This scene continues the conversation between Kitten and her mother, after her mother is horror-stricken to find her daughter cutting vegetables with a chef’s knife and boiling water on the stove. Kitten confronts her mother’s over-protectiveness, and they heal their relationship over the beautiful dinner she had prepared for them.

Scene 3: Mama Arrives with an Explosion Followed by Healing.

Kitten heard the front door open, followed by the familiar sounds of Mama kicking off her shoes and dropping her purse onto the hallway table.

“Karen, honey, I’m home. Where are you?”

“In the kitchen, Mama, with a surprise for you!”

Kitten stood proudly in front of the stove as Mama walked in. Mama looked at Kitten, at the French knife on the counter and at the pot of boiling water. Kitten watched as Mama’s eyes opened wide and her face turned red. She took a deep breath and puffed out her cheeks. Kitten knew what was coming.

“What are you doing, Karen Lynn Hearshstein? What do you think you’re doing?” Mama hissed, as she shook her right forefinger at her daughter. “Don’t you know you could have hurt yourself? You could have burned your hand in the water, or you could have cut your left wrist with that sharp knife! What do you think you are doing? What do you think you are trying to accomplish?”

Karen’s eyes closed and her cheeks bunched together as her feelings overwhelmed her. She gasped as Mama continued to berate her. Stop! STOP! she thought. Then her own tears took her by surprise, and she could not stop them. She saw Mama’s lips moving, but she could not make out the words. She could only feel the emotions and the lack of belief in her as a competent person. Her head spun, and she staggered back toward the stove, but then caught herself before she really did catch fire.

I should’ve known she would react this way. I should have been prepared. She’s right that I need to become independent, and that means becoming independent of her, as well.

As this thought appeared in her mind, the tears stopped, and her breath returned, calm and smooth. She felt steady on her feet. She knew. She knew who she was and what she had to say. She cleared her throat and slowly wiped her face with a dish towel.

“You ruined everything! You are so overprotective, you won’t let me try anything new on my own. You’re so afraid of my hurting myself that you, and you alone, are going to make me into a real cripple. I can’t do anything on my own without you hovering over me. I’m twelve years old, for God’s sake! At this rate, I’m never going to grow up! I did the salad, see! And my hands are fine. Not a single cut. The water is boiling for the spaghetti. Will you leave me alone? I can’t handle the way you coddle me, anymore. May I start the pasta, please?”

The kitchen was silent, except for the bubbling of the water beside her, and the calm passage of Karen’s own breath. Mama exhaled, hard, and took a deep breath. The frown on her face smoothed. She looked serious, but not angry.

“Krana Layala, I apologize for how I snapped at you. I understand what you have been trying to tell me. It didn’t sink in until just now. I was wrong, dead wrong. You are my child. I love you and care for you, but I just made a big mistake. I know you need to express yourself, and I need to let you try new things. You are growing up, now. You’re not a little child, and I need to stop treating you like one. Will you help me and remind me whenever I start to get this way, again? And maybe for now, we can start the evening all over?”

“Sure, Mama. I accept your apology. If you walk outside the door and come back in, we’ll rewrite the script for your entrance. How’s that?”

“Okay, Kitten. I’ll go back to the hallway and try again.”

Karen watched as Mama did an about-face and disappeared around the corner of the hallway. She would need a moment to pull herself together. Kitten was as surprised and pleased by her own poise and humor as she was by her mother’s change of heart. Regardless of her almost overwhelming desire to please her mother, her tears had passed, and she could joke about starting the scene over. She could stand up for herself.

Mama marched back in, wearing her biggest smile.

“Hi, Kitten,” she said. “What smells so good? Can I help you with anything?”

“Sure!” Kitten said with a smile, “You can dress the salad! It’s in the fridge!”

Kitten giggled with relief, her heart warm with healing. She and Mama enjoyed their meal as if nothing had happened, as if Kitten always cooked dinner, but they each had learned a lesson. From this moment forward, Mama tried to have a new attitude toward her daughter’s independence, and Karen definitely had a new attitude toward demanding her own rights. Even though she felt guilty for defying Mama, she knew she had to, or she would never become her own person.

#cerebralpalsy #inspirational #parenting

©2020, Karen Lynn-Chlup. All rights reserved.