Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Water Lilly Confessions ❯ Beautiful ( One-Shot )

Beautiful

In Montgomery, Alabama, I was preparing my eight-year-old daughter, Meg, for her first day at her new school. This was no ordinary day. The year was 1963 and the public schools were now being integrated. I was both happy and scared. This country was finally turning around for the good of the future. But I was scared as well. How would my daughter cope with all of those white kids at her new school? Her father, my husband, loves his daughter and me to pieces. He was come to ignore what his white family and friends say about me. They still make comments about him being married to a black woman and having a half-black daughter. You see, we met in college in the fifties. We just sort of got along fast from there. Pretty soon, we fell in love. Many people hated our relationship. I even got death threats at my college dorm. I was even close to re-thinking my relationship with Paul. But, he convinced me to stay with him otherwise.

Paul and I kept our relationship hidden for a long time. It was very difficult to do. Many people would try to spy on us. It was as if we were in Nazi Hungary. Paul would sneak over to my college and visit me at times. My friends and brother hated me because of the color of my skin. My friends and classmates would look at us like we were crazy. In those days and now even, an interracial relationship equaled death. If a black and white person were caught dating, they were killed. Even though Paul and I were scared that the same could happen to us, we still continued to see each other. We just couldn't get enough of each other. Then after we graduated from college, Paul and I were married. And a year after that, sweet little Meg was born. And the whole time throughout our marriage, Paul and I remained hopeful that things would get better for us and our daughter's future.

“Mommy,” someone said to me. I quickly returned to Earth to see Meg standing in front of me. My daughter is such a beautiful child. She had a small round face, deep chocolate drop eyes, cute little baby cheeks, tiny little puppy nose, small darling little ears with white gold hoops in them, and short choppy black hair into neat little braids. Meg looked like a baby doll in her little blue Sunday school dress, white lacy socks, little black shoes, and nice little blue ribbons. She takes after both Paul and I. The nurses were excited when she was born because her little veins didn't show like all of the other babies in the hospital. We named her after the head nurse of the hospital. Nurse Megan Scott was very kind to us despite the doctors talking down to us.

“Yes sweetie?” I asked her. Meg looked up at me with those big sweet eyes of hers.

“What if I don't like my new school?” she asked me. I suddenly felt nervous all over. The strange thing was that Meg was so calm about everything. She looked very at ease for a young girl her age. I was the nervous one while she was very collective. It should've been the other way around. I should the calm one, not her. I'm supposed to be the strong one and calm her down when she is upset. Instead, I was the one nervous and worried my little girl's future at one of the first intergraded school in Alabama. Well, I can't let Meg see that I am scared so that she starts thinking less about me being a strong woman as she views me as.

“You will like your new school!” I said to her.

“How do you know?” Meg asked me. I took in a deep breath. I would hate to lie to her, but this is one of those times where it is necessary.

“I just do,” I said. “You'll love your new school and make plenty of new friends at your new school.” Meg didn't seem to believe me at all on that one.

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“Yes!” I said strongly as if to convince myself that was the truth. Meg still kept her serious and calm face. But I could see some worry in her sweet little eyes now. Oh no! Now, I've down it. I planted in worry into this sweet little angel's head. Well, there's only way to fix this now.

“What's wrong Meg?” I asked her trying to sound calm. Meg just stood there and stared at me for a while. I stood there fearing the worst. I could just feel it coming.

“I have been hearing daddy's friends saying things about us,” she said in a calm voice. I was really worried now, but I decided not to show it on my face.

“What things?” I asked her. Meg waited for a few minutes before talking again.

“This n-word,” she replied. “Nig- nig-ers? What does that mean?” That really sent me over. I couldn't hold back my emotions anymore. Then suddenly, the words just spilled out of my mouth.

“I don't even want to hear you saying that word ever again!” I snapped to her. Meg looked at me confused.

“Why?” she asked me.

“Because,” I said. “It is a cruel word and it talks down t people like us. That word makes us unequal to people like your daddy's ignorant friends!” I then noticed that Meg was staring at a me even more with wide eyes of confusion. Oh dear! That was just overkill with that one. Now, I have to try and fix it before it gets out of hand. I took in a deep breath and thought about what to say next.

“Listen to me sweetie,” I said at last to her. “You are beautiful, no matter who or what you are! Don't let anybody tell you otherwise. You and I are both beautiful, no matter what! Do you understand me?”

“Yes!” Meg said aloud to her. I suddenly felt better for myself again. I had resorted Meg's confidence in me as a parent living in times like these. I was even more confident in my daughter's future to live in a better world after she finished school. I smiled at her with those thoughts in my mind.

“Good,” I said to her. “Now have a good day, sweetheart!” Meg smiled at me with her cute little smile.

“Okay, mommy!” she chirped. Then, Meg headed cheerfully out the door. I watched after in hope and fear. I only hoped that I was right in the end.