Blue as a Fedora

Chapter 1: Albas

Peter was full of so many surprises, Malvina thought to herself, as she walked alongside her school. With the school day finished, Malvina was thinking of everything she had learnt. Being seven-years-old, she was in the lower class at school. Still, though, school was always so interesting...  

Malvina walked past the fence surrounding the school and saw her eleven-year-old sister, Malia, waiting by the bronze lion statue: their meeting place. Malia was sitting underneath the statue buried in a book titled "Guide du débutant pour apprendre l'anglais."  Malvina, unable to contain her excitement anymore, broke into a run. 

"Hey, Malia!"

Malia looked up impatiently from her book, apparently annoyed that she had been interrupted from her reading. Realising it was Malvina, she bunny-folded her page, then stood up. 

"Hi Malvina," she said steadily. "What took you so long? I've been waiting for ages." 

"I've just been talking a lot with Peter," Malvina replied. "Come on, let's walk home."

So they began making their way back home, going by their usual path through Albas. Albas was a village with a tiny population and little, medieval French buildings which were scattered around the minuscule town. Although she had yet to venture away from the village, Malvina believed it to be the most beautiful place in the world.

"So, who is this Peter?" Malia asked, as she waved to Alexander, the man who sold the fish by the corner.

"He's my friend," Malvina said, dodging as two men carrying a giant flower pot came by their way. "He has the funniest ideas Malia, he's so clever too."

This was indeed true; Peter had been a friend of Malvina's for perhaps two weeks now. Since only forty-six children went to her school, Malvina couldn't believe that they hadn't met earlier.

"He even lives near us!" Malvina continued happily. "I can walk to his home whenever I want, he lives in the hills too."

Malia was about to respond, but just then they passed Heureux, the man who sold the flowers.

"Why, isn't it the most beautiful girl in the world, along with her amazing sister!" he beamed at Malia. Malia was indeed extremely beautiful: she had waist-length, brown hair and a soft face with a perfect complexion. Her intelligent dark brown eyes studied Heureux with content.

"Hello Heureux," she said, with a smile that seemed to make everything around her glimmer with beauty. "The flowers look stunning today."

Heureux was a middle-aged man who was starting to bald, however he was one of the happiest men in Albas. Malvina and Malia regularly crossed by him when walking home from school.

"Yes, my flowers," he sighed, sniffing the yellow ones Malvina had been eyeing with curiosity. "How was school today, girls?"

"Very interesting," said Malia. "They introduced us to English classes the other day. It's such an amazing language. I'm trying to learn more at home."

She held up the book that she had been reading under the lion statue from before. Heureux looked delighted.

"That's lovely Malia! Always good to learn another language!" Heureux cried. Malia gave a faint smile as he turned to Malvina. "What about you, Malvina? How was school?"

Malvina, who had not been paying attention to the conversation, but was rather studying the enchanting flowers as though mesmerised, didn't answer. It was only when Malia stomped on her foot rather harshly when Malvina looked up.

"What? Oh! Yeah, school was great. I love it."

Heuruex chuckled, then bent down to peer through his flowers, an expression of wonder on his face. He then looked up at Malia, and said, "Because I feel it'll suit you ever so well, Malia, you can take this flower for free..."

He delicately selected a small, red flower that was slightly darker from the rest. He then carefully put the flower behind Malia's left ear.

"Ah, how beautiful..."

"Thank you ," Malia said happily, touching her ear with her index finger. "You know, red is my favourite colour..."

"It's a pleasure," Heureux beamed, tipping his hat to Malvina and Malia as they started to walk away. "Don't always expect free flowers from me Malia!"

Malia laughed and waved as they turned a corner, making their way to the grass-filled hills of Albas.

"But seriously, how was school Malia?" Malvina asked to start up conversation.

"Dull," Malia replied lazily, now not looking as beautiful with her frown. "The only subject I really find interesting is English..."

Malia had just started learning a foreign language and had selected English. Malvina didn't really see the point; why speak English when you can already speak the loveliest language in the world?

"What other languages do they teach at school?" Malvina asked curiously. It would be in a few years' time when she'd have to pick a foreign language to learn.

"Italian and Spanish, though I wouldn't recommend them; you could learn them in your own time they're so easy."

"Anything else then?" Malvina didn't really fancy learning English. "How about Japanese?"

"Japanese?" Malia laughed, as they crossed the road. "You'd have to travel to Paris to learn a language like that!"

"But it's so interesting, don't you think?" Malvina said. "So, is there anything else?"

"No," Malia said simply, "but I heard Mr Calper say that he wants to add German to the list of languages. Honestly, if you want to learn German just go to Paris, they teach everything there..."

They didn't talk much afterwards, but continued the path to their home as they set deeper into the hills. The further up the hills they climbed, the wilder and more unkept the grass and trees became, until finally, the land levelled out. Malia and Malvina could've walked in the middle of the road if they wanted to, because there were almost never any cars here. They rarely did, however, because if they walked by the footpath, they could see a fantastic view of the Albas village, every day after walking home from school.

The Albas hills were filled with trees and wild plants. If someone took a glance at the hills, they'd never guess that there were houses in there, hidden in the infinite sea of flora and green. Other than the houses, the only man-made things in the hills were the roads that snaked through the green like worms, French street lamps standing every few metres by their sides. There was so much grass in the hills that it threatened to cover the streets, as it had already done with the footpaths. Nevertheless, Malvina and Malia knew the way to their home perfectly well.

Malvina's favourite part of walking home from school was the view that they got to see of Albas from up above. Sure, it wasn't for too long that they saw it, but Malvina loved how the medieval-looking village appeared, with greenery sitting all around it. After a few more steps, however, and the trees started thickening, covering Albas from sight.

After twenty or so minutes of following the winding roads, Malvina and Malia took a detour, walking off track and through another path. The plants here were trodden on and there were almost no low-hanging branches here, because the two girls had walked through this path so many times. Finally, after thirty seconds of walking, they reached a white garden fence, which Malia opened. Behind the fence, a good-looking house stood, with many windows located in funny places and a neat porch with two seats and a table. Although not too big, the house looked nevertheless impressive, as Malvina's father was a wealthy man, working for the government.

Malia and Malvina made their way to the front door, taking the stone path that led to it. Malia took the lead and opened the door, to the sound of baby's laughter.

"Hi Mama! Hi Papa!" said Malvina.

Mama and Papa were in the living room, playing with Malvina's two-year-old sister, Manoela, who was watching as her parents flew a toy plane in front of her eyes. She giggled as she playfully attempted to seize the plane with her little fists.

Malvina's father was a tall man, with a bald-patch beginning to grow in his brown hair. He had a thin face and a bit of a beard. The mother, one the other hand, had wavy blonde hair, was slightly short and rather slim. She had brown eyes that were the exact same shade as Malia's, and also Manoela's.

"Hello guys," Papa said, putting the plane down and lifting up Manoela. "We've been waiting for you, we're going to have lunch together. Do you want help with the food, Elise?" he added to his wife.

"No, it's already been made," Mama replied, taking Manoela from her father's grip and taking her to the kitchen for lunch.

"How's Ella been?" Malia asked, taking a seat in the kitchen as well; although her full name was Manoela, the family simply called her Ella for short.

"Out of all my children," Mama said absent-mindedly, holding Ella and trying to get the food ready at the same time, "Ella has by far been the most quiet and sensible of all. She's going to grow up to be the most wonderful girl in France, isn't that right Zamir?"

"I'm sure of it," Papa replied easily, as if he were being asked what one plus one was. Taking Ella out of his wife's hands so that she could properly prepare the food, he then said, "Hey Ella, can you say 'kitchen'?"

There was a moment's silence, with Malia looking up from her book and Malvina watching Ella intently, with some sort of obsession. Mama was making a racket in the background, getting the food ready. Then...

"Window Room," Ella simpered.

Everyone stared at each other in slight confusion, then Malvina burst out laughing.

"Ella," Zamir said, who, despite holding a tone full of seriousness, was clearly trying hard not to smile, "it's not 'window room,' it's 'kitchen.' Say that for Papa now –"

"Window Room," Ella repeated stubbornly, waving her blonde hair out of her face. Papa put her in her seat.

"Well, look at all the windows in here," Malvina pointed out, still giggling. She was quite correct; the kitchen held a strange assortment of windows on the walls that didn't seem to follow any clear pattern.

"She's so smart," Mama said, now giving out food for everybody. Malvina was given a delicious looking sandwich. "Two-years-old and she's already learning her nouns..."

"I could talk when I was two," Malia said.

"Yeah, but could you read and write?" Papa asked jokingly. Malia responded with a groan and began eating her sandwich.

Although Papa had asked the question jokingly, Malvina knew there was truth behind it. Only a few days ago had she spotted Ella reading one of the old books from the book shelf to herself, completely absorbed. And, although her hand-writing was rather un-neat, Malvina had watched her as she wrote the alphabet on a spare sheet of paper, only a week ago.

"Actually, Papa," said Malia, with a mouthful of sandwich. "Why do we have so many windows in the window ro – I mean kitchen?"

"Don't talk with your mouth full Malia, it's rude," Mama said pointedly, then she turned to her husband and said, "But yeah, why do we?"

Papa, who was feeding Ella baby food, didn't answer immediately. Then, he turned and said vaguely, "I like windows."

"Okay," Malia said impatiently, no more food in her mouth, "but Mama said that you asked for the builders to put the windows in here specifically. Why?"

"I already told you. I like windows."

"Okay, but –"

"Malia!" Mama snapped. "The man likes windows! Let's just eat!"

There was another moment's silence in the kitchen, and then they all started laughing. Even Ella joined in. Malvina and the others then began finishing their lunch, talking about the day at school and the new words Ella had learnt that day. Clearly, 'window room' had become a favourite.