I listened with interest

Author: * Spacia Aristophanes - 2 Posts on this thread out of 2 Posts sitewide.
Date: May 16, 2008 - 02:28

as mother and Louisa talked. I could already see that being here was going to be beneficial for mother, and I suspected that it would be so for Louisa as well. Mother had often talked longingly of the wonderful friendship that she had had with Louisa, but though they had not lost touch, exactly, they had not seen each other in an extremely long time. I certainly could not remember ever meeting her, but as mother reminded me, I was just a tiny baby the last time they got together.

I looked around the royal villa, remembering mother telling me that Louisa had been Queen and her husband, Corwin,had been King of Crete; the villa was certainly very beautiful and seemed very peaceful at the moment. Still, I was not one who cared much for peace and quiet, for before grandmother and father had died, mother had been one of the foremost hostesses around. Since both had died, she had withdrawn into a shell, not wanting to venture out or see anyone. Finally, the boys in exasperation, as much as anything, I suspect, forced her to take a journey. That was when she came up with the idea of coming to see Louisa.

The trip itself was wonderful; I have always loved traveling, but the problem with this trip was that everything seemed to remind mother so much of all the trips she had taken with father and us three children over the years. Still, since she and Louisa have begun talking, it seems to me as if she has lost ten years off her face.

I snickered when I heard Louisa ask mother how the boys were doing. I waited with anticipation to see what she would say. Mother heard me snicker and gave me reproving look, as if to remind me to mind my manners. Louisa looked at me inquiringly, wondering why I was laughing, I suppose.

I shrugged my shoulders, as I laughingly said, "My dear brothers are doing fine. They are good brothers; I would never say any different, but it was up to them to take over all of father's businesses and they have their hands full, even though father had great managers in place. The trouble is, I think they would rather be doing something else, but they have no choice in the matter. Josephus wants to be like his uncle, a playwright, and Peri does not know what he wants to be when he grows up, except he certainly likes the ladies. Still, it does seem to me that Peri really is skilled at running all the businesses and he even seems to have a flair for politics. They are both hard workers, no doubt about it; actually, I feel guilty for coming off and leaving them with all the work, but mother wanted me to come with her. I knew she wouldn't come without me, so she twisted my arm."

Mother looked at Louisa and smiled, "Sometimes I think she would make a politician, for she love to talk, but she would need to work on her diplomatic skills. Actually, I did not beg her at all; it is she who begged me to get out and travel, for I had become quite the hermit, I fear. But, to get back to your troubles and your feelings of guilt, I think that I came at just the right time, for both of us. It will be a good time for us both to move forward and to just enjoy each other's company."