Flowers Bloom In Spring

Part 18: OTMA

Anastasia

We all silently gathered in the dinning room. Only the clank of forks was heard. I looked over at my older sister. Maybe she just needed some cheering up. Even Tatiana had given her the cold shoulder for how she yelled at our parents. She felt like the enemy now. I quickly picked up my spoon tearing off a piece of bread and launching it at Tatiana. Usually I'd get a few laughs from my siblings, but this time, nothing.

Olga glanced at Tatiana with mournful, sea blue eyes swelling with tears that she was trying not to let go.

"Anastasia!"

"Anastasia Nikolaevna!"

Tatiana and Mama exclaimed at the same time. Maria, who usually contributed a few muffled laughs was dead silent. Her big blue saucers followed Olga as she dropped her fork and hastened to her room to steep in her sorrow.

"I'm not hungry anymore." Alexei mentioned, eager to escape from his chair, he limped back to his room with Mama quickly coming to his aid.

Part bellow best read with the following song: Stuff We Did by Michael Giacchino (from Up) Enjoy! 😀

"I'm going outside." I declared, marching to my room to get proper shoes.

I clicked the door to the garden open. The Palace was stuffy, a reflection of the current mood of the people who lived in it. But not me, I wasn't going to be dragged down by them. I pranced towards the flower bed. I had planted a small tomato plant and I wanted to see how it was doing.

"Privyet, tomato plant!" I exclaimed as soon as I found it. Its single little green leaf was curled up in a greeting to me.
A patch of sunlight streamed down on it through the massive oak tree that was next to the garden. I was happy to see my little plant was thriving, its bright green stalk a sign of its health.
I walked out towards the part of the garden where sunlight was everywhere and not divided up by trees. I lay in the center of it, letting the suns rays hit me with their warmth.

"Shvybzik, Shvybs!" A familiar voice called out to me from across the garden. I rolled to the side, eyes with furrowed brows focusing in on Maria as she slowly walked out from the shaded exit of the palace.

Maria kicked off her pale white flats, sending them into the air to fall near the oak tree. She too probably wanted to escape the dread that was hung over our family like a never-ending rainstorm.

Her delicate feet embraced contact with the soft green grass as she walked towards me.

"You didn't laugh at what I did to Tatiana." I started, scooting over so Maria and I could both watch the clouds.

"Tough crowd, and why would I be caught being the only one laughing?" She said, lifting up her hands towards the sky.

"Eh." I shrugged, crossing my arms.

"What does that cloud look like Marie?" I said, pointing at a fast moving and wispy cloud.

"It looks like a bundle of lilacs." She said, dropping her hands down.

"And that one?" I said, directing my hand to point at one to the left.

"A handsome officer." She said dreamily.

"Like Nikolai Dostyevsky? Your little crush!" I said proudly, kicking the side of her foot.

"Stop it I don't like him that much!" Maria said quickly as she blushed madly.

"I just—admire him from a distance. Those pale blue eyes, the dark brown hair, his cute little smile." She trailed off as the cloud passed on, muddled into a completely different shape.

"I think you have sun delirium, because all I see is a fat cloud up there." I rolled my eyes.

Maria sighed, glancing at me briefly.
"I'll have to get used to ignoring him. Olga will probably want me married to some prince."

"Maybe you have more of a chance then you think." I said, kicking my shoes off.

"Well nows not the time to ask Olga about silly crushes. She's scary when shes in a mood you know. When those angry blue eyes zero in on you from across the room you know you're done for."

"Isn't Tatiana much scarier when she's mad at you?" I said with a laugh loosely connected to my words.

"Anastasia Nikolaevna! Get back here! Don't do this, don't do that" I said, imitating my sister in the funniest and most exaggerated tone of all.

"Olga is scariest when she's in a bad mood and right now I'm not going to tell her about any love related stuff." She repeated, scanning the bright blue sky with me.

"I hate when everyone's mad." She said in a frustrated tone.

"It does us absolutely no good!"

I glanced over at her. "I think, sometimes you and I are the only ones that can stay happy all the time. Even in this mess." I said in a reflective tone, scrambling to grab my sister's hand.

"You're my best friend after all." I added.

A large smile formed on my sister's face as I said that, her blue saucers sparkling gently with joy.

"You're my best friend too Shvybs." She replied, rolling onto her stomach and slowly swinging her feet back and forth.

"Well, we should probably get inside again before our French classes start." I said wearily, conscious of the time.

"Oh no, I prayed that wasn't today." Maria chimed in on my frustration.

"Well, c'mon, lazy." I joked, hoping up and dragging her by the foot about a meter.

"Okay!" She said, kicking at my hands with a laugh as she sat up.

We both walked towards the palace, but halted when Olga burst through the door with Tatiana quickly following behind.

"W-whats going on?" Maria asked, putting her shoes on.

"Ask her!" Tatiana said, out of breath as she quickly ran after Olga.

Maria and I glanced at each other, before following Tatiana in pursuit of Olga.

"Just leave me alone!" She exclaimed, finally stopping at the bench. She breathed in a few breaths as all three of us caught up.

"Just calm down it isn't that big of a deal." I said, with Tatiana quickly snapping her fingers at me as Tatiana code for 'shut up.'

"We're all here for you. I know its hard with the responsibility you have on you, but I know we can get through this together." Tatiana said, sitting next to Olga.

Tatiana grabbed our sister in a big hug and patted her head. Maria and I lovingly embraced her as Olga sniffled alot. The four of us could face anything together.

After a while we didn't notice that Papa, Mama and Alexei were outside, watching from a distance. A tiny smile appearing from our parents faces. Alexei glanced at the ground, still finding it difficult to come to terms with the situation.

I think, we all could use a family hug?" Papa said faintly, taking Olga into his arms first.

"I love you dad, and I'm so sorry." She burst into tears, burying her face in his shirt. "Oh my dear." Mama said delicately, hugging them both. Soon all seven of us were gathered around.

At least our happy ending came with this situation, because I didn't know that we would need it for what lay ahead.