Under the rainbow

"What's that Kerry? Why the hell did you buy that rubbish?"

It was Sunday. Kerry and her mother were at the nearby mall. Not for any shopping or any
of that frivilous stuff, no, Kerry was there to do something special. Her mother
said so. It was the "Miss Songbird Competition", where girls of ages ten to twelve
participate in the event of the year! Where you can be a star! Legal disclaimer and blah blah
blah. Kerry was going to take part. Her mother said she could.

Kerry's mother had helped her get ready for it too. The exercises, jogging and swimming in
the hours of the morning before school were to "get her fit and healthy" her mother said.
There were singing lessons conducted by her mother and she sang "Somewhere over the
rainbow" accompanied on an old Yamaha piano beside their faded couch. They had to sell
most of the stuff when they're father died, but they had kept the piano. Her mother loved it.

"Sing with me now Kerry," she would say, lightly touching the keys of the instrument,
"Somewheeeeeeere over the raaaaainbow... come on Kerry, keep up keep up!" And Kerry
would sing, but not in the way her mother wanted her to. And then the beatings would start,
nothing serious, just the wooden ruler smacking on her arms, feet, buttocks. Or her hand,
quick as a snake, would slap her across the cheek, bring tears to her eyes before she even
realised it. It hurt sometimes, all the time, but it was for her own good. Kerry knew it was for
the best. Her mother said so. She was also under a 'diet' where she ate nothing but an apple
for breakfast and porridge with carrot bits for dinner. There was no lunch, not even in
school. Even though she was hungry then, she did not eat anything. Her mother had warned
her not to. She liked the apple in the morning because it was sweet but the porridge was
awful. Kerry hated the porridge but she had to eat it. She was just so hungry. Recently, she
realised her clothes were getting looser.

All that went on for two months. The exercising, the singing, the 'diet' and the beatings,
though the beatings did stop after she learnt the song inside out. Then one day, she returned
home from school to find a small parcel in her room. Her mother was sitting on her bed next
to it. She beamed when she saw Kerry and motioned for her to approach.

"Go on then. Open it!" her mother urged. Kerry was curious and tore open the package.
Inside, was the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. It was fabulous! It was pink and had
curls all over. And the way it shimmered and shone! It was a delightful sight. Her mother
took out the dress and helped Kerry into it. Kerry looked at herself in the mirror. She
giggled and snickered and giggled once more. She was like a fairy! A pink fairy! She twirled
around and laughed even more. Her mom joined in the laughter and tickled her. It was fun.
They then had dinner and Kerry got slapped once because she wanted to have it with the
dress on. Her mother did not like that idea very much. But the pain soon passed and Kerry
was given a slice of watermelon for dessert after the porridge with the carrot bits inside.

And then, it was Sunday. And they were at the mall, and she was wearing the pink dress again. She was so pretty! She felt like the whole place was a dream. They entered the food court for a drink. It was very crowded and they could barely sit down. But they did, on a small two-seater table with milk stains on top.

"So many people, ridiculous ridiculous," Kerry's mother clucked. She took out a ten dollar note. "Honey, since it's your special day, you can go buy a drink by yourself. An orange juice, nothing else ok? All by yourself now! And remember to give me the change alright honey?"

Kerry had nodded and gave her mother a hug before leaving the table for orange juice. She lined up behind some people at the Chicken King outlet. The smell was good. Very good. Kerry felt her tummy rumble. She had her apple only four hours ago. But her excitement had made her hungry too.

"Can I help you there?" a boy in a chicken hat asked her.

"I er..." Kerry stuttered, nervous at all the attention.

"Yes?" the boy smiled, he was wearing braces. Kerry had to order orange juice. She knew she had to order only orange juice. But the food smelt so good. So good. Kerry ordered.

Her mother had screamed. "What's that Kerry? Why the hell did you buy that rubbish?"

"It's chicken mom! Only fried chicken! It's cheap! Less than five dollars! I was hungry! I was!" Kerry struggled to explain.

"Fried chicken will kill you! All that grease and oil and fat. They'll clog up your heart and you'll die! You'll die a fat bitch!" Her mother's hand snaked out and slapped her on the cheek. It stung hard. "You want to die a fat bitch Kerry! Do you?"

Slap. People were looking now. Her mother was in tears. She was going to cry too. She could feel the tears behind the eyes and she blinked hard. She would not cry. It was her special day.

"I've worked so hard to give you a good life, to redeem you!"

Slap.

"I put everything on the line for you, you can't do this to me you bitch! You slutty bitch!"

Slap. Kerry did not know what her mother was talking about, she just stood there silently. Her cheeks were now numbed from the slapping.

Then the punch came. Kerry's head snapped back and her lithe frame rammed onto another table. Her head collided with the table edge and the whole world went fuzzy. Her mother took her by the dress and slapped her again and again and again. She wanted to tell her mother to stop, that she would ruin the dress. But the words would not come. The tears fell.

She felt her head being grabbed and slammed onto another tabletop before hands came to pull her mother away from her. Kerry struggled weakly against the hands and screamed in her mind for the people to let her mother go but the world was getting darker and fuzzier. She felt sleepier and heavier and all sound began to fade...except for her mother's voice, which was singing and crying and screaming and singing again. She was singing "Somewhere over the rainbow", her voice wavering on the high notes. She was singing her name. Kerry thought of her dress and how ruined it had become and then somebody finally decided to switch off the light and sound and everything.




And that's it. All for you candz ;) Btw, watched Akira Hurosegawa's (spelling) last film Dreams. It's... weird, with a strong anti-destruction-of-world theme. And weird. But beautiful too. Colours never seemed to matter til now.