"Ouchy! You are stepping on my toe", whimpered Lucy, the youngest of the four girls stacked up behind the door.
According to their height, they had sandwiched themselves between the wall and the door so if you were to stand behind them you'd see butts sticking out, and if you stood on the other side of the door four heads on top of the other, just big eyes barely noticeable through the door crack.
Two pairs of siblings, cousins, waiting nervously, breathing as quietly as possible. This nook gave the tweens the best view of the dining room through the mirror.
"Sorry," said Lily as she tried to wiggle into another position even though the two above her were literally resting on her.
The kids had seen the unravelling of the adults enough times over the years to know it will probably happen again. And instead of being in the thick of it, they had learnt to stay out of the way by hiding behind the door. And yet, they were compelled to watch. The mirror was a good vantage point, that exposed the adults whilst the door hid them.
The kids' mothers were sisters, daughters of the most famous chef of their time. Their grandfather had TV shows and cookbooks in different languages and restaurants all over the world. He was invited to award Michelin stars and cater for royalty. And his daughters, forever in competition to take after and over their father's talent, fame and fortune argued about everything food.
Lena started the countdown as she saw her mother roll her eyes at her aunt's table setting. As the oldest of the four, she found counting calmed her as she prepped herself for what's to come.
"Oh no, Lena. Do you think it will happen again today?" Lucy whispered. She didn't like countdowns. It meant she was in trouble or there was trouble brewing.
"Shhhhhh," hissed Lola as she shifted a little bit and all four kids wobbled before finding their balance.
The mirror caught the glint of the stainless steel plates and cutlery their mothers were setting the table with. There were no more ceramic plates since last year when they had got into an argument of what was the secret ingredient in their father's fruit cake, a recipe handed down by their great grandmother. One had insisted on rum and the other brandy and before you knew it, there was one smashed cake and many broken plates.
After the little fiasco, which was brought to a halt by Lucy's frightened wails they called Chef Loyall and found out that there was never any alcohol in the fruit cake because of Great Grandma's alcohol allergies.
Lena stopped counting as soon as the adults broke into laughter. "Lucy, Lola, Lena and Lily, lunch is ready. Come on out girls, I can see you," Lucy's mother called out.
Lucy screamed when she saw her mother peering through the crack of the door back at them with the biggest smile. They stepped out and around the door as both their mothers held their hands and ushered them to take their places.
The girls were glad that today's lunch was going to be a boring enough affair with no flying objects. These were their perfect days that were few and far between.
But when the sisters started discussing the Ischler Tortelettes that Chef Loyall had sent over for the get-together of his daughters and granddaughters as an apology for not being there, the cousins knew the drama was just about to begin and stealthily got into position to race back behind the door.
I am a little late for the prompt "Mirror" by @TheInkWell. But still, I had fun writing and since we can use past prompts, here it is. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.
Thank you for reading,
Sh33la
Image Sourced from pexels.com
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Thank you fambalam :D
LOL this is as cute as it gets. I could envision the story unfolding in my mind.
Your description is amazing.
Yay, happy you liked it :D
This is a truly beautiful piece. I never knew boring could be such fun😁
Thankfully, nothing became of the argument. But i am still seeing some arguments in those sisters nearest future.
Thank you for sharing @kaerpediem i am glad i read it.
hahahaha
It's boring vs chaos ;p
Glad you read it too :D
Hi, @kaerpediem! You've made me smile this time too with your subtle sense of humour that permeates the reading as we learn about the cousins' instinct to see trouble coming between their mothers. I can well imagine the sisters taking the argument over a trivial detail to a point where there is not a single ceramic plate left.
There are some beautiful images in this story:
Thank you for reading and the comment @gracielaacevedo
I do look forward to them ;D
Beautiful story @kaerpediem! Thanks for posting it on @theinkwell.
We love seeing your thoughtful comments on fellow writers' posts. That input makes our community strong.
Thank you so much @theinkwell
I do have fun reading the other stories :D
A good vantage point indeed! This is hilarious and insightful. Sibling rivalry. So many adults never manage to outgrow the competition of childhood. It endures even into old age for some. I know in my family (six siblings), some of the wounds inflicted in childhood seem to haunt even today, when we are all in our 70s.
The smashed plates create a farcical image in the reader's head that works really well. And, the conclusion, where the kids take up positions behind the door, reinforces the sense of farce.
Your use of mirror has a cinematic quality. Mirrors have long been used as a device in film.
A clever story. I enjoyed reading it.
Thank you so much @agmoore
I love love your comments - I truly appreciate the feedback <33
🌺😇🌺
This is delightful, @kaerpediem. I can just see those girls, sneaking around and cowering when the words and plates start to fly! You did a nice job of scene setting. All the little details and nuances bring a story to life.
Thank you so much @jayna
Truly appreciate the comment
I learn a little bit more each time <33
Lovely story Sh33la - yes, I enjoyed it
So happy you did ;D
Yes, I enjoy your sense of humour
Hi @pandamama :D
Most of my stories are a little dark but every now and then, a light one comes along :D
Happy you liked it
Yes, I did - it was well written
This story is so much fun that it does so spectacularly. The innocence and curiosity of the children is so real that it is impossible for the reader to detach from the reading.
A fun way to express a beautiful family.
Regards
Thank you and so happy you enjoyed the read :D
I hope eventually they learn to get along as well as their kids do!!! At least they are never bored, lol!
Or the cousins will have tales of their mothers to share for years to come haha
lol so true!!!At least they learned what not to do!
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Hello @kaerpediem. How cute a story surrounding food. The fact that the sisters and cousins enjoyed being in this atmosphere is delightful. They are receiving a first-class lesson in all things food related. I love their attitudes and manners.
I also like the fact that the story is told from the teens' point of view. Your introduction of the mirror that gives them the advantage to see at angles what is happening in the dining room from behind the door is an excellent idea.
I love your story. Thanks for sharing.
So happy you liked it @justclickindiva <33