|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 11:13 am
Pages Upon Pages
Dearest Aunt Lilia,
I hape you are well. It would be good to see you again, even under these circumstances.
Everyone seems to be so occupied with inconsequential things and so it will be my honour to meet you at the station.
I do wish you will stay much longer this time.
Karen
She put the letter inside her letterbox. She pulled out a pristine, thick sheet of paper. Dipped the tip of her pen on the ink and begun her apology.
She will not be attending Allan's funeral; her presence would only anger the Family. She's almost certain that her absence will be added to list of reasons why she's not allowed to step-foot into the City without their Grandmother's permission. But, of course, the 'chaos' her attendance will precipitate will certaintly be placed at her feet, whether rightly justified or not.
So, either way she losses.
"Allan will understand," she sigh.
My dearest Karen,
It is with sincerest apology that I cannot be with you these following days. It must be hard for you, but I'm afraid they will only make it harder with my presence.
I would not jeopardise your future with the Family. You're father would have understood my absence and forgive it.
I hope one day, you will be able to come and visit.
Your loving Aunt,
Lilia
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 2:56 pm
Karen closed the letter and returned it to it's envelope. She held her tears in check. It would not do for her to cry, although it might be expected considering she is in mourning.
She placed the letter in a wooden box where all her corresponde with her exiled Aunt are kept.
She walked over to one of the mirrors on her closet door to check for anything amiss.
Finally, she schooled her features into stillness and walked out of her apartments.
"Ah, there you are," her mother called as she was walking down the grand stair-case. "Come, the rest of the Family has arrived. It is time."
She inclined her head but didn't change her pace.
Her mother's perfectly schooled face, complete with impeccable make up, remained expressionless. She would not lose face by getting angry with her daughter.
Karen almost smiled but impassiveness seems to run in the Family.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 3:39 pm
The funeral of Allan Francis Xaneva was as elaborate as befitted his rank. The funeral pyre compost of scented wood and as high as he was tall. The Family, which numbered close to two hundred, stood in attention surrounding the pyre in a semi-circle.
They were still, as honour demanded, as the fire burned down to the last embers.
A woman, bent with age, walked up to the hot ashes and said the closing prayer. "He who was beloved is now Yours. May he reach You in peace." Her voice that resonated with love as well as sorrow was loud and strong, denying her great age.
She would not have manage the climbed over the low platform had one of her grandson not been there to support her. She would have gathered the ashes of the honoured departed, as the oldest leaving member as well as the Matriach of the Family. As it was, her grandson Lucas steadied her, acting as her proxy.
Those not the children and wife of the departed started to file out of the Family grove, starting from the farthest removed from the Family.
Distant relatives were wating outside the Groove with refeshments. Those too far remove to claim direct decendance from the Matriach were not allowed in the Groove during such occassions.
Perhaps, at first, it was because the Groove can only contain so much, but as the ages passed, it had become a tradition.
The funeral was lengthy and those who attended it were greatful for the refreshments.
Karen stood close to her mother. She didn't cry. Her sorrow was great but she has mourned her father in private in the last few days. She no longer feels anything, as if she's been asleep since.
Her twin brothers looked up at her, impatience written on their young faces.
She looked to see if Lucas has gathered all the ashes into the urn, and finding that he was guiding their grandmother back down, she smiled at her two brothers letting them know it's ok to leave. They smiled back then trotted off.
Lucas passed the urn to their mother.
Vanessa, as bland or serene as always, accepted it.
The heat still radiated from the platform but there was nothing else on it. With one last glance, Lucas ushered the head of the Family. Karen supported her mother and followed.
She wondered when her mother's countenance would crack. Or perhaps she would cry herself to sleep tonight.
She wanted to hug her and be held in return but she recoiled at the idea. It is unseemly to show such affection where the whole of the Family, at least those that matters, are gathered to see all that can be seen.
It could be that she was also afraid that her mother would actually spurn her offer of sympathy. It has been a long time, and now it is only a memory, since the last time her mother held her.
Suddenly, a terrible longing filled her. No longer will she have those hours and hours at night, discussing the great arts with her Father. She'll missed his steadfast presence the most, his smiling support of her.
She wished so much that her Aunt Lilia had broken her grandmother's ruling and attended the funeral. Perhaps she would have been given pardon - not that she'll ever understand why she was exiled. Not even her Father had been willing to talk about it.
At the gate of the Groove, she let her mother be taken from her by some relative she only met the day before.
She smiled weakly at her brother as she walked away. She hoped Lucas would bear well under the scrutiny of the Family now that he will have to fill their father's place in the Council.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 4:52 pm
Lilia finally blew out the candle.
She would might have fallen on the floor with exhaustion with the strong arms that held her.
"Now, I'm sure the spirit of your brother appreciate your effort. Two days three days without sleep is not good for you and the baby."
Lilia held on tighter. "Thank you Zano," she murmurred.
Zano kissed her cheek.
She let him guide her out of the shrine back to their house.
"What will happen to my family now, my love?"
"Perhaps, they will finally decide to take you back," she felt him shrugged in the slowly enveloping darkness.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 9:35 am
(If you don't wnt me to coment here, go head and tell me and I'll move it to some where else)
Very good, I"m likeing it so far, you've got me intregued...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 5:43 am
(( nah... comments in the same page gives a break to the stories that no amount of new paragraphing can do.
I might wanna modiy the text colouring to avoid confusion but that's it...
comment away! I'd like to here what I'm doing wrong and what can be done about it... this story has been in my head for awhile... it has acutally gone several holes to come out the way it has... who knows, maybe my original idea would be better.. dunno *confuse* ))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
