Happiness of Today

It was 1924 in Michigan, United States sometime during the winter. It was Christmas Eve in the small house outside the town. Everyone was celebrating with gifts, smiles, alcohol, music, dancing, bond fires, and so on. People were happy around this time; it’s what made Christmas so much fun; family gatherings and short exchanges of smiles. It was a lovely time of year.

“Jenny, come on dear, dance for us.” their mother spoke up her voice encouraging.

“No, no thank you.” She replied her cheeks tinted red. That was Jenny, shy about silly things.

“Adrianna and you can have fun. Jane would enjoy the show.” Their mother said smiling as she held the child in her arms.

The pink spread over Adrianna’s cheeks as well at the mention of her name. She smiled though and began to sing knowing her sister would join in.

Jenny crossed her arms with a small huff as she turned away stubbornly. She wouldn’t break right away; she was much too stubborn for that. So Adrianna continued singing her voice playing the lovely sound through the happy house.

The black haired girl joined in after a few minutes her voice playing in tune with her sisters. Both of their voices were beautiful and even lovelier when heard together.

Of course, their mother wasn’t sure where they got the talent from. She couldn’t remember or think of anyone in the family that had such music talent as this. She had asked their father and he said no one on his side was into music to this extent either. Yes, there were some times where he could be half way civilized.

Jenny smiled slightly as she started to dance, her body flowing perfectly with the melody. She was the only one in the family who could dance at all. She had taken lessons for a short time as a very young child but she dropped out after a few weeks. She had refused to participate and now she couldn’t even remember the classes at all.

Still, she flowed and had the talent of someone who had practiced for years. The grace she held was something she had gained, just like her maturity. She had to grow up, she had to perfect, or at least be seen as such. In her mind she had to be seen with no flaws. She could not make mistakes and so she didn’t.

Everything she did was perfect; she of course wasn’t always like that. She used to be clumsy, slow, and constantly making mistakes. She used to be a child. Their father though, and Adrianna made her grow up. With an abusive father and her having the feeling that she had to protect her sister made her face the world before any child should.

As she grew older and grew more mature and forced the grace and elegance she now had. She used to correct herself over and over again till she got it right. She forced the grace, the elegance. She would give her father no reason to down grade her. He still did though none of it was true anymore and they all knew it. That fact, that simple fact that he had nothing true against her kept her going.

The song played faster, Adrianna’s voice flowing perfectly. Jenny’s dance followed the tune, her dancing becoming more complicated but her grace didn’t falter. Her smile did though as she paid attention to her dance and the music.

Adrianna smiled as she sung louder a happy expression across her features. She loved to sing. She loved to sing with her sister though. Their performance - as their mother called it – was always fun.

The song slowly came to an end and so did Jenny’s dance. Both the song and the dance stopped perfectly in tune and their mother clapped smiling. The two girls took each others hands and bowed smiles across their face.

Adrianna happily looked to her sister but saw something she instantly wished she hadn’t. Though Jenny was smiling, it was a sad smile. Her eyes were distant as if somewhere else; somewhere far, far away. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know where her sister’s mind was right now, but she had a feeling it was on something very, very sad.

She looked away as they stood up and forced her smile back on not wanting Jenny to be suspicious, though Jenny would notice she was sure. She always did.

“You two were wonderful as always,” their mother said smiling. Jane was clapping happily.

Jenny smiled and took the little girl into her arms and held her close.

“Did you like it too?” she asked with a small laugh.

Jane giggled happily and Jenny took that as a yes.

“I’m so glad,” she said smiling before kissing Jane’s forehead.

“Well come on sweetie. You need to get to bed so Santa can bring you gifts.” She said smiling before taking the little girl upstairs.

Adrianna watched the two leave the room before sitting down and taking a sip of the hot chocolate on the coffee table.

“Is something wrong, dear?” her mother asked looking at her daughter’s worried face.

Adrianna jumped slightly and looked up.

“No, not at all, why?” she asked playing confused.

“You look like your deep in thought. You look worried.” She said frowning slightly.

Adrianna gave a small half hearted laugh.

“I was just thinking. It’s nothing mother, I’m fine.” She assured. Her mother gave her a doubtful look, but nodded.

“Okay dear. You know you can always talk to me about it if you want too.” She assured before going to stand up.

“I know mother,” the red haired girl replied with an honest smile. Her mother smiled back at her before cleaning up the empty cups.

“You should get ready for bed dear. It’s getting late,” she said before leaving the room.

Adrianna sighed softly once she heard her mother place the dishes down in the kitchen. She was worried about what might happen in the next few years. She knew something was going to happen, something big, something important. She felt like she should know what it was, but with Jenny there was never any guessing.

She stood up and left the room heading upstairs to her bedroom. She stopped in front of Jane’s closed bedroom door where she could here Jenny singing the little girl a quiet lullaby. She smiled slightly and continued walking.

She’d find out what Jenny was thinking of, what she was planning. She didn’t want her sister to do something stupid, even if she herself thought it was smart.

Adrianna closed her bedroom door and changed into her pajamas before climbing into bed for the night. She lay awake for hours, her mother coming in a few times to check on her as she often did.

Adrianna pretended to be asleep each time and her mother left the room again without a word to go and check on Jenny and Jane. The red haired girl still couldn’t sleep though. The thoughts racing through her head kept her up. Worries of what Jenny was planning kept her mind working, thinking over every possibility. She couldn’t set on one idea though. Nothing seemed very ‘Jenny-like’.

So she laid there thinking, trying desperately to understand but in the end she finally fell asleep. She was left with no answers to what would come or what was in the works. She was left to herself and to the future to figure out what was going on. She just hoped that she wouldn’t find out too late.