A bell jingled; one sounded so frequently that heads did not seek to catch a glimpse of her entrance. With drizzled hair, Georgie walked in, her arms interlocked trying to eliminate the numbness from the cold. However, the aroma of freshly ground beans instantly gave her warmth.
“A large white chocolate mocha to-go, please,” she said, rolling the request off her tongue almost routinely. Her eyes were drawn to a family of four laughing in the corner of the room. Their faces were familiar; they were regulars. They were smiling. And it wasn’t long before the corners of Georgie’s mouth lifted and she found herself smiling too.
“That comes to $4.50, thanks Georgie.”
“Thanks, Don,” Georgie Beamed. “I’ll see you later.”
She started humming an effortless tune as she took her first tingling sips of coffee. Without forewarning, the pocket of Georgie’s red overcoat vibrated and a melody began to accompany her humming. She answered.
“Sweetie, someone’s here to see you. Are you far from home?”
“Who’s there? I’ll be home in five. Tell them to hang around.”
“It’s your father. He’s waiting in the car. I’ll tell him that you’re coming.”
Georgie answered her mum’s words with silence; she had very few words to say. Out of confusion, and perhaps a hint of bitterness, she muffled a reply and hung up. It took years for Georgie to bury the hurt that had been inflicted on her. Although this pain had managed to seep through the cracks over the years, she didn’t know how she could possibly face it all at once. The man who abandoned her sixteen years ago – the man who continued to send her bundles of disappointment when he pleased – was at her doorstep. At the one place where she felt secure and loved. She hesitated for many moments, but finally her feet came to a decision.
Raindrops burst into glass fragments as they hit the shining roads. Georgie ran across wet streets and zebra crossings tinged red and green, sheltering herself with the palm of her hand. In the near distance, she recognised a rusty Mercedes Ute parked on the road outside her home. She approached warily, and her heart jumped for the split second that her eyes locked with his through the rear-vision mirror. In the drizzly weather, he stepped out of the car in his dusty boots, torn jeans and flannel shirt, slamming the door closed behind him. Holding his arms out wide, he greeted Georgie with a crooked smile.
“Dad…” Georgie was lost for words.
“Hey squirt. Are you happy to see me?” He replied.
“But why, did something happen? What made you come here?”
“Nah, I was just visiting a mate in town. And well, I haven't seen ya in years George. So I thought I'd drop by.”
They continued to chatter idly. But before long, words Georgie had not meant to say slipped her tongue. Silent arguments were exchanged, and the man she had once called Daddy walked out of her life once more. It wasn’t the feeling of abandonment that filled her with resent; she had already been through that long ago. Her thoughts spindled like a broken cassette and taunted her mind. They flickered back and forth between buried memories. Moments of laughter and joy reopening and stinging old wounds. Each memory that came flooding back linked to now. Before he departed, he left her with hug of false hope; a hug of false security. He left with few words.
Georgie’s eyes glimmered with hurt, bitterness and other raw emotions. After all those years it took to muster enough courage to lock away the pain, her efforts had been destroyed. In her private sanctuary, she hid away, skimming through letters that once caused her heart to stir. Time passed by as she sat, her mind in deep thought, reminiscing, reminding, remembering. Her father was absent throughout her childhood, he wasn’t there when she needed him the most. In all honesty, he wasn’t really there at all. Georgie had her mother’s eyes. Her mother had always been the sunshine in her life. Amongst the depths of blue, a glint of warmth still remained in Georgie’s eyes because her mother never left. Remembering this, she decided to forget.
After Georgie’s mind had finished wandering, she took a deep breath. She had lived her whole life without him, she didn’t need him now. Her life was full of people who could make her laugh; people who would be there for her no matter what. She had her sunshine and wasn’t ready to make room for the rain. Georgie did what she had done once before. She tucked her growing pains into a box. Knowing that it may be opened again, she hoped that if it was, there would be a hint of happiness waiting inside. Sealing the cracks, she locked the box with a faint smile. The sun was shining again.
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