Broomsticks And Owls

CHAPTER 1

“Dear me, is London always this dreary?” Grandma Dubois asked incredulously. She had just stepped into a little café with her daughter, Jane Tenning. It was raining outside, as it often did that time of year, and Grandma was not feeling very chipper, you could say. She had just had her hair done and she’d forgotten her umbrella. It was Friday the 13th and, as she had broken many mirrors in her life, her luck warranted a storm.
Jane looked at her mother as they walked into the café. Jane was worried. Her mother obviously needed to talk about something important or she wouldn’t be there. In plain terms Jane was downright scared. Mrs. Dubois was a southern lady, through and through. She had all the traits one would expect. She was stubborn as a mule, gentle as a lamb to some, vicious as a lion to others. When her mind was made up there was a slim to none chance of her changing it.
She hadn’t approved of Andrew Tenning from the moment she met him. He was rude, arrogant, and acted far too rash for her taste. Yet somehow Jane had gotten her mother’s approval. She was allowed to marry the young man from England and she did just that. A short while later Andrew and the not long pregnant Jane flew to London and found a nice home there where they could raise a family. Now they had two children, a girl and a boy. The boy, Nathan, was 18 and on top of the world. He had been accepted to Cambridge University and would be attending classes there in the early fall. Their daughter Julia was five years younger than Nate and at 13 had not a care in the world. She loved to play football and was beginning to enjoy theatre. She had just read Romeo and Juliet and was totally fascinated with pretending to be other people if only for a few hours in a play. Her grades were rather good but she knew too much for her age. Often times she would disagree with teachers on very important subjects. She was what someone would call a free-spirited child.
Jane hurriedly ordered their tea and they sat down at a corner table. For a while Grandma talked about family, friends, and the weather. Jane looked at her impatiently wishing se would get on with whatever she had to say.
“ Well,” she pressed, “ what did you want to talk about. I know you too well to think you came here just to talk about Uncle James, so please just get on with it!”
Grandma sipped her tea for a moment, fiddled with a sugar packet and then sat there so quietly that if you didn’t see her you didn’t know she was there. Then she took a deep breath and looked at Jane.
“You used to be so soft-spoken, dear. But I’ll let that pass because you need to hear this. For years you’ve sent me letters about the family. From those letters I gathered that Nathan was doing exceptionally well in his life. Julia on the other hand seemed to leave more than a bit to be desired. All her running around, playing sports, and not using proper manners, in school or at home, well it’s… it’s downright appalling, that’s what it is!” Grandma was losing her composure and fought to regain it. When she was under control again she continued.
“As you know I have a somewhat large estate in Savannah and I recommend Julia come live with me for a while. I know this most likely comes as a shock to you but I feel she would do well to learn the proper etiquette of a true lady.”
When Jane processed what she had heard, she almost laughed out loud. First off Julia wouldn’t go willingly and secondly, even if she went she would not change in the least bit. This would be interesting, she was sure of that.
They paid the check and walked back out into the rainfall. The whole drive home neither of them said a word. Jane occasionally threw sidelong glances at her mother trying to figure out the best way to tell Julia. When they pulled into the drive they found Julia, much to the dismay of her Grandma, jumping on a trampoline in the pouring rain.
“Jane, dear, you had better warn that child not to stay outside in a storm, she’ll catch pneumonia or worse die of influenza! We can’t have that now can we?”
“Mother stop nitpicking. Please. Let her be until I tell her the…news.”
“Oh yes,” thought Grandma, “she’s coming with me. Whether she wishes too or not she will come. She’ll be a proper lady yet.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hope you like it. Post comments even if they're bad.

like it , do you have more? its sounding interesting

lovely

cant wait to hear more!

Yeah I got more......


Chapter 2

Julia jumped off the trampoline and ran to the car. She nearly burst with excitement when she saw her grandmother for the first time. She was just what Julia had expected. She had an elegant air about her and her clothing smelled faintly of lavender.
“This is a true southern lady.” Julia thought
She jumped into her grandma’s arms and gave her a huge, wet bear hug. What happened next was uncalled for, unnecessary, and quite cruel, in Julia’s eyes. Just as she threw her arms around Grandma’s shoulders she felt a push against her followed by a cry of, “Unhand me, you uncivilized child, before you thoroughly soak me!”
Grandma Dubois pushed past her granddaughter with a look of disgust as though a rabid dog had bitten her.
“That’s just the weather talking, love, now come inside before you catch cold.”
But Julia couldn’t move. She just sat down on the drive and stared after her grandmother. She didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know what to do. How could her grandma, her own flesh and blood, have dismissed her so heartlessly? It just didn’t make sense to Julia.
“Jules, come in here,” interrupted her mother’s voice, using everyone’s nickname for her. She had no choice so she walked into her house, up the flight of stairs and into her room. She changed her clothes and brushed her hair and sat on her bed for a while just thinking about what had happened. When she finally decided to go downstairs her mother pushed a mug of tea into her hands. That always made her feel better but today it just didn’t help.
“Come on, love. We need to talk,” her mum said gently. When they got to the living room Jules was almost in tears.
“I just don’t see why. Why would she say that? I didn’t do anything wrong did I?”
Her mother sighed, “ No, dear you did not do anything wrong. Your grandmother is just a little….”
“Stuck up?” Julia finished for her.
“Well you could say that. Another way to think about it is that she’s from an old-fashioned community where the ladies still drink cherry, in sundresses on their veranda in the middle of the afternoon. She doesn’t know what to expect from a girl who plays sports and doesn’t know how to sew or bake. She doesn’t own a pair of jeans let alone run around in shorts all day! What I’m saying is she doesn’t think that you’re a…”
“Civilized human being.” Julia chimed in indignantly.
“No, that’s not it at all. Please let me speak. She just doesn’t feel that you fit the mold of a ‘proper lady’. It’s nothing to get upset about. You just have to accept that her way of life is very different from what you’re used to. Once you accept that you may learn to like her better.”
Julia stalked off seething and went outside. She knew she would never like her grandma. “Never has there ever been a person so cold and heartless in the history of the world.”
Just then Nathan jumped out from behind the shed and started tickling his sister mercilessly. The girl, though tough, was no match for her muscular older brother so she admitted defeat instantly. They raced each other to their spacious backyard. Julia asked her brother if he had seen Gram yet. Nate snorted and broke into fits of laughter.
“Yeah,” he managed to get out, “she’s a trip, huh? But you’ll get to know her when you stay with her, right, so I guess you’ll get to tell me if she’s as nasty as she seems.”
The look on Julia’s face was a mix of disbelief, contempt, fear and utmost shock.
“Jules what’s wrong? Jules? Can you hear me? Mum! Jules is sick I think!” Nathan called.
Mrs.Tenning came running out as fast as possible. She looked from Nathan to Julia with a worried glance. Grandma Dubois came out to see what had happened. Then suddenly Julia slipped out of her daze. That was when all hell broke loose.
“WHAT DID NATHAN MEAN I WOULD BE STAYING WTH THE WICKED WITCH OVER THERE?!” she screamed
“Now, dear, I was going to tell you. It won’t be for very long and you just might enjoy it. See your grandmother has so graciously offered to take you in for the second half of the year and…”
“The entire bloody second half of the year? Mum do you know what that means? I’ll miss the entire football season! You know how important this season is. If I don’t play I might not get an offer to play in the national youth league. This is so, so important to me, please don’t make me go.” Julia was literally begging and pleading by this time and looked as though she would blow up any second.
“No I made my decision already. You will stay with your grandmother for 6 months and then come home and hope to get the invitation to play. If not, well that’s good too you’ll move on. Now I suggest you get packing, you leave in one week.”
“Mum what about me leaving and all of those tears and pride? Jules’ll miss that and then be heartbroken for the rest of her life.” Nathan ventured in a last attempt to save his sister. “Couldn’t she leave when football’s over? I mean that will save a lot of trouble right. No whining and she still goes. It’s a win- win situation for all of…”
“No, Nathan, it’s alright. I’ll go but I won’t lose all of my fight. Nope I’m going to be as much of a pain as possible. That lady hasn’t seen anything yet. Don’t worry Nate I’ll give her hell for the both of us.” Julia said ungraciously.
She went upstairs and started packing. As she looked at her boots and the football signed by the entire team of Manchester United she grew even more cross. She would give that lady hell and then some. She was sure of it.

you go jules! loving it keep going!

I will as soon as I can get to my file, which I hope will be soon......so you really like it?

yes ido
its really good

make sure you keep on posting