Pearls and Poinsettias

Chapter One

Christmas was a rather dreary time of year, at least it always was for the Durrem family. While the Durrem parents and children threw on smiles, baked sweets, and exchanged presents, each and every moment was weighed down by a single, disturbing truth: there was one family member missing.

That poor, young sister spent Christmas six feet under, freezing under layers of snow and ice. The mere act of being together haunted their souls so much that they silently resolved to spend as little time as possible. For six years, they perfected a routine of arriving exactly one day before Christmas Eve, avoiding each other at all times (except meals and Christmas morning, when presents were opened), and hastily leaving on the morning of December twenty-six. It really was a sight to see.

However, their pattern was broken in the seventh year after the sister's death, for the eldest sister, Helen, invited her siblings to a Christmas Tea Party a week before the supposedly "joyous holiday." Finding no excuse to possibly give to the bossiest sister of the bunch, Eleanor, Penelope, Danielle (who insisted on being called Danny), and Noelle reluctantly agreed to accept the invitation.

Helen Collins, the first and only sister to be married, prepared all of her sisters' favorite treats and teas. She had her maid, Ida, clean the parlor extra well and set the table with the finest china. And she wore her finest clothes―a long, red dress with a lace collar. A red-feather hat was meticulously placed over her brown hair, tied in an updo. With ten minutes to spare, Helen was ready for her guests to arrive.

It was five minutes till three in the afternoon when a gentle knocking sounded on the door. It was barely audible, in fact, if Helen hadn't been paying attention, she might have mistaken it for a creature scurrying outside. But Helen had been paying attention, so she knew who it was immediately. For one thing, she could only think of one sister who would actually arrive early to a social gathering―other than herself, of course. For another, only one sister would exude a quiet manner in knocking on a door.

"Ida! Someone is at the door," Helen called.

Ida's footsteps pounded on the wood floor. Hinges creaked, and Helen heard someone say a quiet thank you.

To no surprise, Eleanor, the second oldest sister, entered the parlor. She wore her chocolate brown hair in a tight bun, so tight that it actually helped to iron some of the wrinkles on her face. Her hands were clasped in front of her, so tight that the peachy skin around her fingers was turning white, only releasing her grasp to push her rounded glasses up.

It was a wonder that she had the confidence to become a teacher. Eleanor may dress the part, donning a beige suit jacket and floor-length skirt, but she only spoke when absolutely necessary, as if there were a clock subtracting minutes from her lifetime after every word she spoke. Perhaps she was more animated while discussing Hamlet.

"Hello, Eleanor," Helen greeted.

"Hello." The two sisters stared at each other for a moment. Helen, normally outspoken, grasped for something to say to twenty-nine year old Eleanor. It was probably just the awkwardness that infected the Durrem family during this season.

"Why don't you sit down?" Helen suggested at last.

Eleanor gave a weak smile and looked at the wooden table to select her seat. It was rectangular and covered in a lace cloth. Helen stood at the head of the table on the far side of the room, silently claiming her spot. Eleanor slipped into the seat to the left of Eleanor's.

A loud banging erupted outside the home, like someone was attempting to break the door down. Helen sighed. It was probably Danny, the most boisterous and unlady-like girl Helen had ever met. She silently determined that she would sooner gather the funds to send her children to an elite girls school than allow them to act in such an unrefined manner. Danny always seemed to be riding horses or playing sports, or at a bare minimum, running.