Celebrations

Chapter 1

by Lynette Rorigues

“CHIRR-PP” sung the small red-feathered bird, perched on the chocolate brown branch of the maple tree. It moved its head from side to side as it sung, following the constant commotion which was going on beneath its branch. The daisies too seemed to sense the bird’s feelings for they swayed from side to side

with the crisp cool morning breeze, to the soft polka music that filled the air.

“Mummy, where are you?!” exclaimed Danny as he ran into the garden of their cottage in San Allans, “ I drew a picture to give to Daddy when he comes back! Do you th-ink he will like it?”

“ Of course honey,” came the reply from the rosy cheeked woman at the other end of the garden. Now Mrs. Carax was a delicately featured woman in her late thirties. At present she wore a flowery knee-length dress and a beautiful heart shaped necklace of sapphire given to her by her husband the day they

got married. Her blonde ringlets gently cascaded around her shoulders as she stretched out her slender hand to tie the poster stating, “ Welcome back Henry!” around the tree trunk. “Oh how beautiful Danny! Daddy will surely love it.”

“ You think so?” asked Danny with a shy smile as he sat at the table covered with scrumptious looking food items. Strawberry tarts, bourbon chocolate soufflé, black magic caramel, blue berry cakes with ice-cream courting decorated the three small tables that had been placed on the luscious green lawn in the Carax’s

garden. 

Mr. and Mrs. Duncan entered the garden from the kitchen door as well to celebrate with their next door neighbours the return of Mr. Carax from the war. They entered the exquisitely decorated party area, amazed, wondering how such a fragile woman could have created such an extravagant looking place all by

herself, for of course, the son only five years of age could not have been of any help.

“ Oh good morning Mr. and Mrs. Duncan, how are you today? Isn’t it just such a glorious morning! Just beautiful! Perfect!”

“ Yes it is,” came the warm reply from the voluptuous figured Mrs. Duncan as she went towards Mrs. Carax to help her arrange the coloured buntings across the white picket fence.

“ William! William” shouted Danny, “are you in the kitchen?” The small neighbourhood boy appeared, scruffy and chocolate covered, then laughs and runs back in again.

“ Haha, Mummy look at William!” says Danny running friskily after his best friend. “ William wait, my daddy will be here soon!” 

Mrs. Carax laughed looking at her child wondering how she was ever able to raise him alone for a year. “No matter, Henry will be here soon,” she thought singing to herself in a happy, dreamy voice. “I must get everything ready before that though.”

Just then the doorbell rang.

“Henry! Henry!”

But alas there stood an officer instead, but not her Henry.