As Jacob took his place at the head of the heavy oaken table, he lit a match to light his candle, and it was only that one single light, which was shining in all of the Great Hall.
And so meantime, while the light from Jacob's flame was being shared, he then began the recitation of the Ceremonious Tunnel Lineage. With a deep meaningful tone, Jacob began:
The world above us
is cold and gray
summer a distant memory
our world too has known its winters
so each year
we begin this feast, in darkness
as our world began in darkness
Vincent:
long before the city above us
raised its towers to the sky
men sought shelter in these caverns
Mary:
in those days
these tunnels were dark places
and those who dwelled here dwelt in fear and isolation
Vincent:
This is a land of lost hope
Of twisted dreams
A land of despair
Where the sounds of footsteps coming down a tunnel
Were the sounds of terror
Where men reached for knives and rocks and worse
At the sound of other men's voices
Jacob:
At last a few people learned to put aside their fears
Mary:
And we began to trust each other
to help each other
Vincent:
And each of us grew stronger
Those who took the help
And those who gave it
Jacob:
We are all part of one another
One family
One community
Even the greatest darkness is nothing
So long as we share the light
As Catherine listened to Jacob, Mary, and then Vincent, recite their portions of the Tunnel's history, she looked around at all the people that had gathered there tonight.
Over to See Catherine
And she contemplated, of how they were all there, herself included, because they had discovered this magical place, where people are given a second chance to find their sole entity, their reason for being, a place to belong.
By the end of the recitation of the Tunnel's Lineage, the candle laden chandeliers were raised, and the Great Hall was then ablaze symbolically, with the shared light from Jacob's single candle.
Over to See Candle raising
Then the celebration began.
The music the minstrels played, rang through the hall, and William filled empty glasses with cider, or Ginger Wine, from the wooden barrels from which it had fermented.
Then off to the side, the banquet tables were all filled in abundance with foods from William's kitchen, and everyone enjoyed helping themselves to the buffet fashioned feast.
As Vincent guided Catherine around the Great Hall, they were both feeling so happy, and grateful to be together once more. And as they walked, they spoke about their new beginning, vowing to one another, nothing shall come between them again.
It was then, Catherine looked up at Vincent, and with admiration, said, "I want to thank you...for helping my friend Jenny tonight..."
To which Vincent nodded, and said, "It was fortunate I was there at that moment...and I suppose we have Steven to thank..."
With a puzzled expression, Catherine asked, "How so?"
In reply, Vincent stopped, and as he took Catherine's hand in his, he said, "Had Steven not been visiting you at that time Catherine...I would have stayed to present you, with your candle..."
And so as Catherine "Got it", she with a nod, smiled and jested, "Well, what do you know, Steven's bad timing has actually contributed toward a good thing."
With a smile in his eyes, Vincent tipped his head in agreement, and then informatively said, "...and I can tell you, it was the same man who had attacked you and Noodles. This man had the inverted Peace sign on his coat."
Armed with this information, Catherine told Vincent, "Then tomorrow, I will go with Jen to the Police station, making sure they tie her attacker, with the man in my report."
With caution, Vincent then enforced, "While this man is out there...you are vulnerable...I am concerned for your safety Catherine!"
To which Catherine promised, "I am being more cautious Vincent..."
Upon hearing Catherine's statement, Vincent knew stepping up her vigilance, would NOT be good enough, and so he frustratingly added, "You must understand, twice, I have been unable to catch him! His movements are quick, and precise! Indicating to me, he has had some sort of Martial Arts training..."
And then Vincent's voice quaked, as he added, "...the next time, I may not be near by to protect you..."
In an effort to calm Vincent, Catherine replied, "I do understand, and I also understand the sooner the police catch this man, the better off not only me, but the whole city will be. So tomorrow, I'll tell the Police all you have told me about this man, because I do understand of how important it is, that this man must be caught."
With a shuddering breath, Vincent replied, "Yes..."
In wanting to convey her metal to Vincent, Catherine looked up at him and stubbornly said, "I have come to learn, living life makes all of us vulnerable...but Vincent, I want you to know...though I will be more careful, I will not live out my life being afraid, not of this man, or of any one or anything else."
Upon hearing this declaration, Vincent with admiration said, "Ah, you do have a strong spirit...I do sense it."
To which Catherine told him, "Much of my courage is due to knowing you..."
Lovingly she then added, "Since I have met you, I have learned anything is possible."
Vincent tipped his head slightly, and passionately said, "Yes Catherine...your arrival here tonight, has made me believe...anything is possible as well."
And as they continued to look at each other, Vincent took Catherine's hand in his, and they continued onward.
It was then, Vincent asked, "How is Noodles?"
To which Catherine sadly replied, "Well, Noodles is with Jenny's Mom now. Mrs. Aronson watched him for me, when I went to Florida to be with Dad, and she fell in love with him, and asked to keep him...so I had to make the heart wrenching decision, to give him up."
But because he knew how much Catherine cared for Noodles, Vincent looked at her, and said, "I am sure that had to be difficult for you..."
To which Catherine admitted, "I miss him so much already. But I know they will be great company for one another, and he will be treated like a little king."
And although Vincent was happy to hear Noodles was in a good place, still though, he looked to Catherine, and with a melancholy tone, said, "I will miss him as well."
Upon hearing Vincent say he will miss little Noodles, Catherine stayed silent for a moment, thinking of how much she really will miss having him to care for.
So as Catherine took in a deep breath, she then looked up, and all around the Great Hall, and commented, "The tapestries are beautiful!"
To which Vincent took Catherine by the hand, and lead her up the stairwell, to have a closer look.
(Tapestry Page Click on the Link)
As he showed her each of the tapestries that graced the mighty stone walls, he told her, although no one seems to know the story surrounding the acquisition of these tapestries, they did know it was actually the legendary Paracelsus, who had them hung here.
Catherine in amazement, marveled at the brightness of the tapestry's colors...after all these years...they were still so vivid.
She then excitedly looked over at him to smile, because of the joy these tapestries brought to her sense of appreciation.
It was then suddenly they realized they had an entourage! And excitedly, Chile said, "We are glad you are here Catherine!"
Samantha and Heather chimed in the same sentiment as well, and then Kipper, who was eating a licorice whip, asked, "So Catherine? Did you snitch any candy yet? Peter brought us a big bag full of stuff, and your Dad brought candy apples!"
But before Catherine could answer, Vincent looked at the candy eating bunch, and curtly repeated, "And snitch would be the operative word children, I believe both Peter and Charles meant for the confections to be eaten after a meal."
To which Kipper announced, "I already had a chicken leg Vincent...and besides Jamie said it was all right."
After hearing Catherine chuckle, Vincent looked at her, and with a smile in his eyes, approvingly told Kipper, "Well as long as Jamie approves."
Just then both Jamie and Mouse came by, and they were snacking on sweets as well!
To which Vincent privately said to Catherine, "I suppose I should not be surprised Jamie would have approved..."
And so after visiting a while with the children, they moved on, and Vincent asked, "Shall we continue our tour?"
Happily Catherine nodded in agreement, and after pointing out a few details on the next tapestry, Vincent then lowered his eyes to look at Catherine, as she continued to gaze up at the woven works of art.
Feeling Vincent's eyes on her, Catherine bashfully smiled as she softly said, "You are supposed to be looking at the tapestries so you can tell me about them, not at me."
Even though he was found out, Vincent continued to look admiringly at Catherine anyway, and compliantly asked, "Ahem, so what is it you would like to know Catherine...about these tapestries?"
And so she asked, "Well, this tapestry for instance, do you think it is depicting an actual event that had taken place back in the Viking era?"
As Vincent glanced over at the tapestry, and then back to Catherine, he evenly said, "From what I have read, it would seem that it is so..."
Vincent, then with his hands poised behind his back, followed Catherine as she stepped up to the next tapestry, where she then asked, "What about this tapestry Vincent? It is lovely."
With a nod, Vincent then looked at Catherine, and dreamily confessed, "Yes, this is one of my favorites...as a boy, I used to imagine stepping inside this tapestry, living the care free life...existing for just a moment there."
As they stood admiring the tapestry, Catherine tried to envision Vincent as a boy, and all his wild imaginative ideas he entertained.
It was then Vincent broke into her thoughts, as he huskily asked, "Now may I ask you a question Catherine?"
In response, Catherine unsteadily answered, "You may."
Now looking up at Vincent with an impassioned look, she asked, "What is your question?"
As Vincent took her hand in his, he asked, "Are you enjoying your evening?"
With a smile, Catherine replied, "Oh yes, very much Vincent..."
Catherine then walked a few steps further to look upon the next tapestry, and in turn asked, "And you? Are you enjoying yourself?"
In reply, Vincent smiled to himself, as he elegantly stepped up behind her, answering, "Very much."
And then Vincent thoughtfully continued, "However if truth be told, I am looking forward to our time alone...there is so much I want to say..."
With a touch of humor, Catherine looked about the Great Hall, and noted, "Judging by the festive atmosphere, Winterfest may go on for several hours more..."
To which Vincent looked around too, and noted, "Festive indeed...all the guests, seem to be having a high time, and are emptying William's wine and cider barrels at an impressive rate...so after a bit of time, I doubt anyone will miss us."
As Catherine dipped her head in an elegant fashion, she then chuckled as she said, "I think you may be right."
So Vincent with a nod, amorously said, "When the time seems right then...we shall slip away."
The two then shared a passionate look, and turned to walk back among the other guests.
To be continued
Chapter Twenty-one
And so meantime, while the light from Jacob's flame was being shared, he then began the recitation of the Ceremonious Tunnel Lineage. With a deep meaningful tone, Jacob began:
The world above us
is cold and gray
summer a distant memory
our world too has known its winters
so each year
we begin this feast, in darkness
as our world began in darkness
Vincent:
long before the city above us
raised its towers to the sky
men sought shelter in these caverns
Mary:
in those days
these tunnels were dark places
and those who dwelled here dwelt in fear and isolation
Vincent:
This is a land of lost hope
Of twisted dreams
A land of despair
Where the sounds of footsteps coming down a tunnel
Were the sounds of terror
Where men reached for knives and rocks and worse
At the sound of other men's voices
Jacob:
At last a few people learned to put aside their fears
Mary:
And we began to trust each other
to help each other
Vincent:
And each of us grew stronger
Those who took the help
And those who gave it
Jacob:
We are all part of one another
One family
One community
Even the greatest darkness is nothing
So long as we share the light
As Catherine listened to Jacob, Mary, and then Vincent, recite their portions of the Tunnel's history, she looked around at all the people that had gathered there tonight.
Over to See Catherine
And she contemplated, of how they were all there, herself included, because they had discovered this magical place, where people are given a second chance to find their sole entity, their reason for being, a place to belong.
By the end of the recitation of the Tunnel's Lineage, the candle laden chandeliers were raised, and the Great Hall was then ablaze symbolically, with the shared light from Jacob's single candle.
Over to See Candle raising
Then the celebration began.
The music the minstrels played, rang through the hall, and William filled empty glasses with cider, or Ginger Wine, from the wooden barrels from which it had fermented.
Then off to the side, the banquet tables were all filled in abundance with foods from William's kitchen, and everyone enjoyed helping themselves to the buffet fashioned feast.
As Vincent guided Catherine around the Great Hall, they were both feeling so happy, and grateful to be together once more. And as they walked, they spoke about their new beginning, vowing to one another, nothing shall come between them again.
It was then, Catherine looked up at Vincent, and with admiration, said, "I want to thank you...for helping my friend Jenny tonight..."
To which Vincent nodded, and said, "It was fortunate I was there at that moment...and I suppose we have Steven to thank..."
With a puzzled expression, Catherine asked, "How so?"
In reply, Vincent stopped, and as he took Catherine's hand in his, he said, "Had Steven not been visiting you at that time Catherine...I would have stayed to present you, with your candle..."
And so as Catherine "Got it", she with a nod, smiled and jested, "Well, what do you know, Steven's bad timing has actually contributed toward a good thing."
With a smile in his eyes, Vincent tipped his head in agreement, and then informatively said, "...and I can tell you, it was the same man who had attacked you and Noodles. This man had the inverted Peace sign on his coat."
Armed with this information, Catherine told Vincent, "Then tomorrow, I will go with Jen to the Police station, making sure they tie her attacker, with the man in my report."
With caution, Vincent then enforced, "While this man is out there...you are vulnerable...I am concerned for your safety Catherine!"
To which Catherine promised, "I am being more cautious Vincent..."
Upon hearing Catherine's statement, Vincent knew stepping up her vigilance, would NOT be good enough, and so he frustratingly added, "You must understand, twice, I have been unable to catch him! His movements are quick, and precise! Indicating to me, he has had some sort of Martial Arts training..."
And then Vincent's voice quaked, as he added, "...the next time, I may not be near by to protect you..."
In an effort to calm Vincent, Catherine replied, "I do understand, and I also understand the sooner the police catch this man, the better off not only me, but the whole city will be. So tomorrow, I'll tell the Police all you have told me about this man, because I do understand of how important it is, that this man must be caught."
With a shuddering breath, Vincent replied, "Yes..."
In wanting to convey her metal to Vincent, Catherine looked up at him and stubbornly said, "I have come to learn, living life makes all of us vulnerable...but Vincent, I want you to know...though I will be more careful, I will not live out my life being afraid, not of this man, or of any one or anything else."
Upon hearing this declaration, Vincent with admiration said, "Ah, you do have a strong spirit...I do sense it."
To which Catherine told him, "Much of my courage is due to knowing you..."
Lovingly she then added, "Since I have met you, I have learned anything is possible."
Vincent tipped his head slightly, and passionately said, "Yes Catherine...your arrival here tonight, has made me believe...anything is possible as well."
And as they continued to look at each other, Vincent took Catherine's hand in his, and they continued onward.
It was then, Vincent asked, "How is Noodles?"
To which Catherine sadly replied, "Well, Noodles is with Jenny's Mom now. Mrs. Aronson watched him for me, when I went to Florida to be with Dad, and she fell in love with him, and asked to keep him...so I had to make the heart wrenching decision, to give him up."
But because he knew how much Catherine cared for Noodles, Vincent looked at her, and said, "I am sure that had to be difficult for you..."
To which Catherine admitted, "I miss him so much already. But I know they will be great company for one another, and he will be treated like a little king."
And although Vincent was happy to hear Noodles was in a good place, still though, he looked to Catherine, and with a melancholy tone, said, "I will miss him as well."
Upon hearing Vincent say he will miss little Noodles, Catherine stayed silent for a moment, thinking of how much she really will miss having him to care for.
So as Catherine took in a deep breath, she then looked up, and all around the Great Hall, and commented, "The tapestries are beautiful!"
To which Vincent took Catherine by the hand, and lead her up the stairwell, to have a closer look.
(Tapestry Page Click on the Link)
As he showed her each of the tapestries that graced the mighty stone walls, he told her, although no one seems to know the story surrounding the acquisition of these tapestries, they did know it was actually the legendary Paracelsus, who had them hung here.
Catherine in amazement, marveled at the brightness of the tapestry's colors...after all these years...they were still so vivid.
She then excitedly looked over at him to smile, because of the joy these tapestries brought to her sense of appreciation.
It was then suddenly they realized they had an entourage! And excitedly, Chile said, "We are glad you are here Catherine!"
Samantha and Heather chimed in the same sentiment as well, and then Kipper, who was eating a licorice whip, asked, "So Catherine? Did you snitch any candy yet? Peter brought us a big bag full of stuff, and your Dad brought candy apples!"
But before Catherine could answer, Vincent looked at the candy eating bunch, and curtly repeated, "And snitch would be the operative word children, I believe both Peter and Charles meant for the confections to be eaten after a meal."
To which Kipper announced, "I already had a chicken leg Vincent...and besides Jamie said it was all right."
After hearing Catherine chuckle, Vincent looked at her, and with a smile in his eyes, approvingly told Kipper, "Well as long as Jamie approves."
Just then both Jamie and Mouse came by, and they were snacking on sweets as well!
To which Vincent privately said to Catherine, "I suppose I should not be surprised Jamie would have approved..."
And so after visiting a while with the children, they moved on, and Vincent asked, "Shall we continue our tour?"
Happily Catherine nodded in agreement, and after pointing out a few details on the next tapestry, Vincent then lowered his eyes to look at Catherine, as she continued to gaze up at the woven works of art.
Feeling Vincent's eyes on her, Catherine bashfully smiled as she softly said, "You are supposed to be looking at the tapestries so you can tell me about them, not at me."
Even though he was found out, Vincent continued to look admiringly at Catherine anyway, and compliantly asked, "Ahem, so what is it you would like to know Catherine...about these tapestries?"
And so she asked, "Well, this tapestry for instance, do you think it is depicting an actual event that had taken place back in the Viking era?"
As Vincent glanced over at the tapestry, and then back to Catherine, he evenly said, "From what I have read, it would seem that it is so..."
Vincent, then with his hands poised behind his back, followed Catherine as she stepped up to the next tapestry, where she then asked, "What about this tapestry Vincent? It is lovely."
With a nod, Vincent then looked at Catherine, and dreamily confessed, "Yes, this is one of my favorites...as a boy, I used to imagine stepping inside this tapestry, living the care free life...existing for just a moment there."
As they stood admiring the tapestry, Catherine tried to envision Vincent as a boy, and all his wild imaginative ideas he entertained.
It was then Vincent broke into her thoughts, as he huskily asked, "Now may I ask you a question Catherine?"
In response, Catherine unsteadily answered, "You may."
Now looking up at Vincent with an impassioned look, she asked, "What is your question?"
As Vincent took her hand in his, he asked, "Are you enjoying your evening?"
With a smile, Catherine replied, "Oh yes, very much Vincent..."
Catherine then walked a few steps further to look upon the next tapestry, and in turn asked, "And you? Are you enjoying yourself?"
In reply, Vincent smiled to himself, as he elegantly stepped up behind her, answering, "Very much."
And then Vincent thoughtfully continued, "However if truth be told, I am looking forward to our time alone...there is so much I want to say..."
With a touch of humor, Catherine looked about the Great Hall, and noted, "Judging by the festive atmosphere, Winterfest may go on for several hours more..."
To which Vincent looked around too, and noted, "Festive indeed...all the guests, seem to be having a high time, and are emptying William's wine and cider barrels at an impressive rate...so after a bit of time, I doubt anyone will miss us."
As Catherine dipped her head in an elegant fashion, she then chuckled as she said, "I think you may be right."
So Vincent with a nod, amorously said, "When the time seems right then...we shall slip away."
The two then shared a passionate look, and turned to walk back among the other guests.
To be continued
Chapter Twenty-one
| Master of my Heart! By Sharon Holtz Chapter Twenty _________________________________________ |
