Page 95 - Nuts to You - The Nutcracker Retold

Clara tried to explain her reluctance, abhorrence and distaste for any of the plans to marry her off, explaining, one by one, over and over, in various ways and in various decibels which were growing louder and louder – as if an increase in sound would create an increase in understanding.
But Mother Stahlbaum wasn’t buying. In fact, she was barely listening.
And to Clara’s dismay – Mother Stahlbaum with the maids behind her – were, through sheer mass, nudging the very reluctant Clara toward the door. This is when Clara pulled out Plan B and just said, “NO!” It stopped the room cold. Maids melted away to avoid any fallout from Mother Stahlbaum.
And Mother Stahlbaum, for once, quit talking. In fact, she asked Clara to repeat herself, for she knew this wasn’t Marie talking – it had to be Clara.
So Clara did. “I said, ‘No!’”
With Mother Stahlbaum still standing there, Clara did what we all have done. She mistook anger that had made someone speechless, for silence – which usually means ‘Go ahead, I’m listening.’
“Mother, please! I don’t want to go down. And I don’t want to marry anyone. I want to be free to read and experiment and ...”
Oh my, Clara realized, I want Franz! Do I mean, Clara thought to herself, like boyfriend/girlfriend? Do I miss him or our tinkering together? Both, she realized, growing a little queasy, she wanted both!
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