Catherine listened to this astonishing news and expounded, “That is amazing!”
She then informatively noted, “You know Mr. Heibel told me there were actually four replicas of this snow globe altogether, and according to his research, the other two are in The Jacobus Holmes museum back in England.”
To which Jacob confirmed, "I do know that the village where my uncle lived, chose to turn his cottage home into a small museum in his honor. The museum, I was told, showcases all of his art work, which a distant cousin of mine was able to locate and compile.”
Wondering if his Father ever visited the museum in his uncle’s honor, Devin asked, “Did you ever go check it out?”
Jacob said no he hadn’t, he was here developing the tunnels by then, and never had the chance.
Pascal thinking this uncle sounded like a pretty interesting character, asked, “Did you ever meet him?”
To which Jacob answered, “Only a few times when I was very young.”
He then went on to tell, “You see we rarely visited him, only because Mother said it made him too anxious and nervous. I remember Mother had told me, as my uncle grew up, he was quite the typical young man, but later, he became eccentric and estranged. Mother claimed it was because of his broken heart that he became a loner, and a recluse later in life.”
With interest Mary asked, “A broken heart?”
To which Jacob explained, “Yes, you see as the story goes, he had fallen in love with an American woman who happened to be vacationing in Europe with her sister, well, then the war broke out and they were separated. It was after Uncle faithfully served his country for several years, he was able to track her down to her home here in America. Sadly by this time she had some terminal illness, and had grown gravely ill. Uncle was so devastated when she died, that he lived out the rest of his life alone honing his artistic skills. His art was all he had.”
Jacob remembering he had a picture of his uncle, eagerly mentioned, “I do have a photograph my mother had of Uncle Jacobus with his young lady, ah yes it’s in that album, or journal you got for me earlier Mouse, I left it on the table, would you mind?”
As Mouse happily went to get it, he then handed Jacob the album, and after Jacob said thank you, he began to leaf through the pages, saying, “Let’s see, the picture I am envisioning is here somewhere.”
And as Jacob continued his search, Mouse noted, “Good thing I got your album for you earlier, uh Father?”
Looking up momentarily to acknowledge Mouse, Jacob continued looking through the pages as he agreed, saying, “Indeed, yes Mouse you are right, very convenient, ah, here it is. Here is uncle with his young lady.”
Look Over for Photo
As Catherine looked at the picture, she sorrowfully remarked, “Look at them, they seem so in love, and so happy...it's cute they made a snowman together...”
To which Jacob concurred, “Mother said they were happy, and was certain they would have married that winter if not for the war, but then of course, as we do know, a happy ending would not have been guaranteed them, as she did become ill.”
Jacob then continued, “At any rate, Mother said he came here to America, and after he found her, he stayed at her side, until she died.”
With sorrow, Catherine said, “How sad he found her in time only to lose her again.”
With that Vincent softly replied, “Ahh, but they at least had a moment.”
Catherine looked back at Vincent, and with a nod, she acknowledged his view, and said, “Yes, we must be thankful if all we are given are a few happy moments in this lifetime.”
It was silent as everyone reflected on this tragic story, and thought of how what Catherine and Vincent said was true.
Mary then looked back upon the photograph, and she questioned, “So then your Uncle returned home to England?”
After Jacob said that was correct, Mary also asked, “Was that your Uncle’s home behind them in this photo?”
To which Jacob sighed, “Yes that was his home, the cottage they turned into the museum.”
Vincent, looked back at the photo along with them, and noticed something astounding, and so he revealed, “It appears as if he fashioned the snow globe’s cottage to mirror his own.”
Look over for Photo
In Reply, Jacob expounded, “Undeniably! Well now, all the years of looking at your snow globe Vincent, I never put that together before, but realize, in my defense, I had only been to Uncle’s a few times as a very young boy.”
As the thought occurred to Jacob, he declared, “The matching cottages! I suppose one might say is "Hard Evidence" proving my uncle INDEED made this snow globe.”
After everyone had a turn to compare the snow globe’s cottage, to the cottage in the photo, they all agreed they were the same!
And finally Mary said, “Yes Father, I would say this photo would definitely erase any and all doubt, your Uncle WAS the maker of this globe!”
Devin shared an astonished look with Vincent and then looking back at the photo, Devin made mention, “It's pretty interesting he used his own home as a model uh?”
Looking down at the photo once more, Vincent thoughtfully suggested, “Perhaps he wanted to commemorate the place he was most happy.”
Jacob agreeing said, “Perhaps so…”
It was then Devin noticed the writing on the back of the photo and asked, “What does the script say on the back Father?”
“Script you say?” Jacob then turned the photo over, and slipping his glasses down his nose to better read his mother’s writing on the back, he read aloud, “1939, Jacobus and Sarah.”
Jacob then winced as he tried to read Sarah’s last name, and finally he said, “Let’s see in parenthesis it says (Lloyd).”
As Catherine digested this information, she looked about the group before she expounded, “You are not going to believe this.”
To which Mary eagerly asked, “Believe what Dear?”
And so Vincent upon seeing Catherine’s ashen expression, worriedly asked, "Catherine?”
As Catherine gathered her thoughts, she looked up at Vincent, and then relayed, “I had a Great-Aunt by that name!”
Dazedly, Catherine recalled, “My Great-grandmother told stories of how she, and her young sister Sarah, were visiting England when Great Britain declared war on Germany in 1939.”
Catherine then looked closer at the picture, and thinking about the coincidences already surrounding this snow globe, thought this revelation was too much!
But then Catherine numbly questioned, “Could this woman really be my great-aunt?”
To which Jacob dreamily commented on this twist of fate as well, asked, “You say they were visiting in 1939, hmmm, this was the year my Uncle went to war.”
Snapping back to the facts, Jacob asked, “What all do you know about your great-aunt? Do you know if this looks like her?”
Looking up at Jacob, and then back at the photo, Catherine replied, “I am sorry, I never saw pictures of her as a young woman, only as a little girl in formal family portraits with my Great-grandmother.”
But then Catherine did recall, “I do remember Great-grandmother, said her sister never married, and died very young while in her 20’s.”
Upon hearing this information, Devin surmised, “Hmm, sounds as if we can assume the woman in the picture just may be your great-aunt Catherine. I mean if she also died young, what are the odds?”
Mary thinking Devin was right, curiously speculated, “I wonder how your great-aunt died.”
In reply to Mary, Catherine sorrowfully explained, “My Great-Grandmother always looked so sad when ever she spoke of her younger sister, so I never asked. I do know it was an illness, I just don’t know what sort. Dad most likely knows though.”
Jacob then with authority said, “I would agree with Devin...we can most likely assume, the woman in the photograph is Catherine’s Great-Aunt!”
Catherine accepting this most likely was the case, she then pondered, “Getting back to the snow globes, I can’t help but wonder how my Great-grandmother had two of them to pass onto me.”
Jacob looked thoughtful as he also pondered this happenstance along with Catherine, and he then cleared his throat as he replied, “Ahh yes, and now to solve the mystery of how your great-grandmother had two in her possession! Well, how it actually happened, who can say, but my guess is that my Uncle must have given Sarah at least one of the snow globes he designed to commemorate their time together at his cottage home, as a token of his affection. And I am assuming your Great-grandmother would have naturally acquired them when her sister died.”
Everyone stood silent as they thought about all this they had just learned, and although there wasn’t any ancestors around this night to verify these events, they all felt fairly certain Jacob’s scenario was quite feasible and was probably how it did happen.
As Vincent turned the key once more to play the beautiful tune, he thought about all the ties that bound these two families via this snow globe, and it was he who gave everyone the most to think about as he thoughtfully said, “Someway, somehow, through us and the magic of this snow globe, the love in their hearts found a way to reach out to each other once more, and we here are all fortunate to have given witness.”
Catherine looked up at Vincent, and he back at her, both understanding the power of such a love, overcoming time, space and dominions.
It was after a moment or two of stunned silence, when Jacob noted, “Well, this has been most enlightening, and I would like to speak more about these astounding events another time, however for now, I better mingle a bit, and perhaps we all should uh? We don’t wish to be rude to the others.”
As everyone from this session blended in with the rest of the community, they took with them something very special, and it would be a feeling which would stay with them for a very long, long time.
And so the Christmas Eve celebration was rich with communion, music, food and drink, where everyone was in tune with the spirit of the season. And the top-siders which consisted of helpers, friends and ex-tunnel dwellers, enjoyed being there with the current tunnel residents, they shared in the laughter, stories and tales of life.
As the hour grew late, and guests began to depart, Vincent noted Catherine was about to approach another group of people after talking to Rosa the florist. And so stealthily, he took her hand, and said, “Come with me Catherine, I have a Christmas gift for you.”
To be continued
Chapter Thirty-One
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| Destiny of my Heart! By Sharon Holtz Chapter Thirty ____________________________________ |