Prometheus by Marieta Maglas (i can read book club txt) 📕

to help her. He will be back in the morning.''

''Yeah,actually I knew but I quarreled stupidly with my wife and I forgot. Give me something to eat.''

Ella gave him venison to eat and after that she gave him to drink a cup of red wine. There was a sofa in the living room and she invited him to sleep there. Then she opened the window. It was raining outside but she didn't feel the raindrops. She was worried about Alexander expecting him to come home. She turned on the radio. A singer sang about his own love. It seemed to be an old love. She crouched in a corner and began to cry. Michael came slowly near her and started caressing her shoulders.

''Why do you cry, Ella? Do you know how to cry, little baby?''

''I feel it is not good at all. Alexander's mother needs surgery and he is exhausted. He comes home in the morning to sleep and I must go to the hospital.''

''Let's talk a little about us. ''Michael tried to catch her attention.'' Let's talk about my daughter.''

''It is always the same problem with your stepdaughter. I think that, assuming your relationship with your stepdaughter is otherwise healthy. You must talk with her openly and honestly about all the problems you have in common. You must help her to understand what's going on with you.''

''She simply cannot understand that another one can have a different opinion than she has on certain subjects. Mary may interact more positively with me only by asking me or maybe figuring out what I need to express,'' Michael replied.

''Some persons ramp up their behavior when they feel insecure about something and specifically they ramp it up when they feel insecure because the person they are talking to is withdrawing or having a negative reaction.''

''She has a very strong personality. But she is stubborn."

Michael looked into her beautiful eyes. When she looked into his eyes she felt the same strange sensations as usual.

''The fact that she wants to involve you in her life is very important.''

Ella tried to excuse Mary. She called Alexander to tell him that Michael is there.

''She's waiting for you to react to something that she says, maybe she's looking for the validation from an adult to all she needs to say.'' Michael closed his eyes.

''What did you say?'' I called Alexander.

''Great! I think that it is very important to have a frank conversation with her, as you said a few minutes ago..''

''Do you need some coffee?''

''Yes.''

''You must help her to understand your behavior and your thinking.''

Ella tried to continue her idea.

''Do you have daughters?'' Michael asked her smiling.

''No, do you really have one?''

''I love Nora.''

Michael kissed Ella on the cheek.

''There must be somewhere a journal, where she writes about her thoughts. Try to find it. You will understand her better than before,''Ella told him, becoming suddenly very confused.

''It's so disappointing when a negative reaction can be the only reaction someone ever provides. Don't you think so?''

He came closer to her, few inches away from her face. She felt nervous. He touched her skin gently.

''It sounds like you don't like her. Maybe that's not true, but if these kind of feelings can make living together a challenge, she can pick up on your weakness saying, 'I can't stay any longer in this situation.' You had married her mother. You came into her home and into her life. Maybe she really wants you to like her exactly how she is. ''Ella became slowly insistent.

Michael held her hand until her sorrow went away. After a few minutes, he released her hand. The way he looked at her was very strange. It was like a connection.

''It's possible that her friends do not really understand her like her family does.'' Ella continued to say , but he didn't seem to pay any attention. She wanted to understand his mind,especially when he hid himself behind his own words. Yet, she continued:

''You 're not a stranger. Imagine that you're her step-father.But she needs a real dad.She might try to change you, when she connects with you. I promise to talk with her.''

''Thank you'' Michael became completely absent.

In that moment,Alexander came into the house. He looked very exhausted, but Ella felt that his love was very strong.

''How are you,my love?'' Ella embraced him strongly. ''I will go to the hospital. Michael is here with you. Go to sleep, my love.''

''Aren't you afraid of the consequences, when you write some articles,Ella?''

''I believe in this necessary suffering for the cause of freedom and justice, Michael.''

''It must be always a balance between the security of the people and their fundamental rights.''

''The preservation of the rights and freedoms of the individual are very important. Think a little bit to our ancestors, who died for our freedom and our nation,'' said Alexander.

''We need democracy and freedom.This is why the words are sometimes very important,'' said Ella.

''I think we should do the things we love, even if it is very hard to do this. It is very important to love what you do and to have a motivated passion for doing it. In a society, where we spend more time at work than at home, we must be content with our jobs,''said Alexander. ''Are you going to go or not to the hospital?''

He looked at Ella with kindness, but he was very irritated and very tired.

''I go now, bye,'' said Ella, closing the door behind her.

''Let's go to sleep, Michael,I'm very tired.''

''Me,too. Can you talk with my wife? She's going crazy sometimes.''

''Didn't she call?''

''Not yet.''

''Don't be so worried.She will call tomorrow. Have a good night!'

''You,too.''

In this perfect school, there were sixteen kids in every class. This way, the teachers could give each kid an individual education. A strong teaching environment was really needed for this perfect school. The materials that had to be absorbed over a year should be planned out into equal shares. By the end of the year, the students comprehended the bare basics of each section of the subjects learned in their class. That way, the lessons could never be forgotten. The teachers encouraged the ideas of the children. Sometimes, for some reasons, teachers blew off the kids' ideas, even they might be right. This perfect school had younger teachers because they understood what was going on in a teenager's world.

Mary looked like a primary schoolgirl and she used to stay up all night studying. She needed some color to her skin because she was very pale but her black eyes and her black hair made her to look very beautiful. Her hair was always like she touched an electric fence but it smelled like lily.

Susan, Mary's friend,told her:

''What's the problem with your stepfather?''

Susan looked like a boy because she didn't wear jewelry or earrings. She had green eyes and a blond short hair. She was poorly dressed but she carefully chose her colors.

''There are some few feelings worse than the feeling you have sometimes when your parent is not interested in you or what you have to say. And I have that stupid feeling when everything I say is less important.'' said Mary.

''Everything you think is very important. Something strange happens here because I have new ideas but the people at school don't want to talk with me and don't want to share my new ideas.''

''They base their beliefs on their own personal experiences which can be completely opposite of what you experienced or what you believe.'' said Mary.

''You're like me, and I know that you want to share these exciting new things. I feel stuck in this school with no other friends except you and all these evil teachers. If love can awaken love, then love can awaken goodness.''

'' The goodness may awaken the love, but it may also awaken the resentments. Sometimes,Susan, I don't know why I like so much to be alone.More exactly,I need to feel my loneliness. I like to peer into my inner world, thinking about myself, about life,and about others. I like to understand myself.''

''I don't see anything wrong in this.'' said Susan

''I am a person, after all. I earn in a school attempting to get my exams. That's more tailored to my personality, I think. I don't know why most people are shocked when they actually get to know me or my situation.'' said Mary.

''You are so funny, I didn't know you were like that. Who told you this? It's not true. And try to think a little,we all have strengths and weaknesses, no one is perfect. We may like some people because they are good or we may dislike this persons because they present a contrast to our being. We need to love people around us and we need to accept them such as they are. And this love can become our resurrection.''said Susan.

''Buddha promised Nirvana to those who could abolish the hate. Christ promised the kingdom of heaven to those who could be completely full of love for the mankind. The religious freedom is necessary for the peace and stability.I don't know why some people are afraid of solitude. But I'm not. The solitude is for meditation.'' said Mary.

''Some people are afraid to be alone with themselves. Therefore,they need to be involved in many activities.''

''Sometimes I need to be a different person more thoughtful, more empathetic, and more compassionate than before. I don't know why I have these feelings sometimes.'' said Mary.

''I want to be extremely beautiful and extremely insightful. I don't know why I can't always get what I want.''

''Well, I think you should ask yourself about this. Trust your judgment more often. You are intelligent. You need a preparation to self-improvement. Self-confidence is extremely important in every aspect of our lives, yet so many people struggle to find it.''

''Self-confident people inspire confidence in people around them. You're right. "said Susan.

"I just want to get past this overwhelming attitude of struggling with all through my life.I am thinking of my stepfather,too." replied Mary.

''If there is a problem, then there is always a solution to it. Generally,the problems are not permanent. Why don't you call him Michael?''continued Susan.

''I simply cannot. I don't like him at all. I still don't understand how my mom can love such a guy.

He's a manic-depressive person who loves himself. Imagine a guy like him. His teeth are sharp and so horrible that they're like a shark's set of teeth. His lips are coffee-black. How can she kiss him and make love with him?''

''I think that you feel hurt because you love him a little and you think that he doesn't love you, but you must begin to love yourself, and take care of yourself more than usual. It's important to have your own standards and self respect. So, even if you think that the problem is about getting self-esteem, the most important thing is to have self-value. You are who you are,Mary, and what you need to do with yourself is to nurture that person within you.''

''Maybe you're right,Susan. He doesn't let me say what I think. There is no freedom of thought until thought is revealed as speech. I feel imprisoned.I need a relative equality between me and him but he doesn't seem to understand this.''

''Yes,my dear,I know.We need first of all freedom.And why do we need this? Because freedom is necessary for the evolution. Dan is still your boyfriend?''

''No,we're not together any longer. Now I believe in sexual freedom. Why do you ask me?''said Mary.

''I was just curious. I skipped History. Tell me what do we have to learn for tomorrow?''

''Let me think a little.'' She opened