Circles

Circles Marcia Aldrich She was not likingpink—her mother wasfurious. Ignoring her hatingpink, her mother decorated the room in pink. Notjust a dash ofpink here and there—a swirlingpattern ofpink roses on a white blanket, apink bud vase she might have stomached. No. Every inch ofwood was hcquered thepinkestpink. Pink hangers andpink linersforpink drawers, apink shoe case to hangfrom a pink closetdoor,pink lightswitches andpink doorknobs, apink mirrorandpink lightbulbs to bathe her in apinkglow. Even at nightfrom her window the stars seemedpink. She was avoiding her room, outside in thegreen as much aspossible ; her mother wondered where she was. Down the alley,furrowedin weeds, in thefields, by the river, droppingfrom trees, she was away; her mother wasfurious . She was not liking dolls, especially the expensive Madame Alexander dolls given to her on her birthdays; she was wanting toput them in the oven andset the timer, she was wanting to bury themface down in the dirt; her mother was furious. She was being sent down to the benchfor unladylike behavior andshe was having her hands tied to her chair, her mouth was being taped shut; her mother waspleased. Her mother waspleased with the measures being taken by thefirst-grade teacher. Yes, indeed, that was the appropriate response. She was always getting into trouble; her mother sent her away to camp. She was never wanting to come home, she was running away through the woods where no one couldfindher; her mother wasfurious andfound her. She was being locked in the carfor the ride home andhckedin her roomfor the rest ofthe longsummer; her mother wasphased. She was where she belonged. She was hating ballet, she was hatingMrs. Fink andpink tutus, she was clumsy at the bar andflatfooted. She was hatingpiano lessons, practicing "The Typewriter"for twoyears without improvement. She waspunching boys, hanging upside down, tearing herfancy dresses; her mother wasfurious. She was loving horses—the smell ofthem, the dirt ofthem, wanting always to keep the dirt with her; her mother wasfurious. Her mother hatedstables, the smell, the dirt, thefugitive life, femaks in stables, andstayedaway. Herfatherfundedher; her mother wasfurious. She was makinggoodgrades , which no one ever noticed, was secretlyplaying strip poker on the weekends in the oldsmokehouse, was shooting a copperhead in a neighbors backyard with a gun she learned how to use, was being molested by afriend's 31 32MARCIA ALDRICH older brother. She was not telling anyone, was being shown pictures ofnude women, was shooting a copperhead in the backyard, she was riding her bike down the driveway with her eyes closed. She was riding her bike down the driveway with her eyes closedandrunninginto a tree. She was beingshownpictures ofnude women andshe was always seeing thepictures ofnude women even with her eyes closedandrunning into trees. She was being molested by afriend's older brother, she was breaking her leg and carrying her bike up the hill, she was not telling anyone; her mother wasfurious she had broken her leg. It would require attention she didn't want to give, exphnations. When herfather returnedfrom business, he would take her to the hospitalfor X-rays. Things were always happening to her, she wasn't tellinganyone. She was not always makinggoodgrades, but no one cared, her kg was not healing, more and more her mother was sendingheraway . Things were happeningto her, things were beingtaken awayfrom her againsther will, she was not tellinganyone. She was beingsihnt, even when things were being taken awayfrom her that wouldn't be hers again. She was beingsent away. She was never wanting to go home again. She was having boyfriends whose names she was not remembering. She waspushing herpUte away as her mother instructed, learning to live on less and less. She was getting involved. Someone told her parents. Her mother was furious. She was being raped by herfriend's older brother, she was never telling anyone. Someone told herparents, they were not believingher. She wasgettingkickedoutofcollegeand she was getting married and moving away. She was being silent at the dinner table and otherplaces; her husband wasfurious. Her husband was naming her. She wasgetting hckedin her room. She was being threatenedandshe was being choked and she was breaking away. She was taking a hng walk on the beach. She wantedhome to...