Sybbie's Gift
Sybbie was so excited she could hardly contain herself. Not only was today another 'adventure'day with her Papa Carson, but since she had missed his birthday earlier in the week, she had a surprise for him, as well.
She scurried down the stairs just before the appointed time for her adventure with Papa Carson. It had become a weekly meeting for them and she couldn't be more excited for today.
Her father had given Charles permission the week prior to take her on a bit of a trip today, an excursion which included a bus ride. A bus ride! With Papa Carson. Not too many things could be better than that, in her book.
But what a day! Not only was she spending the afternoon with Papa Carson, she also had an extra surprise for him that had been planned with the help of her father and her Nana Carson.
Earlier last week, Tom had taken Sybbie with him for only two nights to London to meet with a business partner and visit with some friends, but the timing, in Sybbie's eyes, couldn't have been worse.
"But, Papa, I will miss Papa Carson's birthday! Hardly anyone knows that it's this Friday, but Nana Carson shared with me last week that she would be asking Mrs. Patmore's help in making him a cake for her to take to their cottage. She says that he doesn't like for people to make a fuss over his special day, but Nana Carson winked at me when she told me she would be making him a cake!"
Tom had told his daughter that he was sure that she could help her Papa Carson celebrate his 'belated' birthday somehow when the next day came for them to share their special 'adventure' time together.
She wasn't entirely convinced but, whilst in London, she had given it some serious thought – and worry. Whatever could she do to show her love for her Papa Carson on his birthday – especially 'belateredly' – or whatever that word was that meant it had already passed .
What else does a young girl have to do, after all, while her father chats with potential business partners and friends that she doesn't even know? She was the model of behaviour and good manners that weekend, but all she could think about was what she could do for her beloved Papa Carson when she returned.
Well, she not only returned, but she returned with a splendid idea. Mind you, it would take the help of someone…oh, say, Nana Carson perhaps. But it was such a terrific idea that she couldn't wait to get back to the Abbey and enlist the help of her Nana.
Since his retirement, her Papa Carson only came to the Abbey on certain days and so Sybbie knew that enlisting her Nana's help would be easy if she could manage it on the Monday right after her return from London with her father, when she knew Papa Carson would not be there.
"Please, Papa, may I just go down and visit Nana Carson for a few minutes? I have a very important question to ask her before my fun day with Papa Carson.
Tom knew it would more than likely not be a problem; in fact, he was certain that Mrs. Carson would be thrilled to have a teeny visit from her favorite lass.
"Yes, my love, I'm sure we can manage it.", he assured her. Knowing the basics of the housekeeper's daily schedule, he planned on a time when the two could probably visit her without causing any kind of disruption to her work schedule.
And so father and daughter made their way downstairs one afternoon and sure enough the housekeeper was in her sitting room, just closing up a ledger book of accounts.
After a knock on the door and a bid to enter, the housekeeper was almost knocked off her feet by a hug from her second favorite person.
"Well, look who came to brighten my day!" Mrs. Carson scooped her beloved wee one up into her arms and the two smiled as one's cheek rested against the other's.
After chatting a bit about the young girl's weekend away to London, Mrs. Carson asked how she could be of help. "I'm ever so glad for your visit, but I suspect that there might be something else, as well? I know you're not here to meet Papa Carson; that's not until tomorrow."
Tom began to speak but was interrupted by his daughter, wriggling with excitement on the housekeeper's settee.
"Oh, Nana Carson! I'm oh, so ever glad to see you again! And I'm so excited because I know Papa Carson will be here tomorrow for our time together. Tomorrow! Only one more day, Nana! I'm so excited!"
"Well, lass, I know that Papa Carson and I are both so happy that you are back safe and sound from your visit away. What is it that brings you down here today?"
"Well, Nana, while we were gone, I was worried that I didn't have a birthday present for Papa Carson. I know he doesn't like to make such a big fuss about his birthday, but you did tell me that it was coming soon and I've been thinking all the weekend long while we were away what I could give him. I have no money to buy him anything, but then I remembered when you told me once before that gifts of the heart are sometimes more important than wrapped gifts."
"Yes, lass. I remember that. And so does that mean that you have a belated birthday idea for him? Papa Carson had a wonderful day on his birthday. Not many knew about it, but Mrs. Patmore did and she helped me bake a cake for him. That was a gift of the heart, of sorts. I certainly couldn't wrap it, now, could I? He was quite surprised and very happy and tickled."
"Might I add that we were talking that evening, in our cottage, about birthdays in general and he mentioned that one of the most wonderful gifts has been YOU. He is so thrilled and thankful that he gets to spend so much time with his 'gift'."
Sybbie grinned but didn't see the tears in her father's eyes as he and the housekeeper exchanged a smile. A bit of a wobbly smile, perhaps. A bit of a teary eyed smile, but the two said, in that smile, over Sybbie's head, more than they could ever put into words.
"Well, Nana Carson…I have an idea, a birthday idea that I will need your help with. But could it be our secret? I told Papa and he thinks Papa Carson will really enjoy it, but he agreed that you would have to be the one to help me get it ready."
"And so I shall." said the housekeeper. "If it has the approval of your father, then I see no reason why it wouldn't be a wonderful idea!"
And so, after a bit of plotting, planning and practicing, a very delighted and excited Sybbie returned upstairs with her father, ever so ready and impatient for tomorrow to arrive.
The very next afternoon, Sybbie came bounding down the stairs into the servants' hall with a book tucked safely under one arm.
She made her way to Mrs. Hughes' sitting room and knocked on the door.
"My, my girl. Whatever are you doing here alone?"
Papa watched me from the top of the stairs and said I could go down myself. I know the way, Nana. I really do. I'm a big girl now."
"Yes, lass, that you are!" Where had the time gone, she thought to herself.
Remembering their talk just the day before, Nana Carson, as planned, had made sure she had a scarf ready in her sitting room and so tied the book to Sybbie's tummy and made sure to fuss over the big bow that the ends of the scarf made across the wee one's middle.
"Oh,oh…Nana Carson…I hear him coming!"
Charles Carson's voice could never be mistaken for anyone else's and when he entered the servants' hall through the back door (of course), he called out, "Good afternoon! Is at least one of my favorite people here to greet me?"
Oh, how he had loosened up since retirement. Propriety was still paramount to him, but he had a particular box for those events and people. His favorite people fit into another box, however, one that wasn't so bound by rules and restrictions.
"Anyone here?" he called again.
Well…you could have knocked him down with a feather!
His very own Miss Sybbie came waltzing out of his wife's sitting room, resplendent with a scarf tied about her waist and a - what was this? – a book tucked in the scarf?
He didn't quite know what to make of it. He had 'learned' so much since his marriage to his Elsie. He had 'branched out' in so many ways. He had learned to pick up on cues that, in previous times, he would have been oblivious to. He'd even learned a bit or two more than he used to know about young children, in general.
But here was a wee young thing, a precious thing, his beloved Miss Sybbie, dancing about in front of him, not only with his wife's scarf tied about her waist, but with a book tucked in it, against her middle.
"Miss Sybbie? Why? Why do you have Nana Carson's beautiful blue scarf tied about you like that? And what is that? A book? I don't understand."
"No, you wouldn't.", replied his wife, shaking her head but with the biggest of smiles on her face.
"Oh, Papa Carson! Don't you see?" The scarf ends were in danger of getting tangled around her ankles as Sybbie hopped up and down.
"It's for your birthday! Nana Carson agreed – it is the perfect combination of two of your favorite things : reading and ME!"
"I'm not grown up yet with a proper job, so I don't have any money to buy you a present. I know most people don't even know it was your birthday, but I do! Nana Carson said she even made you a cake – well, Mrs. Patmore helped, because…well, because she makes the very best of cakes. Was it delicious? I'm sad I missed it when I was away with Papa in London. Maybe…"
Elsie cut the sweet young lass off as she would have gone on and on and on. That and she was quick to notice that her precious husband was on the verge of tears after Miss Sybbie's exclamation.
"Now, Miss Sybbie, why don't you get settled and perhaps Papa Carson can 'unwrap' his gift.
With that, Sybbie took two steps toward her Papa Carson, putting herself within a hair's distance between the two.
Charles laughed and said, 'Well, if I'm to untie my gift, I might need a bit more elbow room. Could my gift step back just a bit?"
Sybbie giggled as she backed up a couple steps, looking up expectantly with her bright, shining eyes staring straight into Charles' face.
She tried so hard to stand still while he pretended to fuss over the bow tied right around her middle. He finally undid the knot and pulled away the scarf with a flourish.
The book tumbled to the floor, but Elsie stooped to scoop it up quickly.
"Well, love, look what I've got here! A belated birthday present that looks just like my second most favorite girl, and certainly my most favorite young lass!"
Elsie laughed as he set aside the scarf, took Miss Sybbie in his hands and twirled her around.
Giggling, Sybbie jumped up and down, still holding onto Charles' hands, and proclaimed, "But I'm not all of the present. The rest of the present is that I am going to read you this book!"
"Oh, love, that would be wonderful! Shall we settle down here in Nana Carson's sitting room and read it together?"
"No, silly. I'm going to read it to you. All by myself. You see, I don't need your help anymore. Well, at least with this book. Papa and I have been practicing extra hard and he says I'm ready just in time. Just in time for your birthday. So, you see, my book and I are a 'double' present. Papa says that means two. Yeah for birthdays, Papa Carson! Even belaterly ones – you know… late ones…even though I missed your real birthday. Are you ready for your double present?"
Charles just didn't know what to do. He wanted to scoop his precious Miss Sybbie right up and hug her until tomorrow.
His wife wanted to squeeze the two of them together in her arms. So thankful was she for this precious gift she'd been given. A double gift, really.
And so it was that Miss Sybbie and her Papa Carson settled into the settee, and she read him the most delightful story. All by herself. Yes, she stumbled over a few words, but not many. It was music to his ears.
And the sight before her was indeed a precious one for Nana Carson.
And all this before the bus ride adventure even got its start.