.
She had long ago extinguished the menagerie of candles as the sun had flooded through the cottage while she had been cooking. Flour was smudged across her face and cinnamon was dusted through her hair leaving a trail of white sweet smelling dust behind her as she walked toward the knock on the door. In the threshold was Solla, early for the dinner party. “Isn’t being early rude?” Ayszel teased as she opened the door for the woman to enter. Solla chuckled, her face a beautiful pattern of happy wrinkles as she slipped inside. “True. I thought you could use some help cleaning up…While you clean up.” She gestured to the Ayszels white powdered face. Brushing her face half heartedly Ayszel nodded a thank you as she grabbed a moistened cloth and wiped the flour from her face and shook out the cinnamon.
“I also brought a table cloth in case you didn’t have one,” Solla added as she spread out a black crocheted table cloth dotted with rosettes of silver strands creating a starry night sky appearance. “It’s beautiful…” Ayszel crowed, running her fingers over the end. “It’s a housewarming present,” Solla explained, “If you ever get invited to someone’s house, it’s polite to bring a small gift or food,” She explained. “Ahh…so lesson and a gift,” Ayszel joked as she placed the chickens out on the table on long platters around the horn of plenty. Inside the horn she arranged a tangle of fruit and vegetables as demonstrated by the image on the front of the recipe. “Oh ha ha Litka…so literal,” Solla joked, waving at the horn. Ayszel looked between her and the centerpiece “Was I not supposed to? The book had it.” “No no, it’s fine. It’s just not usually made for dinner parties…more for festivals,” she explained, making Ayszel blush at her faux pas.
A steaming apple pie, bowls of steamed potatoes and herbs, bread with butters and jams, and the almond laced salad joined the steaming ducks. “That looks beautiful Litka,” Solla cooed as she was washing down the cooking surfaces and relighting the candles. Ayszel stood back from the beautiful meal before them and grinned proudly. A feast for Queens… she proclaimed, placing her hands on her hips.
“You better be off to change my dear, people will be arriving soon,” Solla warned as she went to light the coloured and carved candles on the mantel. “Oh no,” Ayszel reached out, catching her arm. “Those aren’t for lighting…” She added carefully, unsure what the woman would think of the method of prayer. “Ah, ceremonial,” She seemed to intuitively understand. Ayszel neither nodded nor shook her head in responses. Sometimes she tired of hiding so much of herself and the worry that graced Sollas face told the same story.
Moving away from the elderly woman Ayszel climbed the ladder to gather the golden and red layered dress she had planned for the evening. It was a traditional Lhavitian dress, composed of many thin layers of light red fabric with dancing golden suns and stars across its surface. She liked this clothing much more than the first clothing she had been loaned, it was so light it was like being completely naked. Fortunately, the warmth of the cottage allowed for the light summery dress. This time, as she descended the stairs she was careful to lift up the hem of the dress to keep from tripping or tearing the light fabric like last time.
The next knock that rattled the door was from the small hand of Oishi Sakana the boy from the Cosmos Center that had spent all day showing her around Lhavit and finding her a home. He was dressed in far richer cloth than she and at his side stood a coroneted visage of a regal woman. “Hello Oishi,” Ayszel bowed slightly and opened the door wider to allow them entrance, “Who is this?” She asked as politely as she could. Isn’t it impolite for someone to come without notice…she glowered, glad she had made so much food.
“This is my mother Youchi Sakana Dawn,” He offered, mouth dropping as he looked at the food on the table. “That looks great Litka, thank you for inviting me.” He offered as he darted away from his mothers side to inspect her garden. “Hello…Mrs…Ms…You-…Sakana?” Ayszel stuttered over it, wondering what the appropriate title was. “You may call me Youchi,” She offered with a small smile, “and not to be impolite…but in the future when you invite a young boy to a dinner it is polite to extend the invitation to his folks…” she offered. While the criticism made Ayszel flush with embarrassment it was said with such softness and warmth she was sure no feelings were hurt. I suppose if there is anyone to make that mistake with it is someone from the Cosmos Center whose job it is to be tolerant of foreigners… Ayszel thought.
“Here,” Youchi offered, extended her pale long fingered hand in which she clasped a bundle of flowers, “Oishi mentioned you shared a similar affliction as him, these are from his garden.” Ayszel accepted them with a broad smile and a tilting head. “Affliction? Sickness? I am not sick. Oushi is sick? That is sad.” She struggled out. “Oh no, uhm..said you shared his love of plants,” She corrected as she handed her coat to the young Dhani. Uh oh…where do I put their coats… She looked around before hanging it from its hood on the post at the bottom of the banister, the only thing remotely resembling a coat hook.
“Thank you Youchi, for the flowers and for bringing Oishi,” Ayszel replied as she took the blue glass vase from the cabinet and placed it beside the horn to hold the shock of red and yellow flowers. Though Ayszel knew none of their names she recognized their shapes and scents from the pathways about Lhavit.
“That one is the Red Mountain Flower,” He gestured to the deepest maroon of the group. With its long pointed petals it looked like a crown. “And that one is the mountain paintbrush, I only have yellow ones in my garden but you can find them in oranges and reds in the mountains. But even if you plant the reds and oranges they turn yellow in Lhavit. The gardeners say it’s because the soil is more acidic in Lhavit and the acidity changes the colours,” he informed her proudly.
Ayszel wrapped an arm around the boys shoulders and squeezed him to her side, “Thank you Oishi,” she murmured earnestly. It was with the children she felt most at home, children were precious among the Dhani and he treated her with as much affection as she had received in Zinrah. Part of her was unnerved, having so many people crammed in her small private space. But Zinrah had been a place of many private parties, full of alcohol and hedonism. While this one was looking so be much tamer than them thus far, it was a pleasant reminder.
“Are we waiting for many more people?” Solla inquired politely.
“Yes, there should be two men arriving and my boss,” She replied nervously thinking of Ben and wondering if he would attend.
~89th Fall, 5015 AV SUNDOWN
She had long ago extinguished the menagerie of candles as the sun had flooded through the cottage while she had been cooking. Flour was smudged across her face and cinnamon was dusted through her hair leaving a trail of white sweet smelling dust behind her as she walked toward the knock on the door. In the threshold was Solla, early for the dinner party. “Isn’t being early rude?” Ayszel teased as she opened the door for the woman to enter. Solla chuckled, her face a beautiful pattern of happy wrinkles as she slipped inside. “True. I thought you could use some help cleaning up…While you clean up.” She gestured to the Ayszels white powdered face. Brushing her face half heartedly Ayszel nodded a thank you as she grabbed a moistened cloth and wiped the flour from her face and shook out the cinnamon.
“I also brought a table cloth in case you didn’t have one,” Solla added as she spread out a black crocheted table cloth dotted with rosettes of silver strands creating a starry night sky appearance. “It’s beautiful…” Ayszel crowed, running her fingers over the end. “It’s a housewarming present,” Solla explained, “If you ever get invited to someone’s house, it’s polite to bring a small gift or food,” She explained. “Ahh…so lesson and a gift,” Ayszel joked as she placed the chickens out on the table on long platters around the horn of plenty. Inside the horn she arranged a tangle of fruit and vegetables as demonstrated by the image on the front of the recipe. “Oh ha ha Litka…so literal,” Solla joked, waving at the horn. Ayszel looked between her and the centerpiece “Was I not supposed to? The book had it.” “No no, it’s fine. It’s just not usually made for dinner parties…more for festivals,” she explained, making Ayszel blush at her faux pas.
A steaming apple pie, bowls of steamed potatoes and herbs, bread with butters and jams, and the almond laced salad joined the steaming ducks. “That looks beautiful Litka,” Solla cooed as she was washing down the cooking surfaces and relighting the candles. Ayszel stood back from the beautiful meal before them and grinned proudly. A feast for Queens… she proclaimed, placing her hands on her hips.
“You better be off to change my dear, people will be arriving soon,” Solla warned as she went to light the coloured and carved candles on the mantel. “Oh no,” Ayszel reached out, catching her arm. “Those aren’t for lighting…” She added carefully, unsure what the woman would think of the method of prayer. “Ah, ceremonial,” She seemed to intuitively understand. Ayszel neither nodded nor shook her head in responses. Sometimes she tired of hiding so much of herself and the worry that graced Sollas face told the same story.
Moving away from the elderly woman Ayszel climbed the ladder to gather the golden and red layered dress she had planned for the evening. It was a traditional Lhavitian dress, composed of many thin layers of light red fabric with dancing golden suns and stars across its surface. She liked this clothing much more than the first clothing she had been loaned, it was so light it was like being completely naked. Fortunately, the warmth of the cottage allowed for the light summery dress. This time, as she descended the stairs she was careful to lift up the hem of the dress to keep from tripping or tearing the light fabric like last time.
The next knock that rattled the door was from the small hand of Oishi Sakana the boy from the Cosmos Center that had spent all day showing her around Lhavit and finding her a home. He was dressed in far richer cloth than she and at his side stood a coroneted visage of a regal woman. “Hello Oishi,” Ayszel bowed slightly and opened the door wider to allow them entrance, “Who is this?” She asked as politely as she could. Isn’t it impolite for someone to come without notice…she glowered, glad she had made so much food.
“This is my mother Youchi Sakana Dawn,” He offered, mouth dropping as he looked at the food on the table. “That looks great Litka, thank you for inviting me.” He offered as he darted away from his mothers side to inspect her garden. “Hello…Mrs…Ms…You-…Sakana?” Ayszel stuttered over it, wondering what the appropriate title was. “You may call me Youchi,” She offered with a small smile, “and not to be impolite…but in the future when you invite a young boy to a dinner it is polite to extend the invitation to his folks…” she offered. While the criticism made Ayszel flush with embarrassment it was said with such softness and warmth she was sure no feelings were hurt. I suppose if there is anyone to make that mistake with it is someone from the Cosmos Center whose job it is to be tolerant of foreigners… Ayszel thought.
“Here,” Youchi offered, extended her pale long fingered hand in which she clasped a bundle of flowers, “Oishi mentioned you shared a similar affliction as him, these are from his garden.” Ayszel accepted them with a broad smile and a tilting head. “Affliction? Sickness? I am not sick. Oushi is sick? That is sad.” She struggled out. “Oh no, uhm..said you shared his love of plants,” She corrected as she handed her coat to the young Dhani. Uh oh…where do I put their coats… She looked around before hanging it from its hood on the post at the bottom of the banister, the only thing remotely resembling a coat hook.
“Thank you Youchi, for the flowers and for bringing Oishi,” Ayszel replied as she took the blue glass vase from the cabinet and placed it beside the horn to hold the shock of red and yellow flowers. Though Ayszel knew none of their names she recognized their shapes and scents from the pathways about Lhavit.
“That one is the Red Mountain Flower,” He gestured to the deepest maroon of the group. With its long pointed petals it looked like a crown. “And that one is the mountain paintbrush, I only have yellow ones in my garden but you can find them in oranges and reds in the mountains. But even if you plant the reds and oranges they turn yellow in Lhavit. The gardeners say it’s because the soil is more acidic in Lhavit and the acidity changes the colours,” he informed her proudly.
Ayszel wrapped an arm around the boys shoulders and squeezed him to her side, “Thank you Oishi,” she murmured earnestly. It was with the children she felt most at home, children were precious among the Dhani and he treated her with as much affection as she had received in Zinrah. Part of her was unnerved, having so many people crammed in her small private space. But Zinrah had been a place of many private parties, full of alcohol and hedonism. While this one was looking so be much tamer than them thus far, it was a pleasant reminder.
“Are we waiting for many more people?” Solla inquired politely.
“Yes, there should be two men arriving and my boss,” She replied nervously thinking of Ben and wondering if he would attend.
I'll be much faster in the future.