Outskirts Press, INC.

What do you give someone who has given you everything?

What do you give your mother as a birthday present when she turns ninety years old? I gave my mother this story that you are about to read. My sister asked my mother what kind of party she wanted and with the wink of an eye she exclaimed, “a tea party!” Invitations were sent out to one and all to have “Tea with the Queen.” You were to wear your finest tea party attire; suits, ties, dresses and of course, hats. I sat down to read my new fairy tale to my mother and her guests from a copy I had printed by the local printer, with clip art I found on the internet and bound in black vinyl, I began to read the story aloud. You see, I come from a long line of storytellers. From my grandmother, to my nieces and nephews, we loved standing up to retell the history of our family.

Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, sat a Queen. The Queen lived in a castle far on a hill at the end of a long driveway. It was autumn and the trees were changing color and even though the Queen loved to watch the leaves change, she was sad. You see, at autumn’s end the Queen was to turn ninety years old. She wasn’t sad of her age for her mind was very alert and active. She was sad because her three male children lived so far away and she did not believe they could be at the castle to enjoy the festivities for her birthday. She sat at her window and looked upon her kingdom. The trees were dressed in colors of orange, red and gold but it did not please her. As she rested all of her chins on her hand, she sighed, “Oh woe is me!” Her daughter, Lady Dawnellen, who was her lady-in-waiting, heard her mother’s lament. “Dear mother,” she rushed in. “What makes thou so melancholy?” “Dearest daughter, I am sad because by the time all the leaves have left the trees I shall complete ninety years of age.” “You sad? Is it because of your age? Mother, that is not like you, at all.” “No, my daughter. I am not saddened by my age but because your brothers are so very far away and I am afraid I shan’t see them for my occasion.” ‘Dear mother,” Lady Dawnellen replied, “it grieves me so to see you like this.” She knelt down beside her mother and laid her head upon the Queen’s ample lap, her dressing gown feeling cool and protective. Lady Dawnellen had an idea. She looked up into her mother’s eyes. They both shared the same eye color, black with flecks of gold. Her face lit up as though illuminated by a lantern. The Queen looked down upon her daughter. “What makes thou so animated?” The Queen held Lady Dawnellen’s face in both her hands. “I was thinking. Let us send out our fastest messengers to fetch your sons and their spouses. We shall have a tea party. We will have the most royal of tea parties! Everyone will wear they’re finest and the staff will assemble the grandest delicacies that would be, well, fit for a Queen.” Lady Dawnellen was very excited. Her face was flushed and her heart was racing. The Queen looked deep into her daughter’s eyes and slowly smiled. Her smile became so radiant that the room became filled with light. It looked as though someone had pulled back the heavy draperies and flung open the windows. “Daughter, not only ares’t thou beautiful, you are the most clever. I do believe that your notion is brilliant and I believe that a festive affair is exactly what is needed to raise my spirits. We need for it to be merry and gay!”