My Great Grandmother Edith ( or Nan as her Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren addressed her ) did not receive visitors in ‘ living room’, she invited them into her Parlour.
It was not decorated in the style of the day( which was the early 1970’s) , it was arranged tastefully, elegantly and with the plan to helping her visitors remember to sit up properly, speak quietly and above all to act in a dignified manner at all times.
Nobody acted the fool in Nan’s Parlor.
Not even at Christmas Time.
I was allowed to go into the parlor alone and at the very young age of five, PROVIDING I act like a young lady. No jumping on or off the furniture. No playing with her collection of porcelain figures, no carrying on like a ” rabid dog ” and running in and out or around the room.
I remember the first time I was allowed to use, ” The Parlor ” on my own.
We stood outside the doorway and she spelled out each of her rules, which I was required to repeat at the end of her instructions without prompting.
She seemed satisfied and reached for the doorknob, she turned it while looking down me. ” Do you have any questions.”
” Yes “I asked as I drank in the pictures on the walls- they were paintings and photographs of people in fancy clothes, uniforms and lots of jewelry.
” What is it.”
” Are all of those people dead now?”
She took a quick inventory and said. ” Yes.”
I stepped into the Parlor and with my back straight I turned back towards her and closed the door.
Like a proper, well behaved young lady would do.
On one particular Christmas Eve my Dad took me to Nan’s early so that I could use the Parlor alone- as I enjoyed it the most before everyone else showed up.
After a few words with Nan I was allowed to make my way- like a young lady, Nan reminded me, and not like a Heathen being chased into chased into Church by bible thumpers with burning torches ( that is actually a real quote from) to Nan’s Parlor.
This year there was tree hung with Nan’s collection of old ornaments and I was very surprised to see, real lit candles. Garland trimmed the fireplace and there were little bowls of hard Christmas candy on a few of the tables.
I turned on the radio- which was old and if I remember correctly it had to ‘warm up ‘ because it ran off of tubes and there was a gray eye in the center of the tuner that opened up when the signal was the strongest.
The radio crackled on and the music- which was classical of course- came on. I chose a magazine with a Christmas tree on the cover and took a seat near the fireplace.
Nan had allowed me to mark up her old magazines that she left on a particular table with a red and blue ink pens- it was a reading game. I circled the vowels in red letters and underlined words that told a story about what was on the cover.
I was excited- being the geek I was because there was a Christmas Tree on the cover so I was going to ‘hunt’ for words about Christmas.
I allowed myself one piece of hard candy, took my seat and got to work.
I was so engrossed by the task at hand that I couldn’t tell you how long the Christmas tree had been shuddering like it felt a chill or when a few of the ornaments had fallen off the branches.
I got out of my chair and set my magazine and pen, carefully upon the table next to it and not like a Pirate diving for the last bottle of rum on the planet Earth ( yeah, that one is really from my childhood too.)
I picked the two ornaments- which were very old and light as feathers and carfefully hung them back on the tree- between shudders of course.
” Hello Anita Marie ” said many deep voices from the branches of the tree ” we’ve come a long way to ask you a question.”
” I hope it’s not about math. I’m not good at math, but I am very good at reading and climbing trees.”
” You seem, ” said Nan’s shuddering tree ” to be a very well behaved and polite young lady.”
” This Nan’s Parlor and one does not act like a crazy person running from the funny farm when one is inside of it.”
” We see. So you will answer this question, honestly of course.”
” Of course.”
” Is there any reason why we should not take you off to the darkest, coldest corners of Hades only to let you out on Christmas Eve to help us collect the worst, the most vile and disobedient children to ever curse a family instead of letting you wake up safe and warm your own bed on Christmas Morning? Why should you find gifts waiting for you wake instead of beasts with terrible white eyes and enormous teeth?”
I stood at the tree with my hands behind my back and thought about it.
” First of all, I am a very good girl. I do my lessons and I always listen to my Mom and Dad and especially listen to Nan.”
” And why is that.” The many deep voices that sounded like one voice said. ” Why do you choose to be so obedient and such a thoughtful little girl when you don’t have to be. You’re very clever and if you wanted to I am sure you could do whatever you wanted and get away with it. For example, have more candy, play with an ornament or two. Maybe jump from chair to chair. You know you want to. Why don’t you have a little fun. For once.”
“Because. ” I said as I leaned towards the tree and moved the branches to the side so that I could get a better view of what turned out to be tiny little creatures that were no bigger the mice with horns above their tiny yellow cat’s eyes.
They were dressed in red and their faces looked like spoiled little apples.
” Whey I grow up I want to be just like my Nan. And what she does to disobedient children is much more fun and tasty then what you do to them.”
The tree was flooded with a pale red light, probably from my eyes-which I am told looked like Nan’s. ” Now scoot before I tell her something that would look great on a Christmas cookie is here and messing with her tree.
Nan’s tree shuddered and shook and I heard hundreds of tiny little feet escape up the chimney to the snow covered roof.
I took one more piece of ribbon shaped candy from a little bowl near the tree and picked up my magazine and pen and sat down, carefully, primly to complete my task at hand.
Like a proper, very well behaved young lady would do.
Creativity Portal: Writing Prompt 3:
What is your favorite winter or Christmas memory?
