Transitions
It is Monday afternoon, and Guinevere and Adrianna have just finished work Downtown. Mondays are always hard, and today was no exception. Guinevere especially had been very busy, as it’s a Bank Holiday Monday. It’s Whitsunday Monday, or Pentecost, and everyone is off work. Well, almost every one. Guinevere is actually relieved to be at work today, it helps to take her mind off things. She spots a few regulars, and of course, her ancient manager is there as usual. When will he retire, or rather, will he ever retire? He never takes a day off, either…She wonders what his home life looks like. It can’t be great, that’s for sure. Guinevere can’t remember him talking about a wife or family, so presumably there isn’t much to go back to for him. The fact that he is old and stooped is strange though. Surely that should mean he’s had his papers served and accepted, and therefore should be unable to go to work?
Soon her shift is finished, and Guinevere decides to go and pour the Tea in the little café. She spots Sierra, looking her usual happy self…not! She has a few cups with her, trying to keep a conversation going. Guinevere sighs, sadly, Sierra reminds her too much of her moody son, and it’s really not something she needs at this moment! Life is depressing enough as it is, with boxes all round the Granny Annexe, Sebastian walking round with checklists, and Chris trying to look like the Victim of Injustice and Overcomer of Injustice all at the same time… She pushes any slight twitches of guilt away. It really was an injustice, after all, and the fact that it is in the past, and really not her problem doesn’t matter, surely! It’s always good to stand against injustice, she says to herself.
Guinevere sighs,and looks round the café. During one of the mentoring Events, will she be able to come back here by choice? Or will she be like some of those other elders around the café, stragglers, aimlessly wandering round the Park, in and out the café at random? Guinevere feels the lump in her throat, and breathes in deeply, and out again….and in…and out. She still has that quiet peace in her heart from yesterday, she knows it’s the way things should be, but even so, that doesn’t make her immune to sadness now, does it?
Looking at the slim, beautiful and especially young Sierra doesn’t help either. She realises that all this time in the café, she has been eyeballing people and labelling them. The put them into age categories, and felt resentful and judgmental towards anyone who fell into the ‘very young, probably only just promoted’ category. She recognises the other category, the group of people who look like her, ‘definitely got all their traits, probably holding off retirement as well’. The group she deliberately turns her eyes away from are the elders: stooped, grey, somber, dressed in dowdy clothes…
“How awful they look, and so unhappy,” she whispers into the steaming mug off very bitter tea, “none of them look at peace, none of them look attractive. Yet in a day or so I will be joining them! Oh dear, I know I need to accept and trust, and yes, I know it’s for the best, but oh, how painful to let go!” She leans over the mug, pretending to look into it, whilst covertly wiping her eyes. She breathes in deeply again, sits up straight, and feels strength flowing into her heart, followed by peace, a quiet knowing that all is well.
Yes, she thinks, it is well with me, and I will accept, and I will rejoice and be glad in this day. She smiles to herself, eyes drying quickly of their own accord, that was one of Great Auntie Alicia’s songs! She used to sing that song whenever we grumbled about something that day. She was right of course, and yes, I will decide, I will choose to rejoice.
She finishes her tea, finishes the Tea Event, and decides to go home, to check the post, to check, well nothing really, just to be home, she admits to herself. When she gets home she has a shock. The others are all there, sitting around the large sitting room. Their faces look gloomy in some cases, like Adrianna’s, and exuberant in other cases, like Tabitha’s and Chris’. Guinevere looks round the collection of Mortinas, and drops into the nearest chair. Her legs just won’t support her any longer.
“Has it come?” she is shocked at the thin, wobbly voice wafting across the lounge. Is that her voice? That old, quivery sound? “Surely the Gems haven’t come yet? Last time the Gems only came Wednesday night! Why have they come so early, why couldn’t it wait? I’m not ready, I still want to…” the tears drown out the sound of her voice however, and the family looks on, uneasy, shuffling their feet, fidgeting their fingers, as Guinevere wails and rocks herself in her grief.
Sebastian goes over to her, “Come my sweet,” he whispers, “come, don’t take on so! You know we will still have some days, we will still have time to do things together. You know there is a time for everything under the sun. This is a time to let go, to enjoy the twilight of our lives, a time to move on. There is a time to start as well, start our days here watching the new generation grow and bloom. A time for Chris to be active, to meet his future wife properly, to lead his family…”
Guinevere calms down after a while, Tabitha brings her some water, and then Guinevere looks at them all again. “So it is true, then,” she asks softly, “they really have come? Do we really have to send off for the papers right here and now?”
Tabitha shakes her head, “No aunt Guinevere, there is still a little time. Chris and I still need to make the arrangements with the Knights. We still don’t know when the meeting up party will be. I’m sure there isn’t much time, but there definitely is some. We do know that both Richard and Victoria Knight have been mad active, and as far as I know Richard managed to get that position as a doctor that he applied for. Victoria has started at the Court already, I believe, so it won’t be long before we meet up with them.”
Guinevere smiles her bravest smile and gets up. “Good,” she says, and all of a sudden there is a glimpse of the old Guinevere back in her face, “good, for I just want to lead the music one more time!” With that, she is off, back to the night club, to have one more shift. Then maybe a bit of a make over, her dress is fine for now, but once she is old and grey she wants something more flattering. The frumpy looking elders in the café come to mind… No, that would never do!
The Mortina home is buzzing with activity. Josiah and Jephta have their bags packed, most of their things in boxes stacked high in the new apartment they found. Chris is actually smiling a lot, his sour mouth and suspicious eyes looking more relaxed than Guinevere has seen them for some time. He is getting ready too, applying for a position in the office, filling in the necessary form to become Active in the House. Rooms are rearranged, plans are made, knickknacks are packed.
Time for a last complete family portrait…and Guinevere’s two sons are off. Another portrait, this time with everyone left in the Mortina home. It will be the last portrait with Lancelot and Adrianna and Sebastian and Guinevere in the active positions. The next time the family photographer will come four of them will be grey headed…Why is change so hard and painful?
Guinevere finds herself in the kitchen with kind hearted Tabitha, who is on top of the world it seems! “Well, then, have you seen this young Knight yet? Has he sent a picture to you? Now that he is active, he has probably changed quite a bit?”
Tabitha smiles, and looks dreamy, which is very sweet, Guinevere thinks. She remembers her own romance, all arranged of course, as all the townies were old. Her parents had to resort to arranged marriages for them. She loves Sebastian though, and is very happy with him. She was a bit sad and disappointed in the beginning, she remembers, as he had several traits already, and a tummy to match… But he was kind, and good natured, and he won her heart in the end! It’s obvious that Tabitha has none of these problems, she is glowing and eager to meet her Knight in shining armour!
“I’ve got a picture,” gushes Tabitha, “he just sent it this afternoon! Look, here he is, sitting round the bubble maker at their house…” She trails of a little, and her sweet smile seems to become a little bit too bright. Guinevere sees Tabitha’s green eyes darken a little. I bet she is worried, she thinks.
“Don’t you worry about their house, Tabitha, I know it’s absolutely gorgeous, and huge. That is not what is important though. They are lovely people, hard working, caring, always ready to help out. The fact that we have no bubble blower, no palace, no piano even, or any of those things, none of that will worry your Richard. I am absolutely sure of that. They are not snobbish at all!”
Tabitha sighs, and looks relieved at her aunt’s words. It is something that she is very conscious about, the fact that Richard, and Victoria too for that matter, will have to come down quite a bit in the world. She fears that the lack of niceties and fineries might cause resentment in the end, and she hopes and prays that Richard will really fall in love with her, as a person, and truly find happiness in their relationship. She is quite sure that he isn’t materialistic but still, it can be hard to do without certain things all of a sudden!
They chat a bit longer, her aunt sharing some stories of the posh party she went to at the Knight’s house, how Alex used to be a bit of a bounder (Guinevere actually blushed at that point, so Tabitha discreetly looks away!), but that rumours have it that Alex has been given the responsibility of the House, and that he takes this very seriously indeed. “Well,” Guinevere looks very mischievous all of a sudden, “well, they have a saying the Netherlands, that a fox can lose its hair, but not its tricks…So you might want to tread carefully round Alex, just in case!”
At that she laughs, hugs Tabitha suddenly, and says softly, “I am glad. Yes, I know it’s all been painful, and I don’t doubt that I will shed a few more tears, but I am glad. Yes, I still have peace in my heart, and acceptance to go wherever God leads me, and He will go with me. I can honestly say that I’m glad, as I can see the excitement in your face, and I will see this new generation moving in, taking up the mantle, growing, blossoming, thriving… I’m at peace, and I wish you and your splendid Knight peace too, when your stories begin, when highs and lows ebb your way… Have peace, dearest Tabitha, have peace always, in sadness and in joy!”