The Crossing Trilogy

Chapter 6

Elizabeth Grey returned the coffee pot to the counter stand and joined Sydney at the kitchen table. She sipped her coffee. “Umm…a little strong.” She got up and turned on the electric kettle.

Sydney laughed. “Sorry, Nan. I forgot you drink your coffee black.”

“One day you young girls will regret drinking those fancy milk and sugar coffee concoctions. You"re skinny now but once you"ve had babies or get into your forties, it all changes.” She leaned back against the counter.

Sydney smiled at her Nan. She"d been hearing this argument for years. Sugar is the devil.

Sugar is the devil.Her grandmother frowned. “Don"t give me that patronizing smile. For someone who"s into yoga, spirituality, and "our bodies are a temple"; I don"t understand why you still drink those fancy drinks which are more crap than coffee.”

“You know I"m careful what I eat and put into my body. But my coffee is my one vice. I don"t drink much alcohol or do drugs. My coffees are my way of relaxing and pampering myself.”

“Humph…they certainly don"t relax me. A couple of those elaborate brews leave me jumping out of my skin.” Having said her piece, her grandmother changed the subject. “So, tell me about your shopping day.”

“I went to my old work and they sold me some of the older stock they were replacing. I got some pillows and mats that still have life left in them. And then, I ordered some bolsters, blocks, chairs and benches from the wholesaler in Vancouver. They"re blowing out stock for their new summer line. They"re holding onto my purchases until I"ve moved into the house.”

“That"s wonderful, dear. What"s next on your agenda?”

“Tomorrow, I"m going to an auction of that hotel that went into bankruptcy in Westbank. I"m hoping to get duvets and sheet sets for the residency.”

The kettle whistled and her Nan topped up her coffee cup. She sat down opposite her again and took a sip. "Ahh…just how I like it. It sounds like you"re organized. You can store some things here you know. The spare room will hold them until you move in. Did your contractor give you a date?”

Sydney pushed back from the table and brought her feet up onto the chair next to her. “Yes. Four to five weeks. The house interior will be finished and the roofing is being done now. I can work on setting up the studio and furnishing the house while they work on the equipment building and exteriors.”

Her grandmother was studying her. “What?” Sydney asked.

“I haven"t seen you this happy for a long time. I"m happy for you.”

Sydney reached forward and took a hold of her hand. “I am happy. And I can"t thank you enough for this.”

“I"m happy too. It"s fun watching you do all this. If they"re able to, I think more people should give family members their inheritance while they"re still alive to share the joy it brings to them. It"s something you and I can share without the grief of losing a loved one.”

Sydney squeezed her Nan"s hand. “Talking about sharing, how do you want your bedroom decorated at the farm?”

“Which room is mine?”

“The room in the back of the house, at the end of the hallway, next to the bathroom. It has a bay window and looks out on the lake.”

Elizabeth smiled. “That"s a nice room. What colours are you planning for the interior.?”

“Mostly neutrals; champagne, beiges, slate green, burgundy, and bold splashes of colours in accessories and furniture.”

“Hmm…neutrals are nice for my room. You know my favourite colour is green. All I need is a small dresser, and a bed. You can pick what you want for furniture and I trust you to pull it all together. Surprise me. All I ask is no abstracts.”

Sydney laughed.

Her grandmother groaned. “I know…abstracts are in and you love them. But if I"m going to sleep in a room that"s my own, you know I like flowers.”

“Flowers it is.”

“When do you plan on opening your business?”

“The contractors won"t be done until the end of June, then I need a landscaper and I want a fence built across the front. I"m thinking the first of September. I need to do some pre-marketing before the doors open.”

Elizabeth took the empty cups to the sink. “I must say I miss having you here, but it was time for you to follow your own path.”

“I miss you too. You could still come live with me back on the farm. Wait until you see it finished. You"ll love it.”

“What would I do there? I have my own business here.”

“You could set up a mobile hairdressing shop there just as easily as the one here. I checked it out you know. There isn"t a shop in Stoney Creek. Everyone goes to Oliver or Osoyoos.”

They talked about it for a few minutes and her grandmother looked excited. Then the spark went out of her eyes. She put her head down and when she looked up at Sydney she looked sad.

“Oh, Nan. I wish you could let the past go. When I was little, you told me of happy times at the farm.”

Elizabeth walked over to her granddaughter and put her hands on her shoulders. “I had my time at the farm. Now it"s your turn. I"ll come visit but that"s all.”

Sydney dropped the subject. She"d like nothing more than to see her grandmother living back on the farm but she couldn"t push her into it. “Why don"t you freshen up and we"ll go out for dinner. What do you say to Greek food?”

“I say yes. I"ll be ready in ten minutes.”

* * *

It was a beautiful warm evening as they walked along the lakefront in downtown Kelowna City Park.

“I"m stuffed,” Sydney said. “I need to walk off that delicious food, but all I can muster is a stroll at a snail"s pace.”

Elizabeth snickered. “I hear you and believe me, I relate.” Once they reached the marina, they sat on a bench and watched the activity on the docks.

“Guess who I"ve reconnected with in Stoney Creek?” Sydney asked.

“Let"s see. Since you were only five when we moved, your world was pretty small and insular. Someone from school?”

They both laughed. “Yes. Jessie Farrow. We had dinner the other night.”

“How nice you reconnected. I"m surprised she stayed there. Most young people can"t wait to leave village life.”

“She did leave once to go to nursing school in Vancouver. She got married and divorced within a year and moved back home to the Creek. She works at the hospital in Oliver.”

“Well, I"m glad you have a friend all ready.”

“Yes, so am I.” Sydney looked at her grandmother out of the corner of her eye. “Talking about friends, can I ask you something about my childhood?”

“Sure. What is it?”

“When I was really little, did I have an imaginary friend?”

Her grandmother looked at her in surprise. “As a matter of fact you did for awhile.”

It was Sydney"s turn to look surprised. "Really? Huh…”

“Why/”

“I had a memory pop up about an imaginary friend…but that"s all I remember. Did I have a name for her?”

“You said her name was Candy. Gosh, I hadn"t thought about that for years.”

“How often did I talk about her?”

“Lots. Your grandfather worried there was something wrong with you, but I told him lots of kids have imaginary friends, especially when they"re an only child stuck out on a farm with no immediate friends.”

Sydney stood. “We"d best start back. The sun"s set and the air is cooling down.” As they walked back through the park to the car, Sydney thought about her imaginary friend, Candy. “Did I ever tell you what we talked about?”

Elizabeth laughed. “She never talked. You told me she was mute. According to you, she"d sit on the floor with you and pretend to drink tea with your tea set, or she"d smile as you told her about your day at school. I remember walking by your room and you"d be doing all the talking, showing Candy your dolls and asking what clothes you should put on them that day.”

“If she never spoke, I must have made up her name. I wonder why I called her Candy?”

“You did tell me once that she smelled like magnolia flowers. Perhaps that reminded you of sweet candy.”

“How long was she with me?”

“I"d say about from age three through five. But when we moved to Kelowna you gave her up. School and dance filled up your time and I guess you didn"t need her anymore.”

Sydney thought about that as they drove out of the parkade and headed to her grandmother"s house. So that"s what I envisioned at the farmhouse. And if I used to hide in the tree from Grampa, and talk to my imaginary friend, that"s who I was remembering sitting on the branch of the magnolia tree. She was just a memory from the past.

So that"s what I envisioned at the farmhouse. And if I used to hide in the tree from Grampa, and talk to my imaginary friend, that"s who I was remembering sitting on the branch of the magnolia tree. She was just a memory from the past.