Betty stared out the window.  She loved the night sky, the glimmering stars, the glowing moon, t was all so perfect. It was quiet and serene at night. The snow seemed to hush the rustling of the trees as snowflake after snowflake settled on each branch. All the bustle of the day had gone. The boisterous men and women selling knick-knacks and whatsits were all home with their families. The only sound outside was the soft chirping of the birds, and the occasional swell of laughter from a happy family nearby.

 

     There’s someone laughing right now, Betty thought to herself, smiling as she heard a hysterical screech. I wonder what’s so funny. She heard even more screams. I wish I were there.

 

       A decided wham jerked her from her mind’s meanderings. Betty frowned, angry to have been brought back to earth. She focused outside the window again, scanning the snowy landscape for the cause of the sound. And that’s when she saw them….the men with the torches.

 

       They were running through her village like a pack of rabid animals. She gasped as one man threw his torch at a house. She heard the tinkling of glass as the torch hurtled through the window and into the home. Frantic screams rose from the house as it caught up into a roaring flame. The men threw their heads back and laughed like hyenas.

 

       Betty’s eyes grew wide. Her mother, Sima came up behind her.

 

       “Hide,” she hissed, “go, Betty.” Betty stared blankly at her mother. “Now!”

 

       Betty nodded and scuttled under her bed. She shook with fear, as she heard the sounds of destruction. Crackling flames devoured and the wooden houses and shattering glass tumbled through the air  What had taken months, even years to build, these men were destroying in minutes, as though it were nothing. Betty held her breath hoping no one would come into her home. But it was no use. She heard pounding on her door. It started off slowly.
Boom. Boom.

 

       And then the booms came faster and more frequently. Betty blinked back her tears. With a loud thud, she heard the door fall, and the men stormed in. They were breaking everything they could find, tearing up books, throwing plates against the wall…and they were cackling hysterically. Betty shuddered and then held her breath, trying to keep as still as possible.
Please, God, don’t let them hurt me. Please.  Betty hugged her knees towards herself as a pair of ominous black boots approached the bed. She heard a loud ripping sound as the mattress was split open, sending feathers everywhere. The boots then disappeared from the room. Through her silent tears she watched the feathers rain everywhere. Betty reached out to grab one, and pulled it close to her, letting the soothing softness comfort her as she listened to the world around her get torn apart.

 

*****

Sima’s arms enveloped Betty squeezing her very tightly, as though she were trying to squeeze out a piece of Betty’s soul to keep with her. Betty squealed.

 

       “Shhhhhhh,” whispered Sima. Tears spilled out from her eyes and onto Betty’s head. “It’s going to be okay,” she said reassuringly, though it seemed to be more to herself than to Betty.

      “Mama,” consoled Betty, “we will be fine. And we won’t be apart for long, will we?”

 

       Sima sighed and straightened up. “No,” she said softly, “no, we won’t be apart for long. I will follow you to America soon, and we will be together again—very, very soon. I may even be there to celebrate your seventh birthday with you. How would you like that?” At that she managed to force a smile. “Now, in the meantime, you be good for Aunt Goldie. Her caring for you is a favor to me, so please be on your best behavior.”

      

       “Betty?” a cool, crisp voice came from behind her. Betty turned to see her prim Aunt Goldie standing there, tapping her foot impatiently, and pursing her lip. Betty eyed her suspiciously. “We have to get a move on, the boat will be leaving soon.” Sima disentangled herself from Betty.

 

       “Go ahead, sweetie,” giving her a weak smile. “I’ll see you soon.” Betty stared at her, as Aunt Goldie grasped her wrist tenaciously and led her onto the boat. Betty felt like she was being sold into bondage. The two pushed their way through the crowd to the edge. Betty pulled her hand away from Goldie and clutched the railing, searching the faces of the people on shore frantically for her mother. She found her, and began waving her hand, jumping up and down. Sima waved back slowly, wearily.

 

      Betty watched her intently, as the image of her mother shrank into the distance, and the boat headed steadily towards the horizon.

 

*****

       Betty slid the bench out from under the piano as the movie screen lit up. She carefully placed her hands on the keys, smooth, sleek, and cool to the touch. Then she would let the music pour forth from her, and intertwine with the movie. The notes seemed to wrap themselves around the movie, softening the edges of it, and forcing color to seep into the black and white screen.

 

       The music, thought Betty to herself, is what makes movies special. It wasn’t that Betty thought that the images on the screen weren’t important; after all, what would a movie be without the film itself? But the music, she believed, brought out the emotion in the movie. Even if she didn’t always understand what the music meant, that was all right. She didn’t always understand the motives of the composer, but then again, she didn’t need to understand everything. The piece would be beautiful no matter what.

 

       As the movie ended, so did the intimate dance of the images and the music. The enchantment of the audience seemed to wear off as they buzzed and laughed amongst  themselves. The magic of the movie was over, so Betty collected her paycheck, left the theatre, and walked home. She turned the key in the lock of the front door and it swung open.
“Aunt Goldie?” called Betty, “I’m home!” She closed the door behind her and slipped her shoes off.

 

       “In here, Betty,” Aunt Goldie called back. Betty walked through the living room and into the kitchen to see Aunt Goldie seated across the table from a woman who looked strangely familiar. The woman’s eyes sprang full of tears when she saw Betty.

 

       “Oh, Betty,” wept the woman, “Oh my, how you’ve grown. Just look at you!” she grabbed Betty and held her close. Betty recoiled slightly.

 

       “I’m sorry…” she stammered, taken aback by this woman’s strange exuberance. “Do I know you?”

 

       The woman laughed. “Betty, it’s me.  Don’t you remember?” Betty closed her eyes and racked her brains. That voice...those eyes…they were so familiar. And suddenly, it all clicked in her head.

 

       “Mom…?” she whispered tentatively.

 

“Yes! Yes! Oh, Betty, I’ve missed you so much.” The two of them embraced, laughing and crying at the same time. There was so much emotion in that one moment, more than most feel in an entire lifetime. All the sadness and pain of missing her mother for ten years, and all the joy and relief that she was okay came crashing down. “I promised I would come for you, Betty, and now…” she beamed at her. “Here I am. And now you can come live with me, just like we planned so many years ago.” Betty blinked.

 

       “What?” she looked back at her aunt Goldie, whose eyes were full of hurt. “Live with you?”

 

       “Of course! It will be perfect,” she sighed contentedly. “Just like it was supposed to be.” Aunt Goldie got up from her seat.

      

“That is, if she wants to go live with you,” she said coolly. “That is just what we were discussing, Betty, dear. We were talking about where you should live. I mean, you could live with me the woman who raised you and cared for you for ten whole years….” she shot Sima a dirty look.  “Or you could just let your mother, who abandoned you for ten years, supplant me. Whatever you want.”

 

       “What?!” exclaimed Betty. “You can’t expect me to choose between the two most important women in my life. That’s not fair!” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Aunt Goldie, you’ve been a mother to me all these years.  I could never just leave you.” Aunt Goldie puffed out her chest.

 

       “You have chosen wisely, Betty. I knew you would-- --” she began, her voice full of pride. Betty shook her head and interrupted her.

 

       “But Mom, I never got the chance to get to know you. And now that you’re here…” she smiled at her. “I want to make up for lost time.” Sima kissed her on the cheek.

 

       “Come on, sweetie, I’ll take you to where I’m staying,” she grabbed her hand and started pulling her towards the door. Betty pulled her hand away quickly and rolled her eyes.

      “Neither of you is listening to me!” she shouted angrily. “I’m not making a decision between the two of you. Neither of you won. I’m splitting my time with you, and that’s that.”

      “What?!” both Aunt Goldie and Sima exclaimed at the same time.

 

       Betty simply smiled at them. The two of them stood watching her with their jaws hanging open as she walked calmly out the door. Betty let the strangeness of the whole encounter sink in as she ambled down the streets of Minneapolis. She didn’t know where she was going, all she knew was that she had to get away; far, far away from the confusion awaiting her back home.  It was too much for her to take.

 

       When Betty’s mind finally came back into focus, she looked around to see where her legs had taken her. In front of her was the movie theatre where she played piano. The run down bricks and garish awning seemed to beckon to her. Betty strolled into the empty theatre. Her eyes lit up when she saw the piano. Boy, she said as she ran her fingers over the keys. Am I ever glad to see you. Betty pulled out the bench from under the piano and the music instantly flowed out of her. As she played, the buzzing in her head quieted, and time seemed to slow down all at once. Yes, she said, content as the notes soared above her head, lifting her up with them. Yes, everything is how it should be. I made the right decision. And everything will be fine.