Anna's Visions by Joy Redmond Page A

said that Tori went up the stairs like a loping mule. She wanted
Tori to take them one at a time like a lady, but at nearly twelve, she didn’t
feel the need to be ladylike quite yet.
    Tori stood in front of her closet, and then reached
for her blue gabardine dress with the boat-neck and A-line skirt. Then she
searched the closet floor for a special shoebox, but couldn’t find it.
    “Hum,” she said, standing up and walking over to her
bed. Tori bent down and looked beneath the bed, and there it was. She dragged
the box out, opened the lid, and admired the white patent leather low-heel
pumps – her first pair of shoes with real heels, even if they were only an inch
high.
    She slipped her feet into them and felt so grownup.
She couldn’t wait to be able to wear six-inch heels, but that wouldn’t be for a
few more years. She wasn’t allowed to wear lipstick either, even though she
felt old enough to wear light pink. Her mother wouldn’t hear of it.
    She pulled her dress over her head, and then admired
herself in the floor-length mirror on the back of the bedroom door. Her auburn
hair was just below her shoulders. She brushed it a hundred strokes every day,
wore it parted down the middle, and wouldn’t allow barrettes or bows in it. She
thought she was too old for Momma to decorate her head like some kind of Christmas
display.
    “Tori, are you about ready?” Jill yelled as she
started up the stairs.
    Tori heard Jill trip twice, so she knew Jill was also
wearing her new pumps. Jill walked into Tori’s room and flopped down on the
bed, causing her full skirt to billow. “Boy, I’ll be glad when this night is
over so I can get out of these pumps and this dress and back into my jeans. I
hate dressing up!”
    Looking in the mirror and pushing her hair behind her
ears, Tori replied, “It isn’t important that we feel good – it’s important
that we look good! Beauty can be painful, you know.” Then she blew a
kiss at her reflection. “And I must say, I’m looking gorgeous !”
    “Oh, so you love your beautiful self?” Jill said as
she joined Tori and gave her a nudge with her elbow. “Scoot over!” She looked
at her own reflection and smiled. “Mirror, mirror on the stand – ain’t I the
fairest in all the land?” Then she lowered her voice and answered her question.
“Of course, ‘tis you with eyes so blue – and your bright blond hair, no one
else can compare.” Jill tickled Tori in the ribs. “Boys are crazy about
blondes, you know.”
    Tori shoved Jill’s hand away. “Nah, boys are crazy
about redheads. We’re spitfires, you know. But I’m not a redhead. I’m really an
auburn-head, and we’re a lot more fun than you boring, dumb blondes.” She
returned the elbow nudge and added, “Let’s go before Momma has a cow. She wants
to take a hundred pictures before we leave.”
    They held hands and walked regally down the stairs.
    Tori glided across the living room and turned in
circles. “Well, how do I look?”
    Momma sighed. “I know you don’t want to hear it, but
it’s true. I can’t believe my daughter is graduating from sixth grade. It seems
like it was only yesterday that you were born.”
    “Git a grip,
Momma. I’m tired of hearing it,”
Tori said scanning the room. “Where’s daddy?” Don’t tell me he’s off with Cliff
Moss. He does know this is my big night, doesn’t he?”
    Jill giggled. “Tori you’re so dramatic. Do you really
think our daddies would be off playing pool and forgetting about our special
night? Good grief. You’re ridiculous!”
    “Really!” Momma said. “Do you think your daddy would forget
your big night? He’s cleaning out the car because you didn’t do it after
our last trip to McDonald’s,” Momma said, looking at Tori with a scowling face.
    Her daddy came into the living room, put his hand over
his heart, and said in mock astonishment, “My goodness. Who are these two
beautiful girls? They’re certainly heartbreakers!”
    Tori’s dad