The days were brighter and I finally could swallow everything. As I looked back on my memories of the past year, it was dizzying to say the very least. My sister came back, I found my one true love, I graduated, and I became a princess. It was pretty hectic to say the very least.
"NO!" Diana said, walking away from the dinner table. She rarely ate anymore, probably owning to the fact that she did not particularly care for the expensive French chocolate that came everyday.
"Diana…come back here now." I said, pensively.
"No. That is the absolute worst chocolate I have ever had and I refuse to eat it!" Diana said, storming off.
"Diana…it is a gift and you shan't be so nasty about it." I said, trying to sound royal, although it was becoming very irritating.
"Gabby…it is gross! I would never ever eat such disgusting matter!" Diana said. She was becoming way too articulate for my tastes, with her big words.
"Diana Aidiana Yamato, either eat it or don't. I do not care which, but if you choose not to eat it, do not complain about the taste." I said, tolerantly.
"Well, Gabrielle Lenore Yamato, I do not like it and refuse to eat it!" Diana said. She stormed out of the room while my father walked in.
"Well, Gabby…what has the pixie done now?" He asked. He seemed in much higher spirits now a days.
"She won't eat the French chocolate but that I could care less about. She is driving me crazy!" I said, sitting down. "She is becoming such a brat!"
"She is just trying to adjust to you having all the attention with your engagement and your princess lessons. She is just jealous. Be patient, Gabby." He said.
"Speaking of my engagement, Daddy. We have set a tentative date for August 21, it is a Saturday." I said.
"But, sweetheart, August is only 6 months away." He said, a little surprised.
"But Daddy, think of what a birthday present that will be for me!" I said, in a whiny little girl tone.
"Your Aunt Rochelle is going to pay for it." He said.
"Why?" I asked, a tad annoyed.
"She insisted." He said, shrugging it off.
"I knew I never really liked her." I said.
"Good morning, Princess Gabrielle." My Aunt Rochelle said as she walked through the door as if she owned the place.
"Good morning Queen elect Rochelle." I said, trying to sound regal.
"Nice, Nice. So I hope you have picked a date to be married. You need to be married before December 6th, before the coronation."
"I wouldn't think it would be any of your business. This is strictly my affair with my father. I do not want you to pay for my wedding. I would like if my father would, thank you very much!" I said, my light blue dress swirling at my heels as I turned around.
"She has much to learn, Tomas." My Aunt Rochelle said.
"She is still trying to accept everything that has happened." My father said stiffly. He then turned. "Have a nice day, Miss Rochelle."
"You too, Tomas." She said.
"OH Gabby!! You would never believe what has happened!!" Angelina said as she walked into my room after she came home from school.
"What?" I asked, looking over my notes from college.
"I was asked to the prom! Me…only being 15 years!!! A Sophomore!!" Angelina said.
"Great." I said.
"Aren't you happy?" She asked.
"For you, of course…but I really don't want to be part of this hectic world anymore." I said.
"You?" Angelina said.
"Yes…I hate all this work. It's college from 9 until 3. Then Princess instruction from 4 to 9 plus watching Diana and squeezing some time in for my fiancé!" I said, still pacing.
"Calm down, Gabbers. You will give yourself a heart attack…I heard they are prone at your age." Angela said. I punched her in the arm. "Hey! What was that for?"
"You are just as old as I am…Angie." I said.
"Am I?" Angela said. She stood next to me while we stood in the mirror. On one side there was a regal looking young adult female with glossy black hair and an ice blue dress with a tiny tiara…on the other side was a gawky younger girl who looked exactly like the other one but younger and less regal.
"I guess we will never be the same again, will we?" I asked.
"No…but we will always be sisters…" Angela said, hugging my arm. I looked down on my locket that I always kept around my neck. It held six pictures. One of everyone. Angela's was gold with her full name "Angelina" on the outside and mine was silver with "Gabrielle" on the outside.
"Our family will never be whole again but…maybe we can try to return to what we once had…" I said.
"Maybe but without Mom and Scottie it seems not so happy here." Angela said.
"Angie…we have to move on…" I said.
"I know…but you have lived this way longer than I have…I still am not used to hearing Diana as a baby screaming her head off and Scottie walking through the door with his hands over his ears saying that Diana is too loud for his sensitive ears. I can't believe that I will never see him again, Gabby." Angela said.
"Maybe he never really left." I said.
"Gohan…please help your grandfather with the garden. I fear he has grown too old to take care of it himself." My mother said. "You look so grown up. Your father would be proud, I know I am."
"Thanks, mom. I try to be the best." I said, lifting a bag of soil… "I try."
"And you have succeeded." She said, leaning on the doorframe. She looks so old now. She does not look anything like the young mother whom thirteen years ago risked her life to save her son. She was so full of life then. When my father died her life sparkle flickered and is burning at a fraction of what it once did. But she has tried to be the best she could be for me, and I thank her deeply for that.
"Hello, Gohan. Have you come to help me?" My grandfather asked.
"Yes, grandfather…I was wondering. Do you think that maybe Mom will be happy again one day?" I asked.
"Your mother is a very strong woman and she has had many things go wrong in her life. Your father brought out her best and so did you. But now that he is gone a part of her is gone as well." He said. "But then again I suppose that one day she will be as happy as she once was…" He trailed off.
"I do hope so." I said, picking up a pot of flowers.
"Diana…please come out…" I said, leaning down.
"No…why do I have to?" Diana asked.
"Diana, it is not proper for a young girl to hide under a table…now come out." I said.
"And how would you know how I should act?" Diana asked.
"Gabby darling have you seen Diana? I haven't seen her all day." My father asked.
"Well…yes…I know where she is." I said.
"Well…where is she?" He asked. I pointed downward. "Under the table?"
"Yes!" Diana said.
"Diana, darling sweetie come on out." He said.
"NO!" Diana said.
"Diana Aidiana Yamato come out this instant!" I said.
"NO NO NO!!!!!" Diana yelled.
"Fine…stay under there but I'll have Joanna take back your fudge ripple ice cream." My dad said.
"Ice cream?" Diana asked. She did not however, move from under the table.
"Only comes to good girls who do not hide underneath tables." I said, persuasively.
"I don't believe you." Diana said.
"Believe what you will, Diana…it's your loss." I said, crossing my arms and walking away. Diana did not move from that spot.
The doorbell rang and it was for Angela. She went off with some guy she has been seeing and I prepared for the public announcement of my engagement.
"Hello, all!" My Aunt Rochelle called as she walked into the door, without knocking.
"Good day to you Rochelle." My father said, taking Diana away with him. Angela got up and left as well.
"Put me down Daddy!!" Diana screamed.
"Somebody has to teach that girl some manners…" Aunt Rochelle said distastefully.
"She is fine the way she is." I said firmly.
"No…she is too headstrong." Rochelle said certainly.
"She is fine. She is a little girl…she still has time to grow up." I said.
"Gabrielle, darling, you have had almost eighteen years to grow up and you are still not full mature. If you start earlier, the child will retroactively be more mature at a younger age." Aunt Rochelle said. She had me steaming. Diana was fine the way she was. She was my sister and I wasn't going to let anyone change that. "Her impetuous nature reminds me of Rachel."
I decided to surprise Gabrielle with a surprise visit…I never should have.
"Hello, Joanna." I said, looking through the door.
"Oh I am so sorry Mr. Gohan but Miss Gabrielle is rather upset right now…she might act adversely. I advise extreme caution." Joanna said.
"I'll be careful." I said. I walked up the stairs to Gabrielle's room and I noticed the door was closed which was very odd. I knocked.
"GO AWAY!" She yelled.
"Gabby dear, it's me." I said. I heard shuffling and she was at her door.
"I never wanted you to see me like this." Gabrielle said.
"I am your future husband…I will always love you no matter what side of you I see." I said.
"I don't know…Oooh…that aunt of mine!!" Gabrielle said pacing. "She says Diana has to grow up now! She is only five years old, not ten or twenty! She can be a child for a while…"
"Yes…yes, don't worry so much." I said.
"Why? Because it will give me wrinkles?" Gabrielle said, anger rising.
"No because it makes you all out of sorts." I said.
"Well congratulations master of the obvious…I am out of sorts!!!" Gabrielle said, swirling around, her fire red dress swirling at her heels. "And besides, I go through more clothing now in a day then I used to in a year!!"
"Calm down Gabrielle…it's not good for you to be so upset." I said
"Oh, really, Doctor Son, is that true?" Gabrielle said, smiling a bit. She stopped pacing and looked me straight in the eyes.
"I do believe so." I said.
"I really hope that aunt of mine gets over Diana, she is just a small child…she's had to deal with a lot. She grew up without a mother. She had my father and I but still." Gabrielle said, sitting down on the carved cherry Queen Anne chair that she received from her Aunt Rochelle.
"Just calm down. All things will fix themselves if you give them a little time." I said.
"I hope so." Gabrielle said, leaning herself into my arms.
"You know, Gabrielle, this will all work out fine. Don't worry." I said, kissing her forehead.
"I know…getting there is difficult though…" She said, sighing.
"Life is always a bumpy ride, Gabrielle." I said.
"I know I know…" She said.
I knew Gohan was right…but it seemed so hard to view the future. He loved the idea of being married in August. I loved it even more than he did…it was my birthday present. He had to leave because I had to get ready for the announcement. He was of course, attending the announcement. The invitations were lovely.
Princess Gabrielle Lenore Yamato of Rindoa
Announces her engagement to
Gohan Son
On the evening on
February 16
At 7 PM
Your presence is requested
My Aunt Rochelle did a wonderful job on the invitations. Unfortunately, I would have never publicly announced it otherwise.