September 24th, 1927 ~
As I write this, I'm sitting up against an immense old oak tree on the banks of the very same river that runs behind our hotel, but we're miles away from home. We've driven to the countryside today, and it is so glorious. This...this is the life Anna and I always have dreamed about. To be able to leave our cares behind, to devote our time to our children and to each other, without anyone to tell us we can't. To hop into one's own auto and just take off - what feeling of freedom that is.
I know, I'm waxing poetic today, but I'm surround by everything I hold dear. My precious Anna is cuddling into my side, with Fee dozing at her breast. Finn is asleep in her basket, having been sung to by her brother and me. And now Will is on his belly pouring over his new picture book about Balto, the wonder dog who saved Nome. Idyllic...
We got a rather early start this morning, wanting to make a whole day of it. Anna baked an apple pie last night and Archie packed us a picnic basket filled with every hand-held goodie he could think of. It was all delicious.
I tied a couple of fishing poles to the Austin, and have promised Will we'd try our hand at fishing as soon as both girls weresettled. He's enjoying himself and has been a good boy. Although, I did have to make him re-bury a couple of turtle eggs he dug up from the bank of the river. He didn't want to, but when I explained what they were he didn't complain too much. Well, other than to bemoan the fact that we wouldn't let him take them home to hatch and raise. That's just all we need.
Fee is sound asleep in her basket now too. Anna tells me she plans on joining the girls in a nap. I guess we boys will go fishing.
~John Bates
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~The Family Road Trip~
A gentle breeze blew through the trees. The day was beautiful for this time of the year and the last rays of summer sun shone brightly without a cloud in sight. The river, running strong and wild in this part of the countryside could be heard just a short distance away.
John and Anna were laying on the big quilt, just the two of them, enjoying the cool shade of the big oak tree. Anna had her head resting on John's chest and he held her tightly against his side. At their feet, William was focusing hard on a tablet of drawing paper in his hands, his tongue poking out of his mouth as he tried his best to draw Balto The Wonder Dog.
'Is that Finn?' Anna raised her head, her voice was no more than a whisper and for a moment he wondered if he was only dreaming, but after a couple of seconds, she ran her hand over his chest, and insisted. 'I think Finn's awake.'
The baby girl started whimpering in her basket, but before the two of them could sit up and tend to her, William was already there, ready to calm his sister down.
'Ssshh..' the boy soothed, caressing the girl's dark hair ever so gently. 'Don't be sad, Finn...we're on an adventure!'
'Why don't we lay her on the blanket?' Anna suggested. 'That would be nice, wouldn't it?'
She kneeled and took the girl from her basket placing her down beside John. He sat up then, leaning his back against the trunk of the tree before grinning at his daughter and offering her his forefinger to grasp.
'Mummy, I think Fee wants to be on the blanket too,' William said when he saw the other girl flailing her arms and chubby legs erratically in the air, as if pleading to be placed on the blanket too.
With both the twins between their parents now, William scooted up there, his picture in hand. 'Look, I drew Balto!' he showed them.
'That's very good, William, but you should write your name on it. All artists must sign their work.' John was rather impressed.
'All right, I will Dad. It's to put on the table between the cots,' the boy continued. 'So Balto can protect Finn and Fee when they're sleeping.' Balto the Wonder Dog was Will's new hero of the moment, ever since John had brought the book home from Ripon on his recent trip.
'Oh my darling, that's very kind of you,' Anna said, pulling him to her, wrapping an arm around the boy's shoulders and kissing his head. 'Why don't you tell me about your fishing adventure? I'm afraid I was asleep the whole time,' she smiled.
The boy pursed his lips, sharing a look with his father. 'We only caught one but it was too little. Daddy said we should throw it back to the river.'
'I'm afraid the river is strong here. The fish pass by too fast to catch,' John explained, leaning back against the tree and placing his arms behind his head. 'Ah, life is good,' he sighed contentedly.
'But it's all right,' the boy smiled. 'We can catch better fish at home.'
'Indeed, we can,' his father ran a hand through Will's hair.
'So, I've been drawing instead,' William said happily as he leaned back against the tree, his arms behind his head, mimicking John's very own position. 'Ah, life's good.'
'You are two of a kind, you are.' Anna giggled at the sight before her. 'Look at them, girls, we will have to take them in hand when you two are old enough to boss them around with mummy.'
'I'm afraid you three already boss us around though.' John chuckled and William did just the same.
'Oh yes?' Anna rolled her eyes lovingly. 'Well then, perhaps you could sing for us again? Would you like a song, my darlings?' She smiled down at the girls, as they made little sounds almost as if answering in their own language. Anna couldn't help but smile at them. Her daughters were growing up so fast into the spitting image of their father; dark hair, hazel eyes, round faces and chubby limbs. Even more so than William, who had her eyes and hair colour.
'You want singing? You shall have it,' John agreed, shifting in his position and looking down at the girls. 'Do you want daddy and Will to sing to you again?'
Finn's eyes were immediately on her father as he spoke and he couldn't resist taking her in his arms. 'The worst part of having twins is feeling bad when you hold one while the other watches,' he said, looking over at Fee.
'Don't worry…' Anna reassured him, taking the baby in her arms. 'We have enough love and attention to go around, daddy.'
'That we do, mummy…' John said, holding Finn against his chest with one hand, and caressing Fee's chubby cheek with the other.
'Me too,' William remarked, his eyes roaming from one girl to the other. 'Because I'm the big brother.'
Anna and John smiled down at their boy as he broke into a rousing rendition of 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star', and it didn't take them long to join in.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
A couple of hours later they began to pack up to leave. The day was beginning to darken as the new season gave away its first signs of early nights. It had been a wonderful day, and they made plans to come back at least once a month when next Spring arrived. By then the twins would be old enough to play and crawl around, and by then they wouldn't be able to relax as much as they did now, but nevertheless, they couldn't wait for those times to come. Those glorious family times.
Will and the babies slept all the way home.
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September 24th, 1927 10:22pm
Everyone has finally settled down for the night. I'm snuggled in bed writing this. The girls are sound asleep in their corner of our bedroom with Balto's picture watching over them. John is in Will's room tucking him in, which shouldn't take long. My little boy was so tired out.
What a memorable day this has been for the Bates' family! We were all so excited when we piled into the Austin this morning. The girl's baskets fit in the backseat perfectly, with plenty of room for me in the middle. I think they enjoyed their first long outing. The movement of the motorcar put them straight to sleep. I'll know what to do now if ever they won't go down for their naps.
William rode up front with John and he was practically bouncing off the seat in glee. I think we all were really. Our life has become such a joy and I am ever so grateful.
We drove well out into the countryside and might have kept driving if our empty belly's hadn't protested. We found a lovely spot near the river to spread our blanket and have our picnic. I must remember to thank Archie for all the tasty food.
John and Will tried fishing, but had no luck, which was fine with me. No one wanted to clean fish tonight anyway. It was a very tiring day, but wonderful, and we'll be taking many more adventures in the future. John has promised we'd drive to the Yorkshire Dales when we can count on the weather being warm, probably next Spring. It's hard to believe I've lived in Yorkshire all my life but have never seen the famously beautiful waterfalls at Aysgarth. Such adventures await us.
Here's John now, with a contented but sleepy smile on his face.
~ Goodnight, Anna Bates
The journal entries are written by handy for the bus & terriejane.
We'd like to thank the lovely annamays (aka fuzzydream) for being our beta.
Thank you for reading :) please review