Roseanne's Summer Vacation- Chapter 46
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be so harsh with my comments, Mr Orville. It’s your story, and I appreciate that you shared it with me.”
“Don’t apologise, Roseanne. If anything, I feel better after telling it. And thank you for sharing your story.” He nudged the manuscript on the table.
“It sucks,” Roseanne said bitterly.
“No, it doesn’t! Don’t ever think that,” the teacher said firmly. “Don’t doubt yourself.” Mr Orville snatched the novel and got up.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m going to send it.”
“Hey! Wait a minute!” She nearly overturned the table from haste.
***
The waiter knocked on the doors firmly and continuously to wake up the girls. Natasha was the first to open, and she was instantly smitten by the tall, blonde man.
“Gazpacho soup, madam. Where should I put it?” he asked, rolling the tray inside.
“Wherever you like, baby. Just leave me your WhatsApp number.”
“Hey, what’s all this commotion?” Thally asked, standing in the doorway. Her eyes were still glued together from hard sleep.
“Nothing. The waiter brought a Grapefruit soup.”
“Gazpacho soup,” the waiter corrected Natasha.
The girls ate Gazpacho soup. Much to their surprise, it was cold. And later they were served with the second course, which was spaghetti bolognese. The steamy pasta and meaty sauce uplifted their spirits.
“So this is the last day?” Nika made sure. “We’re going back to Bydgoszcz in the evening.”
“There’s no doubt about that,” Thally said. “That Monday morning when we boarded the train seems like ages ago, but it was only three days. How is this possible?”
“It’s just your mind playing a trick on you,” Natasha clarified. “You have survived a lot during the past three days. That’s why it seems long.”
“Shitballs,” Milena said, hugging the Pooh bear. “I have to buy a gift for my mom. If I don’t get her anything, she is going to kill me.”
“We can buy some sea salt, no sweat,” Nika winked.
“Where are Roseanne and Mr Orville anyway?” Natasha asked, realising they were gone.
***
Roseanne and Mr Orville walked to the main post office, which was situated at the opposite side of the Batory shopping mall. They bought a new envelope, the size of which was suitable for the manuscript. Roseanne packed her novel inside and wrote on the envelope the address of the committee organising the contest. Finally, Mr Orville pasted the necessary stamps, and the package landed in the mail box.
“I hope I’m not making a fool out of myself,” Roseanne said.
“You’re not, and never think like that again. Don’t care about the opinion of others. You have something to be passionate about, to get up every morning and do, and nobody can take that away from you. Many people go about their lives on autopilot, without any dreams or aspirations, but not you. You are ahead of them because you engage in the art. You are spreading the light in the darkness. You touch the divine. That’s not making a fool out of yourself, Roseanne. Living a lifeless life is.”
“Well, I’ve never thought about this like that, Mr Orville.”
“In truth, there is a higher probability that you may lose the contest than win it, but what matters is that you tried. Dare to be creative, Roseanne. Dare to have an interest while the world is consumed by vanity.”
“I wish you could have told me this in the classroom.”
“In the classroom, we learn about tenses and conditionals, not creative writing.”
They walked down the sunny pathway in a park. The trees swayed gently. The sun shone through the green leaves, intensifying their colour. The cries of seagulls and the hum of waves accompanied them, gently soothing their ears.
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