Blue Moon

“Annie! I’ll introduce you to my wife and my son. This is my wife, ILA. . .”

He said as he pointed to a lady with curly, brown hair that sat just above her shoulder. She was tall, but not as tall as Claude. Her clear, tanned skin made her seem like she was in her 30’s.

“. . . Umm . . . don’t be fooled by her, she’s already 43. Sometimes even I’m afraid.”

“Hey! What do you mean fooled!? I have never fooled anyone in my entire life. It’s not my fault I’m this beautiful. You’re afraid that I would leave you for a better man. Right?” Ila said with a smirk on her face. It made her look more beautiful than she already was.

“Yeah right, Like you could get one.” Claude murmured. “Oh!” Exclaimed Claude as he remembers what he was doing at the moment, he then continued.

“ . . . . and this is my son, ERICK. He looks just like me doesn’t he?” [Pats Erick’s head] “Dad! I’m not a kid anymore!” “Okay, okay. Calm down.”

The child that was known to be Erick had the hair of her mother and also her clear, white skin. Blue eyes that looked just like Claude’s and he also had a nose that was shaped like the one Claude has.

“Hey, Annie we were just going to eat. Want to sit to a chair next to mine? I mean being the new member of the family and all, you must be shy . . . . Let me accompany you.”

(What is this man thinking? I’m nothing but a useless old, wooden doll; I always was and always will be. Yet, he welcomes me and cares for me. He even claimed that I was family. Preposterous! He talks to me as if he could get a reply. Always calling my name, but I don’t want anyone to say that name other than master. Only master can say my name, he gave me that name, and because of him I can now think and feel, but I can never move. I can never shed tears. His love bought me to life, but not all of me. I know that I’m . . . different, but even I cannot understand their way of thinking.)

Months have passed ever since that day, and within those months. “Annie, are you having fun? Annie, how are you? Annie, Annie, Annie . . . “

Every day, Annie, Annie, the only thing Claude says.

{Inside the bedroom of Claude and Ila}

“Hey, Ila, what do you think about Annie?”

(what does he mean by, what do I think? She’s only a doll! What do you expect me to think!?)

“Ummm . . . , She’s really nice. I like her.” [Shows a fake smile]

“Really? I thought so too I’m so glad you like her Ila.”

Ila then gently puts her head down, with eyes wide open, but her face and body facing the opposite direction from Claude. Just trying to have a moment for herself. A moment when she could think to be able to make a decision that she would not regret.

(Claude, my darling, I do love you and care about you, very much, but you act like that thing is alive. You’re starting to sound crazy. No, you DO sound crazy. That thing doesn’t have feelings, but I on the other hand can get lonely, you know. I miss you Claude. Where are you? Where’s my beloved? You’ve changed so much. I don’t know you anymore.)

Ila thought, as she closes her eyes and goes into a deep sleep, as if she would never wake up again. Her body was so still, like it was paralyzed, and while she was asleep, tears where falling down her face. What was she dreaming about that night? What was she thinking? . . . . . .

{The next day}

After dinner in the kitchen. Claude was washing the dishes while a wooden doll with long, straight, black hair that had emerald eyes sat by the sink, at a spot upon where Claude’s eyes could see it.

Claude paused for a moment, and quickly glanced at the wooden doll, Annie. Then he slowly started talking.

“Umm. . . Annie, we’re going to the park tomorrow, you’ve been with us for months now, and you haven’t really gone outside yet, and since it’s my day off, and Erick wanted to play. So, we’re going to have a picnic. I hope you’ll have fun there. It’s really nice. Especially when you feel the breeze on your face, and maybe we should buy new clothes for you on our way back home. [pauses then stares at Annie] Okay?” [Smiles]

[Lub- dub! A slight sound of the heart was made] (What was that? It felt so light, as if there was a bright light shining inside of me. It felt light, tingling, but good. What was that . . .?)

{The next day in the park . . .}

ILA: “Erick! Come here! It’s time to eat...”

CLAUDE: “Annie, are you having fun? [A minute of pause] Well, Erick sure is having fun. Later let’s go to a toy store and buy you some clothes like I promised, okay?” [Smiles with red cheeks on his face]

ILA: [Murmurs] “I just don’t know what he’s thinking anymore—“

[Erick hears this, then stares at his mother with confusion, yet a slight understanding of what his mother was feeling and loses the bright smile on his face]

{In the toy store . . .}

CLAUDE: “Hey, Ila! Look, doesn’t this dress look cute on Annie. This looks good too, and this, and this, and this. Which one should I buy? Maybe I should buy all of them. Hey Annie, which one do you want to buy?” [Pause] “You can’t pick too? Okay then, let’s just buy all of these and you can wear this blue dress now, okay?” [Goes to the counter] ‘Sir, I would like to buy all of these. How much would all this be?”

CASHIER: “It would be a total of1000 dollars.”

CLADE: [Hands over the money] “Wow, I guess I bought too much, and the price is really high. Maybe because these clothes are all original. Well, nothings too good for you. After all you are my most prized possession.”

(There he goes again. The more days we spend together the more I see my master in him, and what does he mean by “MY most prized possession.”? I’m not his, ugh! Why? Who is he? How can he say the same thing as master once said? He can’t possibly be like master, he’ll just leave me, get tired of me, he never really cared for me, and I’m nothing but a useless wooden doll. I no longer have anyone. I no longer have a purpose.) [Lub- dub!]

{At the house}

CLADE: “That was a great day wasn’t it Annie? And I have to say that dress looks great on you.”

ILA: “Darling, we need to talk about something . . . “[Turns head towards Erick] “Go to bed now it’s past your curfew”

“Awww . . . but mom.” [Flinches at his own mother’s gaze] “Yes mother. I’ll go to bed right away.” And so Erick marches himself up stairs, and by the time he was gone, Ila’s expression immediately changed. Her angry expression suddenly turned softer, and sad.

She spoke softly with eyes that looked like tears where prepared to fall down her cheeks at any moment.

“Darling, maybe we should get rid of Annie. You’re attention lately has been for nothing, I mean nobody but Annie. I know she means so much to you, but . . . we can’t keep living this way. We have the children to think an−”

“What do you mean!? I’ll never throw Annie away. She’s the only memory I have left of grandfather and you now that. How can you say that!? That’s horrible!”

“No darling, we aren’t going to throw Annie away. We’re just going to give her to a new family or sell her− maybe.”

“No! Ever since I was a child, grandfather promised to show me Annie when I would come to visit, but because of my work I could never visit grandfather. I was 5 years old the last time I saw him, spoke to him, and that last day together with him, I said all those nasty things and never said sorry to him. The only way I could ask for his forgiveness is by taking care of Annie. I regret everything that I have done, and I blame myself for not sparing time and for not having the courage to come back to him and say sorry, but I regret everything now, everything . . . “ [cries]

“I understand how you feel, but Claude; you don’t have time for us anymore. After you go to work, you only talk to Annie . . . “

As she looked down on the ground in a position upon where you couldn’t see her eyes, tears began flowing down her face. She then shouted;
“. . . I’ve had enough Claude! You don’t spend time with us anymore. . .”

“That’s not true, that’s not true . . . “

Claude repeatedly said with a frightened and confused face as he shook his head in desperation of denial.

“That’s not true, and you know that. I care for both of you.” [Touches Ila’s left shoulder with his right hand]

“NO!” [While strongly brushing off Claude’s hand] “No Claude. I’m so tired of it now. I want you to pick Claude. Me and your son or that wooden doll? You have to make a choice now.”

Ila asked with an expression that couldn’t be explained in merely words, yet Claude did not reply. He just stared at her blankly, standing perfectly still, as if his time had stopped.

Seeing this, Ila decided in her mind that if he can’t make a decision, maybe she’s just not as important to him as she thought she was.

“Fine! I understand what you want to do. Erick and I will be leaving by tomorrow morning. I’d rather leave now than be ignored and replace by my husband with a doll. We should end this now. Goodnight Claude.”

Ila and Claude slept side by side like any normal night, but the distance between their hearts could be felt. Their bodies so close to each other in that small bed, inside the room that suddenly felt too small for the two. It felt like they were suffocating.

While all this fuss was occurring, a little wooden doll blames it’s self for everything.
([lub- dub] what have I done? I meant no harm. I’m sorry Claude. [Sheds a tear])