Sara has been never been so blessed with such beautiful yellow daffodils, red carnations, blue hyacinth, purple lilacs, pink gladiolas, and red tulips. Little by little, new lilacs and the thin strips of jasmine stems with flowering scented flowerets, add to Aunt Cecilia's collection. She brings out fragile tea cups, saucers, silver spoons, sugar cubes, and plenty of cookies.
Sara has been in habit of inviting her school mates home for the spring holidays. Finally, mid term exams were over and the kids spent one sunny afternoon under blossoming orange trees. The air was balmy and mild. Spring warmth dried up all the winter rain rapidly. Everyone gave hand made cards, offered a page in her journal for classmates and teachers to write memories and wishes, or shared a few stems of flowers.
After meeting under a white almond blossoming tree, Sara invited Lily and Patricia to join her for afternoon tea one day and promised to share her box of cookies. Sara's mama was still in Switzerland, with her lover and sent Sara a giant box of cookies. The young girl was kind hearted and decided to throw a small party for her close friends.
One brightly sunlit afternoon in April, Aunt Cecilia would spend her afternoons outside washing and drying laundry near the freshly weeded vegetable garden. On sunny days, she would hang the clothes out too dry. Lavender inspired a scent cleanliness into the air.
The hanged clothesline made itself the most ideal hiding spot. After a few drops of sugar cubes and tea, the girls ate their cookies and ran out to the garden. The neighbors' cat was in the sand box, and a few birds celebrating spring.
Lily had brought chicken and duck eggs in a basket, while sharing her story of watching her chickens and ducks lay eggs. There was plenty of watercolors in aunt Cecilia's work room and they girls began painting eggs. When they stepped outside, a little rain began forming a delicate and foggy rainbow across the green fields.
Patricia's mum was a jewelry maker who found inspiration in plants and flowers particularly. She always gave Sara and Lily small necklaces, bracelets, or rings wrapped in pretty sparkly and colorful boxes with large bows and lots of curled ribbon.
At the end of a long day, playing with balls, drawing chalk pictures on the pavement, and swinging in the rose garden, the girls went back inside and played doll house for a while.
Lily and Patricia always admired Sara's tiny toy-foods and doll-size teapots. Aunt Cecilia collapsed on the sofa after a long day of polishing silver, rubbing windows, washing clothes, sweeping, and dusting, and dozed off in the middle of the laundry.
While Sara and her playmates drifted off to sleep on doll size beds. It must have been magic in the air or Uncle Spring had come with small gifts while everyone slept. When everyone woke up, it was time for Lily and Patricia to go back home while Sara made dinner for aunt Cecilia.
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