CHAPTER 26
The afternoon of Lizzie’s Quinceañera was beautiful. Katie changed into her emerald green gown in the early afternoon. The color brought out the sparkling highlights in her bright eyes. She arrived at Saint Brigid’s Cathedral at 2:30pm. The Sanchez family was waiting outside the church gathered around Father Peter discussing last minute details for Mass.
Steven happily introduced his parents, Rosa and Carl Sanchez. They warmly embraced and welcomed her to Mass. Camellia was excited for her father to meet Katie. Robert Juarez was a tall man in his early seventies, with a kind face and quiet demeanor. He smiled happily as he chatted about the upcoming ceremony. He offered his arm and escorted her to the front pew.
Soon the church was filled with friends and family members eagerly anticipating the Thanksgiving Mass. Once all of the family members were seated, the church choir began to play the opening hymn, as the procession made its way down the aisle. Jason Murphy led the group proudly carrying the procession cross. Lizzie elegantly followed behind. She wore a satin purple ball gown. Layers of rich chiffon fabric rolled gracefully down to the floor. Her delicate waist cinched within the cascading layers. She held a bouquet of lavender roses. The flowers matched the rosy glow of her cheeks. Her parents escorted her on each side, followed by ten of her closest friends in boy/girl pairs. Father Peter was last in line.
Camellia looked absolutely stunning next to her beautiful daughter. She wore a rose color satin gown, which complimented her dark eyes. The Mass was dedicated to Lizzie. After Father Peter’s Homily, Lizzie’s God Parents were instructed to come forward. Her God Mother presented her with a silver pendant with an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, The Patron Saint of Mexico. Her God Father gifting her with a silver tiara followed this. He placed it gently on her head and kissed her on the cheek.
Lizzie smiled and thanked them for the beautiful gifts. Afterwards, she placed her bouquet of lavender roses on the church altar in honor of The Virgin Mary. After Mass, the entire family took turns thanking Father Peter and headed over to downtown Napa to celebrate Lizzie’s Quinceañera.
They arrived at the large banquet hall around 5:30. There were several tables decorated with white satin table covers, fine porcelain settings, and crystal goblets. Each table had a large, floral arrangement containing lavender roses. The fresh aroma of fresh Mexican cuisine filled the room. Once everyone was seated, Camellia’s parents escorted their daughter to the front of the hall. Steven took the mike and began to speak once the audience finally quieted.
“My little girl has truly blossomed into a beautiful young lady.” The crowd clapped loudly as he spoke. He gently placed his hand on her shoulder.
“Lizzie stole my heart the minute she was born. As you ready yourself to enter the world of adulthood, I present you with this doll, to remind you of the childhood you’re leaving behind. As you turn the page of this new chapter in your life remember that your family, and that the Lord Jesus Christ walks beside you in your journey.”
Steven choked on these last words. He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. Lizzie gently took the little doll from her father. The bright purple on the doll matched her dress.
“Thank you, daddy. I love you so much!” She reached up and kissed him on the cheek.
The room filled with applause as family members and friends clapped and cheered.
Then, Steven’s mother approached the stage. She smiled and presented her granddaughter with a pair of dark purple high heel shoes. Carefully placing them on her feet, she said, you will wear these new shoes as you step into womanhood. This gift should remind you that you are not alone in your new journey. You belong to a sisterhood that embraces you now and forever.” She kissed her on the cheek.
“Thank you, abuela.” Lizzie hugged her tightly.
Camellia’s eyes filled with tears as she watched the scene unfold. She turned to Katie and whispered, “The Changing of the Shoes dates back to the Mayan civilization. It represents Lizzie entering the world of womanhood, while Steven’s gift of The Last Doll symbolizes the end of her girlhood.” Katie nodded as she learned the various meaning of the symbolic and religious ceremonies. After the Changing of the Shoes ceremony was completed, the band played a formal waltz. Steven took his daughter’s hand and asked, “May I have this dance?”
She smiled happily and took his arm. Steven beamed and escorted her to the dance floor. Tears ran down Camellia’s face as she watched them dance. Whatever arguments the two had been having was resolved. Lizzie smiled lovingly up at her father as the song slowly came to the end. Now it was time for her date to join her on the dance floor. Jason Murphy came forward from the crowd wearing a handsome gray suit adorned with a purple silk tie. He walked up to Steven and politely asked his permission to dance with his daughter. Katie noticed Camellia holding her breath as she watched. Steven looked at him for a moment and said, “Take good care of her, son.”
“I most definitely will. Thank you, sir.”
With that, the young man escorted Lizzie to the middle of the dance floor. The couple smiled shyly at one other, making occasional eye contact as they twirled around the room. Eventually, the family members joined in until everyone was dancing and enjoying the music.
Steven walked back and sat next to his wife. His eyes glistened. Camellia took his hand in hers and leaned on his shoulder.
After the song ended, Camellia’s father stood up and politely asked if Katie would join him in a dance. She happily accepted his invitation. He gently took her by the arm and led her to the dance floor. He swept her off her feet with his graceful dance moves. Camellia and Steven joined them soon after. Some time later, their dancing had made them very hungry, and they headed over to the banquet for their meal.
Camellia had made sure to have an assortment of vegetarian options available for her friend. Katie enjoyed the corn and cheese tamales with a glass of cold sangria. She had put away two tamales and was working of a third, when she noticed Bennie slowly drifting off to sleep in his mother’s arms. Camellia ran her fingers through his hair as he snored softly in her arms. It had been a long day for him.
The ballroom music eventually turned to livelier pop and hip-hop songs. Lizzie and her friends were soon rocking out with all of their latest dance moves. The adults sat back and watched. Time flows forever onward as the younger generations take their place in the dance of life.
CHAPTER 27
Katie woke on Halloween morning feeling fresh and renewed. The Quinceañera had been moving. She smiled to herself thinking about the special day. She soon set about her routine of a morning jog, a shower and change of clothes followed by a day of planting. Cozy The Goose followed her eagerly around the yard. She gave him a large bowl of salad greens and water and set them by her potting bench. She enjoyed his company while she worked. Dark clouds gradually moved in around noon. Katie worried that Camellia’s children would be dealing with a storm during their Halloween adventures. She stopped work at about four and went back to the cabin. It took some time to wash the dirt from her hands and underneath her fingernails. Planting could be messy at times. She went back to her wardrobe and chose a black long sleeve cotton shirt with a fuzzy ghost on the front. The word Boo was written in large letters underneath. She slipped on a pair of black jeans and matching boots. Her hair flowed down her shoulders. As the sun was setting, Katie heard the Sanchez van pull into the driveway. The whole family was present along with one additional guest. In the back next to Lizzie, sat Jason Murphy. Steven was behind the wheel. His usual relaxed demeanor had been replace by a serious scowl. Camellia sat in the front seat and made eye contact with her friend. Her expression conveyed that it might be a long night.
The children were all beaming with excitement, anticipating the evening’s adventure. They had chosen characters from one of the popular teen vampire series that the sisters were currently reading. Camellia had helped design the costumes. She had spent quite a bit of time altering and fitting the dresses. They looked ready t
o step on a movie set.
Bennie’s hair was slicked back and gelled. He wore a black silk vest and trousers covered over in a red, silk cape. Lizzie and Jessie wore long dresses, black wigs, and pale makeup. The older sister’s bright, hazel eyes stood out dramatically with her smoky eyeliner and mascara. A red, velvet dress flowed down to her ankles. Black ankle boots completed her gothic outfit. Katie wondered how she managed to leave the house with her protective dad at home. Jason wore a stylish red vest under a smoking jacket and dark pleated trousers.
“Where are all of the children, Camellia? All I see are a bunch of beautiful vampires.”
The children giggled and Katie played along. The family drove down to a well-lit neighborhood. Camellia locked arms with Katie as they walked. The children rushed ahead to trick-or-treat at the lavish homes.
“How are you doing, my friend? Is all well at the O’Brien cabin?”
“Yes, thank you for asking. It was such a relief to have the security system put in. The house blessing really gave me such peace of mind. I have been sleeping like a baby all week,” she smiled.
“Wonderful. You’ve been in our thoughts and prayers.”
Thank you so much for inviting me trick-or-treating. This is so fun. Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays.”
“Mine too. It’s the best!”
The adults waited patiently as the children went door to door. Their bags were growing by the moment. Bennie ran back to Camellia and Katie and announced, “The nice lady gave me two candy bars instead of one!”
“That’s wonderful,” the women answered.
“Would you like one, Katie?” His face became quite serious.
“Oh no thank you, sweetie. Save that for yourself. You’re working hard tonight for all of your treats,” she smiled.
“Thank you. I have plenty of candy if you need any,” he assured her.
Katie smiled.
“Lizzie and her friend had been invited to a house party tonight. We didn’t like the sound of it. We compromised by inviting Jason to join us for trick-or-treating. Teenagers are a tricky bunch. If I can just get Steven to stop glaring at him all night, I will be a happy woman,” she laughed.
As they made their way down a block of decorated homes, the light began to set in the West. Dark scarlet streaks glowed in the muted light. Although the colors were beautiful, they left Katie with a feeling of unease and restlessness. Dark clouds eventually covered the entire night sky. The wind howled in the trees overhead.
“Looks like we might be ending our trick-or-treating early tonight. Feels like a storm is coming,” Camellia remarked.
“It definitely does. Poor kiddos,” Katie answered.
“Well, I have refreshments at the house. I also have several bottles of wine left over form our winery adventure,” Camellia smiled.
“Wonderful. That means we don’t have to stomp grapes tonight,” Katie laughed.
The children were able to make it another block before the rain began to fall. They headed back to the van, and Jessie asked her parents permission to invite a couple of her girlfriends over to the house. She called them up while they drove home. The group reached the home just as the storm let loose. Everyone headed into the kitchen. As usual, Camellia was fully prepared. She had a batch of Halloween cookies, brownies, chips, and popcorn. Several pumpkins and gourds rested on the marble counter top. Camellia turned on the CD players. Spooky Halloween music and ghostly moans set the mood. The children picked out their favorite pumpkins and carried them over to the dining room table. Bennie had chosen a nice, large one. Steven gave his son an approving smile.
“Son, that looks like a winner!”
The table was covered with a Halloween tablecloth. There were pumpkin carving tools, stencils, paints, glitter, and sequins on top. The children took their seats and began to work on their creations. Steven helped his son cut out the top of his pumpkin. He showed him how to carve at an angle so the top would lock into place. Bennie giggled as his sisters helped him shovel out the insides of the pumpkin.
“Ok, place all of the pumpkin fillings over here.” Camellia set down a large ceramic bowl on the table. “I need a volunteer to sort out the seeds for baking,” she explained.
Lizzie happily volunteered. Jason helped her with the messy job. They carefully removed the seeds from the soggy pumpkin meat. Every once in awhile they would make eye contact and smiled shyly at one another. Steven proudly worked alongside Bennie. They had chosen a pickup truck stencil. Together, they traced the truck pattern on the large gourd.
Katie helped Camellia bring back the bowls of pumpkin seeds to the kitchen. As she rinsed the seeds, Camellia went to the fridge and retrieved a cold bottle of Napa Valley Chardonnay. She poured them each a generous glass.
“Thank you. This is absolutely perfect.”
Katie washed her hands and dried them on the towel by the sink. The ladies toasted one another. As their glasses, clanked, a large streak of lightening lit up the kitchen window. They both laughed as they jumped from the sound of the loud strike. The children shrieked with excitement from the dining room.
“Wow,” Steven remarked, “That definitely sets the mood for a spooky Halloween night.”
“Oh sweetie, I picked up some of your favorite autumn beer from the store today.” Camellia replied.
“Thank you, my love.”
He opened the fridge and took out a bottle. Camellia retrieved an old-fashioned beer stein from the cabinet and set it down for her husband. Bubbles rose to the surface of the glass as he poured the beer.
“I better get back to the children, dear.” He gave his wife a quick peck on the cheek and went back to the table to join the young people.
“I don’t think he’s going to leave Lizzie alone with Jason for one minute tonight. Gives a whole new meaning to over-protective father!” They both laughed as Camellia busied herself making cocoa.
She handed Katie a Halloween apron and took one for herself. Katie’s apron sported a big black cat in front of a harvest moon. Camellia’s apron was black with little pumpkins. A witch flew over the field.
“You are truly amazing. I absolutely love all of your Halloween decorations and treats.”
“Thank you, Katie. I’m so excited to finally find a friend that loves Halloween as much as I do. I still can’t believe how beautiful your antique Halloween collection is. It’s truly breathtaking.”
“Thank you. I’ve been collecting them for years. A few were passed down from my great-grandparents. There’s nothing creepier than some of those old Irish Halloween decorations. Did you know that the original jack-o’-lanterns were made from turnips?”
“Really? That is interesting.”
“Yes, they’re pretty scary looking. I can’t imagine trying to carve a turnip,” she laughed.
The ladies chatted about some of their favorite Halloween adventures over the years. Soon the room was filled with the scent of hot chocolate and cinnamon. After warming up the chocolate and milk, Camellia poured the cocoa into mugs and topped them off with a generous portion of orange and white marshmallows. She carried the serving tray decorated with Halloween themed mugs into the dining room. The children excitedly took their cups and continued working on their pumpkin masterpieces. The spooky music continued to pour out moaning, chains, rattling, and cackling witches in the background. The evening was perfect- the weather, the company, the food and drink. As the night came to a close, the children brought out their jack-o’-lanterns to the front porch. Steven placed a tea light inside each one.
“Looks like we have some amazing artists,” Katie remarked.
Steven and Bennie had created an impressive dump truck carving on their large pumpkin. Jessie and her girlfriends, Amanda and Cynthia, had used their horse and unicorn stencils. Finally, Lizzie and Jason placed their jack-o’-lantern next to the others. The large heart-shaped etching glowed brightly in the candlelight. They took turns admiring one other’s creations.
“Well
children, it’s getting pretty late.” Camellia said with a yawn. “It’s a school night.”
Bennie ran over to Katie and gave her a big hug.
“Goodnight, sweetie,” she said hugging him back.
Steven volunteered to drive Katie and the children’s friends home. They tiredly said their goodbyes and called it a night.
CHAPTER 28
Katie was exhausted by the time she arrived back to the cabin. She thanked Steven for the ride and headed inside. His last stop would be to drop off Jason at his house. She wondered what Steven would say to the young man once she left the van. Poor kid. She smiled at the thought. The alarm started to beep as she unlocked the door. She hurried over to the security panel, and keyed in the code to deactivate the alarm. She went into the bathroom and washed her face and changed into pajamas.
She drifted to sleep as the soft rain caressed the beams of the old log cabin. Moments later, Katie found herself inside a child’s bedroom. Big yellow tractors and oversized truck posters covered the walls. She realized that she was standing in Bennie’s room. She was not sure how or why she was there. Straining her eyes in the darkness, she began making her way across the floor. Moonbeams illuminated a small boy sitting by himself in the dark. He appeared unusually transfixed by an object that he was holding in his hands. His right hand moved in a circular motion. Strange, garbled metallic sounds grinded out of the object in an eerily pitched melody. She drew closer until she was standing directly behind him. She lowered herself down and spoke, “Bennie,” she whispered. “What are you doing? Why aren’t you in bed, sweetie?” her voice shook.
The child continued to focus on the strange toy. Each rotation of the handle sounded more urgent than the last, the old, metal sound of Pop Goes the Weasel played out slowly. The notes were high pitched and out of tune. The soft light of the moon drifted directly on them. She could now see the metal box clearly in the light.
The Wall People Page 13
