#assignment seven

“Kae.. I need to talk to you.” Kaelyn looked up from the book she was reading. “What is it?” She made room for her father as he sat down on the edge of her bed. “Look. I know you said you didn’t want to find your mother and I know that was a lie so why don’t you talk to me about it?” he shifted his body so that he was facing his nearly seventeen year old daughter. “I know you think that you will end up hurting me if you find her or even if you have contact with her but you won’t. I promise.” He touched her knee. “Listen to me. She’s the one I feel sorry for. She didn’t get to raise you. She isn’t here. She doesn’t get to see what an amazing young woman you’ve grown into.” Kaelyn smiled at him.

“Thanks dad. I needed to hear that.” She bit down on her lower lip. “Look I have a surprise for you. You’re going to New York for a week with a few of your friends. This is my spring break gift to you, especially since you’ve made all A’s thus far.” Kae smiled again. “Thank you daddy. I’ll talk to Lennon today to see if she wants to go.” She leaned forward and she hugged her father before kissing his cheek. “You truly are the best dad in the world and I’m happy you’re mine.” she smirked before shooing him out of the room. “I need to make some calls and plans. I will be sure to give you the details you need so that I can go.” she promised as she ushered him out of the room. 

-- TWO WEEKS LATER -- 

“Can you believe it Len? We’re in New York City!” She smiled at the thought. “So where to first?” her best friend asked. Kae shrugged lightly. “It doesn’t matter. Let’s go check into the hotel my dad got us then go shopping?” Kaelyn suggested. Once in the hotel Kae had to do a double take. The hotel was so pretty and she loved how it looked. Once they’d checked in and freshened up the girls headed out with a map in one of their bags just so they could find their way back. Kaelyn had a secret that she needed to share with Lennon. First she hailed them a cab and after getting in she looked at her best friend. “I have something I need to tell you.” she looked down.

“What is it Kae? Is something wrong?” Lennon looked a little worried. Kaelyn handed her a photo she’d printed before leaving home. “We’re not going shopping.” She handed the driver an address. “Can we go here please?” She turned to look at her best friend. “Is that?” Kae nodded. “She lives here in New York and I’m going to go see her and you’re coming with me.” She could see the look of shock on Lennon’s face. “And I’m not taking no for an answer.” Hearing Lennon sigh she smiled as they arrived. Paying the cab driver she got out of the cab pulling Lennon along with her. “I need your support.” Lennon nodded. “Okay. You’ve got it.” 

Hugging her best friend she smiled. “Thanks Len. I love you!” When she pulled back from the hug she looked at the address again and she looked around. “Hey Kae. I think I found her. She’s not alone though.” Kaelyn turned around and looked. There she was. Her mother and she had a girl about three or so years younger than her and they looked extremely close. They made their way closer to them. “Oh thank you Mom! I love it so much!” They could see that the younger female was holding up a dress. Kaelyn looked at Lennon. “I have a sister?” she arched a brow then it hit her. Looking back at them some girls came up and the younger girl walked away.

“Now’s my chance. I’m going to see her. Come on.” Grabbing Lennon’s arm she pulled her along. “Maura Kent? Maura Montgomery?” she asked hoping that she’d answer. When she turned to face them the woman nearly dropped everything she was holding. “H-How did you find me?” she asked. “My name is Kaelyn.. Do you remember me?” Kaelyn stared at her hopefully. “Why did you come here? What do you want? Did Carrie see you?” Kae arched a brow. “That’s her name. Carrie?” she smiled a little. “I don’t think she saw me.” Maura nodded. “Good. She doesn’t know about you and neither does Connor.” Kae gave her a look. “Connor?” Maura nodded. “Her twin brother.” 

Kae bit down on her lower lip as she looked at her. “And their father doesn’t know either does he?” she asked. Maura shook her head no. “None of them know I was even married before I met Roy.” She looked at her. “So I take it I’m to call you Maura and not Mom?” Maura nodded. “That’s right. If we’re being honest here I never thought you’d even find me.” Kae could feel the tears well up in her eyes. “So you never even thought about me or Dad?” she asked. Watching Maura shake her head she looked down. “Coming here was a mistake.” Hearing Maura say those words Kae nodded. Maura was right.

“You’re right. I’m  sorry I bothered you. You don’t have to worry about me.” Maura stopped her. “If it’s any consolation you did turn out beautifully.” Kae shrugged. “It was only me and dad. He raised me on his own.” She shook her head. “For the longest time he had faith that you’d be back. Somehow I knew you wouldn’t but I still wanted to find you.” Kae sighed. “I wanted to find you so that I could ask you questions and get to know you.” she paused. “Look. I know you want nothing to do with me but can I at least get some medical information so that if I ever need it I have it?” Maura looked at her before nodding. “Where are you staying? I’ll have the information faxed to your hotel.” 

Kaelyn told her the name of the hotel and Maura smiled. “It really was nice to meet you Kaelyn. I’m glad your father did so well with you. I honestly thought he’d give you up or something.” Hearing those words Kae looked at her. “No. He loves me. He did what was best for me and he stayed even when it was hard. He stayed. Unlike you.” With those final words she walked away. She made her way to a Starbucks with Lennon in tow and she walked in and sat at a table in a corner. “You know what I like.” She went to hand Lennon the money but Lennon shook her head. “I got this.” Kae wiped tears from her eyes as she thought about her meeting with her mother.

A Mumbai native describes the Bollywood film that sparked her passion for creative production. At 23 years old, Shaily (pronounced ‘Shelly’) talks about her first time away from her family, who live back in India. Living in a giant city with no family, she is fueled by people and crowds, it’s no wonder why I found her sitting comfortably alone at a table at 25 W Union Square–or the Starbucks right by Panera.

Her favorite place is Union Square, which is understandable because there’s no curfew here. She beams when I ask her about her favorite place: “This [New York City] is the city that never sleeps! Mumbai, where I’m from, is like the NYC of India...I’m comforted by a lot of people”–Shaily’s comfort in people does not strike me as odd, seeing as when I approached her and asked her for an interview, she took out her headphones, smiled, and agreed.

Born and raised more than 7,000 miles away, Shaily decided to study at The New School to focus her studies on film. When I asked her why, her response was: “it [TNS] had all the courses that I wanted, Plus, it’s located in NYC.”

The city that oozes with creativity is a source of inspiration for Shaily, especially since she has to divide her time between school and apartment hunting–which she regards as the most stressful thing about living in such an expensive city. 

“I even started smoking!” she admits with a shy smile, “if my parents found out, they would kill me!

When I ask her about her family, Shaily gawks about her older brother. Not so much that he’s her brother, but because he’s living in Dublin, Ireland: “I’m more interested in visiting the city (Dublin) than my brother haha.”

Shaily’s charisma carries on throughout our interview as she even takes to interviewing me every now and again. “Is it true?” she leans in closer, “that New Yorkers are really rude?” she asks me, a native New Yorker. Without hesitation, I answer.

“Yes.”

“Ahah! Now I know it’s true” Shaily announces. “It’s just that people are always in a constant rush and some people do walk really fast.”

I’m not ready to walk out of our interview because she has such an inviting personality. Shaily, not Shelly. The youthful 23-year-old who still gets asked to show her ID. The Mumbai native who one day hopes to bring her parents over to her new home, to see Times Square and all the people in it, and hopefully, to a movie theater to screen her latest film.

What’s the film that inspired her?