JANE: Mama. My graduation is in the middle of May. So.. Umm.. You want to come?
MAMA: Oh. I don't think there is a need for me to come. I already saw you graduate 13 years ago while you were in kindergarten.
JANE: Kindergarten!? Seriously!?
MAMA: You, all dressed up in the graduation robes with the mortarboard, posing with that piece of rolled-up paper. Now you are all grown-up. You don't need me there. (smiles)
Back then, Jane thought it was her mother's idea of a humorous joke as she seemed to be in a very comical, joke-y mood that day. So Jane thought nothing of it.
Well, of course Jane waved it off as a joke. It's not like Jane would go on her knees and beg her mum to come or something. Pride, or whatever you call it. Besides, which parent would intentionally not want to watch their child graduate, right?
So Jane weaved her own little fantasies about how both her parents would put aside their differences for this one special day and turn up for the ceremony together. After all, it is Jane's Day. How hard they would applaude when Jane's name was announced. How they would be beaming with pride as Jane walked across the stage to receive that piece of rolled-up paper. How their pride would be reflected in their eyes as Jane took graduation photographs with them.
3 DAYS BEFORE GRADUATION
JANE: (thought to herself) Eh? Her name is on schedule till 1pm? But my ceremony starts at 2pm. She didn't apply for annual leave?
The thought kept bugging Jane as she worked that day. The kind of feeling where no matter how hard you try to brush it off, it just won't go away. And then, Jane remembered something.
JANE: Maybe.. Just maybe.. Yup.. That's got to be it..
And, that thought cheered Jane up for the rest of the entire day. Sometimes, Jane's mum makes an impromptu decision to not show up to work claiming she was on MC, should she requires/wants/needs to be someplace else.
Just like the time when she took MC to accompany Jane at the hospital when Jane had her surgery. So this could be one of those rare moments.
But, boy, was she wrong.
GRADUATION DAY
Only Jane's dad came that day. Though Jane was thankful that her dad was there with her, still she felt horrible inside. Jane could not believe that her mum would intentionally skipped her graduation ceremony. Why does her work takes priority over Jane? What in the world could be more important/significant than Jane's graduation ceremony? As a result, somehow, Jane can't seem to be able to feel the mood, the "Yay!-I'm-so-happy-I'm-finally-graduating-from-SP" feeling.
However, all you could see was that day was Jane, with smiles all around, seemingly relieved + rejoiced that that part of her life is finally over.
But it was just a mask. The mask Jane constantly carries everywhere and puts on for all to see, hiding her true feelings, deep in her heart, among all the other heartaches accumulated throughout the years. The mask that will hide Jane's vulnerability.
