He Opened My Eyes

He Opened My Eyes

Prologue

You never know just how much your life can change from one decision. One seemingly harmless decision. One little to go or not to go. It started out simple enough. An innocent invitation to a weekend retreat where we would give a demonstration. See my husband and I are into martial arts. When I say into, I mean that we both hold black belts. Unfortunately for my husband’s ego, I hold a seventh degree while he holds a fourth degree. He tried not to let it bother him, but I knew it did. Because of this I let him have the final say in whether or not we accepted invitations to demonstrate our abilities. He agreed to accept this one. Maybe that was where he went wrong. Or maybe things would have gone wrong sooner or later anyway. I thought I knew who I was and where my life was going. I know now that I was wrong, very wrong. I was not, as I had thought myself, a loved and loving wife, a devoted mother of three ordinary girls. What I found out was that I was different from the inside out.

Chapter 1

“ Hey, honey?” Amaris called walking towards her home office.

“Yeah?” came the reply from the direction of the ‘play’ room.

“Did you check the mail on your way in?” Amaris asked, changing direction to go speak to her husband.

“It’s in your office.” Noble shrugged his attention barely wavering from the three girls engaged in a fierce battle of wills played out in the film in front of them. The same three girls currently engaged in a game of pool across the room.

Amaris glanced at the tape her husband was reviewing. “Mala, your reaction time is lagging. You need to stop giving your opponent time to recover.” she called back towards her middle child.

“I'll work on it.” the blue-eyed ten year old promised.

Deciding that her work could wait, Amaris walked over to lean against the pool table. “Who’s winning?”

“Aithne.” Kaie sighed as she lined up her shot. “Isn't she usually? She’s the best at angles and trajectories.”

“It’s not my fault I'm good at math.” Aithne shook her head as her oldest sister missed her shot.

“And of course the fact that you're also very competitive has nothing to do with it at all.” Mala giggled as she took her turn.

The eight year old turned innocent eyes towards her older sister. “Me? Competitive?” Aithne paused dramatically, “No.” she continued, her voice now dripping sarcasm.

Amaris smiled at her daughters’ antics. “How was school today?” she inquired, watching as Aithne easily sunk the remaining balls.

“Mala had a problem in Phys. Ed. Today.” Kaie reported with a chuckle. “Some boys got mad when she finished first on the mile run.”

“It’s okay.” Mala assured her mother. “There was no fighting involved. Coach simply told them to take their anger out on the track. They had to run two miles for having poor sportsmanship.”

“I aced my Algebra II exam.” Aithne smirked as Kaie racked the balls for another game of pool. “Thank goodness Mr. Waterford doesn't post the grades. It’s bad enough that I'm half the age of the rest of the kids in my class. If they knew my grades I'd never get any peace.”

“Are you having problems with the older kids?” Amaris asked, concerned that maybe public school wasn't a good idea. This was the girls’ first year in public school. Although she had enjoyed teaching her girls, they needed a public school diploma to be taken seriously when they applied for college. Most colleges didn't have pre-teens running around attending classes.

“Nope.” Aithne smiled at her mother’s concern. “My teachers don't let the other students know what my grades are. Besides, now that we've been reviewing for exams, they're too busy cramming to bother with me.”

“What’s up with your classes, Kaie?” Amaris turned towards her oldest daughter.

The eleven year old looked up from chalking her cue. “I have to sit my exams. Despite my grades, my teachers would prefer that I go ahead and take the exams.”

“How many other students are taking their exams?” Amaris questioned, bothered by the fact that her oldest was faced with being even more singled out because of her age. “Do you know?”

“Only one or two.” Kaie shrugged, not really bothered by the situation. “The ones who’s grades are slipping. It doesn't really matter. I'll ace them anyway.”

Amaris was relieved to see that Kaie wasn't upset about her situation. With all the drama from her other two children, it was nice to have an easy-going child in the bunch. Mala and Aithne each had their own mini-dramas at least twice a week. With Mala it was usually a fight, more often than not against a boy. She was the one who excelled at physical activities. Aithne was the one who dramatized almost everything. As good as she was at math, she seemed to be able to calculate other people’s reactions to her and use them to her advantage. Kaie was the easy-going scientist who seemed more interested in other people’s reactions and the constant search for the answer to ‘Why?’ than actually having a reaction beyond acceptance.

“Well, if you need anything I'll be in my office.” Amaris turned to head back to her work.

“When’s dinner?” Noble grunted as he switched tapes and settled in to review Aithne’s fights. It had irritated him slightly when Amaris had commented on Mala’s fight. Amaris was in charge of the girls’ education, while he was the one in charge of their martial arts training. It was bad enough that she was better at fighting than he was, despite the fact that he was bigger and stronger. Did she have to be

better at spotting their mistakes too? After she had pointed it out, Noble had noticed that Mala did hesitate a fraction of a second before pushing her advantage.

“Dinner is cooking.” Amaris glanced at her husband. She knew what was bothering him. She had put her nose in where it didn't belong…again. She couldn't help it. She didn't want her daughters’ to develop bad habits, especially ones that could cause them to stop progressing in their training. That was what had happened to Noble. No matter how she tried, he wouldn't listen to her advice. His problem was not hesitation, it was thought. Noble fought like a brawler. He tried to muscle his way to victory. If he'd just use some strategy and vary his attacks, he'd probably earn the next degree.

Shaking her head she continued, “In about half an hour it'll be ready.”

Checking her mail, Amaris found an invitation to a weekend retreat on hobbies for the family. The group that was sponsoring the retreat wanted them to come and perform a demonstration and talk about how they included the whole family in their hobby. After reading all of the information on the retreat, Amaris decided to ask Noble if they could accept. Since he was in charge of the girls’ training, he also was in charge of deciding which demonstrations to agree to and which ones to decline. This retreat sounded like an opportunity for the family to relax and enjoy themselves for a weekend with nothing more pressing than about an hour’s worth of indulging in their hobby for the entertainment and education of families looking for something to do together.

After sitting down to dinner, Amaris broached the subject of the invitation. “I really think that this would be good for us.” she explained, serving herself and passing a dish to Mala. “The retreat is held the weekend after Kaie graduates. It would be a good way for the girls to unwind after the stress of their finals.”

“It sounds like it could be fun.” Aithne’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

Kaie laughed at her sister’s obvious attempt to sway their father, and get her way. “Aithne and Mala will definitely need to unwind.”

“Mom’s been working awfully hard these past few months.” Mala piped up. “It would be a great way to give her a break, too.”

“Well.” Noble eyed his family. It seemed that Amaris had brought this up now in order to get the girls’ help in convincing him to agree to this invitation,. She knew very well that he hated doing demonstrations during such events. Primarily because he could not leave afterwards and avoid the questions of how he dealt with his wife being able to beat him. He hated those questions. He was the one to convince Amaris to try martial arts to begin with. It didn't seem right that she had surpassed him in a sport he thought he would dominate in. “I guess I'm out numbered.”

“No.” Amaris interjected. “It’s your decision. No matter how we feel about it, you have the final say. This type of decision has never been up to a vote.”

“But you know I can't deny the girls something that excites them like this.” Noble accused quietly. “We'll go to this thing, but this is the only retreat we'll go to this year.”

“If that’s what you think is best.” Amaris agreed, frowning at her husband’s attitude.

“Now that it’s settled, let’s eat.” Aithne rolled her eyes. She hated it when her parents argued. They never shouted, their voices just got really low. And as much as her father said he loved her mother, she believed that he really didn't understand her and therefore couldn't love her completely.

Back to Amaris' Realm


	He Opened My Eyes Prologue You never know just how much your life can change from one decision. One seemingly harmless decision. One little to go or not to go. It started out simple enough. An innocent invitation to a weekend retreat where we would give a demonstration. See my husband and I are into martial arts. When I say into, I mean that we both hold black belts. Unfortunately for my husband’s ego, I hold a seventh degree while he holds a fourth degree. He tried not to let it bother him, but I knew it did. Because of this I let him have the final say in whether or not we accepted invitations to demonstrate our abilities. He agreed to accept this one. Maybe that was where he went wrong. Or maybe things would have gone wrong sooner or later anyway. I thought I knew who I was and where my life was going. I know now that I was wrong, very wrong. I was not, as I had thought myself, a loved and loving wife, a devoted mother of three ordinary girls. What I found out was that I was different from the inside out. Chapter 1 “ Hey, honey?” Amaris called walking towards her home office. “Yeah?” came the reply from the direction of the ‘play’ room. “Did you check the mail on your way in?” Amaris asked, changing direction to go speak to her husband. “It’s in your office.” Noble shrugged his attention barely wavering from the three girls engaged in a fierce battle of wills played out in the film in front of them. The same three girls currently engaged in a game of pool across the room. Amaris glanced at the tape her husband was reviewing. “Mala, your reaction time is lagging. You need to stop giving your opponent time to recover.” she called back towards her middle child. “I'll work on it.” the blue-eyed ten year old promised. Deciding that her work could wait, Amaris walked over to lean against the pool table. “Who’s winning?” “Aithne.” Kaie sighed as she lined up her shot. “Isn't she usually? She’s the best at angles and trajectories.” “It’s not my fault I'm good at math.” Aithne shook her head as her oldest sister missed her shot. “And of course the fact that you're also very competitive has nothing to do with it at all.” Mala giggled as she took her turn. The eight year old turned innocent eyes towards her older sister. “Me? Competitive?” Aithne paused dramatically, “No.” she continued, her voice now dripping sarcasm. Amaris smiled at her daughters’ antics. “How was school today?” she inquired, watching as Aithne easily sunk the remaining balls. “Mala had a problem in Phys. Ed. Today.” Kaie reported with a chuckle. “Some boys got mad when she finished first on the mile run.” “It’s okay.” Mala assured her mother. “There was no fighting involved. Coach simply told them to take their anger out on the track. They had to run two miles for having poor sportsmanship.” “I aced my Algebra II exam.” Aithne smirked as Kaie racked the balls for another game of pool. “Thank goodness Mr. Waterford doesn't post the grades. It’s bad enough that I'm half the age of the rest of the kids in my class. If they knew my grades I'd never get any peace.” “Are you having problems with the older kids?” Amaris asked, concerned that maybe public school wasn't a good idea. This was the girls’ first year in public school. Although she had enjoyed teaching her girls, they needed a public school diploma to be taken seriously when they applied for college. Most colleges didn't have pre-teens running around attending classes. “Nope.” Aithne smiled at her mother’s concern. “My teachers don't let the other students know what my grades are. Besides, now that we've been reviewing for exams, they're too busy cramming to bother with me.” “What’s up with your classes, Kaie?” Amaris turned towards her oldest daughter. The eleven year old looked up from chalking her cue. “I have to sit my exams. Despite my grades, my teachers would prefer that I go ahead and take the exams.” “How many other students are taking their exams?” Amaris questioned, bothered by the fact that her oldest was faced with being even more singled out because of her age. “Do you know?” “Only one or two.” Kaie shrugged, not really bothered by the situation. “The ones who’s grades are slipping. It doesn't really matter. I'll ace them anyway.” Amaris was relieved to see that Kaie wasn't upset about her situation. With all the drama from her other two children, it was nice to have an easy-going child in the bunch. Mala and Aithne each had their own mini-dramas at least twice a week. With Mala it was usually a fight, more often than not against a boy. She was the one who excelled at physical activities. Aithne was the one who dramatized almost everything. As good as she was at math, she seemed to be able to calculate other people’s reactions to her and use them to her advantage. Kaie was the easy-going scientist who seemed more interested in other people’s reactions and the constant search for the answer to ‘Why?’ than actually having a reaction beyond acceptance. “Well, if you need anything I'll be in my office.” Amaris turned to head back to her work. “When’s dinner?” Noble grunted as he switched tapes and settled in to review Aithne’s fights. It had irritated him slightly when Amaris had commented on Mala’s fight. Amaris was in charge of the girls’ education, while he was the one in charge of their martial arts training. It was bad enough that she was better at fighting than he was, despite the fact that he was bigger and stronger. Did she have to be better at spotting their mistakes too? After she had pointed it out, Noble had noticed that Mala did hesitate a fraction of a second before pushing her advantage. “Dinner is cooking.” Amaris glanced at her husband. She knew what was bothering him. She had put her nose in where it didn't belong…again. She couldn't help it. She didn't want her daughters’ to develop bad habits, especially ones that could cause them to stop progressing in their training. That was what had happened to Noble. No matter how she tried, he wouldn't listen to her advice. His problem was not hesitation, it was thought. Noble fought like a brawler. He tried to muscle his way to victory. If he'd just use some strategy and vary his attacks, he'd probably earn the next degree. Shaking her head she continued, “In about half an hour it'll be ready.” Checking her mail, Amaris found an invitation to a weekend retreat on hobbies for the family. The group that was sponsoring the retreat wanted them to come and perform a demonstration and talk about how they included the whole family in their hobby. After reading all of the information on the retreat, Amaris decided to ask Noble if they could accept. Since he was in charge of the girls’ training, he also was in charge of deciding which demonstrations to agree to and which ones to decline. This retreat sounded like an opportunity for the family to relax and enjoy themselves for a weekend with nothing more pressing than about an hour’s worth of indulging in their hobby for the entertainment and education of families looking for something to do together. After sitting down to dinner, Amaris broached the subject of the invitation. “I really think that this would be good for us.” she explained, serving herself and passing a dish to Mala. “The retreat is held the weekend after Kaie graduates. It would be a good way for the girls to unwind after the stress of their finals.” “It sounds like it could be fun.” Aithne’s eyes sparkled with excitement. Kaie laughed at her sister’s obvious attempt to sway their father, and get her way. “Aithne and Mala will definitely need to unwind.” “Mom’s been working awfully hard these past few months.” Mala piped up. “It would be a great way to give her a break, too.” “Well.” Noble eyed his family. It seemed that Amaris had brought this up now in order to get the girls’ help in convincing him to agree to this invitation,. She knew very well that he hated doing demonstrations during such events. Primarily because he could not leave afterwards and avoid the questions of how he dealt with his wife being able to beat him. He hated those questions. He was the one to convince Amaris to try martial arts to begin with. It didn't seem right that she had surpassed him in a sport he thought he would dominate in. “I guess I'm out numbered.” “No.” Amaris interjected. “It’s your decision. No matter how we feel about it, you have the final say. This type of decision has never been up to a vote.” “But you know I can't deny the girls something that excites them like this.” Noble accused quietly. “We'll go to this thing, but this is the only retreat we'll go to this year.” “If that’s what you think is best.” Amaris agreed, frowning at her husband’s attitude. “Now that it’s settled, let’s eat.” Aithne rolled her eyes. She hated it when her parents argued. They never shouted, their voices just got really low. And as much as her father said he loved her mother, she believed that he really didn't understand her and therefore couldn't love her completely. Back to Amaris' Realm