Part 7: Frogs Dancing
It’s love day, and Pierce has been calling to invite Maia to join him for the grand reveal of the newly decorated pond at the Skills Academy. As much as she’d love to celebrate with Monica and Solomon, the other two members of the pond decorating committee, she’d much rather avoid Pierce.
Although Maia knows everyone will expect her to be there, she also understands that her mental health comes first. So, she spends the morning practicing her yoga instead of attending.
Feeling much better after completing a mind-centering routine, Maia reenters the house to try the Frog Boil that she prepared last night. The only thing worse than cooking a frog is to let the meal go to waste. Maia hesitates before taking her first bite but is surprised that the soup is delicious. She’ll probably never cook it again, but she gives herself permission to fully enjoy it right now.
All of these early morning issues are nothing compared to the biggest struggle that she’s dealing with, which is how to find the last frog she needs to complete the frog fanatic scenario and even more significant than that – how to find the final two frogs she ends to complete her collection for the museum exhibit.
Maia turns to the internet. Somebody has to know where to find these last three frogs. It’s noon before she finally finds the answer. Now, the only thing left to do is to begin her search.
Maia leaves her home and travels to Willow Creek Park. After hours and hours of not catching a single frog, Maia finally finds the last one needed to complete the scenario. The feeling of accomplishment removes the heavy weight of failure from her heart. She’s finally done it!
Yet there’s still more to do.
One week later, Maia arrives at the Skills Academy, making a beeline for the pond. She’s seeing it for the first time since its completion, now feeling like she’s earned the right to enjoy it because she has finally completed her entire frog collection.
She smiles as she approaches the pond bank and sees the small frog fountain, which her friend Monica, from the pond beautification committee, insisted be placed there in honor of her. It’s not just the fountain that’s caused the sun to shine brighter in Maia’s world. But Maia has finally learned to embrace and hang tight to the moments of cheer that invade her mood with a new welcomed frequency. She no longer has to keep the bad feelings around. She can push them away as quickly as they show up.
Maia walks the length of the pond and settles on a meditation bench on the other side.
Maia reflects on all the times she’s been called crazy throughout her teen years. There was a period in her life when the negative label surrounded her, fitting perfectly like a glove. But now she’s learning to discard it like a snake sheds its skin to grow and stay healthy.
Maia takes a deep breath, closes her eyes, and breathes out negative emotions and thoughts. She realizes that mental wellness is not a destination; it’s a journey, and she’ll always have to work harder to stay on the path than others.
Now that her mind is clear, Maia meditates on the sound of the ducks quacking and the frogs croaking, to the feeling of accomplishment, overcoming struggle, and hope for the present and a bright, successful, independent future.
That evening, Maia arrives at the Deadgrass Museum for the grand opening of her frog exhibit. Not only did the museum accept her entire collection, but they also gave her significant monetary compensation, and they hung a picture and plaque to commemorate her contribution to the museum for future generations.
After the ceremony has ended and the other patrons who came to see the exhibit have moved to other parts of the museum, Maia remains in place, staring at the plaque and all the frogs she worked so hard to collect. Suddenly, she hears a familiar voice.
Clyde: You did it, Maia girl! You actually did it!
Shaken and surprised, Maia turns to see the face behind the voice.
Maia: Father! You came!
Her father steps over and pulls her into a big hug.
Clyde: Of course I did. Thank you for inviting me. I wouldn’t have wanted to miss this for the world.
Clyde looks Maia over closely.
Clyde: You look good, girl – happy and healthy.
Maia: I feel good. Thank you
His eyes peel away from his daughter, scan the display before him, and finally rise to take in the picture above him.
Clyde: That’s you, Maia girl!
Maia: It is.
Clyde: And you did all of this – found all these frogs by yourself?
Maia: I did.
Clyde: You’ve been busy.
Maia: I have. And there’s more up those stairs.
Clyde: I want to see the rest.
Clyde turns and starts walking towards the stairs. Maia focuses on the cane he holds in his hand.
Maia: Can you make it – by yourself?
Clyde: This, *lifts the cane* won’t stop me. It’s mostly an accessory.
Unconvinced, Maia watches her father walk to the stairs and disappear behind the wall before reappearing at the top, where her rare frogs are displayed.
Clyde: *whistles* This is impressive, girl. Very impressive
Despite his insistence that the cane is an accessory, Clyde doesn’t stand for long. He looks for a while, then settles down on a nearby bench. Maia hurries up to join him.
Clyde: How long did all of this take you?
Maia: Not as long as you’d think.
Maia’s worry about her father has settled in her mind.
Maia: I’m sorry I avoided your calls for so long.
Clyde: I’m not. You had goals, and I was being a pest.
Maia: You weren’t a pest. You were just worried.
She thinks it but doesn’t say, ‘Just like I’m worried about you.’
Clyde: Yes, I was worried, but only because I’ve had a hard time seeing you as more than just a my little girl. But now I can see I was wrong. Somewhere along the way – you’ve become a woman, fully capable of caring for herself and doing big things. I’m glad I can finally see it because I’m proud of you, Maia gir – uh, Maia. And I love you very much.
Maia: *emotional* I love you too, father.
This concludes the Frog Scenario side story, but Maia will return.
(Frog Scenario Chapter Summaries)
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