This story is partially based on my own experience. Here, I am going to illustrate a sorrowful event happened in an afternoon dating back to five years ago when the protagonist Elena went through the bad news of her cat’s death. A female cat named Sugar, in reference to “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin.
Elena was a ten-year-old little girl born with long and curly hair just like her mothers, while the color is much darker. Gleaming eyes and a face were so striking that is bordered on beauty. Instead of being talkative, Elena was quite introverted, or in another word, silent, however, hardworking. She was one of the smartest students in the class, excellent at almost every subject, which wins her a great preference from the teachers.
Sugar came to their family as a kitten with white hair all over her body except her gleaming nut-brown eyes, wearing such a tender expression that makes her naughty character invisible. Actually, Sugar was a birthday present received from Elena’s grandmother when the little girl just became 9 years old. It was incredible that Sugar became an intimate friend of Elena at her sight. Then, sleeping together at night was a must, when Sugar was crouching close to Elena’s head and dreamed deeply.
Every morning during the school days, Sugar just sat on the square stone in front of their house and stared at her friend Elena until she disappeared into the crowds. The funniest thing between them was that when Elena was painting in watercolors, sugar’s face would be multicolored, for she would touch the pigment curiously with one of the claws and tried it on her own face from time to time. However, such happiness did not last a long time. Sugar was dead accidentally one afternoon when Elena was far away from home.
Gloomy Afternoon
“Sure, it will be a sunny day as usual, ” says Mr . Victor who is forty years old wearing a learned air. They are busy preparing for climbing the mountain in order to forget about bad things happened recently.
At 8 o’clock, Mr .Victor and his wife, they have taken everything needed with them, snacks, beverage and other tools essential to deal with the emergencies. The little Mr . Victor, Andy, 5 years old, a very naughty and handsome boy, is asked to call her sister, Elena. Well, there is no Elena in the house, instead, she is alone in the garden, and the landscapes have gradually become as red as wine along with the rising sun. Leaves are rustling in response to the breeze, which also flicks the curly hair and dress of Elena. She’s sobbing with her shoulder quivering slightly. The old days when she spent with Sugar come to her mind over again.
That was during the summer holiday, a Friday afternoon, the weather was particularly great. Elena was with her Grandmother, Mrs.Cathy, preparing for launch in the kitchen. She did not take Sugar with her that day because there is quite a distance between their home and her grandmothers.
They had kinds of fresh vegetables picked carefully from the garden at the backyard. Mrs.Cathy said she would surprise this pretty granddaughter with her most adept dishes, which arouse the curiosity and sweet expectation of the little girl. She got all materials washed clearly and loaded in a small bowl when her Grandmother light a fire under a pot made of iron and with a middle size. Then, Elena began to cut the vegetables washed before in accordance with what she has been taught.
Meanwhile, the fragrance of pomade blows out Mrs.Cathy’s pot. Both were doing their best and longed for a meal with high deliciousness. Later, Elena had got everything ready for that magic pot she had considered, tomatoes, mushrooms, bean sprout, eggs and also some green vegetables like bamboo shoot were included. Mrs.Cathy was talking about her time when life was very miserable. A wide range of people starved, owing to the shortage of grains. Some even left their hometown to beg for survival.
“That was too bad”, said Elena with great pity. “How could it possible that you and grandpa pass through that difficult period?”
“Actually, if your mom had another sister or brother, we would also have been to beg for daily support. So, you can see the wisdom of your grandparents.” Both of them burst into laughter immediately and went on their cooking.
When they were about to enjoy the launch, Mr. Victor, in white T-shirt, with perspiration streaming from his forehead, carried a bag of green beans picked from his own garden
“Papa, how’s Sugar today？I miss her a lot” , said Elena when she just saw her father.
“Well...she is fine, she is with your mom at home now, and I intended to bring her here, but you can see, there is no space to put her in.” Mr.Victor points at the tiny basket before the bicycle where also is full of eggplants said so.
“I see... papa, I want to go home with you later. I am a little bit worried about Sugar this morning since I had bad feelings that did not occur to me ever before.” Elena looked at her father and Mrs.Cathy wonderingly.
“Sweetheart, it may because you are missing Sugar too much, but there is no need to worry, cause I and your mom will take good care of her! What you need to do is only to accompany this “lovely lady” who has been wishing half a year to meet you again.” Mr victor touches her daughter’s hair and holds her in his arms for a while.
“ok, I am really into being with grandmother, for she has a variety of stories full of joy and wisdom to tell, and those are, as I have ever known the most incredible ones.”
“That’s true, looking back to the old days, it’s hard to imagine what kind of hardship we have gone through. So it is necessary to cherish and fully enjoy the peaceful and adequate life now”, says Mr victor.
After finishing their meal, Mr. victor left for home, and Elena was going to stay another few days with her grandmother, even though she had been missing her Sugar a lot.
Two days passed, that morning, Elena was wandering with Mrs.Cathy along the ridges, appreciating the breathtaking beauty of nature when they came across a neighbor, Mrs. Susan whose house was located just beside Mrs.Cathy’s.
“Good afternoon Mrs. Cathy! What a charming girl little Elena.”
“Happy to see you Mrs.Susan!” said Elena, smiling.
“I am sorry about Sugar, she is really the cutest thing I have ever seen, however, what a pity, but I hope you will not be too sad for that”, Mrs.Susan said and patted this little girls shoulder lightly.
“What happened to my sugar, Mrs. Susan? What do you mean I will be sad for Sugar?”
“Ah, goodness, you did not know that? I am sorry honey, oh...last day, I went to your village to visit my remote sister and I heard that the day before yesterday, in the afternoon”
“That was when Papa came to bring vegetables” murmured Elena.
“Sugar was knocked down by a rushing car and was run over, unfortunately, no one had a chance to figure out who was driving the car” , MrsSusan said to both Elena and her grandmother with a low voice and her partners was so astonished that Elena suddenly burst into tears, she said nothing but buried her little face deeply into Mrs.Cathy’s arms, sobbing.
“I am sorry, sweet little thing, I thought your parents might have told you.”
“Thank you, Mrs.Susan...I hate the driver... I miss Sugar...” cried Elena.
“Sweetheart, I miss her as much as you, but there is nothing can be done to bring her back, so you need to be brave enough to face the reality and Sugar, I believe, she is also not willing to see you so sad” , said soothingly Mrs.Cathy with a clear sorrow expression.
“I also heard that Sugar looked very bad and dead immediately without any struggle.”
Continued Mrs. Susan, “but I tink it’s not too bad for her suffering less pain.”
“I hope you will go through it.” Mrs.Susan said to Elena, then left saying goodbye to her.
“Grandma, I want to go home”, wiped the tears with her arms.
“Ok, I will be with you, let’s go home now.”
They packed up Elena’s clothes and took the bus to her home. Both looked as if they were thinking about something.
As soon as they arrived, Elena rushed out the bus and ran to look for her father.
They were about to have a launch, Mrs.Victor and Andy were in the kitchen. The appear Elena and grandma surprised Mr.Victor, because Elena said she would come back a few days later. Then he pulled out one chair to let Mrs.Cathy have a rest
“Hello, Elena, why do you come back today?” Mr.Victor turned to look at Elena’s face. He felt something.
“Elena missed Sugar, so we are here”，Mrs.Cathy sat around the table.
“oh, come, I let your mom get your foods.” Mrs.Victor came out surprisingly to find her mom and daughter were both there.
“Mom! Elena! How are you, sweetheart? I will take your bowls.” She backed to that kitchen.
Andy rushed out at his mom’s words and ran to Mrs.Cathy immediately, sitting beside her.
“Grandma,I was helping Sara make food. You can taste how is my potato later.”
“Really? So capable little Andy”, smiled Mrs. Cathy, and touched Andy at his nose.
“Elena was silent. She just walked around like she was looking for something.
“Dad, where is Sugar. Why have I not seen her?”
“Ah!She is sleeping. You know she is used to having a nap after launch”, said Mrs.Victor.
“Come over Elena, your mom has done a pretty good job in the kitchen. You will certainly like it.” Mrs.Sara came out carrying two bowls and two pairs of chopsticks.
“Dad...”said Elena. “I have heard Sugar is dead...Is that true? I want Sugar. Why did you not protect her from such pains?” tears had been full of her eyes but she was not letting them flow down. She stared at his father, hoping to get an answer.
Everybody in the house looked at Mr.Victor silent. Mr.Victor caught a glimpse at his wife and said to Elena.
“Sweetheart, let’s enjoy the meal then I will tell you everything.” He approached Elena. Whereas her daughter did not move, and asked, “dad, what happened to my Sugar? Why could not you and mom take good care of her? You promised me!...”Elena stretched out her hands to wipe the tears.
“I am sorry, sweetheart...”
“Elena,we miss Sugar also. She was so beautiful, but...Your father and I, Andy, we went to the garden that afternoon. Andy and I were picking the eggplants, and your father was working to fix the broken grape trellis. I saw distantly that Sugar was playing a stone, which she might find along the street. Suddenly, I heard a voice-- ‘whose cat is this? Such a poor thing!’ Then I rushed to see. I saw our Sugar lying in the middle of street clearly dead...Her little body was covered with blood. I could not bear one more sight on her. I was desperately out of control and cried your father. Nobody around saw who was driving the car. We covered her poor dead body with carpet and buried in the corner of our garden”, said Mrs.Sara brokenly.
Elena ran out to that garden and she found a hill where she knew buried her Sugar.
“Sugar,come back my Sugar. I miss you so much. I am sorry for having not protected you from that pain”, cried Elena.
Mr and Mrs.Victor also came out with Andy and his grandma. They stood behind Elena, concerned.
“Be brave, my little Elena”.
“Sugar is with her little friends around their God. I think she is happy now, and cannot stand you crying so heavy.”
“Dad, I am sorry for speaking to you that way. But I could not bear that sorrow and anger. Dad, is that true Sugar is happy now with her little friends?”
“Certainly, she is so good that no one will not be friendly to her. However, if she saw her Elena was so sad, she also might be unhappy”, said Mr. Victor.
“But I do miss her, dad, how can I live a life without Sugar!”cried again.
“You know, sweetheart, it’s unavoided that Sugar will leave us for another world sooner or later, simply like every person in the earth will go to our God one day, and she just left too soon. Let’s wish her a happy life in that world, ok?” Mr.Victor held her daughter who was stilling sobbing.
“Elena, do not be so sad. I am willing to let you take Sugar some of my potatoes”, said Andy suddenly.
“Elena, just as your father has said we will all pray for our little Sugar and you should eat something now ” , Mrs.Victor said, petting at her daughter’s back.
“Dad, I will not let Sugar unhappy. I wish she has a good time with her friends. I want to take her Andy’s potatoes now.” Elena left her father’s arms and went home.
Others stood and looked at each other with a relief.
While, after that day, Elena developed a habit, every day in the afternoon when Sugar left and which Elena called: gloomy afternoon, sitting in front of that hill where Sugar was and said something only between them.
Today, six days from Sugar’s death, she went there to tell Sugar they are going to hiking, and how she wishes Sugar can come with them.
After looking around the house without finding Elena,Andy runs to his father and tells Mr.Victor,“Papa, Elena is busy writing and she said we can go and leave her alone.” Mr.Victor stares at the little boy suspiciously and said, “Does Elena really say so? Where is she now?”
“...oh, she is... in her bedroom.”says Andy brokenly, and goes to pull her mother’s sleeve.
“Mom, let’s go now, otherwise, it will be too late to catch the bus.”
“I went to her bedroom just now, and she was not there. I am going to check. Sara, you make sure again we have got everything necessary”, Mr victor says to his wife and goes out to look for Elena with Andy following.
It is a nice day, early summer is always soothing and comfortable in this small village-paradise since its existence, dotted with so rich types of trees, and many creeks that you will never feel too hot to go out.
They walk very quick and look around constantly. “Elena...Elena...” Mr.Victor shouts loudly, but there is no response, only the echo of his own voice is received.
Andy purses his mouth, very impatient and murmurs,“such a tiresome Elena.” A few minutes later, something occurs to Mr.Victor, “She must be in the garden.” Then he calls Sara to have a look in the garden where is separated from their house nearly 50 meters away.
“I know that Elena must be there, cause Sugar is there. Let’s go back now” says Mr.Victor. Andy is picked up by his father suddenly and giggles all the way home.
Exactly, when he sees Sara is in the garden with Elena in her arms, Mr.Victor knows
everything “sweetheart...” whispers Mr.Victor, kissing Andy over his eyebrows and both of them walk slowly towards that garden.
Evaluation:
Kate Chopin, born Katherine
O'Flaherty was an American author of short stories and novels and is now considered by some to have been a forerunner of feminist authors of the 20th century.
“The Story of an Hour”in which Kate Chopin depicted a female protagonist-Mrs. Mallard who was afflicted with a heart trouble. So people around her were as gently as possible to tell her the news of her husband’s death. While the truth was that she did not react as many women had heard the same, with a paralyzed inability to accept its significance, instead, she went away to her room where she could see the trees were with new spring life, alone and would have no one follow her. And the end, she was found dead in the room and was said she had died of heart disease. In her story, Chopin employed more psychological descriptions of Mrs. Mallard to expand the story and involve in the feminism. We can see that Mrs.Mallard might do not love her husband or they did not get along well with each other. So the “bad news” was a relief for her.
In contrast, I employed more conversations in my essay, standing aside to observe the protagonist and other characters. However, we set the story in the same structure--changes appear in one moment. Mrs. Mallard’s husband’s death and Sugar’s accidental death.
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