The Painting

#6 Messy but Good - Teachtaireach Ach Go Maith

I came to the assumption Grace was either outside or in town gathering supplies or passing out invites for our big bonfire the next day. She was always furiously prepping last minute and my guess was she would be MIA for the rest of the night. I crossed the foyer aimlessly casually checking the cleaning roster we had in the cabinet behind the check in counter. All the rooms had been taken care of so perhaps my co-workers, Evelyn & Dania had gone home early.

I busied myself tidying behind the desk for a few moments. Mid afternoon to evening was never too busy for us. Most customers arrived in the morning and although our guests tended to be extroverted they occupied themselves, leaving the staff little else to do besides clean and make the odd afternoon treat. Because of our irregular schedule some days flew by and some crawled.

My morning started off busy with the twins and Lyle causing breakfast to run late, then my trip to the market. I crossed to the middle of the room standing under the old chandelier so I could see the cuckoo clock that hung opposite the base of the staircase. It was nearly six.

I silently cheered my luck that Evelyn and Dania had finished the cleaning earlier. Not that I didn't mind changing bed linens, I'd done it enough that I could make a bit of a game out of it, but I knew it would be a rush at this time because guests would be coming back from a day out and want to freshen up or relax before dinner.

Bored my wandering mind found its way to Lyle. I glanced behind me to the short hallway of rooms that led off the West side of the home. Rooms one and two were all single person rooms furnished with a twin bed, writing desk, dresser, lamp etc. None of our rooms were strictly 'themed' per say, Grace in her good taste had decided instead of a gaudy or overpowering decoration she would go with simple neutral tones that complemented our natural environment.

In an effort to create a more homey feel - and to spare her sparse bank account - the bulk of our furniture was recycled, and more than a few I know for a fact were once on the curb. However, after a good scrub and a once over with a paint brush or sewing needle they were good as new.

No two furnishings were alike. The only consistent decoration was a framed pressed flower that hung on each door. The flowers were picked from the beds that lay below first floor windows. We pressed them within the first week right after the idea struck Grace, but it wasn't until the night before that we framed them.

It was a few minutes before midnight as we collapsed on the breakfast benches. The beds were made, pillows fluffed, fridge stocked - we even burned some sage in the foyer. My head lulled as I struggled to stay awake when Grace suddenly shot up. "The flowers!" She exclaimed running to the closet.

It took me a moment to comprehend which flowers she was referring to, but within the next few minutes she returned to the kitchen. Her arms struggled to balance the mix of wood and glass while she held a thick paged journal between her teeth.

Being the helpful servant that I am I took the journal from her mouth just before she dumped the materials onto the freshly waxed table. Dried cut flowers filled each page. Some of the color bled onto the paper creating a fain shadow surrounding the petals.

Two hours later each flower was framed and hung.

"We're ready now." I recall Grace saying. Relief in her voice she yawned and pulled me into a hug. We got less than four hours of sleep that night, and it was far from our last late night project.

I smiled. It was hard to believe that was almost three years ago.

I wandered down the West hallway until it dead ended. I paused at the window. Dark rain clouds settled in the sky, but I could still make out the mighty pine tree that stood ten feet away. The owners told Grace that a majority of the pine trees that encircled the B&B and its expanded property were upwards of one hundred and fifty years old. I admired it for a moment as its lower branches bounced up and down with the force of the large rain droplets.