A Midsummer Night's Dream

1

THEODORE

"What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. These are but trifles, to be sure; but scattered along life's pathway, the good they do is inconceivable." I said trying to make sense of the quote I was annotating but it just didn't seem to make any sense.

My back was starting to burn from the hot summer sun so I decided to head home to cool down and maybe make myself some lemonade.

I hopped onto my bike and road my way home from the fields. On my way I picked some lemons from a lemon tree on the side of the street.

I lived in a small village on the southern coast of France. There wasn't anything really special about this place. The only attention we ever got was the occasional tourist who stumbled upon our town or truck drivers taking a break from their trip. The only fun time is during the weeklong Spring Festival held in early April but then after that... it's just nothing.

School ended a week ago and the time I used to spend solving geometry problems and paraphrasing Shakespeare was now gone and replaced, really quickly by boredom. Every year seemed the same here. Summer comes, you get excited for 2 seconds and then it gets too hot. Then winter rolls around and you get excited for 2 seconds again but then it gets too cold and the cycle repeats itself.

Even though it seemed that I hate my village, rest assured that despite the lack of excitement and noise, it was peaceful, I felt happy here just like almost everyone who chooses to stay here and not leave as soon as they were old enough. Eguisheim is my home and I really do love living here.

I got home and parked my bike near our front door.

I dodged all the potted plants and headed inside. Our home was pretty old. It was built by my great grandfather in 1897 and you could tell it was when hearing the loud creaks of the floor boards or the chipping tiles in the bathrooms. I headed up to my bedroom and placed my journal and diary on my desk. My bedroom was small with one single bed, nightstand, a study desk, my small piano and shelves of books. Books were definitely one of my most favourite things in the world. Reading is one of the only things that keeps me occupied and give me some excitement in life. My dream is to one day become a writer and write books myself.

"Theo! Come downstairs!" I heard my brother, Marcel, call from the lounge room.

I went downstairs with my lemons and went to the lounge room.

"Did you bring lemons?" Marcel asked.

"Can't you see?"

"They're small. I heard in the city they have huge lemons."

"Apparently they're made with chemicals and stuff. This right here is the real stuff, straight from the trees."

"Sure. By the way, I got a callback from the job, they're offering me a position starting August." He told me.

"Really?" I said from the kitchen while juicing the lemons.

My older brother, Marcel is one of the many people who wanted to leave the village ever since he was a little kid. He always dreamt of living in Paris and becoming an engineer. Marcel turned 19 last December and is already planning his move to the city.

I honestly didn't fully understand his obsession with Paris. I've visited the city once before when I was 9. I got really bad measles and we needed to visit the hospital there for some special medication. It didn't really amuse me, just seemed weirdly dead. Even though there were people bustling around in every corner, no one felt like they were actually alive, just bodies trying to make money some way or another.

"Do you want some lemonade?" I asked Marcel.

He nodded and I passed him a glass.

"Give the girls some too, they've been playing with the chickens all day." He said.

"Lilian! Lenora!" I called out for my twin sisters.

They ran inside, giggling and dancing.
"Hello Theo." Lilian said.
"Hello girls, how about we have a glass of fresh lemonade and then take an afternoon nap?" I asked the twins.

They nodded and sat down on the antique green couch which my mother kept sewing and patching up to keep intact.

We drank lemonade and I sent the twins to the back room to take a nap. Lilian and Lenora are my 3 year old twin sisters. I usually have to take care of them because mum has to work. My mother, Julia, works as a maid at the Monet estate, she's their only housekeeper so her shifts usually last all day. My father is a professor. He studied English literature at Oxford university when he was young but now he teaches English, Latin, French and French history at our local school.

Our village school is pretty small. There are only 100 students, myself included and only 5 teachers. The school is the village's biggest pride since before the school was built, children studied at home or went abroad, now that we finally have a school since the last 20 years, everyone can get an education.

"By the way Theo, mum asked me to let you know she needs at the estate. You better get going." Marcel told me before he went upstairs.

I put on my shoes and headed out. I hopped on my bike and started pedalling towards the Monet estate. Marilyn Monet's estate was located at the east side of our village. The large estate was slightly separated from the rest of the village and overlooked the ocean directly form the huge mansion surrounded by gardens and fountains.

I opened the tall gate and entered in. I walked up the long driveway lined with white roses up to the front door. I brushed the dirt away from my button up shirt and walked inside.

"Oh mon dieu! Theo what took you so long! It's good that you're hear now." Mom said as she approached me.

"Well Marcel almost forgot to even tell me you needed help." I said.

"Oh Marcel that boy needs to take stuff more seriously, Madame Marilyn has guests! Here take these sheets up to the guest room quickly! I forgot to place some there in the morning." Mom said and handed me a tall stack of linen sheets.

I went up the stairs and down the long hallway.

I was about to open the door to the bedroom when it was suddenly opened from the inside and I went flying back. I fell to the floor and the sheets flew everywhere.

I rubbed my head and looked up.

"What the-" I started but stopped as I saw the person standing before me.