The car made it's way along the twisting asphalt heading towards the stoic
house still a mile away. The car finally turned towards the intended stop
and finally moved to a halt underneath the stone covered entrance. Julie
stepped out as the driver opened the door, and looked up at the imposing 10-
foot oak doors before her. She glanced to her left and right taking in the
sights of her life long home.
She stepped further from the car and again stood in place as the driver got her bags, she watched as one side of the door moaned as it was slowly opened revealing the lavish dominating formal hall. She smiled at the old man standing there arms wide open awaiting her. She raced up the stairs and quickly fell into a bear hug.
"It's great to have you home angel." The old man smiled. Julie pulled back from him and returned his grin.
"It's great to be home Louis. Is grampie in his library?"
"You know he is Julie. He's waiting on you." Louis answered then went to get her bags.
Julie made her way down the long hall turning threw a few doors before finding herself entering the two story library. She walked slowly down the aisle between the shelves and various sofas, chairs and tables set up threw the middle of the room. Her shoes made a soft thud along the wooden floor as she finally saw the arm resting on the side of a chair. She picked up her pace till she was behind the chair and looked over finding her grandfather sound asleep.
He looked just as she left him last; in his best suit gray hair combed back in perfect place looking every bit the gentleman he was. She took a seat in the chair opposite his by the fireplace and watched him sleep. She sat there relaxed for the first time since the calls and found herself pondering sleep. She was about to surrender to that feeling when her grandfather began to stir. She sat up on the edge of her chair and smiled when he opened his eyes and focused them on her.
"Well, when did you get here?" He asked.
"About 40 minutes ago." She got up and went over to hug him. She then pulled a stool over and sat down beside him. They sat in silence for a few minutes till he spoke.
"I would have told you, but he didn't want you to stop playing. He knew that was something you truly loved and took pride in, and he was proud of you for it. He was also proud you wanted to make it on your own without him paying for things. He always called you his little corporate star in training!" He laughed and she smiled.
"He told me that once, he did help me along you know. Not many people wanted to hire me knowing they'd have to work around my hockey schedule. But I always said I'd pay him back somehow." She paused a moment then continued. "He wouldn't have taken my money though, he said this money was just as much mine as anyones."
Her grandfather smiled patting her hand then started to speak again when the happy moment was shattered.
"Well, home to get your part of the estate are you? Her elder brother's voice rang threw the library. She looked at her grandfather giving him an apology before she responded back. She turned her head as she spoke.
"No Alex. I'm here to say good-bye to my daddy. The money means nothing, I would fly back right after the funeral but the lawyer I spoke to this morning advised me to stay." She stated as calmly as she could, but her annoyance was apparent. He put on his typical dominant smile, before making yet another comment.
"Mother should be home soon. I'm sure you're looking forward to seeing her."
"This isn't the time to start a fight Alexander." Her grandfather stated now rising from his chair. "Now leave your sister alone."
"Sure thing grandfather." He smirked and headed for the door pleased with his performance.
"This is going to be the longest week of my life." Julie stated as she placed her head in her hands.
"Have faith dear. Never forget you've got me on your side."
"Thanks grampie." She got up and hugged him.
The sounds of footsteps alerted them again and Julie turned to see her mother approaching. She got a reassuring pat on the back from her grandfather, which helped her prepare for what she knew would be a tense meeting. Her mother stopped a few feet from her and said nothing, as she looked her daughter up and down and was obviously displeased at what she saw. She seemed to roll her eyes before she spoke.
"Well Julie, I certainly hope you plain to dress better then that while you are home."
Julie glanced down for a moment looking at her old beat up black bootlike shoes, blue jeans and sweater.
"I dress how I want, and this was comfortable to travel in." Julie answered calmly.
"While you are home you will dress accordingly. I won't have guests who come over seeing you and thinking you're.well." she halted a moment, "Well what you are, a girl who plays a man's sport. If you just had to play a sport you should have picked a lady-like sport. Better yet gone into dance. Ballet would have been an acceptable thing for you to do. I was a ballet dancer; look what poise it gave me. You lack it dearly."
Julie bit her lip holding back a hateful comment, and instead replied softly.
"I will wear what I want, but out of respect for my grandfather and my daddy I will dress more formal."
Her mother shook her head and headed for the door leaving her with one last comment.
"Do not embarrass me Julie."
Julie grumbled to herself before turning to her grandfather.
"I think she does a good enough job of that on her own without my help!"
He laughed and nodded.
"After that I think I'll go walk around a bit. You want to come with grampie?" She asked.
"No, you go ahead, I want to finish this book."
She smiled and started for the door before he called after her.
"How about dinner? Pizza, my treat?" He smiled at her.
"That sounds wonderful grampie. Same place and time as always?" She asked.
"Of course. Have a nice walk." He smiled blowing a kiss, which she caught and put in her pocket, just like she always had.
She first headed to un pack her bags. Then she looked around at her old room; noticing nothing at all had changed. She made a stop threw the kitchen to swipe a cookie that she knew would be waiting on her from the counter. She jogged down to the stables first and patted a few of the horses, talked to the grooms and enjoyed the fresh air. She finally got to her horse's stall and placed a quick kiss on his nose.
"Hello there Slapshot."
She smiled up at the black horse, who nickered in response. She couldn't help but think of the story behind his name. Being that when he was a yearling he had bolted off like, well a slap shot. And naturally she was the one to catch and stop him, like she would a shot on the ice. She left his stall coming back a moment later with two lead ropes she used to tie together as make shift reign's and lead him out and hopped up on his back.
She rode around the estate for an hour before finally heading down towards the lake. She tied Slapshot up after letting him drink and walked over to the swing and sat down. She glanced up at the mostly cloudy sky and found a patch of pale gray blue. She stared at it awhile, somehow feeling comfort from it. She closed her eyes then sighed and spoke softly.
"I need all the help I can get."
She stepped further from the car and again stood in place as the driver got her bags, she watched as one side of the door moaned as it was slowly opened revealing the lavish dominating formal hall. She smiled at the old man standing there arms wide open awaiting her. She raced up the stairs and quickly fell into a bear hug.
"It's great to have you home angel." The old man smiled. Julie pulled back from him and returned his grin.
"It's great to be home Louis. Is grampie in his library?"
"You know he is Julie. He's waiting on you." Louis answered then went to get her bags.
Julie made her way down the long hall turning threw a few doors before finding herself entering the two story library. She walked slowly down the aisle between the shelves and various sofas, chairs and tables set up threw the middle of the room. Her shoes made a soft thud along the wooden floor as she finally saw the arm resting on the side of a chair. She picked up her pace till she was behind the chair and looked over finding her grandfather sound asleep.
He looked just as she left him last; in his best suit gray hair combed back in perfect place looking every bit the gentleman he was. She took a seat in the chair opposite his by the fireplace and watched him sleep. She sat there relaxed for the first time since the calls and found herself pondering sleep. She was about to surrender to that feeling when her grandfather began to stir. She sat up on the edge of her chair and smiled when he opened his eyes and focused them on her.
"Well, when did you get here?" He asked.
"About 40 minutes ago." She got up and went over to hug him. She then pulled a stool over and sat down beside him. They sat in silence for a few minutes till he spoke.
"I would have told you, but he didn't want you to stop playing. He knew that was something you truly loved and took pride in, and he was proud of you for it. He was also proud you wanted to make it on your own without him paying for things. He always called you his little corporate star in training!" He laughed and she smiled.
"He told me that once, he did help me along you know. Not many people wanted to hire me knowing they'd have to work around my hockey schedule. But I always said I'd pay him back somehow." She paused a moment then continued. "He wouldn't have taken my money though, he said this money was just as much mine as anyones."
Her grandfather smiled patting her hand then started to speak again when the happy moment was shattered.
"Well, home to get your part of the estate are you? Her elder brother's voice rang threw the library. She looked at her grandfather giving him an apology before she responded back. She turned her head as she spoke.
"No Alex. I'm here to say good-bye to my daddy. The money means nothing, I would fly back right after the funeral but the lawyer I spoke to this morning advised me to stay." She stated as calmly as she could, but her annoyance was apparent. He put on his typical dominant smile, before making yet another comment.
"Mother should be home soon. I'm sure you're looking forward to seeing her."
"This isn't the time to start a fight Alexander." Her grandfather stated now rising from his chair. "Now leave your sister alone."
"Sure thing grandfather." He smirked and headed for the door pleased with his performance.
"This is going to be the longest week of my life." Julie stated as she placed her head in her hands.
"Have faith dear. Never forget you've got me on your side."
"Thanks grampie." She got up and hugged him.
The sounds of footsteps alerted them again and Julie turned to see her mother approaching. She got a reassuring pat on the back from her grandfather, which helped her prepare for what she knew would be a tense meeting. Her mother stopped a few feet from her and said nothing, as she looked her daughter up and down and was obviously displeased at what she saw. She seemed to roll her eyes before she spoke.
"Well Julie, I certainly hope you plain to dress better then that while you are home."
Julie glanced down for a moment looking at her old beat up black bootlike shoes, blue jeans and sweater.
"I dress how I want, and this was comfortable to travel in." Julie answered calmly.
"While you are home you will dress accordingly. I won't have guests who come over seeing you and thinking you're.well." she halted a moment, "Well what you are, a girl who plays a man's sport. If you just had to play a sport you should have picked a lady-like sport. Better yet gone into dance. Ballet would have been an acceptable thing for you to do. I was a ballet dancer; look what poise it gave me. You lack it dearly."
Julie bit her lip holding back a hateful comment, and instead replied softly.
"I will wear what I want, but out of respect for my grandfather and my daddy I will dress more formal."
Her mother shook her head and headed for the door leaving her with one last comment.
"Do not embarrass me Julie."
Julie grumbled to herself before turning to her grandfather.
"I think she does a good enough job of that on her own without my help!"
He laughed and nodded.
"After that I think I'll go walk around a bit. You want to come with grampie?" She asked.
"No, you go ahead, I want to finish this book."
She smiled and started for the door before he called after her.
"How about dinner? Pizza, my treat?" He smiled at her.
"That sounds wonderful grampie. Same place and time as always?" She asked.
"Of course. Have a nice walk." He smiled blowing a kiss, which she caught and put in her pocket, just like she always had.
She first headed to un pack her bags. Then she looked around at her old room; noticing nothing at all had changed. She made a stop threw the kitchen to swipe a cookie that she knew would be waiting on her from the counter. She jogged down to the stables first and patted a few of the horses, talked to the grooms and enjoyed the fresh air. She finally got to her horse's stall and placed a quick kiss on his nose.
"Hello there Slapshot."
She smiled up at the black horse, who nickered in response. She couldn't help but think of the story behind his name. Being that when he was a yearling he had bolted off like, well a slap shot. And naturally she was the one to catch and stop him, like she would a shot on the ice. She left his stall coming back a moment later with two lead ropes she used to tie together as make shift reign's and lead him out and hopped up on his back.
She rode around the estate for an hour before finally heading down towards the lake. She tied Slapshot up after letting him drink and walked over to the swing and sat down. She glanced up at the mostly cloudy sky and found a patch of pale gray blue. She stared at it awhile, somehow feeling comfort from it. She closed her eyes then sighed and spoke softly.
"I need all the help I can get."
