frank, but now she felt the necessity of escape. She sat at the table and started writing a letter. She had been wondering if writing the letter was the best thing to do, but she finally wrote it.

The letter was addressed to her father. She explained that she hadn’t been successful on taking the role of her mother and she would never be. She tried to convince him that leaving him was the best for both of them, she did not want him to be furious. She left the letter on the table and went out.

She had thought so much about her father that she had not even considered where to go.

She was trying to figure out what to do and where to go when she bumped into a girl who was passing by. The girl said she was called Lili and then asked Eveline if she was okay.

“Are you going anywhere? I can go with you if you want. I have to take a ship, but it           doesn’t leave until 3 pm.”

Eveline’s mind was going crazy, but she heard the word ship and she could not avoid asking about it. The girl went on talking:

“I am taking a ship, I’m moving to America. I want to be an actress. My mum says actors are lazy and unsuccessful people, but I don’t care, I’m sure one day she will have to take back her words when she sees me on the big screen”.

Eveline didn’t know what to say

“Are you going anywhere, or are you just lost? Why don’t you come with me?  You look very kind and you already have your luggage.”

Eveline answered she had not money

“You know what? That’s what we are going to do. I´ll pay for your ticket, I have some extra money and if you work in the kitchen or something it will be cheaper. But in exchange for it you will live with me. We can be roommates and everything will be cheaper and funnier as well.”

Eveline tried to think about it, but her mind was confused. Without being conscious of what she was doing, her lips said OK.

Lili helped her with her suitcase and both girls went straight to the ship.

Eveline gazed at the dock, maybe for the last time, and when she was starting to think about her family, her father or her house, Lili appeared.

“This is the start of our new life.”

The ship started to move, Eveline looked at the face of her new best friend, of her real saviour. She turned forward, never to turn back again.