The CBB :: View topic - Not a Spanish Sale

#1: Not a Spanish Sale Author: ali, Location: medway, kent

Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2004 1:48 pm

I always found the sales towards the end boring – no innovative ideas just dull so here’s a short story to address the problem, written from my sick bed, it’s the only place I get time for ideas.

It was the beginning of term; Len sat in the prefect’s room not really paying any attention to the impromptu meeting Maeve had started about this year’s sale. During the holidays her mother had held a house party for an old family, and school friend. It had been a wonderful few days with lots of old friends coming together for a rare gathering. Wonderful that is until a nasty accident had left Len clinging to tree roots for her life and her Aunt Grizel, for who the party was being given had seriously injured her back clinging onto Len to stop her from plummeting to her death. Len had naturally been nervy and preoccupied since the accident and both family and friends were worried about how withdrawn she had become. She had taken to visiting her Aunt in the San each weekend, she usually took a gift, something someone had made in hobbies and regaled her with the latest news from school or read to her.
Last weekend her mother had informed her that although Grizel was by no means fully recovered it had been decided that she should come and live at Freudesheim as a change of scenery may speed up the job. She had commissioned Len and her two triplet sisters to plan and decorate a room for Grizel to call her own. The idea was that Len might be shaken out of her depression by both the happy news and the chance to do something nice for her rescuer. The ruse had worked well and Len had spent the week with her mind diverted, planning with her sisters and dreaming of colours and furnishings. She wanted a pretty welcoming room that would mean home for the woman who had saved her life. And so it was that throughout the sale meeting she had barely heard a word, she was going home after prep for the weekend and had finally decided on yellow, a happy, sunny yet calming colour and a daisy motif. Not being arty herself she was planning to ask Auntie Hilda, the head, if she could borrow Audrey Everett after church on Sunday. They could go to the San together, Audrey to visit her father and herself to visit Aunt Grizel. Then they could go home and decorate. A voice disturbed her musings; she looked up and saw hands raised in a vote and her cousin Maeve wanted to know if she agreed. Len nodded, wondering what she was agreeing to but not that bothered. Maeve smiled ruefully. It was her last term at school and she had hoped for a really original sale but as this was the only idea she supposed she was out of luck.
“A Spanish sale it is then, now lets get ready for prep, we don’t want to be late and set the middles a bad example, they certainly don’t need it.” With that the prefects rose and went about their different jobs. Len groaned to herself. A Spanish sale, not very inspiring – they’d done countries before, usually more than one, this seemed very limiting. Still she hadn’t contributed anything so she could hardly complain, could she!
Arriving home the triplets joined their mother, the infamous Jo Maynard, first chalet girl who would she claimed always be a chalet girl, even when she had no teeth and great great grandchildren on her knee. They sat in the salon indulging in an English tea as a treat and Len shared her ideas for the room.
“It sounds perfect, quite charming,” smiled Jo at her eldest daughter. “Not frilly or pink, Grizel is definitely not a frilly person – but still feminine and very chalet school. Have we got a daisy dorm at the moment? I can’t remember.” Conversation moved onto the sale. Len glumly informed the others, who not even being sub prefects like Len had not been present, what had been decided. Margots face dropped – with her fair colouring she would look ridiculous dressed up to be Spanish. Con only commented that it was going to be very hot if they had to dress in full Spanish regalia at the end of the summer term. Jo grinned at their obvious dislike of the idea. It sounded a bit dull to her, but she’d contributed so many ideas in the past that she’d finally run out of them. “What else has been decided about the sale?” she asked.
“Nothing yet, we’re having a full meeting on Monday evening to thrash out the details.” Len replied, not looking forward to it.
Jo’s smile widened. “Excellent, that gives you three the whole weekend to find something better. Surely if you put your heads together you can do it, if you can’t you’re no true daughters of mine!” With that she swept out of the room with a tray precariously balanced in each hand. The girls perked up and went off to prepare the cosy ground floor room that was to be Grizels for as long as she wanted it. Jo meanwhile phoned the paint order down and requested it put on the next train to the Gorntz platz where someone would meet it.
The weekend passed quickly. By Saturday evening the walls were a primrose yellow, glowing in the light of the setting sun. The woodwork was white and pristine, and the floor had been polished within an inch of its life. Tomorrow would see the choice of furniture and furnishings as well as decoration. But despite much brain waggling they had not a single original idea between them for the sale. On Sunday morning they attended church as always. In the afternoon, whilst the talented Audrey, who had settled down well at the school despite a rough start, painted delicate daisies in wreaths and clusters around the room, not too many just enough to lift it, the other three embarked on separate jobs. Margot was choosing furniture from various spare and guestrooms. Con was helping her mother with curtains and bedding and Len was choosing flooring, ornaments and finally books for the pretty fretwork shelves that would complete the room. She had chosen a few books from her mothers vast collection and was now finishing off with a few from her own. Aunt Grizel wouldn’t mind if some were a bit school girly, in fact she’d probably enjoy it, reliving her youth.
Later that afternoon the three, having bid Audrey farewell, sat again in the salon with coffee and Anna’s Lemon biscuits. They flicked idly through the pile of books that Len had left on the floor. Pretty soon Len was revelling in the book of names that Doctor Shepherd had lent her, Con was caught up in one of her mothers guiding stories, again, and Margot was giggling uncontrollably as she visited the past in the sacred second copy of the schools “history”.
“Con, did you know that your name was Latin for constancy?” Len informed her sister.
“I didn’t, but I could probably have worked it out!” she replied and carried on with her own book. Len sighed and tried again.
“Yours, Margot, is Greek for pearl. Mamas is the female version of Joseph which means god will add, and Papas means god is gracious. I meant to take this into school to show the others but forgot – I must remember, its so interesting, they’ll all love finding out what their name means and where it comes from.” With that she returned to her book and started looking up her other brothers and sisters. Silence reigned again in the peaceful, sun kissed room. Suddenly all three sat up and in keeping with their unusual link they said simultaneously, “I’ve got a great idea for the sale!” All three burst out laughing and when they calmed down shared their ideas.
“You go first Len,” said Con amiably.
“Well, what about a name sale!”
“A what?” Margot enquired.
“It’s this book, everybody’s name should be in it, and if its not there are other books like it. We tell everybody what their name means, and they have to create a costume to show it in some way, don’t ask me how, people would have to be ingenious, but they always manage it at fancy dress parties.” She ground to a halt and looked at the other too to see what they thought.
“It could work. In fact it could really help us out with our evening! They have to make and show their costumes and there will be prizes. Then we’re ready for the sale. We might even get a competition out of it for the visitors, guessing what people’s names mean from their costumes. Oh you’re right Len it’s a good idea.” Margot smiled approvingly at her sister. “My turn now, I thought we could use the legends book and have a chalet school sale! Each stall could show a different event from the schools past, it would be hilarious.” The others joined her laughter in appreciation.
“Oh please let me be mama,” pleaded Con. “I’m the only one who really looks like her. Although which of her many exploits would I show, there are so many. I’d probably have to spend time at every stall!” The laughter got louder and Joey working on her next book in her study wondered what they could be talking about to produce such hilarity. She didn’t mind being disturbed by the noise at all, she was grateful to hear Len joining in with the others, well on the way to a full recovery of the spirit as well as the body.
“Oh I love that idea too,” gasped Len when she finally got her breath back.
“Just you to share now Con, but I bet you can’t beat our ideas!” Margot gloated.
“Don’t you be too sure,” she retaliated. “How many books has Mama had published now? She asked.
“About 25, maybe 30,” replied Len puzzled. “I can’t keep track of them there are so many! Why?”
It’s just this. We’ve honoured other authors at sales haven’t we? But never Mama and she belongs to the school. Everyone is so proud of her, we have most of her books in the library and everyone loves them, even tomboys like Jack Lambert. Why don’t we have a Josephine.M.Bettany sale, stalls for her different books, like with the other sales about authors? Mama has always done so much for the school, it would be nice to show her how much we all appreciate her. But it would have to be a secret, to surprise her, and she could be the lady opener.” Con finally stopped. The other two gaped at her open mouthed, she was right; it was perfect, why had nobody thought of it before.
“Three smashing ideas,” said Len indulging in some forbidden slang. “Now our only dilemma is which to chose!” Margot and Len looked concerned. All three were great ideas and Cons was probably the best, but again Con had the solution.
“As far as I can work out we’ll have three sales left at the school, you’ll probably be head girl when Maeve goes Len so you won’t have to worry like other head girls, yes you will,” she said as Len shook her head and looked like interrupting. “You’ll already have the best ideas ever, all we have to decide is which order to have them!
With that the triplets hugged, all thought of accidents forgotten and three sales to plan for.

#2: Author: Jennie, Location: Cambridgeshire

Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2004 1:58 pm

Thank you, Ali. I enjoyed this. If this is what you can do when you're ill, what do you do when you're well? i;ll look forward to some more lovely drabbles from you.

#3: Author: Ally, Location: Jack Maynard's Dressing Room!!

Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2004 2:28 pm

Lovely story, thank you Ali, its nice to see Len being dreamy for once.

I hope you are feeling much better now Very Happy

#4: Author: Rachael,

Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2004 4:50 pm

That was great, Ali!!

Though I suspect Joey will need to be presented with a hat several sizes larger!!!!

#5: Author: caz, Location: Cambridge

Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2004 6:28 pm

That was great!

#6: Author: Ann, Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, England

Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2004 6:59 pm

I hope you're feeling better Ali!

I can't help wondering if Joey would actually have disowned them if they hadn't thought of anything better...

#7: Author: Cazx, Location: Swansea/Bristol

Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2004 7:04 pm

Lovely ali!
Will you write a description of each sale next time you're ill? Very Happy

#8: Author: Vikki, Location: Possibly in hell! It's certainly hot enough.......

Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2004 7:06 pm

that was marvellous Ali!!
And hope you're feeling better!

#9: Author: Steph, Location: Blackpool, Lancashire

Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2004 7:26 pm

that was great Ali! Love the way the trips atill share that bond even though they are getting older Smile

#10: Author: James,

Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2004 7:33 pm

Really really liked this Ali, well done! Get well soon (and write lots more Wink

)

#11: Author: Elisabeth,

Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2004 9:26 pm

REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY liked that Ali. Those are 3 really good ideas for sales! Thank you
Can you write about one of them now? Please!

#12: Author: Lesley, Location: Rochester, Kent

Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2004 9:36 pm

Thanks for that Ali - much better than the Sale ideas in the books!

#13: Author: Dawn, Location: Leeds, West Yorks

Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2004 1:00 am

Not that I'm wishing for you to be ill or anything, but please can we have some MORE!

#14: Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US

Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 3:21 am

Great ideas, Ali! I'd especially like to see the one on Joey's books. So what if you have to write them first Smile

#15: Author: Angel, Location: London, England

Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 8:23 am

How about an 'RCS' sale Wink

#16: Author: Lesley, Location: Rochester, Kent

Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 2:32 pm

#17: Author: Ciorstaidh, Location: London

Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 7:17 pm

fabulous...... I almost cringe at seeing an EBD-style homage to JMB's books, but these are all infinitely better than a dull old Spanish saale... Rolling Eyes

#18: Author: claire, Location: SOUTH WALES

Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 7:31 pm

Really good - hope we get to see them soon

#19: Author: Susan, Location: Carlisle

Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 4:28 pm

Splendid story Ali. Hope you are out of your sick bed now. Would really like to see a description of the sale especially the CS one!

Also the Name Game as an 'Evening' would be fun.

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