Caroline the Ballerina

Chapter 5

Margaret Duffy warily descended the stairs. From her bedroom, she thought she had heard noises, but wasn't sure, so she didn't wake up Fred. If there was a burglar, she wanted to spot him before he spotted her, so she moved silently and didn't turn on the lights... In the dim light, she detected no movement in the entryway or living room. Margaret padded silently through the living room and stuck her head in the dining room... No movement there either... But wait! There was light coming from beneath the door to the kitchen! And she heard a noise! It sounded like... a pan?

"Caroline Duffy!!! What are you doing up at this hour of the night?! You scared me half to death!"

"Sorry Mom."

Margaret sniffed the air for a second. "Do I smell chocolate chip cookies?"

******

Caroline hurried after school to get to her next ballet lesson earlier than usual. She wanted to talk with Miss Morgan before class.

"Miss Morgan."

"Caroline? You're here early. Have you thought some more about what we talked about?"

Caroline was reluctant to speak. "Uh… well… I… uh…"

"Caroline, you don't have to be bashful with me. Whatever you choose, my feelings won't be hurt. If intense ballet study and practice is best for your life, I'll be happy to help you as much as I can. If you decide it's too much of a burden, well, I've seen cases of burnout, it's not pretty. I have to admit, it's every teacher's dream to have one of their pupils go on to be a star, but you have to do what's right for you."

"I'm – I'm so sorry Miss Morgan. I like ballet, I enjoy performing, but I want to do all those things the other girls do. I don't want to increase my ballet study."

Trying but failing to hold back her tears, Caroline wrapped her arms around Miss Morgan, who responded in kind. Since she was eight, Caroline had always looked up to Miss Morgan as an authority figure – a friendly one, but still an authority figure. Now she also thought of her as an older friend.

Miss Morgan wiped her tears away. "There, there, Caroline… I teach ballet so that music and dance can enrich my student's lives, whether it's just for enjoyment, as a means of expression, or as a path to a successful career. I love all my girls, I want what's best for them."

"I won't stop my ballet studies Miss Morgan, I won't! I love ballet…! And who knows… things may change… I may dance for Baryshnikov yet" Caroline protested, trying to convince herself more than Miss Morgan, but not succeeding.

"Who knows, indeed?" Miss Morgan smiled at Caroline. They both knew that the odds against success, already high, would increase dramatically if she waited until later to devote herself to ballet.

After awhile, Miss Morgan tried to cheer Caroline up by giving her a fake scolding. "Now Miss Duffy, class will begin soon. This crying must stop. It ruins the mood for the class."

Caroline smiled. "Yes, Miss Morgan."

Later, the other students started to file into the studio, and Caroline's smile faded, as melancholy reality set in. Caroline was turning the page on one chapter in her young life… But would she return to it?

The end