Nikanatedanniell

Chapter 16 Freedom takes flight

The afternoon was spent in pleasant preparation for the next day's festivities. Costumes were put together, food was prepared. After dinner, Nikki asked if there were any family photographs she could see. Nani begged to show what they had and asked Debby if she wanted to see them too. She did, so the three went into the family room. Nani led them to a corner lined with cupboards and told them to each sit at one of the four chairs surrounding a small, square table. She opened a cupboard, removed boxes and albums and placed them on the table in two stacks.

"Family photographs," she declared to the wide-eyed duo. "Which century do you want to start in? Oh, I know, we will start with kitt pictures. We have a really cute one of Niel. I think he was three months old."

They oooed, aahed, and wowed their way through three generations by the time they finished the albums. Nani was reaching for the top box when Taet and Niel entered. Niel had his arms wrapped around a small, worn album.

Taet spoke in her no nonsense tone, "Nani, Debby, time for bath and bed. Nikki, Carman received this special book from his grandfather when we were married. I think you two will enjoy it. Good night."

After Taet and the younger ones left, Niel took the chair next to Nikki and put the book between them.

"She told me not to open it until we could look at it together," he said as he carefully opened the cover and first delicate page. "Oh."

Facing each other on the next two pages were the originals of the pictures Niel and Nikki had seen many times. The locket pictures were cropped to the center of the originals. The duo was dressed in their finest. Romm wore a brown patterned shirt and pants tucked into short boots that reminded Nikki of the Russian doll outfit from the Nutcracker Ballet. Korene was in a softly flowing, multicolored gown, which had the rainbow colors and patterns of an oil slick on a rain puddle. The sleeves that had looked short in the locket were slit from mid upper arm to a wide cuff. Her delicate hands were on her lap, holding a staff very like Romm's. Nikki looked at her own paws and frowned.

"I knew her hands had to be beautiful," she grumbled.

Niel put his longer, thinner fingers on hers. "I will trade you," he teased. "I became fed up with being called a weakling because of these." He wiggled his fingers. "So I did every arm and hand exercise made. I have a powerful punch," he punched the air, "but still 'noodle fingers.' You may not have inherited her hands, but you have her handwriting. Look how beautiful it is. Mine is like his. That is why I print."

Nikki laughed softly and looked back at the photos. Below each was an inscription. Romm's was indeed difficult to make out, but she managed.

"'To my dearest broma on our day.' What is a broma?"

"It is an old word for wife. It comes from a language the Felene used to speak before they made peace with the Páji. I used to help my grandmami with genealogy and learned some old words. It is still used for serious endearment."

"Serious endearment huh?" Nikki replied. "What she wrote is similar. 'To my most beloved on our first day of forever.' These must be wedding pictures, how sweet."