Joyce Mannor wants nothing more than to reunite with Nadia, her daughter who she gave up at birth. Depression from her fiancée’s death kept Joyce from raising her. Yet when her wounds heal, Nadia’s newly assigned guardians refuse to let Joyce see her at all. Now that Nadia is eighteen and going away to college, all restrictions are lifted, and Joyce has the opportunity to become the mother that she’s yearned to be for years.
With a college-aged co-worker, and Joyce posing as her mother, they head to Nadia’s university and scheme a plan to befriend her, and to hopefully reveal Joyce’s maternal identity when the time is right. The challenge will be to win Nadia’s acceptance, and to confront Nadia’s guardians upon their visit to Parents Weekend.
Assignment 2- Antagonist
Bill and Kara Teninbel are Nadia’s careless guardians who put little effort into raising her, yet they refuse to let Joyce, her biological mother, meet her. Despite their negligence, they feel obligated to honor Susan’s will, being that she was Kara’s sister. Although they decided on refraining from having children of their own, they were left with Nadia for them to raise. Susan was Nadia’s foster mother, but Nadia believed her to be her real mother. Joyce tried to see her daughter on her graduation day but the Teninbels placed a restraining order, preventing Joyce from seeing her. Meanwhile, the Teninbels had always shown up late to Nadia’s events, even working late on the day she needed a ride to the airport for college.
Assignment 3- Titles
Sunburst Iris - This is the color of the eye that is a mixture of yellow, blue, and brown (forming into a sunburst). Metaphorically, this symbolizes the three women in the novel, and how together, they create a beautiful light. Joyce and Nadia are mother and daughter, but Marina, Joyce’s college aged co-worker, is the catalyst that brings them together.
Biological Strangers - Joyce and Nadia are mother and daughter but Nadia doesn’t know.
Volcano by the Green Sand Beach- Nearing the end of the novel, Joyce’s love interest takes her to a Green Sand Beach which symbolizes hope and rebirth. The unpredictability of volcanoes is a recurrent theme.
Assignment 4- Comps
Kristin Hannah’s Between Sisters in style and in the premise of two women coming together to face their past, but also with a theme of hurt, regret, and secrets, similar to Lauren K. Denton’s The Hideaway.
Assignment 5- Log Line
A former unfit mother desperately plans to reunite with her daughter who she gave up at birth, by secretly following her to college, ignoring a restraining order set by the foster parents.
Assignment 6- Conflict
Primary Conflict
Joyce wants to reunite with her daughter who she gave up at birth. Her daughter’s guardians are preventing her from doing so. She follows her to college and is set with the obstacle of planning out a natural way to meet her, befriend her, and reveal her maternal identity if and when the time is right. She coaxes a former enemy, turned friend, for the ride, who is close to Nadia’s age. The climax is when Joyce and Nadia meet for the first time inside of Joyce’s villa (page 108). This is an excerpt of Joyce watching Nadia through the window, walking up her driveway:
As Nadia walks up the long driveway, Joyce gazes out of her bedroom window in admiration. Her orange and white flowered sundress sways alongside her legs as she walks, and the wind gently sweeps her hair over her right shoulder. A white flower sits right above her right ear, pulling her hair back slightly. She swings her white tote bag at her side. Her skin is sun-kissed and bare with the exception of a thin silver necklace holding a key charm. She looks beautiful and confident.
Joyce’s daughter is finally here, her earth angel. Oh how she dreamed of this day where they would be this close! She has always imagined receiving a tight embrace and hours of laughing and talking. She imagined that Nadia would fill her in on what she has missed all of these years. Yet this fantasy of hers now seems like an impossibility. Yes, her daughter is here, and about to enter her house. This is progress. However, Joyce never considered that Nadia doesn’t know who she is. The embrace and endless chatter may happen in the future, hopefully, but certainly not anytime soon. This situation now seems harder than she could ever imagine. She begins to both regret and relish the idea of coming to Hawaii. A pang of dread sprung on a heart palpitation. Maybe she got it all wrong. Maybe Nadia doesn’t want to meet with her at all. How is she going to react to the fact that she’s been adopted, if Joyce has the heart to tell her? The heartburn subsides and Joyce thinks about how sweet it would be if Nadia had accepted her. She would first accept her as Marina’s mother, and then would soon accept her as her own. If only life were so sweet. She decides to rely on faith and hope for the best.
Then when Joyce and Nadia are in the room together for the first time, Joyce calms down because this is the moment that she’s been waiting for.
Just then Joyce walks into the room. Although she is stepping foot into her own living room, she feels like the living room is protected inside a huge impenetrable bubble. She imagines that as she tries to walk through, she bounces back into the hall. Maybe she wants to return to her room in a way, to run away from difficulty. Yet she knows that she must push through the thick translucent bubble. She must find a way in. She just needs to get her right foot through, and that’s all it will take. Then she would be in the living room and there is no turning back. She gazes at the back of Nadia’s head as she finally makes it past the threshold separating the hall from the living room.
Nervously, she peeks her head around to see Nadia’s face and holds out her hand. “You must be Nadia.” She lets out a deep breath. “Nice to meet you.”
It is in that moment that the crashing waves surrounding her settle into a deep serenity. They no longer crash, nor do they ebb or flow. They come to a halt of calming waters, and the sun shines down upon them. This is the moment that Joyce has anticipated for the last eighteen years. It is finally here.
“Hi,” Nadia responds casually. She shakes Joyce’s sweaty hand. “And you must be Marina’s mom?”
Joyce smiles and nods speechlessly.
“Well,” Nadia adds. “You have a lovely place.”
The falling action is as follows: Nadia gets closer with Marina (Joyce’s younger friend) because they share a class together and are working on a project. Joyce and Marina take out Nadia for Valentine’s Day because Nadia finds out that her boyfriend had allegedly cheated on her, and Joyce doesn’t want her to be alone. Progressively, with some setbacks, the trio grows closer. It is not until there’s a destructive fire in Nadia’s dorm that Nadia moves into the villa with Joyce and Marina. Nadia initially declines the offer, but after clashing with her new roommates, decides it would be better to take Joyce and Marina on their offer. Her friend, Bethany, comes along too. Nadia doesn’t speculate that Joyce is her mother but there is one close call: they go out to dinner and have the same allergic reaction to ginger.
During the time that Nadia is living in Joyce’s villa, they grow closer, and to Nadia, Joyce seems like the mother that she never had. After the ginger allergy, Nadia doesn’t attend classes the next day. Joyce and Nadia grow closer and talk about personal topics. Nadia, heartbroken that the guitar that her late grandfather gave her, burned in the fire, Joyce surprises Nadia with a new one.
The resolution takes place in the end when Joyce reveals her maternal identity to Nadia through a song that was written for someone else. Nadia writes and sings the song, and Joyce reveals that the song was meant for Nadia.
Secondary Conflicts Joyce and Marina: Joyce and Marina were former enemies and co-workers. Joyce is a retired nurse, and Marina was a receptionist at the same physician’s office. Dr. Avalloc’s wife finds out that her husband has been having an affair. She mistakens the mistress as Marina, instead of Joyce. Marina loses her job and she blames Joyce for it. Joyce offers Marina a new adventure: a paid college education to the University of Hawaii in exchange for Marina to befriend Nadia. Joyce and Marina’s hatred for one another slowly dissolves, and they become very close friends.
Joyce and Tad: Joyce is swept off her feet by one of the professors at Marina and Nadia’s college. They ease into a very serious relationship and it changes Joyce for the better. After losing Nadia’s father in a tragic car accident, it turned Joyce into a cold, apathetic woman. Every relationship after was a meaningless, lustful affair, but nothing more. Tad is the first man to earn Joyce’s love and trust. They first meet on Waikiki Beach, and then at the college soon after. The conflict of Joyce’s broken heart is officially mended when it’s revealed that Tad’s brother in law was the drunk driver who killed Joyce’s fiancee many years ago. Tad was the one who turned his brother in law in.
Nadia and Caleb: Caleb is Nadia’s boyfriend from back home. He chose to move to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music while Nadia went off to college in Hawaii. Caleb’s friends became mad at him and lied to Nadia and told her that Caleb was cheating on her. They even showed her a video, trying to prove evidence. Caleb finally straightens everything out and proves his loyalty and innocence.
The Teninbels: Bill and Kara Tenninbel inherit Nadia after Nadia’s foster mother, Susan, passes away. They never wanted children but Kara feels obligated to take care of Nadia. They never have much time for Nadia and Nadia is aware of this. Yet, the Teninbels dislike Joyce and don’t want her to meet Nadia under any circumstances. At Parents Weekend, the Teninbels surprisingly visit Nadia’s university and learn that Nadia has been residing with Joyce. Bill and Kara are furious at first upon discovery, but soon learn that Joyce truly is the caring mother that she claims to be.
Inner Conflicts
Joyce: Joyce is a miserable middle aged nurse consumed with materialism and nonsensical things. She doesn’t want to fully admit that her life has turned upside down with the death of Sam (her fiancee and Nadia’s father) and giving up Nadia. Her last meaningful relationship was with Sam and that was almost twenty years ago. She hits an all new low with an affair with a married man, Dr. Avalloc. Somehow, she puts her life into perspective and realizes that her number one priority is finding and getting to know her daughter, and everything else can fall to the waste side. She starts to change for the positive once she convinces Marina to come to Hawaii with her. She softens up a bit and confides in Marina like she has never done before. Then once she meets Nadia, her maternal instincts kick into full gear. Further, upon meeting and falling in love with Tad, her life is complete and she can finally claim happiness.
Marina: Marina is at a crossroads in her life. She had a recent break up with her boyfriend and is having a difficult time getting over it. Her younger sister has a bigger social life than she. Everything she does and every place she goes reminds her of her ex, Doug. She is also at a dead end in her career, being a receptionist for many years with no growth or advancement. Her life changes direction for the worst initially: she’s accused of being Dr. Avalloc’s mistress, when in fact, Joyce is the culprit.
Nadia: Nadia has really never felt true love since her foster mother passed away. The Teninbels never dedicated any time to her. As a result, she has always felt unwanted. Her relationship with Caleb gave her some anxiety because they were physically separating once she went to college.She is wrongfully told that Caleb cheated on her. As a result, she focuses on her studies, and a music business she’s helping one of her professors with. Nadia is hesitant to get to know Joyce at first, but she can’t deny the connection that they share. In time, with some setbacks, Joyce literally becomes the mother that Nadia never had.
Assignment 7-Setting
There are three settings:
Long Island, NY Joyce and Marina live in Long Island, NY. Long Island has many prestigious towns but many impoverished towns as well. This setting is used to contrast Marina’s humble lifestyle with Joyce’s lavish home and town. When Marina drives to Joyce’s home, this drastic difference is observed and noted.
Somewhere along the scenic drive, her mind drifts off. What would it be like to live in a place like Weston? Would she constantly be around snooty people like Joyce? Although the aesthetics were more pleasant the further East she drove, she couldn’t help but appreciate her own town, Jonesdale. Jonesdale may not seem like much to many, but to her, it was the world. Jonesdale was a town composed of middle class, hard working people. There were always the poorer sections of town, of course, but that usually made Marina appreciate what she had. As a child, seeing children walk home from the store after running errands for their mother with a few dollars change in their hand, riding on bikes and scooters with the other kids around the block, and not caring if they passed a house that needed upkeep. Yes, there was some occasional crime but the town was mostly filled with neighbors who appreciated what they had, even if it wasn’t much. A yard sprinkler and a little pool was enough to satisfy a hot and humid day, and the neighbors often conversed and helped one another while shoveling driveways after snowstorms. Neighbors were ambitious but never ostentatious. Family was always prioritized over work, overtime, and raises, and there was never any competition over who had the most Christmas decorations. No one had jealous eyes and they offered to help out one another whenever they could. The town was filled with the common folk and you knew that you would never be judged for having too much or too little. All of the children played together. It didn’t matter the ethnicity, race, religion, or appearance. No child was told to stay away from another child. And if one of the parents was sick or got into trouble, no neighbor would tell their child to stay away. Everyone was included. And everyone knew that everyone goes through tough times and that was a part of being human. If leaves were scattered across the lawn, neighbors chalked it up to the person being sick perhaps. People accomplished what they needed to at their own pace, and that was acceptable. Marina could never imagine Joyce living in a town like this.
Riviera Beach, FL: Nadia Joyce’s estranged daughter, lives in Florida, a far distance from Joyce. This setting is used to illustrate how far it is for Joyce to travel to her, if need be.
Honolulu, HI Hawaii is an escape for both Joyce and Nadia. Nadia makes the decision to attend college in Hawaii because it is the place that her late foster mother always wanted to go to. Nadia also wants to move far away from her aunt and uncle who never spent time with her. Joyce goes to Hawaii to follow Nadia, however, the romantic backdrop is perfect for the development of her romantic involvement with her new partner, Tad.
On their way to the villa, the pair take in the amazing sights of Honolulu through the window of the driver’s black Lexus. Both Marina and Joyce take window seats, leaving the middle back seat empty. Marina’s anger towards Joyce subsides as she takes in the natural beauty of the landscape. Luscious landscapes of palpable brown mountains tower over yielding waters. This view complements the remarkable contrast of the city traffic. The summit of the mountain is lost in the traveling cumulus clouds. A multitude of shops and restaurants are assembled on the main road. The sun’s brightly beaming rays spread phosphorescence along the streets. Booming palm trees and wild plants sprout from the ground in vivid, effervescent paths. Suntanned couples fill the sidewalks as they make their way to Waikiki Beach. Some carry lounge chairs and rolling carts filled with towels and accessories, while others hold nothing but a towel and surfboard. The entire town is iridescent with beauty: prismatic scenery, gorgeous, blissful people, and infallible weather. This is a place that anyone can easily become used to.
As the car makes its way near Waikiki Beach, Marina gets a closer look at the eggshell, creamy sands and the forceful, unforgiving waves. Surfers are grouped to the right side of the beach, couples are spread out all the way to the left side, while families are scattered in between. A group of young adults are playing beach volleyball, their skin glowing, tanned, and glabrous.
New York Pitch Assignments - March 2022
in New York Write to Pitch 2023 and 2024
Posted
Valerie Taylor
Algonkian Conference; March 2022
Assignment 1- Write your story statement
Joyce Mannor wants nothing more than to reunite with Nadia, her daughter who she gave up at birth. Depression from her fiancée’s death kept Joyce from raising her. Yet when her wounds heal, Nadia’s newly assigned guardians refuse to let Joyce see her at all. Now that Nadia is eighteen and going away to college, all restrictions are lifted, and Joyce has the opportunity to become the mother that she’s yearned to be for years.
With a college-aged co-worker, and Joyce posing as her mother, they head to Nadia’s university and scheme a plan to befriend her, and to hopefully reveal Joyce’s maternal identity when the time is right. The challenge will be to win Nadia’s acceptance, and to confront Nadia’s guardians upon their visit to Parents Weekend.
Assignment 2- Antagonist
Bill and Kara Teninbel are Nadia’s careless guardians who put little effort into raising her, yet they refuse to let Joyce, her biological mother, meet her. Despite their negligence, they feel obligated to honor Susan’s will, being that she was Kara’s sister. Although they decided on refraining from having children of their own, they were left with Nadia for them to raise. Susan was Nadia’s foster mother, but Nadia believed her to be her real mother. Joyce tried to see her daughter on her graduation day but the Teninbels placed a restraining order, preventing Joyce from seeing her. Meanwhile, the Teninbels had always shown up late to Nadia’s events, even working late on the day she needed a ride to the airport for college.
Assignment 3- Titles
Sunburst Iris - This is the color of the eye that is a mixture of yellow, blue, and brown (forming into a sunburst). Metaphorically, this symbolizes the three women in the novel, and how together, they create a beautiful light. Joyce and Nadia are mother and daughter, but Marina, Joyce’s college aged co-worker, is the catalyst that brings them together.
Biological Strangers - Joyce and Nadia are mother and daughter but Nadia doesn’t know.
Volcano by the Green Sand Beach- Nearing the end of the novel, Joyce’s love interest takes her to a Green Sand Beach which symbolizes hope and rebirth. The unpredictability of volcanoes is a recurrent theme.
Assignment 4- Comps
Kristin Hannah’s Between Sisters in style and in the premise of two women coming together to face their past, but also with a theme of hurt, regret, and secrets, similar to Lauren K. Denton’s The Hideaway.
Assignment 5- Log Line
A former unfit mother desperately plans to reunite with her daughter who she gave up at birth, by secretly following her to college, ignoring a restraining order set by the foster parents.
Assignment 6- Conflict
Primary Conflict
Joyce wants to reunite with her daughter who she gave up at birth. Her daughter’s guardians are preventing her from doing so. She follows her to college and is set with the obstacle of planning out a natural way to meet her, befriend her, and reveal her maternal identity if and when the time is right. She coaxes a former enemy, turned friend, for the ride, who is close to Nadia’s age. The climax is when Joyce and Nadia meet for the first time inside of Joyce’s villa (page 108). This is an excerpt of Joyce watching Nadia through the window, walking up her driveway:
As Nadia walks up the long driveway, Joyce gazes out of her bedroom window in admiration. Her orange and white flowered sundress sways alongside her legs as she walks, and the wind gently sweeps her hair over her right shoulder. A white flower sits right above her right ear, pulling her hair back slightly. She swings her white tote bag at her side. Her skin is sun-kissed and bare with the exception of a thin silver necklace holding a key charm. She looks beautiful and confident.
Joyce’s daughter is finally here, her earth angel. Oh how she dreamed of this day where they would be this close! She has always imagined receiving a tight embrace and hours of laughing and talking. She imagined that Nadia would fill her in on what she has missed all of these years. Yet this fantasy of hers now seems like an impossibility. Yes, her daughter is here, and about to enter her house. This is progress. However, Joyce never considered that Nadia doesn’t know who she is. The embrace and endless chatter may happen in the future, hopefully, but certainly not anytime soon. This situation now seems harder than she could ever imagine. She begins to both regret and relish the idea of coming to Hawaii. A pang of dread sprung on a heart palpitation. Maybe she got it all wrong. Maybe Nadia doesn’t want to meet with her at all. How is she going to react to the fact that she’s been adopted, if Joyce has the heart to tell her? The heartburn subsides and Joyce thinks about how sweet it would be if Nadia had accepted her. She would first accept her as Marina’s mother, and then would soon accept her as her own. If only life were so sweet. She decides to rely on faith and hope for the best.
Then when Joyce and Nadia are in the room together for the first time, Joyce calms down because this is the moment that she’s been waiting for.
Just then Joyce walks into the room. Although she is stepping foot into her own living room, she feels like the living room is protected inside a huge impenetrable bubble. She imagines that as she tries to walk through, she bounces back into the hall. Maybe she wants to return to her room in a way, to run away from difficulty. Yet she knows that she must push through the thick translucent bubble. She must find a way in. She just needs to get her right foot through, and that’s all it will take. Then she would be in the living room and there is no turning back. She gazes at the back of Nadia’s head as she finally makes it past the threshold separating the hall from the living room.
Nervously, she peeks her head around to see Nadia’s face and holds out her hand. “You must be Nadia.” She lets out a deep breath. “Nice to meet you.”
It is in that moment that the crashing waves surrounding her settle into a deep serenity. They no longer crash, nor do they ebb or flow. They come to a halt of calming waters, and the sun shines down upon them. This is the moment that Joyce has anticipated for the last eighteen years. It is finally here.
“Hi,” Nadia responds casually. She shakes Joyce’s sweaty hand. “And you must be Marina’s mom?”
Joyce smiles and nods speechlessly.
“Well,” Nadia adds. “You have a lovely place.”
The falling action is as follows: Nadia gets closer with Marina (Joyce’s younger friend) because they share a class together and are working on a project. Joyce and Marina take out Nadia for Valentine’s Day because Nadia finds out that her boyfriend had allegedly cheated on her, and Joyce doesn’t want her to be alone. Progressively, with some setbacks, the trio grows closer. It is not until there’s a destructive fire in Nadia’s dorm that Nadia moves into the villa with Joyce and Marina. Nadia initially declines the offer, but after clashing with her new roommates, decides it would be better to take Joyce and Marina on their offer. Her friend, Bethany, comes along too. Nadia doesn’t speculate that Joyce is her mother but there is one close call: they go out to dinner and have the same allergic reaction to ginger.
During the time that Nadia is living in Joyce’s villa, they grow closer, and to Nadia, Joyce seems like the mother that she never had. After the ginger allergy, Nadia doesn’t attend classes the next day. Joyce and Nadia grow closer and talk about personal topics. Nadia, heartbroken that the guitar that her late grandfather gave her, burned in the fire, Joyce surprises Nadia with a new one.
The resolution takes place in the end when Joyce reveals her maternal identity to Nadia through a song that was written for someone else. Nadia writes and sings the song, and Joyce reveals that the song was meant for Nadia.
Secondary Conflicts
Joyce and Marina: Joyce and Marina were former enemies and co-workers. Joyce is a retired nurse, and Marina was a receptionist at the same physician’s office. Dr. Avalloc’s wife finds out that her husband has been having an affair. She mistakens the mistress as Marina, instead of Joyce. Marina loses her job and she blames Joyce for it. Joyce offers Marina a new adventure: a paid college education to the University of Hawaii in exchange for Marina to befriend Nadia. Joyce and Marina’s hatred for one another slowly dissolves, and they become very close friends.
Joyce and Tad: Joyce is swept off her feet by one of the professors at Marina and Nadia’s college. They ease into a very serious relationship and it changes Joyce for the better. After losing Nadia’s father in a tragic car accident, it turned Joyce into a cold, apathetic woman. Every relationship after was a meaningless, lustful affair, but nothing more. Tad is the first man to earn Joyce’s love and trust. They first meet on Waikiki Beach, and then at the college soon after. The conflict of Joyce’s broken heart is officially mended when it’s revealed that Tad’s brother in law was the drunk driver who killed Joyce’s fiancee many years ago. Tad was the one who turned his brother in law in.
Nadia and Caleb: Caleb is Nadia’s boyfriend from back home. He chose to move to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music while Nadia went off to college in Hawaii. Caleb’s friends became mad at him and lied to Nadia and told her that Caleb was cheating on her. They even showed her a video, trying to prove evidence. Caleb finally straightens everything out and proves his loyalty and innocence.
The Teninbels: Bill and Kara Tenninbel inherit Nadia after Nadia’s foster mother, Susan, passes away. They never wanted children but Kara feels obligated to take care of Nadia. They never have much time for Nadia and Nadia is aware of this. Yet, the Teninbels dislike Joyce and don’t want her to meet Nadia under any circumstances. At Parents Weekend, the Teninbels surprisingly visit Nadia’s university and learn that Nadia has been residing with Joyce. Bill and Kara are furious at first upon discovery, but soon learn that Joyce truly is the caring mother that she claims to be.
Inner Conflicts
Joyce: Joyce is a miserable middle aged nurse consumed with materialism and nonsensical things. She doesn’t want to fully admit that her life has turned upside down with the death of Sam (her fiancee and Nadia’s father) and giving up Nadia. Her last meaningful relationship was with Sam and that was almost twenty years ago. She hits an all new low with an affair with a married man, Dr. Avalloc. Somehow, she puts her life into perspective and realizes that her number one priority is finding and getting to know her daughter, and everything else can fall to the waste side. She starts to change for the positive once she convinces Marina to come to Hawaii with her. She softens up a bit and confides in Marina like she has never done before. Then once she meets Nadia, her maternal instincts kick into full gear. Further, upon meeting and falling in love with Tad, her life is complete and she can finally claim happiness.
Marina: Marina is at a crossroads in her life. She had a recent break up with her boyfriend and is having a difficult time getting over it. Her younger sister has a bigger social life than she. Everything she does and every place she goes reminds her of her ex, Doug. She is also at a dead end in her career, being a receptionist for many years with no growth or advancement. Her life changes direction for the worst initially: she’s accused of being Dr. Avalloc’s mistress, when in fact, Joyce is the culprit.
Nadia: Nadia has really never felt true love since her foster mother passed away. The Teninbels never dedicated any time to her. As a result, she has always felt unwanted. Her relationship with Caleb gave her some anxiety because they were physically separating once she went to college.She is wrongfully told that Caleb cheated on her. As a result, she focuses on her studies, and a music business she’s helping one of her professors with. Nadia is hesitant to get to know Joyce at first, but she can’t deny the connection that they share. In time, with some setbacks, Joyce literally becomes the mother that Nadia never had.
Assignment 7-Setting
There are three settings:
Long Island, NY Joyce and Marina live in Long Island, NY. Long Island has many prestigious towns but many impoverished towns as well. This setting is used to contrast Marina’s humble lifestyle with Joyce’s lavish home and town. When Marina drives to Joyce’s home, this drastic difference is observed and noted.
Somewhere along the scenic drive, her mind drifts off. What would it be like to live in a place like Weston? Would she constantly be around snooty people like Joyce? Although the aesthetics were more pleasant the further East she drove, she couldn’t help but appreciate her own town, Jonesdale. Jonesdale may not seem like much to many, but to her, it was the world. Jonesdale was a town composed of middle class, hard working people. There were always the poorer sections of town, of course, but that usually made Marina appreciate what she had. As a child, seeing children walk home from the store after running errands for their mother with a few dollars change in their hand, riding on bikes and scooters with the other kids around the block, and not caring if they passed a house that needed upkeep. Yes, there was some occasional crime but the town was mostly filled with neighbors who appreciated what they had, even if it wasn’t much. A yard sprinkler and a little pool was enough to satisfy a hot and humid day, and the neighbors often conversed and helped one another while shoveling driveways after snowstorms. Neighbors were ambitious but never ostentatious. Family was always prioritized over work, overtime, and raises, and there was never any competition over who had the most Christmas decorations. No one had jealous eyes and they offered to help out one another whenever they could. The town was filled with the common folk and you knew that you would never be judged for having too much or too little. All of the children played together. It didn’t matter the ethnicity, race, religion, or appearance. No child was told to stay away from another child. And if one of the parents was sick or got into trouble, no neighbor would tell their child to stay away. Everyone was included. And everyone knew that everyone goes through tough times and that was a part of being human. If leaves were scattered across the lawn, neighbors chalked it up to the person being sick perhaps. People accomplished what they needed to at their own pace, and that was acceptable. Marina could never imagine Joyce living in a town like this.
Riviera Beach, FL: Nadia Joyce’s estranged daughter, lives in Florida, a far distance from Joyce. This setting is used to illustrate how far it is for Joyce to travel to her, if need be.
Honolulu, HI Hawaii is an escape for both Joyce and Nadia. Nadia makes the decision to attend college in Hawaii because it is the place that her late foster mother always wanted to go to. Nadia also wants to move far away from her aunt and uncle who never spent time with her. Joyce goes to Hawaii to follow Nadia, however, the romantic backdrop is perfect for the development of her romantic involvement with her new partner, Tad.
On their way to the villa, the pair take in the amazing sights of Honolulu through the window of the driver’s black Lexus. Both Marina and Joyce take window seats, leaving the middle back seat empty. Marina’s anger towards Joyce subsides as she takes in the natural beauty of the landscape. Luscious landscapes of palpable brown mountains tower over yielding waters. This view complements the remarkable contrast of the city traffic. The summit of the mountain is lost in the traveling cumulus clouds. A multitude of shops and restaurants are assembled on the main road. The sun’s brightly beaming rays spread phosphorescence along the streets. Booming palm trees and wild plants sprout from the ground in vivid, effervescent paths. Suntanned couples fill the sidewalks as they make their way to Waikiki Beach. Some carry lounge chairs and rolling carts filled with towels and accessories, while others hold nothing but a towel and surfboard. The entire town is iridescent with beauty: prismatic scenery, gorgeous, blissful people, and infallible weather. This is a place that anyone can easily become used to.
As the car makes its way near Waikiki Beach, Marina gets a closer look at the eggshell, creamy sands and the forceful, unforgiving waves. Surfers are grouped to the right side of the beach, couples are spread out all the way to the left side, while families are scattered in between. A group of young adults are playing beach volleyball, their skin glowing, tanned, and glabrous.