Dinner was amazing like always, fresh dinner rolls, roast beef lathered in thick gravy, potatoes roasted with garlic and rosemary. I had to restrain myself a little. The meal would have been perfect if Aunt Lucille and Daniel had managed to make it home. No such luck of course. Grandfather blamed the snow storm brewing outside; he would shake his cane and would talk about how they were probably trapped at the train station.
Eventually, the staff cleared away the plates as we retired to the Parlour. The parlour was painted a beautiful shade of robin egg blue, with gold trim everywhere. Fancy Victorian style chairs smattered around the room, near the windows and fireplace. A large oak Coffee table sat before the fireplace with a silver tray on top. The tray contained several china teacups, and a pot of tea. The fireplace was lit and full of logs that warmed the room. Aunt Victoria and Aunt Evelyn were talking to Grandfather about what was happening in Texas, who was the bee's knee and who wasn't
"So Mae Ann actually wore slacks to the luncheon," Aunt Eleanor said "Slacks! I mean she was the talk of the town, and not in a flattering way. I Mean how trashy do you have to be, I personally couldn't believe that her husband let her where those out of the house. And her poor daughters, having a mother like that, good luck finding a respectable man."
The doorbell rang, that wonderful shrill sound echoing within the house. It was like god had sent an angel to stop Aunt Eleanor's speech. I excused myself from the conversation, and walked to the front door opening it.
In the nighttimes, air stood my Aunt Lucille. Aunt Lucille had gained the best qualities from my grandparents. She was tall like my Aunt Victoria but had well rounded features. Her eyes carried the same warm glows as grandfathers. Her skin had a healthy glow to it, and her hair was not a stark blonde or a sickly back but a rich chestnut color.
"Aunt Lucille" I squealed, jumping into her open arms, she hugged me back, the familiar smell of Fresh earth and exotic spices clung to her coat enveloping me in a cocoon of nostalgia "Good to see you too my Flower" She said, pulling back to look me up and down "Look how beautiful you've gotten since I last saw you, absolutely radiant"
"I've missed you," I said.
"As I have missed you"
"Lucille" Grandfather said walking out of the parlour "You're late"
"Sorry father," Lucille said, walking over to grandfather and giving him a hug as well "But the weather was atrocious, simply dreadful. Trains were stalled; I had to pay a man 20 dollars for his seat."
"So I heard Father found you in Africa this time" Aunt Victoria said, also walking out of the parlour with Aunt Eleanor waddling beside her.
"Egypt to be exact" Aunt Lucille said "beautiful country, Wonderful people"
"I've heard that it's far too hot and sandy," Aunt Eleanor said
"Oh phish posh" Aunt Lucille waved that notion away "You can't believe everything those socialites tell you"
Aunt Eleanor narrowed her eyes at that comment before giving a large Cheshire smile. "You didn't happen to see Daniel at the train station did you sister"
"About that" Aunt Lucille said, Opening the door wider.
I could see my brother, his blonde hair vibrant in the dark winter night. He was struggling to carry both his and Lucille bags. I heard my grandfather bark at a nearby servant to go out and help him. It had been nearly a year since I had last seen my brother, he was a little taller. His jaw line had sharpened a bit. He wore one of those suits, the kind my dorm mates fawned over and his blonde hair was slicked back.
"I picked up a lost little stray at the train station" Aunt Lucille jested.
I took off, running down the steps and jumping on top of my brother, locking my arms around his neck. Daniel dropped the bags letting out an "ouf" noise.
"Rose I can breathe," Daniel said.
Blushing I let go, deciding to hug him around the waist this time. He sighed before giving me a quick hug back before pulling away. The servants had grabbed the bags and were lugging them inside. Daniel walked up the steps, leaving me alone outside. He greeted Grandfather with a firm handshake and a hug to each of our Aunts. I climbed back up the steps to see my brother head into the parlour with Grandfather. My Aunts were snickering, taking a look at me, and then whispering something to each other. Aunt Lucille glared at her sisters before putting a comforting hand on my back.
"Why don't we grab a pot of tea and some scones and I'll tell you all about my time in Egypt" Aunt Lucille offered sending me a warm smiled
"That sounds wonderful."
~
Days passed and soon Christmas was upon us. We had spent the evening before Christmas setting up the tree, humming whatever little ditty the radio played, and going to church. Our pastor recited the story of Mary and the manger just like he did every year. And then we went to sleep.
Waking up the next morning was far more exciting, I Jumped out of bed shoving my feet into my slippers and rushed to the window throwing it open and inhaling the clean crisp winter air. The cold air washed over my face, taking that last little bit of sleep with it. The sun seemed to shine brighter. The few birds that hadn't flown south, their song seemed so much sweeter. I could see the garden from my window, there wasn't a single footstep in the soft pillowy snow.
I could hear my Aunt Lucille call me from downstairs. Smiling I closed the window and slipped on my satin pink robe over my nightdress.
The house was warm, candles lit everywhere. The smell of cinnamon buns wafted from the kitchen tickling my nose. Aunt Lucille was at the bottom of the stairs in her Velvet crimson robe, her brown hair loose around her shoulders instead of the familiar up-do she wore.
"I see sleeping beauty is finally awake," Aunt Lucille said.
"Sorry" I smiled, reaching the bottom of the stairs "I Just had to admire the glorious morning."
Aunt Lucille chuckled "Well we better head to the Parlour, your brother may be an adult but he acts like a little kid when it comes to Christmas."
The tree was beautiful, a real pine tree with needles that fell and made a mess, and branches that were sticky with sap and made your hands smell for weeks. Grandfather had sprung for lights this year, the kind that took hours to untangle. Red and silver glass ornaments were placed strategically on the pines many branches. Under the tree sat a mountain of gifts all wrapped in silver and metallic red paper. The gifts with the red paper had a silver bow and vice a versa. Aunt Eleanor had insisted everything was coordinated. Even our red stocking that hung upon the roaring fireplace had a silver bow tied on it.
Grandfather was seated on his favourite chair, a plush blue armchair, by the fire his hair all over the place. Aunt Eleanor and Aunt Victoria were seated on a loveseat by a window, and despite being in their matching baby blue robes, the two had their hair meticulously done and their makeup to near perfection. Daniel was the only one sitting on the floor near the tree, eyeing the presents. It was like he was 12 again.
Grandfather smiled at me and pointed to a couple of seats near him, seats which me and Aunt Lucille took. "How did you sleep sweetheart," Grandfather asked.
"Good" I smiled "And you"
"Extremely well" Grandfather "then again I always sleep well after church."
"That's true," Aunt Lucille said "you would practically pass out on the couch when we got home on Sunday when we were children"
"And Jonathan would always have to wake me up for supper" Grandfather laughed before going quiet. Even Aunt Eleanor and Aunt Victoria stopped their conversation to look over at grandfather. "Christmas hasn't been quite the same without him has it?"
I looked down at my hands "No it hasn't, but he wouldn't want us to be sad now would he? Let's try to enjoy the rest of Christmas"
"I agree" Daniel Spoke up "can we please open up the presents now, Rose is awake"
This caused me, Grandfather and Aunt Lucille to chuckle at my grown brother's behaviour. "Oh alright," Grandfather said.
My family truly went all out this year for Christmas this year. Aunt Eleanor had bought me some makeup, all a little too bright for me personally, cherry red wasn't my color. Aunt Victoria had gotten me a diary that was leather bound with my names stitched on the front with gold thread ("all the girls write in a diary these days" she said). Daniel had gotten me a rose encased in resin.
"Oh Daniel It's beautiful," I said, tracing the petal.
"It's actually from mother and father," Daniel said "they meant to give it to you a long time ago. I found it in one of fathers Safe deposit boxes in New York"
I hugged the rose closer to my chest "I guess they never got the chance to give it to me"
"Between the war and mothers illness," Daniel said "It's probably lucky that the bank contacted me at all when they found the box"
Father was Grandfathers only son, and was the younger brother of my Aunts. I had inherited his blue eyes and mousy brown hair, Daniel had his strong face though. He was one of the first men to enlist in the war against the Germans. Grandfather had all but begged him not to go, Daniel had once told me that grandfather was willing to pay the recruitment officers to leave Father alone. Father had simply told grandfather, that he could not bear to live in a world of war knowing there was something he could do to help.
He died shortly before the war ended, his body buried on foreign soil. I remembered the day the Headmistress called me into her office and read the telegram my Grandfather had sent. I felt as if my world had crumbled around me.
"Thank you, Daniel," I said, feeling a few tears slip down my cheeks, "this means a lot to me"
I took a moment to collect myself before continuing to open present, making sure I could see the rose at all times. Grandfather had gotten me a new dress, to wear at the family charity ball next week. Aunt Lucille, well her gift was amazing, it was a book filled with pictures from all the places she had visited so far. Pictures from spice markets and hidden springs, historical monuments, and royal castles left to the ravage of time.
"Oh Aunty," I said "this is amazing"
"Go to the last page and read what it says," Aunt Lucille said.
I flipped to the back of the book, my eyes scanning over hundreds of picture. The last page had a few photos, usually a group of people with Aunt Lucille standing in the middle smiling. And their written in Aunt Lucille's messy scrawl was a note for me:
To My Little flower,
A world of wonder awaits you. A world to explore, and discover, and learn from. I propose that we start your adventure this summer, perhaps in Greece?
Love Your Aunt Lucille
I looked at the note for a second, read it over twice. I had to make sure that I understood what she was saying exactly. And when I was sure that I understood my Aunt I felt my smile go wide stretching from ear to ear.
"Really," I asked.
Aunt Lucille chuckled nodding at me. I jumped up and ran to her chair giving her a large hug. Aunt Lucille hugged me back holding me close.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Aunt Eleanor said.
Lucille let go of me and looked towards her sister "what is that supposed to Mean Eleanor"
"Nothing," Aunt Eleanor said "It's just that Rose is such a dreamer as it is, is it really smart to take her globetrotting filling her head with even more stories. I mean look at you, a woman in her forties, never married. Traveling so much didn't seem to do you much good"
"First off sister" Poison sat at the tip of my Aunt Lucille tongue "I have had plenty of marriage proposals, some far more prestigious than that of an oil tycoon in Texas. Second off, Heaven forbid someone in this family can dream of a life better than settling down with the first man who comes a calling and raising his bratty kid. And another thing, how has marriage been for you? A husband who's not home for the holidays, who spends night after night after night with his unmarried secretary. Who by the way is about 20 years younger than you?"
Aunt Eleanor face went red, "Well I-I
Aunt Lucille put her hand up "IM not finished. Out of the three of us I was closest to Jonathan and I actually knew Mary Ann. So perhaps I know what they would want for their daughter and let me tell you that there is no way in hell that they would want Rose to end up like you. So yes I do think it's a good idea to get away from this family for the summer and take her to Greece"
The room was silent; no one even dared to breathe. Aunt Eleanor's mouth hung open like an ugly little toad, while Aunt Lucille's eyes glowed like hot embers. I grabbed my rose, allowing my fingers to move over the smooth resin.
Grandfather let out a cough, but whether it was to clear his throat or to break the tension I wouldn't know. "Lucille sweetheart, you said you had a surprise for us"
Aunt Lucille finally looked away From Aunt Eleanor, a small smile returning to her lips "I almost forgot the surprise is in the library. So if everyone would follow me"
One by one we all stood up following Aunt Lucille. Aunt Eleanor was the last to get up, mumbling under her breath. I almost wanted to remind her about how uncouth it was do such a thing. I didn't dare though.
In the library was a big crate with the words DELICATE stamped on it as well as CZECHOSLOVAKIA. The crate itself was nothing spectacular, except for the tiny silver bow placed on the crate for comedic effect.
Lying on the ground next to the crate was a crowbar which Aunt Lucille picked up and dove into one side of the crate. With a great heave, she used the crowbar to open the crate. Almost like in the movies the walls of the crate fell open one by one to reveal a statue.
"Family" Aunt Lucille said "I introduce you to the Stone prince. Legend says that once upon a time this statue was a real living prince turned to stone by an evil King. Note how is hand is on his sword, that is in case the King ever comes back to finish him off."
I couldn't tear my eyes away from the statue, it wasn't that the man was handsome at best he was average with a long straight nose and angular jaw. But it was the pure fury and fear etched on his face. Those two emotions contrasted beautifully in his eyes. There was so much detail in those eyes.
And for a second I could have sworn that I could see his eyes move.