Three Word Wednesday-Through the Photo Lens

Prompts:

Hollow; adjective: Having a hole or empty space inside; (of a thing) having a depression in its surface; concave; (of a sound) echoing, as though made in or on an empty container; without significance; noun: A hole or depression in something, or small valley; verb: Form by making a hole.

Misery; noun: A state of feeling great distress or discomfort of mind or body; a cause or source of great distress or discomfort.

Shallow; adjective: Of little depth; situated at no great depth; varying only slightly from a specified or understood line or direction, esp. the horizontal; not exhibiting, requiring, or capable of serious thought; (of breathing) taking in little air; verb: (Of the sea, a lake, or a river) become less deep over time or in a particular place.

       My name is Mabel Ward and I want to tell you the story of the winter of 1900 that was so long ago. I suppose that is shallow but on the day that picture was taken I had hoped to be immortalized for all time To my misery I never told this story when I was alive and now it leaves a hollow in my family history.

        It was cold that winter just before Christmas and yet the sleigh moved like butter across the road. Daddy thought we should stay home from the party because it was so bitterly cold but Alfred, my brother had offered to take us. We were excited to spend the afternoon at a Christmas party given by our cousins ‘The Wards’; even if we were escorted by our brother, Alfred who frowned at the boys who wanted to talk with us. We were going to a party without our parents. What could be more glorious? Still that afternoon we had a few young men who were not our cousins who braved Alfred’s cold looks to talk. Eleanor had more company of course, the boys always did like her better. The afternoon flew by as we ate the Christmas cookies and punch. I enjoyed starring at the tapers that were lit on the tree in the parlour as well as counting all the hand-blown glass ornaments, Aunt Frieda had shipped over from the continent. Aunt Frieda handed us some baked goods and a mince pie to take to mother and it was time to go before its dark. We gathered our coats from the front hall, ready for the bitter ride across town in the sleigh. Oh how the horse flew in the wind but then to our surprise Alfred stopped the sleigh and waved to a young man with a camera.

“Say, Paul would you take a picture of us?”

The young man whom Alfred called Paul agreed straightening his equipment to take our picture. We stood stiffly in the cold as he adjusted his camera until he was able to take the picture. I felt like a polar bear all dressed in my warm coat holding a dangling muff but Eleanor stood tall looking regal and beautiful like she always did as he took the picture. I was cold shivering in the bitter wind we had to be quick the horse was already cold standing so still. Paul took the picture and promised to bring by the developed picture in a few days. This all seemed so amazing, I’d see pictures of course, who hadn’t but they were usually at Aunt Frieda’s home. Now we too would be preserved in film for all time. What would our future relatives say about us with this picture? I wondered.

“Mabel it’s getting late let’s go now.” Eleanor called and I mounted the sleigh and placed the blanket across my knees as we fairly flew with the horse’s eagerness to get home in his warm stall.

Now I am gone but my relative stares and wonders. How I wish I’d left the story of that afternoon as I try to whisper this story in his ear.

©Sheilagh Lee November 23, 2011

P.S. the picture is of my husband's Aunts and Uncle in 1900's it is copyrighted. The names and the story are fictional.