THE ART OF MEMORIES

"oh how lovely it all was" Eden expressed as she sat by the fireplace surrounded by her daughter Esther and grandchildren. More often than not Eden told stories about her younger self and more especially about her truest love Bruno.

It was a winter characterized by the gloomy skies and raging snow enough to turn the whole house dull and uncharismatic. Eden with a blanket wrapped around her frail body walked towards the fireplace and yelled up to her grandchildren " Its story time ". Matthew and Sophie run down the stairs and positioned themselves by the fireplace, Esther just shrugged as she had heard her mother recount these stories for over a decade now.

The children with their eyes glued on Grandma Eden eagerly signaled for her to start the story. She began telling the story with a huge sigh as if almost dreading the very memories she so often loved to tell. " My sweet Bruno and your grandfather was a good man, he loved me earnestly and was the most charming person to ever wonder the earth". Esther shook her head with an almost painful expression written all over her face. she fought the urge to walk out right there and then but she stayed for both her mother and her children.

Grand Ma Eden continued telling her story with a smile spread across her face. " Bruno was the kind of man to make you wish for eternity just so you could have him around forever, he loved hunting and fishing. During the weekends, we would go up to our lake house just to fish and watch the amazing sunsets. Oh how I miss him terribly".

Sophie who was 15 years old beamed with happiness at the thought of a romantic and happy life. She hugged her grand ma and told her she one day wished to have a love as beautiful as the one she and her grandfather shared. Esther clenched her fist and walked out in a panic. Sophie and Matthew looked at their grandma who simply shrugged and continued with the story of her epic love.

Grand Ma Eden's stories would always end with the phrase " to love and to be loved is the greatest treasure you could ever know". Esther walked back into the room just as Eden was concluding that sentiment and remarked " I wonder how you would be so sure of that Mom". Eden then asked her to explain what she meant by that sentiment, but Esther simply holstered the children to sleep.

The next evening, at the same fireplace, the stories of Grandfather Bruno filled the room and the children laughed with amusement. Esther who was in the Kitchen preparing dinner could not help but pace around the room in anger. Her emotions raged on as Grandma told the stories of how immaculate her father was. She could not control herself anymore and run into the room and yelled " Enough Mom!, I won't stand here and let you glorify that man" ,Eden looked shocked by those words and Esther realizing her mistake quickly run upstairs to her bedroom where she sobbed and exclaimed " Take my memories too just maybe I will be able to live with this like she does".

Eden walked up the stairs and into the bedroom and called out to Esther " Sweetheart, are you okay?" Esther looked up to her and asked "Mom, do you seriously not remember anything?". Eden looked at her with a puzzled expression and all she could do was hug her mother and cry some more.

That night, Esther could hardly sleep, she tossed and turned and eventually opted to journal her way to sleep. She recorded the date and time and began to write " My memories and hers are different, how cruel is it that I am forced to remember all the hurt while she lives on remembering only the sweet parts. Why must I remember the dense emotions that filled our house, the arguments and slander, the physical and emotional torture he put us through. The detachment and abandonment, I am sorry, I simply cannot forget like she has, I don't get to be favored in that way but she does." With tears streaming down her face, she closes her journal and finally falls asleep.

The next morning, Esther awakens and instantly the memories of the previous night swirl her brain. She sighs and gets dressed and races down the stairs, she finds Eden already sited at the breakfast table and she engulfs her in a big hug and exclaims " Hey there lucky girl" to which Eden just smiles. She reminds Eden that her doctor's appointment was due that morning and that they would need to go to the doctor soon.

At the hospital, the doctor examines Eden and looks at Esther and says " unfortunately, your mother may never recover the memories she lost due to the trauma from that night, I am sorry. ". Esther sighs and thanks the doctor for doing everything he could and the two leave the hospital.

On the way home, Esther l recounts the day that changed her perception of Bruno forever! It was a cold winter day, and Bruno had just gotten off from work. Eden at the time filled with fear run down the stairs as soon as she heard Bruno turn the doorknob. She hurriedly runs to the kitchen in an attempt to set the dinner table for his dinner. The moment he lay his eyes on her, he retorted " Woman!, can't you see I am tired and hungry after a long day, hurry up with that food." She run around like a scared little girl and within 5 minutes the table was set. She called Esther to come down for dinner and the three of them sat and ate their food in silence. As soon as Bruno was done eating, he asked Eden for the cheesecake he had earlier requested for. Eden explained to him that she did not get the chance to make it as she was busy that day. He simply looked her way, grabbed his dining plate and threw it across the table towards Eden. It slammed her head so hard she fainted. Esther who was 9 at the time simply stood there in utter shock and fear. Her mother was rushed to the hospital and the doctors established that she had suffered memory loss. Bruno though sorry and apologetic could not live with himself for what he had done and so he abandoned them. The pain of violence, abandonment and emotional torture had always stayed with Esther, and she recounts that day like it was yesterday.

Back at home, she sits by a widow lost in thought and she thinks to herself, " what an honor to not remember, what a lucky girl!"