The Timeless Tales - Chapter II:
You are currently viewing the Original Storytelling section of the Creative page. To select other areas of interest, click the back button on your browser, or click here
Adamant Bonds of a Diligent Family
s the dew of the next morning began to subside, a much
anticipated Effie instantly awoke to find her senses tingling, as delightful aromas from the kitchen whisked through the hallway and
into her bedroom. With one swift motion, Effie propped herself out of bed. The dark wooden floors were still cold since spring was just
beginning to come into view. Wanting to stay warm and snug, Effie put on some slippers and began to make her way downstairs into the
kitchen.
Entering the kitchen, Effie saw her mother had cooked up what seemed to be a feast. The smell of scrambled eggs and bacon on the frying pan teased her as she took a seat at the family's rather small table. The room was bright and full of warm colors, which made meals all the more enjoyable. The room was a bit tight, but this made it very easy for so much sun to come in through the kitchen's tall and old-fashioned window panes. Finally looking in front of her, she noticed the table had been nearly full to capacity with all sorts of delectable-looking foods. Fresh fruits, large loafs of bread that were still warm to the touch, and fluffy seasoned eggs with crispy bacon, completed with a large glass of cold milk.
Noticing Effie had just woken up, Annabella began to smile.
"Good morning, Effie!"
Her words had a soft tone, but also had a firmness about it. Annabella was the type of mother who was well-rounded. She was gentle enough to show her affection for her family, but firm enough to lead them as well. Her dress was very plain with no kind of special design on it, but it suited her well. It showed that she didn't need something extravagant in order to be happy. It seemed like bright red was her color, as it complimented her auburn hair. Folding up her white apron, she took a seat next to Effie, noticing her excited expression.
"Good morning", Effie brightly replied.
"I see someone's excited about their plans for today!", Annabella said teasingly.
Effie nodded and formed a grin so wide, her eyes temporarily closed.
"I'm pretty excited! A bit nervous, too... but mostly excited! I just want to get out there and see if it's something I enjoy. I know most girls who go to this sort of thing are probably conceited, so I don't know if it's something I'll be fully interested in... but maybe it'll give me some direction in what I want to do!"
"I'm sure you'll do just fine", replied Annabella. "Just enjoy the moment the best you can, and everything will fall into place."
Effie smiled again, just not nearly as animated as before. Her mother's words were very reassuring and gave her the extra push of confidence she seemed to need.
Just then, Petrina walked into the room with a bit of a chuckle.
"'Morning, Fluffy!", she playfully stated.
'Fluffy' was a nickname Petrina had given Effie on account of her hair being incredibly silky-smooth and full of volume, making it soft to the touch. Petrina was the type of older sibling who'd brush, braid, and otherwise pet her younger sister's hair. It was a nice relationship the two of them had. Effie looked up to her older sister so much, often going to her first for advice before anyone else. In return, Petrina adored her younger sister, often playing games with her, talking about their daily events, or even helping her out with homework. Petrina was the type of sister who went out of her way for Effie. She'd take the blame if something went wrong, or she'd do Effie's homework if Effie happened to fall asleep after a long day's work.
As soon as Effie saw her older sister walk in the room, she could never figure out how Petrina was always on top of things. She was already dressed, hair and makeup already perfected, and her backpack was neatly propped against the wall on the floor in the corner.
'How does she do it?!', thought Effie. 'If I'm practically getting up at the crack of dawn, she must either get up even earlier than me, or is some kind of Bohemian night owl!'
"Petrina, are you able to come to the pageant after school?", asked Effie.
"Yes, I wouldn't miss it for the world! I already cancelled the Book Club meeting that was scheduled for today!", Petrina so happily replied.
"You had a Book Club meeting? Oh, no! I totally forgot about that! You didn't have to cancel it just to come see me!"
Suddenly, Effie began to frown, thinking of how her older sister always puts her first more times than not before her own needs.
"Yes I did, this is an important day for you and I want to be there! Don't worry so much!", Petrina insisted.
"Okay, well as long as it's just this once... I know how much the Book Club means to you", said a cooperating Effie. "Where's Dad, by the way? Did he already leave?"
Petrina nodded as their mother began to take in a deep breath.
"Yeah, he had to go into work extra early today. The company's executive is going to be visiting the site today to make sure everything's going according to the city's plans, so everyone was required to go in early in order to prepare the presentation of the project", Annabella informed.
"I hope he'll be okay", Effie worried.
A brief pause filled the air, but was quickly broken by Annabella, who desperately didn't want their morning to start off on the wrong foot.
"He'll be fine. Your father is a strong person."
With that, she stood up from her chair and fluffed her dress, smoothing out the creases. It took just a couple of seconds more for Petrina to follow her example, and began to gather her belongings.
"Now you both have a good day at school! Remember to cross the streets carefully! You know how I don't like that school intersection!", Annabella reminded them both.
"We'll be careful, Mom, don't worry", stated a confident Petrina.
With that said, Effie and Petrina took their bagged lunches Annabella prepared the night before, and left the house for school. All day during her classes, Effie couldn't stop thinking about the pageant after school. Trying to place her mind at ease, she began to really focus on the teacher's lesson, hoping it would distract her mind long enough to stay calm and collected. It turns out it worked pretty well... until the final bell rang.
The Timeless Tales © 2012 Alex Livanos
No redistributing of the story or characters may be used. All rights reserved.
Book & Chapter List
« Previous Chapter | Next Chapter »
