As she slumbers in her cozy bed, sunlight tenderly touches her face. She scowls at the eigengrau hue encircling her eyesight. She cries out sweetly in her sleep, "Mom!" which causes her mother to softly chuckle. She grins in her sleep as she hears her mother laughing softly.
Her mother gently calls her "Ella." To get more sleep, she moves to the opposite side. Again, her mother gently yells, "Sweetheart, wake up."
Ella snores, "Just five more minutes, mommy," incoherently.
"You may snooze as much as you like, but..." Ella moves to her side and gently opens her ocean-green eyes as her mother pauses. "But today is your graduation ceremony, sweetie" her mother added as Ella's green eyes matched her hazel ones.
When her mother says something, she immediately sits up and says loudly, "Oh yeah, I forgot. Mom, this is the day of my graduation. Yay! I am ecstatic. I was so excited last night that I slept late. I feel so overpowered."
She grabs her mother's hands and gently shakes them while chirping in the toddler-like voice she uses whenever she is close to her. "I will enjoy a lot, umm I will call Tori too and mom we will go to NGO too. I will celebrate my big day with my babies"
After saying this, she began to casually leap onto her bed. Her mother can't help but gush over how adorable her daughter is acting. She responds, "Okay, okay, you will," while pouting softly and patting her cheeks. "My baby must first get ready and finish her chores before she can go and spend time with her children. Okay?"
After grinning at her mother's remarks, Ella gives her a firm hug. "My mommy really knows me." She sings happily and sways with each note while maintaining the embrace. "Okay, baby bear, now go get ready," her mother adds while patting her back and giggling at what she just said.
She pulls away from him and cries, "Okie, mother."
She claims that when her mother sets up her bed, she runs to the bathroom to freshen up. Ella heads down to the hallway for breakfast after taking a shower and dressing in her favourite all-black co-ord set. Her father was reading the newspaper at the dinner table, as was customary.
She may be heard singing "Daddy" as she runs in baby steps towards her father from the stairway. Her father smiles softly at her. Ella rushes into his arms and hugs him joyfully as he exclaims, "Oh, Ella baby, come here."
As she crashes on her dad while giggling. "So, isn't my Ella's graduation today?"
Ella just enjoys breakfast with her parents while maintaining a constant smile.
Ella is the sole child of Ella's parents. Elizabeth James, her mother, is a housewife who worked as a professor before getting married. For the past two generations, her father, David James, has served as the CEO of the high-tech company "James Developers," and is a well-known businessman. Ella has been asked to join his company on multiple occasions, but she has consistently declined, stating,
No, Daddy, I don't want to get caught up in this crap."
"I desire an easy existence."
"I want to start as many NGOs helping the poor as I can."
Respecting her decision, her father didn't press the issue any further. Ella received her degree from the National University of Arts in New York about a week ago. She's always had a fierce interest for books and the arts. She will spend a lot of time in her room painting or gathering items for her loved ones who work at NGOs.
Her mother instilled in her the behavior of frequenting NGOs and having compassion for the less fortunate. When she was younger and in her early years of marriage, her mother used to visit NGOs as well. It is challenging for her to get there frequently now that she is older and busy with her housework.
Returning to the present, Ella and her parents arrived at university where they met Tori, her best friend. Both of them went into University Hall, where the graduation ceremony was taking place, and blamed their parents. They all met their peers, chatted, and took pictures of the group.
They all said goodbye to one another while smiling weakly and wiping away their tears. Ella and Tori approached their parents, who were conversing and sipping coffee. "Mommy, Daddy!" was simultaneously chirped by both. "Yes, you two can leave for an NGO," the four of them responded with a smile after giving them a quick glance.
The two run to embrace their parents and jump for joy before turning around to go the other way. "Wait, Tori, you can take my car and I will drop Mr. and Mrs. James home," Tori's father offers. Before taking Ella's hand and rushing into the parking lot, Tori nods and grabs the keys.
They both sat in the vehicle and drove off in that direction. "Okay Ella," Ella nods as Tori questions.
"What are your current plans for when you graduate?"
Ella hums in response to her query before briefly responding, "Nothing will stop me from trying to paint and sell my works, and I'll also start writing."
"Writing?" Tori exclaimed excitedly.
"Yes," Ella says, smiling.
"Ah, I remember you wrote a sonnet for me in middle school, and that was so good. You should give it a try, bestie," Tori praises.
Ella blushes a deep scarlet at her words as she says, "Oh, yeah, thanks."
Tori teases Ella for blushing: "Aww, someone is blushing."
"Stop," Ella mutters softly while punching Tori's shoulder lightly.
"Miss Ella James, I am driving," Tori mocks playfully. Both giggle, and Ella momentarily looks out of her window, catching sight of her favourite bakery.
"Stop!" Ella exclaims loudly.
"What now, Ella?" Tori exclaims dramatically as she stops the car with a halt. But she instantly melted into a soft smile as she saw Ella with the biggest baby smile on her face, pointing towards the bakery.
"Yes, you can go. Let me park the car over there." Listening to that, Ella rushes out of the car, not caring about the surroundings, and runs towards the opposite side of the road.
Ignorant of the heavy truck approaching her, Tori was closing the door Ella left open when her eyes met the horrific scene of a truck approaching her dear friend. She hurriedly runs out of the car and calls her out. Ella turned towards her in confusion, but it was too late for her to stop.