Post by CarpentersFan2003 on Jan 31, 2004 20:49:36 GMT -5
Chapter Twenty
August 1987
Karen sat in the west sitting room with her family. They where celebrating Jocelyn’s first birthday. Karen sat in one of the high back chairs watching as her daughter and some of the children from around the neighborhood crawled around the enclosed area.
Karen was again pregnant and this time she was expecting a boy. The baby was due in February. Karen had already chosen the name. Her son would be called Jason Christopher. Nathan had asked for that middle name, and Karen had agreed with all her heart. She wanted to honor her late stepson too. Jason was in honor of Nathan’s father.
While Karen was carrying this baby it was decided that there would be no tours booked. Karen had told Richard that she wanted to try her best to carry this baby to term.
Mary came up to Karen carrying two plates of cake, after handing one to Karen she sat down.
“ Karen, I wanted to ask you something. Rich and I wanted to know if you’d allow us to hold our wedding here at the house. We are aiming to tie the knot in the spring of ’88?”
Karen was overjoyed to hear this. She was hoping that her brother would want to get married at the house, it was certainly big enough to hold all of the guests and the foyer was could be used for the reception after the ceremony.
“ Mary, Nathan and I would be thrilled to hold the wedding here.”
“ Really… Oh, that is just wonderful. Karen, I also wanted to ask you if you’d stand up for me as my matron of honor. I can’t think of anyone else that I’d rather have in that role. Please?”
Karen nodded her agreement she would be delighted.
*** *** ***
That year at Christmas a family tradition was started. With the two guest houses and the ten extra bedroom’s Karen now had at her disposal she was able to have her entire family at the house for the holidays.
The first to arrive where her parents and mother-in-law and Lynda. Karen had thought her parents would like to have the privacy of having their own house to retire to. However when Agnes heard about this plan she was not amused.
In the west sitting room Agnes and Karen sat.
“ Karen, don’t take this the wrong way when I say this but your father and I was hoping to stay in the main house with you and Nathan. I’m sure that the guesthouse you wanted us to have is beautiful and all…” It was here that her mother’s voice trailed off. In her eye’s Karen could see tears glistening. This alarmed Karen who was on the defensive. She now looked at her mother with concern.
“ Mom, is there something wrong?”
Agnes took at deep calming breath and then looked at her daughter, in a voice barely over a whisper she explained.
“ Karen your father is not doing to well health wise. He’s been losing weight and he’s not as active as he use to be. So while you and Richard where away in Japan he went to see his doctor. All they told him was that he was getting older and that it was to expected.” Agnes shook her head and then continued. “ Karen, I think that your father might be slipping away… I don’t want to believe it, but I can’t deny the possibility.” Covering her face in her hands Agnes let out a muffed sob, her shoulders shaking.
Karen sat beside her mother and put an arm around her. She was stunned to say the least. Squeezing her mother in a half hug she said.
“ Mom, I’m sure that Daddy will be fine. He’s always been healthy as a horse. It’s probably just a cold or something that he’s not been able to shake. He will be okay.”
Agnes wiped her tears away and then steeled her spine. She looked at her daughter and said in her normal strong commanding voice.
“ I hope your right Karen. So you see now why I’d rather have a room here in the main house?”
“ Of course Mother, Richard and Mary can have the guesthouse and you and Daddy can have his room in the south wing.”
*** *** ***
Two days later the forty-foot blue spruce tree was brought by a delivery service to the house and set up in the front foyer. Then a team of decorators came in and for the next four hours, strung over three thousand lights, over eighty feet of gold and silver garland and hung hundreds of ordainments again in gold and silver. On the top of the tree was a beautiful hand painted two-foot high angel, she was draped in gold and silver cloth that was inlaid with both diamonds and pearls, over her head was a halo of 18 karat gold. Karen had contacted a doll maker in the summer to have it made. It had cost over forty thousand dollars, but Karen had to admit it was worth the expense.
In the East sitting room there was a smaller fifteen-foot Scotch pine for the family to decorate together and put gifts under.
Karen and her family sat around the tree. She’d flown her Aunts and Uncles out to California for the holidays too.
Karen had been overjoyed to see her Aunt Bernice again. Bernice was not able to attend Karen’s wedding due to a fractured hip, however when Karen had telephoned her to invite her to the West Coast for the holidays, she had jumped at the chance to see her favorite niece and finally meet her husband and family.
Bernice now sat with her sister Agnes, brother-in-law Harold and held onto the sleeping Jocelyn as she watched Karen, Nathan (whom she adored), Richard and Mary decorating the family tree.
Richard was up on a latter fussing with a strand of red mini lights. Under his breath and just loud enough for Karen to hear he said.
“ D**nit! You’d think that the people that make these bloody lights would make so that if one light goes out the other’s stay on!”
Karen half smiled and then looked up at her brother.
“ Why do you think that I put you on light detail. I can’t stand those things. If it was me I’d have pitched them across the room by now.”
“ I’m about five seconds away from that myself.” Richard said and as if to mock him the offending string of lights first flickered and then blazed bright red. “ It’s about time! Karen next year I refuse to do the lights. Got that.”
Before Karen could answer her brother who was now climbing down the latter. Nathan smiled as he spoke up.
“ Hey if you don’t do it. My lovely wife will put the bite on me.”
Richard arched his eyebrow at his brother-in-law and said.
“ It’s your house. You ought to be the one doing the crappy chores, either that or you put me on the pay-roll.”
Mary poked her head around the tree and laughed.
“ God, I remember my brother’s having conversations like this at Christmas time at our house.”
Harold who was sitting in one of the two lazy-boy chairs with is feet up cleared his throat and said in a deep voice.
“ If you children don’t stop this bickering. You’ll all be sent to bed without supper.”
At this all four of the adults at the tree burst out laughing.
*** *** ***
Later after dinner and Andrea had taken Jocelyn up to bed, Karen and Nathan sat on in their private living room on the sofa watching the fire crackle in the fireplace. Nathan was sipping a martini, Karen a cup of tea.
Karen had come to relish these quite times with her husband. It was a chance for them to enjoy one another’s company and talk about the day’s events.
Karen cleared her throat and then said.
“ Nathan can I ask you something as a doctor?”
“ Sure Love, what’s on your mind?” Nathan cocked his head to one side.
“ It’s my father. You see while I was in Japan my Mom told me that he been to see his Doctor. Apparently, he’s been losing weight and has not be as active as he use to be. Mom said that Daddy was told that he was due to his age. Is that possible?”
Nathan thought for a moment and then said.
“ Karen it is possible, but without having a look at him myself I couldn’t tell you,” Nathan said. He knew that his answer would do nothing to help Karen’s fears, but it was the best one he had to give.
Karen shook her head and sighed.
“ Thanks. Let’s head to bed. I’m exhausted.”
“ Me too.”
August 1987
Karen sat in the west sitting room with her family. They where celebrating Jocelyn’s first birthday. Karen sat in one of the high back chairs watching as her daughter and some of the children from around the neighborhood crawled around the enclosed area.
Karen was again pregnant and this time she was expecting a boy. The baby was due in February. Karen had already chosen the name. Her son would be called Jason Christopher. Nathan had asked for that middle name, and Karen had agreed with all her heart. She wanted to honor her late stepson too. Jason was in honor of Nathan’s father.
While Karen was carrying this baby it was decided that there would be no tours booked. Karen had told Richard that she wanted to try her best to carry this baby to term.
Mary came up to Karen carrying two plates of cake, after handing one to Karen she sat down.
“ Karen, I wanted to ask you something. Rich and I wanted to know if you’d allow us to hold our wedding here at the house. We are aiming to tie the knot in the spring of ’88?”
Karen was overjoyed to hear this. She was hoping that her brother would want to get married at the house, it was certainly big enough to hold all of the guests and the foyer was could be used for the reception after the ceremony.
“ Mary, Nathan and I would be thrilled to hold the wedding here.”
“ Really… Oh, that is just wonderful. Karen, I also wanted to ask you if you’d stand up for me as my matron of honor. I can’t think of anyone else that I’d rather have in that role. Please?”
Karen nodded her agreement she would be delighted.
*** *** ***
That year at Christmas a family tradition was started. With the two guest houses and the ten extra bedroom’s Karen now had at her disposal she was able to have her entire family at the house for the holidays.
The first to arrive where her parents and mother-in-law and Lynda. Karen had thought her parents would like to have the privacy of having their own house to retire to. However when Agnes heard about this plan she was not amused.
In the west sitting room Agnes and Karen sat.
“ Karen, don’t take this the wrong way when I say this but your father and I was hoping to stay in the main house with you and Nathan. I’m sure that the guesthouse you wanted us to have is beautiful and all…” It was here that her mother’s voice trailed off. In her eye’s Karen could see tears glistening. This alarmed Karen who was on the defensive. She now looked at her mother with concern.
“ Mom, is there something wrong?”
Agnes took at deep calming breath and then looked at her daughter, in a voice barely over a whisper she explained.
“ Karen your father is not doing to well health wise. He’s been losing weight and he’s not as active as he use to be. So while you and Richard where away in Japan he went to see his doctor. All they told him was that he was getting older and that it was to expected.” Agnes shook her head and then continued. “ Karen, I think that your father might be slipping away… I don’t want to believe it, but I can’t deny the possibility.” Covering her face in her hands Agnes let out a muffed sob, her shoulders shaking.
Karen sat beside her mother and put an arm around her. She was stunned to say the least. Squeezing her mother in a half hug she said.
“ Mom, I’m sure that Daddy will be fine. He’s always been healthy as a horse. It’s probably just a cold or something that he’s not been able to shake. He will be okay.”
Agnes wiped her tears away and then steeled her spine. She looked at her daughter and said in her normal strong commanding voice.
“ I hope your right Karen. So you see now why I’d rather have a room here in the main house?”
“ Of course Mother, Richard and Mary can have the guesthouse and you and Daddy can have his room in the south wing.”
*** *** ***
Two days later the forty-foot blue spruce tree was brought by a delivery service to the house and set up in the front foyer. Then a team of decorators came in and for the next four hours, strung over three thousand lights, over eighty feet of gold and silver garland and hung hundreds of ordainments again in gold and silver. On the top of the tree was a beautiful hand painted two-foot high angel, she was draped in gold and silver cloth that was inlaid with both diamonds and pearls, over her head was a halo of 18 karat gold. Karen had contacted a doll maker in the summer to have it made. It had cost over forty thousand dollars, but Karen had to admit it was worth the expense.
In the East sitting room there was a smaller fifteen-foot Scotch pine for the family to decorate together and put gifts under.
Karen and her family sat around the tree. She’d flown her Aunts and Uncles out to California for the holidays too.
Karen had been overjoyed to see her Aunt Bernice again. Bernice was not able to attend Karen’s wedding due to a fractured hip, however when Karen had telephoned her to invite her to the West Coast for the holidays, she had jumped at the chance to see her favorite niece and finally meet her husband and family.
Bernice now sat with her sister Agnes, brother-in-law Harold and held onto the sleeping Jocelyn as she watched Karen, Nathan (whom she adored), Richard and Mary decorating the family tree.
Richard was up on a latter fussing with a strand of red mini lights. Under his breath and just loud enough for Karen to hear he said.
“ D**nit! You’d think that the people that make these bloody lights would make so that if one light goes out the other’s stay on!”
Karen half smiled and then looked up at her brother.
“ Why do you think that I put you on light detail. I can’t stand those things. If it was me I’d have pitched them across the room by now.”
“ I’m about five seconds away from that myself.” Richard said and as if to mock him the offending string of lights first flickered and then blazed bright red. “ It’s about time! Karen next year I refuse to do the lights. Got that.”
Before Karen could answer her brother who was now climbing down the latter. Nathan smiled as he spoke up.
“ Hey if you don’t do it. My lovely wife will put the bite on me.”
Richard arched his eyebrow at his brother-in-law and said.
“ It’s your house. You ought to be the one doing the crappy chores, either that or you put me on the pay-roll.”
Mary poked her head around the tree and laughed.
“ God, I remember my brother’s having conversations like this at Christmas time at our house.”
Harold who was sitting in one of the two lazy-boy chairs with is feet up cleared his throat and said in a deep voice.
“ If you children don’t stop this bickering. You’ll all be sent to bed without supper.”
At this all four of the adults at the tree burst out laughing.
*** *** ***
Later after dinner and Andrea had taken Jocelyn up to bed, Karen and Nathan sat on in their private living room on the sofa watching the fire crackle in the fireplace. Nathan was sipping a martini, Karen a cup of tea.
Karen had come to relish these quite times with her husband. It was a chance for them to enjoy one another’s company and talk about the day’s events.
Karen cleared her throat and then said.
“ Nathan can I ask you something as a doctor?”
“ Sure Love, what’s on your mind?” Nathan cocked his head to one side.
“ It’s my father. You see while I was in Japan my Mom told me that he been to see his Doctor. Apparently, he’s been losing weight and has not be as active as he use to be. Mom said that Daddy was told that he was due to his age. Is that possible?”
Nathan thought for a moment and then said.
“ Karen it is possible, but without having a look at him myself I couldn’t tell you,” Nathan said. He knew that his answer would do nothing to help Karen’s fears, but it was the best one he had to give.
Karen shook her head and sighed.
“ Thanks. Let’s head to bed. I’m exhausted.”
“ Me too.”
