< Back
Gramophone
Prologue
Watching her trouble strewn face sent tears shooting from my eyes. Her eyes were shut, spasms sometimes shook through her body. Blazing red locks engulfed the pillow, deathly white spread over her face and black lashes fringed her eyelid like coral on a reef. Clutching her almost cold and limp hand, I watched her gradually fall from me, giving her a hug I felt as if another part of me had been slowly ripped out. “Be strong girl, even if you are different don’t shy away but stand up, make me proud. Go find a place in this world.” She whispered. I drew away and she offered me a smile and then she was gone.
Realisation hit me. I had no one but my grandma. A dead mother, a run away father, no siblings and one grandmother. One grandma
Part 1
Jazz music swung and danced through the house. I couldn't help swaying to the sound, jazz vibes pulsing through me. I loved jazz music, I felt in my own world, travelling back in time to the jazz era in scotland 1918.
Gram sashayed and shimmied into the room, her old eyes not foggy grey but blue. Intense blue but filled with happiness. Gram brought me to the world of jazz music, her old skinny legs prancing beneath her in time with the music. “Elaine, Elaine, Elaine” she shook her head in disapproval as I tried to sashay. Tripping over my feet I belly-flopped onto the rug. Grinning with humour at my near failure, Gram using her unknown old granny strength hauled me up off the ground. Insisting I try again.
Fear sparked in my eyes as Mila stood over me, her arms akimbo. “You little rat,” She snarled, her piercing black eyes shooting spears at me. Smashing insulting comments straight at me we both knew I hadn’t done anything wrong. Just because I was shy, just because I had no friends and just because I had no one except my grandma. Blocking my ears to the flurry of sounds and slamming a door on the discouraging remarks. My kindergarten teacher had crushed all of the confidence and creativity in me. I had come to school with a picture of an orange sky, red grass, pink trees and rainbow birds. I was proud of my drawing and in the phrase “trees are green not pink, grass is green not red, birds are one colour instead of multiple and the sky is blue,” my teacher had half heartedly spluttered with laughter, she had wiped all those dreams away.
(p.s)Sorry I didn't get to finish.
Prologue
Watching her trouble strewn face sent tears shooting from my eyes. Her eyes were shut, spasms sometimes shook through her body. Blazing red locks engulfed the pillow, deathly white spread over her face and black lashes fringed her eyelid like coral on a reef. Clutching her almost cold and limp hand, I watched her gradually fall from me, giving her a hug I felt as if another part of me had been slowly ripped out. “Be strong girl, even if you are different don’t shy away but stand up, make me proud. Go find a place in this world.” She whispered. I drew away and she offered me a smile and then she was gone.
Realisation hit me. I had no one but my grandma. A dead mother, a run away father, no siblings and one grandmother. One grandma
Part 1
Jazz music swung and danced through the house. I couldn't help swaying to the sound, jazz vibes pulsing through me. I loved jazz music, I felt in my own world, travelling back in time to the jazz era in scotland 1918.
Gram sashayed and shimmied into the room, her old eyes not foggy grey but blue. Intense blue but filled with happiness. Gram brought me to the world of jazz music, her old skinny legs prancing beneath her in time with the music. “Elaine, Elaine, Elaine” she shook her head in disapproval as I tried to sashay. Tripping over my feet I belly-flopped onto the rug. Grinning with humour at my near failure, Gram using her unknown old granny strength hauled me up off the ground. Insisting I try again.
Fear sparked in my eyes as Mila stood over me, her arms akimbo. “You little rat,” She snarled, her piercing black eyes shooting spears at me. Smashing insulting comments straight at me we both knew I hadn’t done anything wrong. Just because I was shy, just because I had no friends and just because I had no one except my grandma. Blocking my ears to the flurry of sounds and slamming a door on the discouraging remarks. My kindergarten teacher had crushed all of the confidence and creativity in me. I had come to school with a picture of an orange sky, red grass, pink trees and rainbow birds. I was proud of my drawing and in the phrase “trees are green not pink, grass is green not red, birds are one colour instead of multiple and the sky is blue,” my teacher had half heartedly spluttered with laughter, she had wiped all those dreams away.
(p.s)Sorry I didn't get to finish.