“Yes, I am more relaxed. Just walking with you and talking about your camelias and daffodils took my mind off my worries if only for a while.” Sonja set the cups on the table. While the tea was steeping, Martha got out one of James’ old photo albums. “I haven’t seen one of those for a long time! I put all my photos on my computer and destroyed the hard copies.” She opened the first one and saw three young boys astride bicycles, big grins on their faces, hair disheveled in a wind. She sat down and saw Thom, James and Samuel grow up. School recitals, graduations, dances and Christmas and Easters. And then Thom was on a ferry to leave for the mainland. She touched the face of the then young man who would become her life partner. He was a good man, a nice man with only one mark on his past. When they first were dating, after both of them had had relationships, he told her of that one mark. They hadn’t spoken of it since, and as she grew to know him, she knew without a doubt that what he told her was true. He had been innocent of the dreadful crime.
“Penny for your thoughts? You’ve drifted away, Sonja. Here’s your tea and a biscuit.” Martha had been watching Sonja page through the album, her expressions changing with each photo. A smile, a laugh and wondering looks especially when she saw a young Thom on the ferry. Sonja looked up. “Thank you, Martha. I’ve known Thom a long time now and could never imagine him as a boy.” She took a sip of her tea. “Mmmmmm, so good. ~ or what Thom's life must have been like before he came to the mainland. He looked so happy. I wonder…..oh, I suppose it was a young man’s wanderlust. Was James ever like that?”
“No. He was totally dedicated to being the Estate Butler, just like their father. He did go off to University for a time, but only to Hartley. At least I think that is about all he did. We’ve worked together since shortly after he took over from his father and have really never talked about his previous life much. Look at that one….the one with Samuel and James. Samuel was as dedicated about taking over the ‘yardman job’ from his father as James was about being the Estate butler. Elizabeth and I came to the Estate later on. Elizabeth from who knows where and I was already married and had a family. But I m going on. Elizabeth will probably be waiting supper for us. I hope the boys are paying attention to the time today. They’ve been late every day this week.”
Gathering their jackets and umbrellas, they set off walking, still talking about their now not so young men in the old pictures.
~~~~~
“Look, James. There they are. I suppose we should have had umbrellas too, but then our women are more sensible than we are.” Thom was finally laughing. Their conversation had been far too serious. Long ago crime - that wasn’t a crime - and punishment lasting years longer than any prison sentence. Thom had carried a heavy burden of shame for even getting into that proverbial wrong crowd, the prison sentence and the secrecy with his family. He waved and called to Martha and Sonja. “We’ll beat you to the back porch, girls! First one inside gets to pick the best seat at the table. Come on, James.” He pulled his brother by the arm and they set out at a trot. The girls just looked at each other, shrugged and arm in arm they picked up their pace but let the boys win. Martha knew there was no best seat at the table - unless it was the one closest to the food.
~~~~~~
Out of breath, the men staggered up the steps. Thom got to the door first leaving his brother panting and hanging onto the roof support. “Oh, come on, James. Your supper will get cold.” Martha and Sonja, folding up their umbrellas, walked right past him and followed Thom into the warm kitchen. James took a deep breath, stood up, patted the roof support and regained his dignity. “I’m right behind you ladies. I just didn’t want to be rude and push past you. Not like my kid brother.”
“Well, look at this bunch, Elizabeth. Men lookin’ like somethin’ the cat dragged in and the women all neat and tidy. D’you suppose they want supper? You didn’t make enough for all six of us?” Samuel was amused. He and Elizabeth had had a good visit while the others had been out. Cooking, gardening, vegetables, fruits and all the good food that came from it. Anyone listening would have been quite bored by it all, but to them it was their lives. From deep in the soil to the table. Elizabeth Saunders and Samuel Forrester were quite a team. Some would think that it went just a bit deeper than teammates, but both parties would blush and deny it and then say they were incapable of blushing!
“Oh, hush Samuel. Here, take this chicken to the table and carve it up. James, here, put these on the table.” She handed him a bowl heaped with soft fluffy potatoes and a gravy boat filled with steaming gravy. It was a bit of a balance, but he managed to get them both to the table safely. The others had lined up for their tasks. Martha - curried carrots, Thom - a bowl of bread stuffing with nuts, onion, apples and celery, Sonja - a green salad with tomatoes and cucumbers. “That’s about it. Everything else is on the table and there’ll be no apple pie until you’ve all cleaned up your plates.” Elizabeth took off her apron, picked up the teapot and her mug of tea and came to the table. “Let’s eat."
Conversation from the direction of the stairs stalled the conversation at the table. They all turned just as two more people came into the kitchen. “Cook, Dr. Jeremy is home and hungry. My sister is on her way out……….Oh! You’re just sitting down to supper!” Emelina stopped and looked at her husband. “I’m sorry, I thought you would be done. I knew you were all here, but…….” James pushed his chair back and stood, suddenly professional. “It’s quite all right, Miss Emelina. Dr. Crawford, it’s good to see you. We’ll just get two more settings and you can join us. Unless you’d rather have the privacy of the dining room upstairs.” He was already at the cupboard getting out plates and cutlery. Cook and Martha looked over the meal and decided that there was enough to share, and nodded to each other. “It will be wonderful if you’d join us. And you men, leave enough for Miss Dez. I don’t want to have to shame the four of you.” Elizabeth smiled at them like they were little boys. “Dr. Jeremy that means you too!” Just to be on the safe side, Martha filled a plate for Miss Dez, covered it with tinfoil and set it in the still warm oven.
After introductions to Dr. Jeremy, Thom and Sonja, the room fell silent. Only the click of knives and forks on plates and the occasional request to pass something more could be heard.
“The world can fall to pieces around us, but
in the end, we’ll always make it back to us.”
Cassia Leo, The Way We Fall
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