Mrs.

Flowers: My Continuation

YourcontinuationmustusealltheelementsofvoiceinsimilarwaystoMayaAngelou.Useyour
brainstormchartfromtheMrs.Flowers:RecreatingVoicedoctohelpyouwrite.Your
continuationmustbeatleast400wordsitcanbeupto3pages.

Laterthatday,IsearchedhastilylikeamadwomanlookingforATaleofTwo
Citiesinmysturdyoakbookshelf.Myeyesdancedaroundeachnoveluntilthey
stoppedspinningandhalteduntilIsaw
it.
Myeyesstareatthewornoutcoverand
suddenlyasmileslidacrossmyface.Mrs.Flowershadtoldmetoreciteapoemforher,
andthatwasmynumberonedutyasIwastodoittonight.
Thatnextsweetmilksummermorning,Ihadthepoemstuckdeeplyinmybrain,
likeabiscuitstuckinhoney.RunningdownthesoftmillyroadtoMrs.Flowerssanctuary
Iwasmufflingthepoemtomyself.FinallyIhadreachedthepaleyellowdoor,and
knockedthreetimes,theprecisenumberoftimesMrs.Flowersknocks.
Marguerite!It'ssplendidtoseeyou.Ihopeyouhavegottentoyourhomework,
andfoundapoemtorecitetome.SmilesdrewonbothofourfacesandIimmediately
statedthatIhavefoundapoemandIwasdelightedtoreciteittoher.Istrolledin,
ladylikeasMommahadtaughtme,andonceagainsmelledthepleasant,welcoming
fragranceofwarmvanilla.Mrs.Flowerssatonherbeigecoloredloveseat,legs
crossed.Ofcourseonceshenoddedatmetogo,myheartbegantobeatlikeadrum
andIstartedtoquietlyshake.
Notnow.

NotinfrontofMrs.Flowers.Please
.
Youcando
this,it'sjustrecitingafewlines.Thisisyourmoment.
Ithoughttomyself.Itriedmybest
tokeepitcoolbutMrs.FlowerssensedlikethesharpwittedowlthatIwasn't
comfortable,andthatmyconfidencewasstillnotperfect.SheknewthatIwasscared.
SheknewthatIdidn'tbelieveinmyself.Sheknew
exactly
howIfelt.So,toeasemy
fear,shequicklysaunteredtomeandgavemethegreatestbearhugofalltimes.
Listenchild,youarecapableofanythingyouputyourmindto,youare
limitless.Thereisnoreasonwhyyoushouldbeafraid.Youcandothis...youcando
anything.Hershelteringarmsandsympatheticwordsprovidedmewiththecourageto
recitethispoemtoprovetoherandmethatIamnotachicken.
Thankyou,reallyforallthatyouhavedone,Mrs.Flowers.Iwilltrymyverybest
tobringthispoemtolife.
Itrulyknowyoucandoit,Marguerite.Then,Mrs.Flowersambledbacktothe
polishedsofainagentlewomanway.
Itookahuge,deepbreatheinandsmiledslightlyasasmallactofmotivation.I
was
finally
ready.
Itwasthebestoftimes,itwastheworstoftimes,itwastheageof
wisdom,itwastheageoffoolishness,itwastheepochofbelief,itwastheepochof
incredulity,itwastheseasonofLight,itwastheseasonofDarkness,itwasthespring
ofhope,itwasthewinterofdespair,wehadeverythingbeforeus,wehadnothing
beforeus,wewereallgoingdirecttoheaven,wewereallgoingdirecttheotherwayin
short,theperiodwassofarlikethepresentperiod,thatsomeofitsnoisiestauthorities
insistedonitsbeingreceived,forgoodorforevil,inthesuperlativedegreeof
comparisononly.AsIread,Ifeltaconnectiontothepoem,andfeltasparkofdignity

andpridelightupinsidemychest,andthat'swhenithitme.Confidence.Ifinally
believedinmyself,andsodidMrs.FlowersandIfeltasifIhadmadeher,andmore
importantmyselfpleased.Fortheordinary,itwasjustasimplepoemtomemorizeand
recite,butIrealizedthatforthetruehumanbeingittakesthevoiceofonetoactually
createthepoembyinfusingitwithdeepermeaning.WhenIstoppedtherecitementI
firstfrozebecauseofthenewlightthatwasformedinside.Then,Ipeeredupandsaw
Mrs.Flowersintearstearsoflove.That'swhenIknewIhadsuccessfullycompletedmy
job.
Eversincethatonegloriousday,Mrs.FlowersandIenjoyteacookiesalwaysin
herlavendercoloredlivingroomandtalkaboutourpastweeks,aboutourconcerns,
aboutadvice,anddiscussjustabouteverythinggoingoninourlives.Mrs.Flowershas
taughtmeallthethingsIneedtoknow,hasansweredallmyquestions,andhasgiven
methebestadvice.Toend,Mrs.Flowersismyadvicegiver,myteacher,andmostof
all,mybestfriend.