Ten Children, That's What!
Rachel's house was packed to the rafters. All ten of her children were all sitting around the dining room table, elbows and knees jammed in. It had been years since they had all been together. The sad thing was, that having promised to reunite for so long, they only managed it after both their parents had passed away.
They had all come. Come to pick over the bones of the house, to take what furniture they needed, to clean it and put the house up for sale. Like ships in the night they were coming and going; this would be the only night they were all together. They were billeted in with various neighbours, and had left their respective families behind; preferring to have a one last supper. Just the ten siblings dining, as they had not for many a long year.
Taking on the role of the eldest now that their parents had both gone, John had brought an illicit bottle or two of alcohol. He had carefully measured out a dram for everyone, it felt odd to be drinking in their childhood home.
Maggie and Sarah were working hard in the kitchen, they had told the others to sit down, the kitchen would be too busy as it was.
The family cheered as a massive piece of roast beef was placed at the head of the table for John to carve. Two big platters of small Yorkshire puddings were placed at either end of the table. People hastily moved their glasses to make room as a big jug of gravy was plonked down in the centre.
After the initial feeding was over and they were picking at the last bits, talk turned to their parents, particularly their overbearing mother.
"She wasn't all bad."
"Huh, remind me where you live again dear Sarah?"
"All right, I moved further away than you all, I admit Vancouver is pretty far."
"I forgot what a busybody she was once and told her what we planned on naming Emma before she was born."
"And you heard it back from someone else, Eliza?"
"Yep, I bumped into Mrs Harmon Andrews and she said Emma was a lovely name."
"Ma never could keep her mouth shut."
"I don't know how Aunt Marilla could stand her?"
"I think they had a bit of a love hate relationship."
"Yeah and they knew each other from school."
"Ma used to say Aunt Marilla had such a lonely life."
"Yup, she couldn't have borne it."
"Didn't Aunt Marilla have a beau once upon a time?"
"John Blythe" a few chorused.
"Oh yes, I recall, but it didn't work out, did it?"
"Poor Aunt Marilla. I was named after her. She told me they tried to call me Marilla, but she said she didn't want them to saddle me with such a ridiculous name. I must admit, for all Mary is so common, when I was little I was happy I wasn't Marilla."
"There could only be one Marilla."
"Though come to think of it, I think Anne called her youngest Marilla."
"Yes, but I think they call her Rilla. Anne still writes to me occasionally."
"Who still has one of Ma's tobacco quilts?"
"We do" replied the twins in unison. "They're so warm" added James. "There must be dozens of them kicking around the island."
Maggie teared up, "I lost mine in our house fire, it's the thing I miss most."
"I'm pretty sure we'll find one upstairs Mags. I bet there's one in a chest or in the attic. We'll look after dinner, all right?"
Maggie dabbed her teary eyes and smiled at her big brother, "Yes, please."
"Has anyone ever been able to emulate her baking? There was no one like her for apple turnovers." They stopped to think of those delicate flaky treats.
"And her cherry jam was unsurpassed."
"Mmm, I've tried to copy it, but I can't quite capture the right flavour. Has anyone managed it?"
There were shakes of the head, until Robin admitted that he had a knack for preserves, amongst much heckling from his older brothers, he stood his ground. Saying that if they liked, he would bring some of his latest batch tomorrow for them to try. If they didn't like it they were free to jeer, otherwise they might prefer to leave him alone.
"How do you think Pa put up with her all those years?" They all stopped to think of their dear father, dead these many years. He was a good quiet, steady person unlike his wife.
"Pa adored her."
"I suppose so, they certainly enjoyed a physical marriage. She was pregnant eleven times, so they must have made love at least eleven times."
"Aw, stop it, I don't want to think about it." Thomas put up his hand to stop them.
"Can anyone remember little Henry or Katherine?"
"I do." Mary replied "I don't think I was allowed to see Henry, he died too soon. But I remember Ma crying and Pa comforting her. I didn't understand why I couldn't meet him."
"Katherine was a bit older wasn't she. Was it Scarlet Fever?" They were silent for a bit thinking of their poor sister, gone too soon.
"Yeah, Ma nursed her for days, but it was no good."
"Was that the time we were packed off to Aunt Marilla's?"
"Oh yes, that's right. Poor Aunt Marilla having all five of us land on her doorstep."
"She really spoilt us though. I was always a bit scared of her, but she was really lovely."
"Remember her plum puffs?"
"Mmm, they were divine."
"Don't let Ma hear you say that, she'd tell you her apple turnovers were far superior."
"Hey, does anyone remember that dog? The one who stole shoes?"
"Oh yeah, Shep wasn't it? He loved left shoes, not right shoes, just left ones."
"Oh yeah, Ma pinched a fit when they went missing."
"Who found them in the end?"
"That was me", Davy admitted, "I found them buried under a pile of manure in the cow stall. Ma was furious. Remember we had to clean them? The smell was disgusting. I think Shep got the walloping of his life."
"Oh yeah" Louisa cackled, "and before that she loved that dog."
"I remember how she loved the American newspapers I'd send her."
"Oh that was you? She would always keep me updated, I think she thought I wouldn't know if she didn't keep me informed."
James laughed, "Yes, she's probably up there now, wondering how we'll get our news without her."
"She was always updating me about the Borden case, I remember she was most indignant when Lizzie got off scot free. A total miscarriage of justice was how she put it."
"Who needed a newspaper when you had Ma?"
"Say Maggie, did she lean on you when you told her you were leaving the island?"
"She sure did, she said she wanted just one of her babes close by. That's why I had to leave; she'd have smothered me. That and we needed the work out west. One of you lot could have stayed, taken the pressure off."
Everyone looked down at that, "Um" "Well" "Yes" "No" "But" Maggie laughed at her elder siblings, "You get it, you know why I had to leave."
Robin got to his feet and took his glass in his hand "To Ma and Pa!" he toasted.
The rest of them got to their feet, with a flurry of squeaking chair legs "To Ma and Pa." They drank and stood around looking at each other in the sudden silence, taking stock of the situation until in a small voice Sarah replied "That's what." and they all collapsed in laughter.
A/N The shoe stealing dog was real. My brother in law told us about a situation at an exclusive hotel in California with open verandas. Every night guests would put their shoes out for cleaning and in the morning the left shoes would be gone. They caught a fox on CCTV.