I remember a longtime ago, a summer, when I was at my great aunt Kylida, I got a sparrow feather I call ; curious. I think I was six, maybe five? Well, Auntie invited us over this did not seem to please my mother at all, no, she had tightened her lips as we walked up the path leading to the house. Mother did not say a word, besides the usual, Stand up straight, do not play with your hair… She said these simple things would turn me into a beautiful lady someday.
I really hope I will be as beautiful as my mother someday…
I think Aunt Kylida is a rich person, mother does not want me to ask questions about money, she says it is impolite. But I am guessing she is, because her garden looks very special. There is a great big gate in front of her house with a fancy pretty M on it. The house is very big too, when we talk in it, it echoes (I am not allowed to scream or run in there)! The entrance is a very lightened place, the windows have many pretty colors that make the room glow. The ceiling is really high and there is a very big marble staircase that leads to the second floor where the tea room, library and other rooms I am not allowed to go in. The tearoom was the room I knew best, the few times we went to Auntie’s home, we would stay in there. It was a very nice circular room with many tall windows, there were large white sofas and the carpet in there felt like fluffy clouds.
I would drink wild red berry tea and eat a lot of tea cakes while my mother and Kylida spoke of boring grown up manners. My auntie was a old looking lady, she had white hair that was always tighted up in a tight bun, she wore only shades of white and green. But there was something I did not like about the things she wore, they all looked like snakes. Her jewelry like her necklaces and rings, bracelets and earrings… She was shorter than mother, so was I but I would listen to mother, Aunt Kylia would always talk or interrupt mother. If I did that I would be punished, but the children rules do not seem to apply to adults.
That day, when mother knocked on the snake knocker she seemed rather pale. I asked her what was wrong but she silenced me. Two tennis ball like eyes greeted us at the door, Fritcher, one of my aunts house elves guided us to the tearoom. He would bow a lot, his nose nearly touching his feet, I always wondered why he was so stupid, he did not need to bow all the time…. Well my aunt was in the room her back towards us, looking out the open window.
“
Sit.” Her old voice had ordered us.
My mother sat in a sofa and I in a big chair, sitting up straight and not saying a word. Mother was doing the same, she seemed tensed and bothered and she gave me a look every once and a while.
“
Fritcher!” Kylida had screeched. “
Tea!!”
A clattering noise was heard as the poor elf pushed the door open with the tray. “
Y-yes Mistress.” He had said bowing as he backed away to get far away from her.
“
Serve yourselves dears…”
And I did as told and started to eat on the tea cakes, but mother did not touch them. My great aunt sighed…
“Liline? Do you keep secrets from your mother?”
I blinked, how could she know I played with mothers dresses and clothing? I know I was not allowed but they were so pretty. I thought it best to shake my head and deny it.
“Kylia do not bring her into this she is a child! ” Snapped my mother. “Liline, please go
outside and play.” Her tone meant no questions asked and I knew it was best that I didn’t. I ran down the stairs to open the entrance door and I was free to explore the gardens.
The garden was a very big place, it was enormous! I wandered around for what seemed to be a very long time, until I heard somthing. A churp? A song bird? I looked up in the big oak tree and there was a sparrow, he was looking towards the house. What a curious little bird he was, I motioned my hands around to get it’s attention, but nothing just starring to the windows.
“Hey!” I yelled up the tree, I was rather unhappy that it payed no attencion to me whatsoever. It was then that the sparrow looked down at me it churped in my direction. “Hello!” I said back, it’s head twitched, and it churped again twice. “What do you see up there?” It looked back to the windows.
I tried to whistle like it did to get it’s attention once more but nothing and it was starting to bother me. The sparrow was the only fun thing in that garden you see? And I was begining to get bored of it. Then it began to clean it’s feathers and one fell to the ground... I took it, (even if my mother would forbid me to touch such dirty things) looking at it and raised my hand to the sparrow. “You lost your feather.” The bird looked down at me for a moment and fluttered away. “Come back! Wait!” I ran after it and it was flying towards the tea room window.
It seemed like the bird was spying... it was not like other birds that would fly around, no this one was listening... watching... I heard raised voices coming from the open window but most words were not understandable. “
Come down here birdie!” I whispered in a warning voice, I knew my aunt hated birds... though I never understood why. “
Bird get down!”
“If your father knew of your betrayal he would be turning in his grave!!” I heard my aunt scream. They were arguing...
“No! She must never know!” my mother responded in the same tone. “No one should!”
“
I am not giving all I have to a half br---“and then there was a bloody scream and a flash of red light towards the bird who quickly managed to dodge it. “
CURSE IT! DAMN BIRD!! AWAY WITH YOU!” many red shoots of light bursted out of the window. My mother soon ran towards the window and saw me.
“
Liline!” She looked worred and then she looked angry. “I told you to go play! Do
not stay here!”
I nodded and ran as far as I could from the tea room window... I did not understand... I sat near a pond on a bench... Why did aunt Kylia hate birds so much? I looked up to the sky, and played with the feather for a while longer. Pocketing it, deciding I would keep it. And that was the first of many feathers.....
