“I miss the cottage.”
It was Nana’s first day home after breaking her hip and she had been non-stop complaining about her restrictions.
The cottage complaint seemed random. It was January. They had never gone to the cottage in the winter, and Marcus had sold the cottage three years ago, when Nana was still mobile enough to go, but never did.
Despite all that, Vanessa heard the pain in Nana’s voice. She meant it.
Vanessa thought, without hesitation, that she would paint the cottage for Nana. It would be a wonderful birthday gift for a woman who was difficult to buy for and probably didn’t have many birthdays left.
She left late Saturday night to arrive at the cottage before sunrise, to capture the sun rising over the lake, over the small cabin that had been in the family for generations. Vanessa would take some photos, make some quick sketches, go home and paint Nana a beautiful memory.
Except when she turned onto Aldrin Pointe Road, the little cabin was gone.
In its place was a monstrous modern home, far from a cottage, far from what Vanessa would consider tasteful architecture.
She started to be furious until she remembered that her cut of the cabin and the adjacent acreage was 24 thousand.
She stared at the tri-level, odd angled Bigfoot in the predawn glow.
Screw it, she thought. I’ll paint the sunrise and go off memories and old snapshots.
Back home, she added the cabin from the thumbnail real estate listing,called into work and painted for fourteen hours, only taking brief breaks.
The next day, Nana’s birthday, Vanessa unveiled the painting.
Marcus applauded. “Great job, Vee.”
Her mom rushed over and embraced her. “It’s stunning darling. A museum piece.”
Nana said, “Thank you, dear.” Flat. Unenthusiastic.
Vanessa clasped her hands behind her back and squeezed so she wouldn’t scream in frustration.
“You don’t like it, Nana?”
Nana shrugged and reached for her glass of birthday cognac. After a decent swallow, she said “There were four pines to the north side, and they were taller. And I never really cared for the cabin. It was too small, too cramped. I really only miss the lake. I’d give anything to just dip my feet in that water again.”
“Well Nana,” Vanessa said, “If you make it to another birthday I’ll drive back up there, bring ya back a bucketful and you can do just that.”
***
Photo by PoloX Hernandez on Unsplash
Wow, hits close to home.
Vanessa just don't get it.