This was my first assignment for A215. Comments and criticism would be greatly appreciated. I am going to make some changes of my own over the coming weeks (time permitting :))
Moving On
03/02/1981
From her elevated position at the top of the ladder, she’d taken aim…
The deep purple paint that she’d flicked from her paintbrush landed perfectly squarely across his nose in a look that was reminiscent of Adam Ant. He’d yelped like a wounded puppy and launched himself at the ladder; ran at it as if into a rugby tackle and grappled her legs, he pulled her down over his shoulder as she’d screeched, giggled and beat at his broad back with the half loaded brush. Her red hair tumbled down his back. The paint had spattered all down the back of his T-shirt. Straight across the protective sheet that they’d covered the carpet with, sensibly as it turned out, and landed in abstract patterns over the currently bare walls.
He’d lowered her onto her feet and enclosed her into a hug. She’d let herself be nestled into his arms and looked up at him, still smiling.
‘You look pretty in purple.’
‘You look pretty in anything, and nothing,’ he’d countered, leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose.
They’d painted little love notes to each other on the plaster of the walls, then preserved them behind the beautiful wallpaper she‘d picked for their little girl. It would be a real ‘princess’ bedroom’. The repeating, concentric circles in different shades of purple and pink to match the purple paint that she’d chosen for the woodwork. It was exhausting redecorating the entire house but it had been an exhilarating, fun time for them. The first house they’d owned together. They could decorate it as they’d wanted; not had to scrimp and save on things as they had whilst saving for the deposit for their new home. A beginning.
When she remembered it today it seemed like an age ago. As she shut the door on their first home for the last time she couldn’t help but smile. A bigger house with two more children; their first Princess about to start college; better jobs to pay for it. It was time to say goodbye and head for the future.
03/02/1995
At the top of the ladder, she held the flat, plastic plate of the steamer against the hideous wallpaper. She had really struggled to ignore it when they’d initially looked at the house. It was faded but still looked in good condition and it was “only on one wall,” as Parker had pointed out. Otherwise the house was perfect. Surely she wasn’t going to let this one little detail put her off. She’d been hormonal the day they’d come to view the house and at that point she thought she actually might let it put her off, thank you very much. When they’d come back to view it again she knew she’d been unreasonable. Not that she‘d admitted it.
This was going to be their little girl’s room. She was due in less than three months; Sara wanted the room finished and perfect. She’d picked the most beautiful wallpaper. It was a candy stripe, pink and purple that felt like suede. They’d had matching bedding made for the cot and a rug commissioned with the same pattern. The wall behind the cot would be a plain pastel pink and baby’s name was going to be painted in italics directly onto the wall. It was such an exciting time for them. Their first baby; their first own home.
As she pulled the first strip of the retro paper off the wall in one long, satisfying strip, Sara noticed the curve and point of a love heart painted onto the plaster. She climbed down the ladder, curiosity making her work from the bottom up on the next piece. She brushed her springy auburn hair away from her eyes and reapplied the steamer plate to the wall.
As she scraped at the bottom of the paper she revealed the rest of the love heart. The initials S and P nestled inside of it along with x’s for kisses and a 14 year old date. The colour of the paint a perfect match for the purple in the wallpaper.
‘Parker. Come look!’
Parker strode into the bedroom, his broad frame nearly filling the doorway.
‘What’s up?’
‘Look! It’s a sign. It has to be.’
She showed him the love heart with their own initials in and he laughed.
‘Of course it is Sar.’ He gave her an indulgent smile. Leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose and cocooned her in a hug.
