Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 19:18:29 -0700 (PDT)
From: Corrinne S <quasito_cat@yahoo.com>
Subject: The Graschels of Guenther Street - Chapter 10

The Graschels of Guenther Street

M.C. Gordon

Pertinent information is posted at the beginning of
this series.  Comments welcome at
quasito_cat@hotmail.com or quasito_cat@yahoo.com


Chapter Ten

     Eric and Jane were nervous Tuesday as they waited
for their new tutor to give Deet the results of their
tests.  Eric thought he'd done pretty good because
he'd been an average student at his school in
Castelton before his mother died.  Then his grades
started slipping, and when Marcie turned to alcohol to
ease her own pain at Annie's death Eric failed his
last semester of school.  His self esteem disappeared
completely when he was sent to live with his uncle.
Now he thought he could pick up where he'd left off
the year before and looked forward to school.

     Jane knew she had done miserably.  Her education
had always been hit or miss.  She'd never spent much
time in any one school and her mother dragged her from
town to town until she completely disappeared from the
educational system.  She'd had to fight back tears of
anger and frustration as she struggled through her
test.  She was beginning to feel safe and even a
little happy in the big, beautiful house and was
terrified that Deet would decide she was so stupid
that he wouldn't want her anymore.

     "Come on, you two," Deet told them after they
finished eating a fresh batch of cookies Deidre had
waiting as a treat, "we need to get to work on the
decorations."

     Deidre removed the empty plates and milk glasses
from the kitchen table and Deet spread out old family
photographs of the house.  Deet and Jane recognized
some of them from the books Deidre had shown them at
the library.

     "It was so pretty," Jane finally said.  "I wish't
I could always live here."

     "We'll just have to see that you do," Deet told
her.

     "The house looks the same in most of the
pictures," Eric exclaimed.  "There's only one or two a
little different."

     "My family believed in tradition," Deet said.
"The architecture of the house is Victorian, a style
that was very popular at one time.  They tried to keep
the decorations in line with the style.  But we don't
have to do that if you want to make changes.  Most of
the decorations I have are old ones, used by several
generations, but we can go buy some new ones if you'd
like.  I know a lot of people like to put lights along
the eaves that look like icicles.  One of the
neighbors put some nice wire frames with lights on
them in his yard last year.  When he turned the lights
on it looked like reindeer and a sleigh.  It was very
pretty."

     The children looked at the pictures again and
huddled together in serious conversation.  Finally, a
decision made, Eric said, "We like this picture," he
said and indicated a faded black and white photograph.

     "This is one of the earliest pictures of the
house," Deet said.  "Some of those decorations were
brought over from Europe.  I think some of those
pieces are still in the attic.  Are you sure this is
what you want?"

     Eric and Jane nodded their heads in confirmation
and Deet asked, "Would you like to help me find the
rest of the things we need?"

     Anxious to do anything to take their minds off of
Pieter Musselman, grading their tests in the parlor,
they instantly agreed.  Their visit to the attic the
evening before had been a short one, only long enough
to carry boxes.  There was better light this time,
sunlight filtering through several high windows, and
the attic became a wonderland.

     Old furniture, older than anything in the rest of
the house, was scattered across the attic.  A faded
mirror sat at one end, reflecting some of the light.
Several trunks stirred their curiosity and Jane
cautiously opened one while Eric and Deidre helped
Deet move a stack of boxes.

     "I bet the lady who wore this was real pretty,"
Jane said as she touched a faded ivory dress of heavy
brocade and lace.

     "That was my great-grandmother's wedding dress,"
Deet said softly.  "I have pictures of her and my
great-grandfather.  I'll show them to you sometime.
She was a very pretty lady, even when I knew her and
then she was almost a hundred years old.  She was very
German, an old matriarch from a different era.
There's a lot of history in this old attic."

     Jane carefully closed the trunk, an odd feeling
coming over her like she had disturbed something.  "Is
she a haint?"

     Deet was puzzled.  "A what?" he asked.

     "A haint, you know -- do she haint the house?"

     Deidre said, "Oh, a haunt -- a ghost."

     "I don't think she's ever haunted the house,"
Deet told Jane.  "But if she ever does it would only
be in a good way, like to catch you if you tripped on
the stairs and started to fall.  My grandmother told
me she was a gentle lady who loved her family.  Oma
Graschel said she only saw her get really angry one
time, when she found out the director of an orphanage
was abusing the children in his care.  Greatgrandma,
who always carried a fan in her skirt pocket, stormed
into the director's office and started hitting him on
the head and shoulders with her fan shouting,
`Perverser mensch!  Kinder vergewaltiger!'"

     Eric and Jane both asked, "Huh?"

     Deidre, who knew exactly what the old lady had
said, replied, "Not words you ever need to repeat."
Then she burst into laughter.  "I wish I could have
seen her," she said.

     "Well, I know `kinder' means kids," Eric said,
"so it must be something about the kids that really
piss... I mean upset her."

     "It was," Deet said.  "In fact, she's the one who
brought the things we're looking for with her when she
came here as a young bride."  He was anxious to divert
Eric and Jane from this vein of conversation since his
ancestress had exposed a dark secret of child
prostitution.

     "What was her name?" Jane asked.

     "Katarina," Deet said.  "Her name was Katarina
but everyone called her Katia."  His voice dropped to
a conspiratorial whisper.  "Great-grandpa called her
Kitty, but that's a family secret."

     Jane buried the information away for another day.

 . . .

     "Well I'll be damned, Deet," Manuel exclaimed
that evening when he pulled into the driveway.  "I
haven't seen the old place look this good in years!"

     Evergreen garlands were symmetrically draped
across the porch railings, complimented by large red
bows.  The bows were old, the garlands fresh, smelling
of pine needles.  Wooden reindeer pulling a sleigh
containing Kris Kringle and a large bag of toys,
repainted that morning, greeted passersby.  Carolers,
antique dolls dressed in Victorian garb, lined the
porch on either side of the front door.  Deidre and
Jane had spent the morning gently removing years of
dust with soft paint brushes.  Old electric candles
filled each window.  While the paint on the reindeer
dried, Deet had shown Eric how to replace the worn
wiring on the candles making them safe for use.

     "What did Pete have to say?" Consuela asked as
she shooed her brood into the house and accepted a cup
of hot cocoa from Deidre.

     "He can bring Eric up to where he's supposed to
be by February," Deet said.  "He's recommending
keeping Jane in home-schooling for now.  She can't
read at all, Consuela, and that breaks my heart.  Pete
agreed to work with her until school starts next
August, full-time.  She should be in the sixth grade
and won't make it that far, but Pete thinks he can get
her to at least third or fourth grade level."

     "Hey!" Manuel shouted, "the trolley's almost
here!  Am I the only one going to the river?"

     Seven excited children returned, "NO!"

     "This is rad!" Eric said as they all settled into
seats on the trolley-bus that would carry them
downtown.  "I've seen these pass by the house and
wondered what they were."

     "They were designed like the old trolleys in San
Francisco and New Orleans," Deet said.

     "Yeah," Jorge added.  "Mom and Dad always leave
their car at Uncle Deet's and take the trolley when we
go downtown.  We'll do this again during Fiesta so we
can watch the parades.  Dad always has a reservation
at one of the hotels for New Year's Eve so we can be
downtown for the fireworks."

     "You're so lucky," Jane said.  "You got a mom and
dad who really love you."

     "You are now," Jorge told her as he gave her a
quick hug.  "You've got Uncle Deet.  I can see he
loves you a lot, you and Eric."

     "Yeah, but Eric's his own kid," Jane responded.

     "You haven't known Uncle Deet very long.  I've
known him forever.  Believe me, he loves you."  His
voice dropped to a whisper and he added, "I heard
Uncle Rick tell my Uncle Ramon the other day that if
you aren't happy with Deet he'd like to have you live
with them.  I know he's going to ask Uncle Deet if he
can give you private dance lessons."

     "I don't dance that good," Jane said.

     "You didn't see yourself the other day," Jorge
replied.  "Uncle Rick says you're a natural.  He said
as soon as he can teach you the basics he wants to
work out stuff just for you."

     The trolley stopped at Rivercenter Mall before
Jorge could say more.  A gentle glow appeared in the
distance and Deet put his forefinger to his lips in a
sign that the Fuentes children shouldn't give away the
wonder that Eric and Jane would soon see.

     They made their way from Crockett Street toward
Commerce and down the limestone steps to the river.
Eric and Jane were speechless at what they saw.  The
many cypress trees that lined the riverwalk were
covered with Christmas lights.  Their eyes grew round
with wonder at the absolute beauty.  Manuel and Deet
led them to the entrance to the barge rides and
Manuel, acting like a perfect gentleman, handed his
wife, daughters, and Jane to their reserved barge.

     The Fuentes children had done this every year so
it was nothing new to them.  But Eric and Jane were so
captured by the beauty and polite deference of their
waiter that they were speechless.  Their barge driver,
Arnulfo, explained as the barges carrying the Pasado
del Rio passed, telling that it was the city's story
of the birth of the Christ child.

     The food was excellent, the ride relaxing and
inspiring.  "Who wants ice cream?" Deet asked when
their meal was finished and they disembarked.

     It was a moot question since all of the children
had a small corner of their growing stomachs that
could use a bit of a snack.

     "My treat," Deet added and led them to the ice
cream store just inside the river entrance to
Rivercenter Mall.

     "Can you keep Eric and Jane busy for a little
while?" Deet asked Manuel and Consuela.  "I haven't
done any shopping yet for their presents."

     "I think ice cream and the river lights might
keep them occupied," Consuela said.  "Don't buy them
clothes," she added as Deet headed for the escalator
that would take him above the river level that
contained restaurants.

     Deet wandered around the specialty booths looking
at small pieces of jewelry and clothing.  Nothing
reached out and told him it had to belong to either of
the children.  He was wandering around one of the
movie-related stores when he backed into someone and
turned around to apologize, only to find himself
looking at his shrink.

     "Shopping?" Dr. Tran asked.

     "Yeah, you?"

     "For my sister's kids," Dr. Tran said.  "They're
hard to buy for since my sister spoils them.  I was
thinking about some of these fuzzy dog or bear
slippers for the boys and maybe a princess doll for my
niece."

     "Same here," Deet replied.  "Eric's too old for
fuzzy slippers but I thought I'd find something here
for Jane."

     The psychiatrist laughed.  "Never underestimate
the ability of a child to be a child," he said.  "Eric
would probably love a pair of ridiculous slippers.
He'll blush, protest, and wear them in secret.  He'll
never admit that he loves them, but he will.  It's
like his last act of childhood before the imminent
passage into puberty.  He needs to be a child right
now."

     "If you think so," Deet said and reached for a
pair of fuzzy slippers he thought might be Eric's size
only to be stopped by Dr. Tran's hand on his.

     A pregnant silence followed before Dr. Tran said,
"This other pair is more Eric's size."

     It was only a brief few seconds but it spoke
volumes.

     "I'm opening my house to the Conservation
Christmas Tour this year," Deet stammered out.  "I'd
like you to stop by, if you can, and see what Eric and
Jane are doing with the house.  That is, if you'd
like.  I'll understand if you're not interested.  I
only thought ..."

     "I think I'd like that," Dr. Tran replied.  "I am
their therapist and it would probably be a good idea
if I see first hand their environment.  May I invite
Judge Solari and her family?"

     "Of course," Deet replied, again aware of the
fact that this man was his and the children's
therapist and not someone he could become involved
with although he hadn't felt this drawn to any man
since Ramon left him for Rick.

     "The Conservation Society sells tickets for the
tour but I can have you and the judge as private
guests outside the tour.  I'm not sure how to do this
since I don't want the judge to think I'm trying to
brown-nose."

     "I'll pay for the tour tickets," Dr. Tran said.
"Angie knows I'm always attempting to bribe her but
we've known each other for years.  Any chance she
could see Jane do a little Spurs Dancer shake and
shimmy?"

     "I, uh, don't know," Deet replied.  "She only
lets loose when Rick's around to guide her."

     "Saturday night, an impromptu visit and see if
you can get Ramon and Rick over here.  I want Angie to
see Jane getting down with the groove."