Bentivegna1

TiaBentivegna
Ms.Gardner
English10,Period2
5Sep2014
TheReinventedDouble

ItwasinPismoBeach,California,backinOctoberof2069whenthestrangeeventtook

place.Iwasseatedonarusty,paintpealedbenchlookingouttotheroyalwatersofthePacific
Oceanonthepier.Iwenttogreatlengthstomakesurethisdaywaslockedinmymemory
becauseithadaspecialplaceinmyheart.
ItwasaboutsevenoclockintheeveningasIsatonthatbenchlookingouttothe
vigorouswavescrashingontheshore.Thewaterlookedflat,glassycalmoutfar,faraway
however,somehowitseemstogeneratemagnificentwaveswhenitgetsclosertotheshore.To
myrightwerelargerocksextendingfromthebeach,allthewayintothewater.Atoptherocks
rosealong,talllighthouse.Sinceitwasafallevening,thesunwasalreadybeginningtosetand
thelighthousewasprojectingagreatlightacrossthewaters,sidetoside.WhenIlookedinto
thatlightglisteningovertheroyalbluewater,Icouldnothelpbutthinkofmypast,and
everythingIhadgonethrough.ThelightsymbolizedthebeautythatcameoutofeveryobstacleI
hadfacedthroughoutmylife.
AllatonceIhadthefeelingsomeonewaswithmeonthatbench,andIwasright.Iwas
nolongeralone,someonehadsatdownonthebench.Iwantedtobealone,butIdidnotwantto
appearunsociable,soIhadchosentostayonthebench.WhileIwassitting,Ibegantoexamine
thegirlseatedtotheleftofme.Shehadchocolatebrownhairwithauburnhighlightsextending

Bentivegna2

fromherroots.Sheworeanavyblue,floweredblouseandwhitejeanswithapairofchalkwhite
ChuckTaylorstotopitoff.Shewasreadingabookwiththetitle,
ToKillAMockingbird
.I
immediatelyrememberedthatthatwasthebookthatdirectedmetopursuingmycareerinlaw.

Maam?Isaid,turningtowardstheyounglady,howoldareyou?

Iamfifteenyearsold,IwasborninAprilof1999,shesaid.

Therewasalongsilencethatfollowed.Ohreally,say,doyoulivenearhere?Iadded.

No,Iamjustvacationingwithmyfamilyforaboutaweek.IamfromPetaluma,Ihave

livedtheresinceIwasborn,shesaid.

Doyouhaveanyideawhatcareeryouwouldliketodoyet?

Yes,IamactuallyconsideringgoingtolawschoolbecauseIhavealwaysdreamtof

becomingalawyer,shesaid.

Wellthen,Iconcluded,yournamemustbeTiaFrancescaBentivegna.Itoo,amTia

FrancescaBentivegna.Itiscurrently2069,andwearebothvisitingPismoBeach,California.

Theyoungversionofmyself,whichIstillcannotseemtofathomhowthatcouldhave

evenhappened,seemedtobeabitpuzzled.Herfacewasblank,andshelookedlikeScoutfrom
ToKillAMockingbird
whensheseesBooRadleyforthefirsttime:shocked,confused,yetcalm
atthesametime.

Wait,howcanthisbe?Ihaveonlyseenthisinthemovies,sheexclaimed.

Iamnotsure,butdoyouhaveanyinterestsinhearinganythingaboutmypast,whichis

yourfuture?IcertainlywouldwanttoknowatleastsomethingIpaused,asthelightcoming
fromthelighthousehadsuddenlystoppedataparticularpointinthewater.Itmusthavehada
malfunctionorhavebeenjammed.InthatinstantIhadbeguntoseesomethingnewinthelight,

Bentivegna3

thepausewasexemplifyinghoweveninthemosteccentricmomentsasthis,Ihavetostopand
takeeverythingin.Ineedtoseethingsinanewmanner,soIhadstartedtolookaround,andtake
inthatodd,magicalmoment.

Well,ifyouinsist,tellmeeverything!shepersisted.Iknewgiventhetimeshehad,

beingonvacationwithherfamily,Icouldnottellhereverything.

Whatdoyouwanttoknowabout?Family,job,obstacles?

Tellmeaboutmyfamily,uhwell
our
family,andwhatdoyoumeanbyobstacles?she

questioned,beginningtolookworried.

Iwillstartwithfamily,Ifeltmyselfstartingtoshiver,thesunhadalmostgonehalfway

down,andtheluminousglowfromthelighthousewasallwehad.Weallstayedverycloseonce
everyonewasofftocollege,butIwasstopped.

Butwhat?shecried.

Whenyoufinishlawschool,yesyougotolawschool,andbecomealawyer,youare

putunderalotofstresstodowellatyourcompany,Ishared.

Sowhathappens?AmIokay?Shewasconcerned.

Yes,Iamhere,youarefine.You,uh,youarejusthospitalizedforawhile,Icould

barelygetthoselastfewwordsout.

Hospitalized!Why?Whathappenstome?sheshouted.

Youbeganhavingpanicandanxietyattackseverysooften,andourparentswere

extremelyworried,andtheyknewyouneededhelp,Iadded,andjustatoncethelightwentout.
ItwassodarkIcouldscarcelymakeoutherbodynexttomine.Afteracoupleofseconds,it
camebackon.

Bentivegna4

Thatwasweird,butwait,howdoIgetoutofthementalhospital?shewasstill

onedge.

Youaretreatedforawhile,butyoulearnedtorelax,andnotputsomuchpressureon

yourplateallofthetime,inaninstant,thelightflickered,nowitwasbrighterthanbefore.Ihad
nowrealizedthatthereweretimeswhenthelightswouldgoout,andIhadhitavalley.Although
therealsoweretimeswhentheycamebackon,shiningbrilliantly,atthepeaksofthosevalleys.

Whathappensthough,onceIleavethehospital?sheseemedcalmerthanbefore,but

stilltense.

Well,yougetbacktoyourcompanyandenduphandlingyourcasesevenbetterthan

beforenowthatyourstresslevelsweremuchlower.Youneverhadanotherpanicoranxiety
attack,Shesmiledandlookrelieved,remindingmeofTelemachusafterhislong,lonely
journey.

Thatisscary,butamazing.ItremindsmeofaspecialquoteIstoppedherbecauseI

knewexactlywhatshewasabouttosay.

Bethechangeyouwanttoseeintheworld,Isaid,byGandhi?

Yes!Thathasalwaysbeenverydeartome,Idonotknowwhy,shesaid.

Ido.You,we,havealwayswantedtobedifferent,wantedpeopletobedifferent.We

wantedthemtobemoreaccepting,moreunderstanding,andmainly,kinder.Youputsomuch
pressureandweightonbeinglikeeveryoneelse,butreallyyoujusthadtobeyou.Bedifferent,
beaccepting,bekind.
Be
thechangeyouwanttosee,Ismiled,lookingoverather.

Igetitnow,IthinkIfinallyunderstand,shesaid.

Bentivegna5

Great,evenifyoudonot,itisokay,youtechnicallydonotlearnthatforawhile,we

laughedtogether.Suddenlyshewassummonedtoleave,walkingaway,Inoticedthelight
gleamingoverthewateragain,thenonthebench,rightbetweenwhereweweresitting.Thelight
hadaccentuatedthehighs,lows,butmostimportantly,ourjourney.Myjourney.