The winter was always cold, too cold.  The summer was always too hot.  The fall had an unwanted chill in the air.  Spring, late spring, was the only season that satisfied the taste of the girl sitting on the wicker couch.  Unfortunately, the current season was summer.  The heavy, humid air sat upon the inhabitant of the couch as if a heavy blanket was draped over her.  Her eyes surveyed the area with apparent exhaustion.

 

There was a grand piano across the room.  The top was up and a young black boy was sitting on the bench.  His fingers ran swiftly over the keys as the notes of the solo piano version of Rhapsody in Blue floated over to the girl.  She glanced at him with a disdainful frown before reaching up to carefully adjust her white hat.

 

The room was filled with tables, white wicker to match the couch she sat on.  A glass tabletop adorned each wicker stand while sets of four chairs were carefully arranged at right angles.  The floor was smooth hard wood that shone from its early morning polish.  Near the piano, a dance floor was positioned beyond the tables.

 

The air was still even though a light breeze teased the white curtains that hung across the open windows.  The walls of the establishment were whitewashed.  In a few places, a picture of a bridge or flowers would interrupt the continuous absence of color.  The girl narrowed her eyes at a picture of a French garden that was placed to the left of the couch.

 

It was afternoon, perhaps one thirty.  The sun did not shine in any of the windows, but the lush grass outside sparkled in the light.  The girl eyed a grandfather clock placed against the wall to her right.  The tearoom did not open until two.  She sat back into the couch with a small pout.   Her foot tapped continuously on the wood floor.

 

The black boy glanced furtively at her, but did not stop playing.  She glanced at him and then purposefully turned away.  Her eyes drifted closed at she let the notes of the music penetrate her hearing.  A number of minutes passed in this manner.  The girl did not even stir as the boy began his piece of music again.

 

A slim figure in light blue entered the tearoom at the door next to the piano.  The woman gazed blankly around the room until her eyes came to rest on the figure on the couch.  Her high heels clicked softly on the ground as she approached the girl.  When the clicking sound ceased, the girl opened her eyes to stare at the woman above her.

 

"Hello mother."

 

The woman sat stiffly beside her daughter.  Aside from the terse greeting, the girl did nothing to acknowledge the woman's existence.  The notes of the piano penetrated the heavy silence, but neither woman seemed able to hear the sweet melody.

 

 Finally, the girl glanced at her mother.  "What do you want, mother?"

 

"Your father is disappointed in your decision."

 

The girl smiled without humor.  "And he asked you to come talk to me?  How thoughtful of him."

 

"It's not like that.  He couldn't leave work for the day and since…"

 

The mother trailed off.  "Odd actually talking to me, mother, isn't it?"

 

The mother did not seem able to come up with an appropriate response.  "He really doesn't think you're doing the right thing."

 

"If there's one thing you must have learned, mother, it's that I do not care what he thinks."

 

"You're leaving your entire inherence for what?  You don't even have a man!"  The mother's voice was shrill and the boy playing the piano paused for a moment to stare at the two figures across the room.

 

"I do not care what you think either, mother.  And since when do I need a man to do what I want in life?"  The girl's tone remained indifferent.

 

The mother tried a different approach.  "We need you.  The family name needs you."

 

The girl scoffed.  "I should hardly think that you need me.  I barely know you, mother.  And let the family name go to Hell for all I care!"

 

"Lynn Marie!  Using that language in public, it shames me."

 

"We're not in public mother.  It's not like that boy is going to care.  Why should I care if it shames you?"  The girl glared at her mother.

 

Her mother was fed up with the girl's insolence.  "I'm not going to let you ruin this family.  Not after all the hard work of your grandparents and great-grandparents before that.  You will not destroy us."

 

"I do not want to destroy you or the family.  Really, mother.  You should know better than that.  I am leaving.  There's nothing to do about it.  You're still young enough; maybe you can have the heiress you've always wanted.  I, however, will be departing soon."

 

"You will regret this, Lynn Marie."  Her mother waved a finger in the girl's direction.

 

"I doubt that, mother.  Now if you would be so kind as to vacate the premises, I want to listen to the last part of Rhapsody in Blue in peace."  She turned away from her mother and closed her eyes in a similar manner to before.

 

The soft clicking was the only sign of the mother's departure.  The lively tune of Rhapsody in Blue filled the silent air once more.  The girl smiled softly to herself while the boy played on.