Zantar’s story…
“Hey Zantar!” one of the guys on the hallway called out. “We’re organizing a rock climbing trip for our spring break. Are you in?”
Zantar shook his head. “Thanks. I can’t this year. Maybe next.” He shoved into his dorm room, wondering what it would be like to have a whole week to himself, a time when he could just go out into the mountains, find a cliff face and climb it.
Alas, that wasn’t his life.
A knock on the door broke through his contemplation. When he opened it, there was a man in a crisp suit on the other side. “Good evening, Your Highness,” the man greeted him. “Are you ready for your dinner appointment?”
Zantar ignored the groan of frustration. “Give me a moment,” he replied. “I just got out of class. I’ll be with you in five minutes.”
He closed the door again and hurried over to his closet. For a long moment, he stood there, not moving with his hand resting on the knob of his closet. Just one night, he thought. One damn night! He’d like one night during which he had no obligations!
With resignation, he pulled a dark suit out, tossing it carelessly onto the bed. It took only a few minutes to change from his jeans and Henley into the suit. He paused only long enough to slap a bit of cold water onto his cheeks, then grabbed his razor and the leather binder with his notes for tonight’s meeting. He’d be dining with the Swiss ambassador tonight. They were discussing…he opened the leather binder as he flipped on the razor, shaving his jaw and cheek as he grabbed his keys and headed back out the door.
Over the sound of his electric razor, he heard the ribald laughter of the others on his floor. About ten of his friends were congregating in the common area, the planning in full swing for their rock climbing expedition.
“Five years,” he muttered as he hurried down the steps. “Five years!”
The chauffer was waiting by the curb next to a dark limousine. The man pulled open the back door of the limousine and Zantar stepped inside, still shaving as he flipped open the leather binder to remind himself of the points his father needed him to discuss with the Swiss ambassador.
It was going to be a long night, he thought. But in five years, he’d demand more time to himself. More time to pursue all of the adventures he was currently required to ignore as he learned how to be a world leader, even while he was working on his master’s degree in economics.
Just five years, he thought again.
Faye’s Story…
“Faye, dear, you don’t mind giving up your room, do you?” her step-father asked. “It’s just for a couple of nights. Just for the holidays.”
Faye smiled politely and stepped out of the doorway to her new bedroom. Her mother had remarried only a few months ago, so it wasn’t as if she’d actually settled into her bedroom. Not that the house had ever really felt like home. Ever since her mother had remarried, Faye’s life had been…upended.
“Not at all,” she replied, the stepped back into the room. “I’ll just grab a few things.” Quickly, she grabbed the clothes she’d need for the next few days, her school book bag and a few other items. Her step-father’s sister and husband were in the kitchen, chuckling about…something with her mother and step-father.
Faye didn’t join them. It didn’t feel as if she would be invited anyway. Life was very different, but, thankfully, she didn’t have much time here in this house. She’d be off to college soon and she’d have new experiences, new roommates and new friends. This shifting from one sleeping area to the next would all be a thing of the past.
Heading down into the basement, she tugged one of the old camp sleeping bags out of the storage box and spread it out over the lumpy couch. Grabbing the remote for the television and her chemistry book, she convinced herself that it didn’t matter that she was kicked out of her bedroom for the weekend. Being down here would allow her much more privacy than she would have enjoyed otherwise.
Still, it hurt when her mother forgot to call her for dinner that night. Faye only noticed when she looked up from her homework and noticed that it was dark outside. How long had she been down in the basement?
Glancing at the clock, she realized that it was well past ten o’clock. Suddenly, her stomach grumbled. Maybe she could sneak upstairs without waking anyone.
“No,” she whispered and flipped over onto her stomach, turning off the television that she hadn’t really been watching anyway. “If anyone wakes up when I grab something to eat, they’ll just get angry.” So instead, she turned off the light and pretended that she wasn’t hungry. And pretended that her heart wasn’t aching at the fact that her mother had forgotten about her. Again.
