The Sun And The Earth

• Megan Nguyen, Grade 12, Glen Waverley Secondary College
• Short Story
• 2011

Excellence Award in the 'Step Write Up 2011' competition

“I don’t really remember...” he said, with a casual indifference, putting on an air of frivolous cheek, as he oft did.

A hint of salty water brimmed at the bottom of her warm dark eyes, and she smiled. She gave a nod with a sort of vacant, knowing expression– always knowing. Of course, she was his earth – always there, always keeping every detail, always waiting. But he was her sun, and never the other way around or equal. She could never change that.

She was not a beautiful girl, though he liked to tell her she was; more obligation than truth, she thought. Her small, pursed lips and slightly pointed nose were quite unladylike; she was petite, slender – but this left her with a small breast, small hips. She was not ugly, but she was plain. Womanhood had not quite taken hold of her body yet.

She was talented, in many ways; it was clear that if she made the right choices she could go far. She was brave, courageous when she wanted to be; but she endured, she did not fight. When she was a child all she did was cry – cry for her mother, cry for her fear. She would cry when she fell over, scraped her skin, tumbling over in her pleated culottes and tearing her tights at the knee. She could not control these tears, they fell without permission until taunt after taunt, tease after tease; she buried them. Deep in her throat, down to her chest. She worked hard all her life to bury them deeper. Hid them, built walls around herself. She became a new person, changed her routine – the little girl in culottes began to grow up, on the outside. Sometimes she slipped, when her father would yell and scream at her for being stupid, for not living up to his expectations the tears would just fall again. But outside the comfort of her own home, she was okay.

Or at least she was.

This sun; shining and alluring and beautiful, grabbed her by the heart and made her brave, sure. Never had a brighter being touched her. The sun was bewitching, but heavy. It weighed down upon her- her resolve, her life’s work crushed, crashing and burning. He could bring out the best, and the worst of her. Anger; such intense anger seemed to stem from her heart at the very thought of him – but so too did love. Love: a shining, glorious love untouched by another – pure and undiscovered; overwhelming. She had no control, emotions overcame her without permission. Weakness.

She bit her lip and tried to blink the salty tears away but it was too late. So this was how it was – love; as it consumed her as much as it saved her.