Harvesting Acorns

by Deirdré Amy Gower

  The big day was drawing nearer. Chloe’s family arrived and they shared a happy reunion with them telling her how proud they were of her and happy that she had found her niche in the world. They spent hours catching up on family news. Her parents were getting on a bit in years and had started making retirement plans. They would work just until Byron had completed his studies and was able to become self-sufficient. Their retirement plan included selling their large home in the suburbs and buying a smaller unit in one of the luxury retirement villages of the golf estate. Chloe’s father had been a keen golfer most of his life and had been a member of the golf estate for many years. It seemed the natural plan for them to extend their membership to make provision for their retirement years.

  Byron had finished school and had begun his studies in sports physiotherapy. Chloe was so proud of him. He had always been very athletic and loved sports. He had received many school awards for just about as many sports as the school offered.

  Julia and her husband were contemplating a move back home for a small town environment for their children to grow up in. Julia was finding the travelling to school and work challenging with still having to run the children around for after school activities and doing homework with them. They were considering baby number three, and with her husband’s career taking off in a big way, they felt Julia could stop working for a while to focus on the family and most likely home school the children herself. She had always dreamed of being able to do so.

  A few days later her best friends arrived, and they slipped into their lifelong friendship ways of giggling teenagers, catching up on each other’s lives and having an all-out good time. Although they had been out of school for many years, they never lost the school-girlish nature of their friendship, and whenever the three of them got together it turned into a bubbly and sometimes raucous, though always dignified, occasion - lots of laughter and ceaseless chatter. Vivienne was pregnant, at last. She had been so broody for a long time, but her husband had wanted some quality newlywed time before starting a family. Apparently it was still a bit sooner than he would have liked, but was just as excited as Vivienne about their first baby. Candice’s second baby was already six months old. She had two beautiful little girls who kept her extremely busy and exhausted. Chloe took them all on a historical and scenic tour of the village, showing them all of her favourite places and for a long walk on the beach together.

  Phoebe invited Chloe over for the normal midweek dinner which, being tradition, Chloe explained to her friends and family that she would honour, despite them all being there. Little did she know what Phoebe had up her sleeve!

  When she arrived as usual, Chloe led her through to the lounge instead of the dining room, and to her surprise her mother, sister, best friends, Grace and Jessica were all there – for her bridal shower. Phoebe had organised it all. She had decorated the lounge beautifully in pink and white. They had all mutually decided on a pamper theme, which they had thought was most needed after all she had been through and how hard she had worked to help others.

  Her gifts had included a day at a spa with massages, facials, manicures, pedicures and utter pampering on the agenda; lingerie; perfumes and lotions; and vouchers for restaurants for her and Ben’s date nights that would follow after the marriage. It was a rather sophisticated pamper party without all of the ridiculous activities that bachelorette parties were notorious for. They didn’t make her dress up in silly outfits and hit the streets, or get her inebriated or any other mockery. It was just a time for them to bless her with love and fun and just spoil her before her big day. She appreciated that so much and they enjoyed an evening reminiscing about recent events, Chloe’s dreams for her new life and indulging on decadent confectionary that Phoebe had made.

  Around nine o’clock the men arrived. They had all abducted Ben for his bachelor party and, as tradition throughout the history of bachelor parties, they stood together adapting the old Vegas saying with Ben chanting ‘what happens at a bachelor party stays at the bachelor party’, obviously teasing Chloe. She giggled knowing that his party would have been as above board as hers had been. They had one extra guest with them that no-one had met yet. Joel brought him over to meet the women – he had already gotten to know the men during the bachelor party. This was Blake. Chloe gasped and looked at Grace. Grace apologised, she had meant to tell her when she had arrived, but they had got swept up in the party fun. Blake had arrived the day before on a very short notice visit. They had been planning it for some time, but he had not been able to be definite about the dates as he was relying on the supply ship to get to the mainland from where he would travel. Chloe was thrilled. She could see how much this meant to Joel and Grace and extended the invitation formally to the wedding. They all continued the party together and it turned into a wonderful evening among friends. Ben’s family lived abroad and so would not be able to make it out for the wedding. They were very disappointed. Chloe and Ben had arranged to have the wedding day screened on Skype so that they could interact and watch it in real time.

  The big day arrived and Chloe was a bundle of nervous excitement. Jessica and Hannah arrived early with her dress and together with Phoebe they went with her to the hairdresser to have all of their hair done. According to tradition, the hairdresser popped a bottle of champagne, which she found just calmed her enough to stop shaking. The hairdresser gently styled her long raven black hair into soft loose curls that cascaded over her shoulders and down her back and wound tiny daisies sparsely through the curls. She was not going to be wearing a veil. Hannah had her long blonde hair curled into tighter ringlets with her tiara clipped into place. She really did look like the princess she was hoping to resemble. Chloe was so unbelievably proud of her and that she was about to become a mother figure to her. They went back to Phoebe’s home to get dressed. Chloe’s dress was perfect, she looked radiant, and Hannah’s was adorable. Phoebe did Chloe’s make up, very light and almost translucent. When she stepped out into the hallway there wasn’t a dry eye between them all.

  “Please stop,” begged Chloe. “My make-up is going to run and Phoebe has just done it so perfectly.”

  They all hugged her and then it was time to leave. A horse drawn carriage was waiting outside to take them the short distance, actually only across the road, to the park. They would first go for a short ride through the village and arrive from the other end of the park.

  Ben and his entourage would be waiting beneath the tree. As the carriage came around the corner and down the lane scattered with autumn oak leaves the guests marvelled at the exquisiteness of the sight and moment. It was a moment fairy tales were written about, that little girls dreamed of their whole lives. The sight of Chloe, Hannah and Phoebe arriving in a white and gold carriage drawn by two huge black Friesian horses was breath taking.

  Ben stood frozen in his place as he watched his bride approach. Jean Pierre nudged him as the carriage stopped and he snapped out of his reverie and went to help Chloe out of the carriage and down the crisp brown and gold aisle the oak had laid before them. Above them the sun warmed the earth as their love warmed their hearts. Squirrels played among the branches and birds flitted in and out between the leaves. It was an idyllic day and they felt the entire universe conspire to make this dream come true. As they approached the minister and the rest of the entourage she saw James and winked at him, their surprise would be revealed soon enough. The minister led them through a brief ceremony and then Ben turned to Chloe and took her hands in his and read his vows:

  “Chloe, bearer of hope, fulfiller of dreams, giver of life… today you complete me. Before you I was just existing, and now, because of you my daughter and I are living, really living. I am not a man of poetic words or grand gestures, but today I declare to the world my love for you and my dreams of a lifetime of love and happy moments that we can build as a family. Thank you for saying yes. I love you, my wife.”

  Chloe smiled up at her man and told him:

  “Ben, I AM a woman of poetic words”
, and all the guests giggled, “but I will keep it brief,” and then she giggled. “I love you with a fire that sparkles and scatters embers up into the night sky, igniting in the beam of the moon’s silver shimmer and casting light for all to see.” She giggled at her failed attempt to make a light hearted poetic gesture. “I cherish you, my husband.”

  The minister officially pronounced them man and wife and Ben kissed his bride. Hannah and James led the procession back down the oak leaf aisle and stood either side as the bridal party entered the picnic area and took their seats. They followed suit and directed the guests to their tables. Chloe stood up as everyone had seated themselves.

  “With the help of precious James, we have prepared a small token of our gratitude. I first want to thank Hannah for her help in making the gift boxes, and James for filling them. Please all open your boxes.”

  And she waited while they all curiously opened their boxes and then continued.

  “Everything we have today began with James' dream, and the dream of his mother, and grandparents before him. Today we are sharing the dreams. James has picked out an acorn and handwritten a personal note for each of you, just as he did all that time ago when his dream for Hannah was being met. Living up to the meaning of his name, James, the supplanter – he has supplanted fear with hope in our hearts. Please cherish and believe in the magic of your dreams.”

  They all stood up and cheered for James. Ben proposed a toast to him and thanked him for his faith. They were all gathered here today because he held a dream in his heart and believed in it enough to nurture it with determination and dedication that very few people ever managed.

  They all went on to enjoy a fabulous picnic. Chloe’s family were blown away by the love and support among the community members and how they had been drawn into the circle themselves since their arrival. Grace stepped up with her violin and Joel joined her for their performance of Amazing Grace as Chloe had requested.

  The guests were enthralled by their performance and brought to tears. It really had been by grace that all the events had panned out the way they had. Grace then had a further surprise. A couple of other musicians joined her and together with a pianist and saxophonist they introduced the first dance, one of Ben’s favourite pieces of music. Apparently Hannah had told James what her dad’s favourite song was and he in turn had told his grandparents who then decided to surprise the couple. Ben stood up and held his hand out to lead Chloe to an open space out on the grass for their first dance. After that the rest of the guests joined them, most of the ladies kicking off their heels to dance on tiptoes on the grass. Rooted to the earth as was the giant oak; and reaching up to the heavens holding out their dreams.

  Phoebe then brought out the wedding cake. Chloe and Ben had not yet seen it, as Chloe had left it up to Phoebe to design. They gasped with delight and the guests all applauded. It was a one-tiered square, as was Chloe’s only request. But in the centre were a gorgeously made little marzipan bride and groom… beneath a giant oak! The trimming was beautifully done with little brown and gold leaves around the edge and both marzipan and real acorns adorning the cake. It was magnificent. Chloe threw her arms around Phoebe and thanked her for the surprise. She could not bear to cut it. Ben helped her gently remove the bride, groom and tree and together they cut the cake and served their guests.

  Next, Chloe threw her bouquet and who else caught it but Jessica. James looked at Chloe and she winked at him and pulled something out from around her neck; the acorn James had given her for her dream. She had attached it to a beautiful ribbon and had been wearing it. She went over to him and whispered to him softly:

  “Your wish made all of my dreams come true without me even knowing I had them. My wish is for you - that all your own personal dreams, the ones that are allowed to be a little bit selfish, that are just for you… I wish for them all to come true.”

  He smiled that sweet, loving smile of his that melted her heart.

  “Thank you Chloe.”

  Next, Ben removed her garter and tossed it over his shoulder for the men. Everyone cheered as Blake caught the garter. They all began to tease Blake and Jessica and as they blushed, Chloe was almost sure she saw a fleeting look between them. She just smiled to herself and looked up at the giant oak:

  You really know what you are doing, and what you stand for, don’t you? she thought.

  The afternoon came to an end and it was time for Ben to take his bride home. They would collect their luggage and then were leaving on their honeymoon immediately. They circulated among their friends and family, thanking everyone for the parts they had played in making the day so special for them. They made sure Hannah was comfortable with leaving with Jessica and James.

  Chloe said goodbye to her family and friends and promised they would all visit once they were back and well settled into their new lives. When they could not wait any longer, Ben scooped Chloe up into his arms and carried her to the carriage and they rode via the beach to Ben’s home where they would now be living when they returned. They packed all their luggage into the car and Chloe changed out of her wedding dress and into an elegant white long skirt and beautiful flowing white top. She really was beautiful on her wedding day. Ben had not been able to take his eyes off her since she had arrived earlier that day.

  They were finally all packed and ready. Ben opened Chloe’s door and helped her in and then they drove out of town towards the airport and to the honeymoon of their dreams that was waiting for them. Chloe turned on the radio and just caught the end of the same song that had been playing when she had driven into the village for the first time. She closed her eyes; put her head back against the headrest and smiled as she listened to the lyrics she loved so much, that familiar stirring in her chest the song always evoked. Through the great dream of one small boy, together they had united a nation.

  Epilogue

  Chloe and Ben’s honeymoon was a dream come true.The flight had been long but uneventful. They arrived in Alaska late in the afternoon and were collected by a shuttle service from the lodge they would be staying at. They spent their first evening sitting on the veranda of the log cabin they were staying in, surrounded by snow, sipping hot chocolate with mini marshmallows and basking in the glow of the aurora borealis through the pine trees and listening to the howls of wolves in the forest.

  The following day they were fetched early by their tour guides and left for their day long sled trail through the Alaskan wilderness led by a team of strong and willing huskies. They passed lakes and mountains, saw herds of caribou and moose, watched walrus and fur seals and even saw a grizzly bear, fortunately far off in the distance. As they passed the coast they had seen a Right whale spy hopping.

  They spent a day recovering from being out in the cold, locked in doors in their cabin around the fireside drinking sherry and challenging each other at chess and watching movies cuddled up together. On the third day they went skiing and Chloe returned with quite a few bruises. They were also taken on a tour of a different part of the area than they had been with the huskies. This time they went on a skidoo, which zoomed over the snow with motorised tracks.

  As predicted by the travel agents putting their holiday together, a week in freezing Alaska would be enough, so they travelled south into Canada to slightly warmer weather to enjoy their last week. They had been invited by an Inuit family that they had met during their tours to spend a night in an igloo, which was a unique experience and had been treated to a salmon dinner cooked over the fire.

  In Canada they attended ice hockey matches and visited heritage sites of the Kwakiutl and Haida Indians and learned of their history through the stories they told in the carvings of their traditional family totem poles. Chloe and Ben agreed this was so much like what the oak tree had represented for James’ family, and now theirs. They enjoyed pancake breakfasts with locally made maple syrup.

  After the two weeks they returned home, exhausted, happy and in love. They had missed Hannah so much and went straight from the airport to
fetch her. They were relieved and thrilled to hear that she had not had any health problems while they were away and had thoroughly enjoyed her stay with Jessica and James. They went for breakfast a few times at Tea for Two and spent a bit of time with Phoebe. When Phoebe learned of Hannah’s ballerina princess dreams she said she would speak to Ben and Chloe when they returned about Hannah joining her ballet class. Hannah had been so excited that as soon as her father walked through the door she jumped up and hugged him and had begged to be allowed to start ballet classes with Phoebe. He agreed on condition that her doctor gave the go ahead and that she didn’t over exert herself while regaining her strength. They all returned home to their now family home to start their lives together and they stayed up late telling Hannah about their holiday and planning their family weekend away which was going to be a month from then.

  They took Hannah on a trip into the mountains where they had booked a cabin, similar to the one they had stayed in during their time in Alaska. They also asked Jessica’s permission to take James along with them as they felt he also deserved to be spoiled and treated to a holiday for all he had done in his innocent and unselfish way. As they lived near the sea in the village they felt a mountain holiday would be something different for the children, who spent so much time on the beach and in the water. They arranged horse rides for Hannah and James and wagon rides for all of them through the mountain trails. They built a huge bonfire on one of the evenings and sat around telling stories and bonding. They went on a guided forest hike, nothing too strenuous for Hannah, and ate lunch next to waterfalls, and even ventured into the freezing mountain water for an afternoon cool off swim. They hired tandem mountain bikes, Ben with Hannah on the back of his and Chloe with James on the back of hers and had gone for a slow ride on one of the easier trails. They lazed around the cabin, playing family board games. Some of the time James and Hannah sat together colouring in and Ben and Chloe would sit outside together, sipping coffee, dunking rusks while watching the beautiful sunsets.