looked much too familiar.
“But why would this be?” she thought.
Yet, each step she took brought a smile that seemed to tell her to keep going.
As she looked up, the tall ceilings held various pieces of art from various countries. Cassie did not recognize most of them. But, some were like the ones at home.
The frames around the art resembled the ones Cassie’s dad had made for the Home Town Festival that they had just attended a couple weeks earlier. Each frame had carvings cut deep into the center of the wood, but Cassie knew that had to be impossible because her dad had sold his.
The first room that Cassie came to was extremely huge with high vaulted ceilings. It appeared to be a ballroom.
Cassie quickly visualized beautifully dressed women adorned in jewels, lace and pearls as they stepped onto the dance floor with their hand resting gently on their partners arm.
Cassie closed her eyes for a moment as she was caught up in the moment once again of daydreaming.
She pictured herself in a long pale blue silk ball-gown; flowing all about her while she twirled around and around; waiting to dance with the handsome young prince that probably lived in the mansion.
Grandpa had told Cassie of ballroom dance invitations that he and Ms. Annie proudly accepted during the autumn fund raiser each year. They never missed a dance.
“My Annie loved to dance,” Grandpa would tell Cassie.
During one of their trips to down to the creek, Grandpa told Cassie of dance lessons he agreed to take with Ms. Annie because when he looked into her bright green eyes he could not resist their beauty and could never turn her down. And when she smiled, Grandpa always knew he had been had.
He loved his beautiful bride Annie and how radiant she looked whether in a ball gown or just a simple apron while preparing breakfast.
In Cassie’s ten years, she never thought that she could ever imagine anything more beautiful than what she was experiencing at that very moment. But then, opening her eyes she quickly realized her imagination was soaring like an eagle.
Suddenly, she thought she heard someone call out.
The music was still playing and it sounded like a hundred voices singing in unison. But, beyond the music, Cassie could still hear a faint voice calling out from one of the rooms.
“Hello, is anyone here?” Cassie called out. “Hello, hello!”
The scent of roses filled the hallway that flowed from one of the rooms that extended down the long hall. Cassie kept walking. She had to see where the voice was coming from and see who was in the room.
From the second floor, Cassie could see for miles through an open window at the end.
She saw wild flowers blanketing the fields as far as her eyes would allow.
Such a magnificiant array of colors. It looked like a floral patch quilt that lay atop Grandpa’s bed that Grandma had made for him many years ago.
The view back across the pond was wonderful too. The birds and ducks were still enjoying their day in and around the pond. Cassie could only hope that one day she could return and bring Grandpa to see this place.
As the soft music continued to play in the distance, the mellow sound it made resembled that from a music box that had just been wound for playing. Cassie kept walking closer to the sound of the frail voice coming from the next room.
Upon her approach to the door, she could sense that where the sweet smell of freshly cut roses were coming from. Cassie quickly visualized the pink and red roses that adorned the lovely garden like a bouquet just beneath the windows sills outside in the garden.
As Cassie slowly started to enter the room she saw a white lily lying peacefully by the entrance to the room. She gently picked it up.
The soft voice called out. "Cassie, is that you? Come in my dear child, I've been waiting for you", were the words that Cassie heard.
With twinkling eyes and a bright smile, Cassie replied. "Grandma, is that you?"
"Yes my dear, come in." I've longed to see you", said Grandma Annie.
Inside the room were delicate lace spreads folded carefully across an old rustic cedar chest like the one Grandpa had stored away.
The walls were painted in soft pastel colors of mint green and lavender.
Antiques filled the room everywhere. There were items that Cassie thought she recognized. A doll standing beside an old canopy doll bed sat quietly near the open window where the scent of roses trickled through. Loosly drawn sheer curtains fluttered in the warm sunny breeze.
Cassie walked around the rocker that was in the center of the room where Grandma sat patiently. Beside her was the music box playing that Cassie had heard upon ascending the staircase. It was just like the one Grandpa had in his room. She now knew where she had heard the melody before. That was the tune that Grandpa would whistle while they walked down Hickory Path to Ranson's Creek when they went fishing.
Cassie gently placed her hand in the out-stretched arm and hand of Grandma and received a gentle squeeze. Grandma’s soft skin was very warm to Cassie’s touch.
"Grandpa has told me so much about you Grandma", she said as she took a deep breath.
Cassie asked so many questions; she had so many things to say and tell Grandma.
Remembering many of the wonderful stories that Grandpa had shared with her.
Cassie’s words were traveling through her mind faster than she could speak.
She ask Grandma about the picture hanging on the stairwell wall. As Grandma talked, Cassie listened intently.
"My dear Cassie", said Grandma, "That’s a portrait of your mom, when she was a small child such as yourself and it’s at home Cassie. Dear child, how are you and Grandpa?”, she asked.
“We are very well Grandma”, was Cassie’s reply. “And Grandpa misses you so much”, she added.
“Well Cassie I don’t expect you to undersand”, said Grandma, “But someday you may.” “Listen to Grandpa Jack, he has many great and wonderful stories to tell you.”
"But Grandma, I don't understand”, replied Cassie.
“I know you don’t right now dear, but you will”, said Grandma Annie.
"Dear child, you can come back anytime you want. And Cassie, "I must tell you that…I, oh I hear Grandpa calling for you Cassie. He’s calling and you must go now!”
“But Grandma, I have so much to tell you”, exclaimed Cassie.
Grandma took her hand and brushed a small golden curl back from Cassie rosey cheeks then said, “Here child, take this, I want you to have it”, said Grandma.
Cassie's eyes began to tear as Grandma picked up a silk handkerchief that Grandpa had given her over sixty years ago when they were first married. It was lovely!
Grandma kept the handkerchief beside the musicbox at her bed.
Flowers were stitched around the border and in the center the name Annie had been embroidered in pink roses.
Grandma wiped a tear from Cassie's eye and as Cassie kissed Grandma's cheek, a warm loving bond had formed between them; even though their fingertips were slowly parting.
Grandma handed the beautiful hand-made handkerchief to Cassie. "Keep this Cassie” Take it with you and I promise we will always be close”, said Grandma.
Cassie did not want to go! She did not want to leave.
“But Grandma!”…
Grandma's faint voice and loving words started to fade into a distant silence. Cassie felt alone as a tear trickled from her eye and she quickly placed the white lilly she had picked up when she had entered the room in Grandma’s hair.
As Cassie and Grandma's fingertips parted, a gentle hand grasped Cassie's arm and with a gentle tug Grandpa awakened Cassie.
“Hey little’en, didn’t catch much fish did ya?”, said Grandpa? “You’ve been asleep for a good while now child, so I didn’t bother wakin’ you up, but you know those fish ain’t gonna’ wait all day”, Grandpa laughing.
"Goodness child, we better get you cleaned up a bit before we start back home, your
mama’s gonna’ wonder what we’ve been up to.
“Are you o.k. child?”, Grandpa asked.
“Oh, I’m fine Grandpa! I suppose the warmth of the sun was too inviting and I couldn’t resist the urge to lay down. I suppose I did fall asleep for awhile, and yes, I am very fine,” Cassie told Grandpa.
“O.K. Cassie, let’s get packed up and head for home”, Grandpa answered back.
“You know that's why you are not allowed to come down to the creek alone, it’s way too dangerous Cassie. What if you had moseyed down here by yourself and fell asleep and got hurt”, Grandpa murmured.
Grandpa Jack had always been very protective of Cassie and she knew that. So Cassie always tried hard to never do anything to cause her Grandpa to feel badly.
Cassie had always known that she was never to go to the creek alone. She had been told so many times. But Cassie fully understood the reasons why, so she was never bothered by getting a quick reminder.
"Grandpa, I met Grandma Annie", Cassie said in a low toned voice that slightly quivered.
"Whatever do you mean child?" replied Grandpa.
Cassie smiled and shook her head.
"Oh, never mind Grandpa, never mind."
Of course Grandpa had no idea what Cassie was talking about, or why she made that comment, but somehow he always seemed to make a connection with her. He just smiled at Cassie and said, “That’s good child, that’s good. Now here, let’s clean up your face a little before we get home.”
Cassie’s eyes opened widly when Grandpa, reaching into his back pocket pulled out a silk handkerchief adorned with white and purple lillies around its borders. In the center the name Annie