Of Aprons and Old Ladies
Well, today's to do list: Make apron. I must get extra cloth for my apron. I am going with Elenni to Laura's house to see if she has any. Elenni says she needs to get something from her anyway. She said that if she doesn't have anything we would go to market to find cloth.
I will also learn how to water the herbs in the garden and around the house. I will trim those falling vines if it's the last thing I do! I got tangled in them last night when I went for a drink of water. I fell and almost hit the bruise on my head.
I will be leaving for work (that sounds weird ' my work'. What ever) at two thirty. I figured out that it takes me about a half hour to get from the house to the DD. Well, I'll probably write tomorrow evening because I'll be to tired to write.
Yesterday, right after I set my book down there was a knock on the door. Since I could see Elenni was in the garden, I got up and answered it. Not to my surprise, George was standing there. The shocker was that Anastasia was with him. In fact she was linked arm and arm with him.
"Hello George. Anastasia. How are you guys?" I asked very nicely. Anastasia was still new and I wasn't going to be rude because she sent a shiver through my spine the other day. They walked in and I shut the door behind them.
They walked through the vines and George showed A to a chair then answered, "We're great. And you? And where is my mother? I wish to have her meet Anastasia."
"I'm good." I answered the first question. On to the next. "She's out in the garden. I'll go get her." I walked down the hallway and out of the door at the end into the backyard and to the garden. I informed her that they were there and wanted to see her. We walked to them together, and Elenni met A.
"So, mother, we were going to go to market and around the town, and we thought we'd invite you. How about it?"
Elenni shook her head. "No, I can't today. I have to go over to Laura's house to return some stuff to her."
George turned his head to me. I knew he was silently asking me if I could go.
"No. I can't go either. I have to make an apron before work this afternoon."
"We'll get one in town."
"I don't have any money."
"I'll get you one."
I thought about it for a moment. Then playfully said, "You'll buy one or ..." I raised my eyebrows then smiled a half smile.
"Your just as bad as squire Alan, you know that." He smiled a devilish smile with a glint of teeth.
"No, I don't. I haven't had the pleasure of meeting him yet. I hope that he will back from war soon so that I can meet him."
He got up from his chair getting ready to head out and said more to himself then to anyone in the room, "If the rouge were running the show over there, the war would be done with in a month or less." George helped Anastasia up and we all started walking towards the door.
When Anastasia was out of the door, I looked specifically at George but said loud enough for everyone to hear, "Well, no one really knows when the war will end, now, do they." As I walked past him, I widened my eyes and smiled menacingly as if to say, ' Actually I do know, but I'm not going to tell you'.
We said good-bye to Elenni, and started walking towards town.
We mostly talked about ...excuse me, Anastasia mostly talked about Carthak and the rouge she was in. George and Anastasia were comparing their 'Kingdoms' as she called them. You see Anastasia is the Rouge's (the king guy's) daughter and she made sure we knew. She didn't strait out say ' My dad is the king rouge, so treat me like a princess or I'll tell him you're not worthy of his companionship'. No she didn't say that, exactly. More like, ' My daddy is the Rouge.' ' My daddy treats me like a princess.' ' My daddy became rouge because, when I was a little girl, maybe one or so, the present rouge looked at me funny. Daddy got mad, so he killed him.' The way she said 'daddy' made me want to scream. She dragged it out like a holy word. She seems really stuck up too, like she's really a princess of real royalty. Come on, not even Jon acts that way, well, not yet, and he really is royalty.
I felt really bad for George. I wouldn't be able to handle her hanging on to my arm like that. I was glad when we got to town, mainly because it gave A something to glare at instead of me. Yea, every once in a while I would catch her glaring at me. And even if she still glares, then I could look at something else instead of at trees or shrubs or a rock, ect. (You know, I didn't know the word ect. until I watched "The King and I." Random fun fact…have you even heard about that movie?)
It wasn't so busy today as it was when I first came here to the main square. I guess because most people were working. Anastasia had to stop at what seemed like every jewelry shop before she was able to have George buy her a beautiful necklace made of loosely twisted gold an silver. It must have cost a lot. It looked expensive.
When we finally reached a shop with aprons in it, George pulled me aside. "Which one do you like?" He asked me very quietly.
"Umm..." I looked around. "That one." I didn't point because I wasn't sure of what he was up to. "I like the one in the corner; the black one." We walked back outside.
"What was that all about?" I asked, raising my eyebrows at him.
"Well, since your probably going to be here a while and around me, might as well see your...skills." He smiled.
"What 'skills'? What do you..." I knew what he was up to. "George! You want me to..." I lowered my voice. We had already walked away from the shop, but there were still a few people around us. "You want me to steal that apron?" My voice was harsh sounding now.
"No. I want you to distract the sales lady while I steal it. Besides, it's overpriced for an apron." He smiled at the last sentence, which made me smile.
I hesitated. Then looked into his eyes. Bad move. When I looked in his eyes, I saw that he had been with Anastasia for two whole days and he had been on his best behavior for her. I could tell that he wanted to play.
I sighed. "What do you want me to do?" He smiled like a child all full of happiness and glee.
That whole conversation was just the two of us, by the way. Anastasia had already busied herself at yet another shop.
We waited about an hour before going back to the shop. (George said it would be best that they forget our faces before going into the shop. When we got there, there was a dog chained in front of the shop. It was an old looking german shepherd. It was growling at us so we moved a little farther from it.
George told me that when I got in there, I would have to ' distract' the person at the counter. How was I to distract the person at the counter?
I walked in and saw two older women. They were identical twin. I looked around a little bit and found a very pretty dress. I took it off the wall and took it to the ladies at the counter. One was at one end of the counter counting money, and the other was at the other end doing needlepoint. I walked to the one doing needlepoint.
"So," I dragged out that word to get her attention. She looked up. "I see you do needle work." She stared at me. "Did you make this dress? You had to have. It is so beautiful and so is that needlework. " She smiled.
"Why, yes I did, dearie."
Her sister put the money down,
"Excuse me, but I believe I was the one who made the dress."
I looked at her like I was going to praise her instead. ( wow that
worked out perfectly, I was going to bother them with pointless
questions, but it started to have the domino effect)
"Now you
just stop right there, Suzan." I could now see George walk
through the door, but I didn't dare draw attention to him by looking
his way. The women continued their bickering. "I was the one who
designed the dress."
"And I was the one who got the
material and sewed it."
"By the gods, if you say you
made that dress yourself, then may they take you right here and..."
I
saw George slink out of the shop so I interupted, "Ladies,
ladies. Come now. You're sisters, aren't you. Don't wish such a
horrible death on each other. I can see that this dress was made by
you two putting your skills together. With out each other, this
wonderful dress would never have been made."
"She's
right, Eva. We both did it and we should share the glory together"
They hugged.
"There, you see. Now everything is all hunkie-dorry." I looked to the door. George had already come through it and to me.
"Ahh, there you are little sister." He wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "Come now, we must be going. You know we can not affort that wonderful dress. Now lets go visit mother." He said it so sweetly and innocently. (HA!)
"Well, have a good day ladies." We both said mischievously at the same time, keeping our innocent faces on. They were totally oblivious to what we had just done. ( he he he)
We walked out of the shop and down the road and I had to say, "Well, that was easier then I though it would be." I looked at George. "I just had to say that it was a nice dress and they started to bicker between themselves."
He laughed. "Here is your prize." He was about to hand me the apron when the twin sisters came out.
"Oh, dearie, since you think my needle work is so good, you can have-"She stopped in mid-sentence seeing that we had the apron.
"You thief!" The other sister accused. "You stole that from us! Come back here and hand it over." She reached for the german shepherd's rope that tied him up. She let him loose and he chased after us. He was old and hefty so he wasn't as fast as he might have been. But he did make us run fast.
George and I kept looked at each other as we ran. We both mentally figured that instead of running for our lives, we were more running for fun. I hadn't stopped and wondered where Anastasia was because I figured she had busied herself at a shop filled with expensive stuff.
We must have ran for five minutes, laughing and climbing things to get away from the dog before it finally gave up and went back home. We where resting in a tree for about a minute keeping our feet from the dog before it would leave.
We got down, both of us winded. "That was so much fun. I haven't had fun like that since, well since I became the Rouge." It was George who recovered his normal form of breathing first.
"Really?" I questioned still, breathing heavily.
"Yea. A friend and I were always into mischief when we were young."
"And you're never now?" I raised my eyebrows at him, smiling.
"Not like that. I never get to have a little careless fun like that anymore. To much responsibility." He looked at me a little more seriously now. "Thanks."
"Your welcome." I had my breath recovered my breath now. He placed his arm around my shoulders, holding the black apron in the hand that was draped over my shoulder. "Here is your prize for all your hard work."
I just laughed. We started to walk again, his arm still over my shoulder (unfortunately. It was a hot day and he was starting to smell, but for now I could handle it. It was a sort of bonding thing?) and he asked, "So did you have a friend that you did all kinds a daft things with where you came from?" I suddenly felt very sad.
He noticed because he said, "You miss her, huh?"
"Yea. Even though I haven't been here even a week yet, before I came here, she had moved away and I haven't seen her in a long time. It's been about a month now, I guess. I talk to her over the phone for hours, though, every day though and-"
He cut me off. "What's a 'phone'?"
"Uhh, don't bother your head about it. I'll tell you about it later. Here comes Miss Priss, and I don't think she liked that we left with out her." I nodded toward the direction of Anastasia. We both sighed.
Anastasia stormed up to us. "And where have you been? Hummm?" Her tone went from angry-annoying to flirty-annoying. "I thought I was going to have to walk all alone on this somewhat empty street alone." She looked around and resumed her (what I think to be her permanent position) on George's arm. "I was afraid I would get lost and be, I can't say." I was hoping she wouldn't. She did though, "I was afraid I would have been taken advantage of." That was all I could manage from her any more.
"Well, I must be going. Sorry to see you away so soon, but some people have a real job to attend to." I looked at George like I was his mother disciplining him, then winked. I snatched the apron (my apron)(he he) from George and started walking way.
"Why don't we walk you home?" George offered. I could tell he didn't want to be alone with Anastasia. I couldn't blame him. But I had thought of a better idea.
I looked down at may dress then said, "Well I guess I could work in this dress now that I have an apron. Why don't we all go to the Dancing Dove and grab lunch and something to drink."
"I'll pay." George said a little too hastily. I walked to him and he slid my arm through his. He smiled at me in gratitude. I winked and we walked off to the Dancing Dove.