Chapter 5: Great Uncle Herman, Part 4

Soon, Herman made a sharp left onto a long, narrow driveway. There were acres of open grassland with patches of white spruce, balsam fir, and white birch. A mile down the driveway appeared an old, pale yellow Victorian house with pointed gables and a round bay window in the front. It was a two-story house rising from the woods, apart from the rest of the world. The sun was setting on the landscape, creating the perfect backdrop for the lovely Victorian home. Seth was awestruck as they neared the home. Spruce and white birch trees stood ornately on the sides and front of the house; a house separated by time, space, and reality. To Seth, places like this just didn't exist. Yet, here in this strange land, it stood as a testament against time.

"Welcome home," Herman said softly, pulling the car to the side of the house near the driveway's end, breaking the reverie of the moment.

Seth smiled appreciatively and nodded, then opened the car door.

"I hope you feel at home here," Herman said as he stepped out of the car and headed for the house.

Seth walked through the front door into a spacious great room. At the far end of the room was a set of sliding glass doors with a breathtaking view of mountains nestled in a sea of lush, green carpet with coniferous trees that seemed to stretch up and touch the sky. There were large pane glass windows flanking the sliding glass doors, and other unobtrusive windows to the right and left, all inviting nature into the room. The sight seamlessly blended with the interior décor comprised of earth tones. The sight was breathtaking.

"Let's retrieve your things from the car. Then I'll show you to your room," Uncle Herman said, turning toward the door.

Seth nodded and followed. Together, the two brought in the Farmer's Market purchases as well as Seth's suitcases. Then, as promised, Herman showed him to his room.

The room was painted antique white and an old brick fireplace was to the right. On the left was a four-posted mahogany bed, with an old-fashioned quilt spread across the top. Within the squares of the quilt, scenes were depicted. One square was of an ancient ship on the high seas, another a forest, in another square were knights, and a castle in yet another square. The ship and castle looked identical to those on the medallion his mother had given him. Seth marveled at the coincidence.

"This looks just like ..." Seth replied, gingerly touching the ship on the quilt.

"We'll talk about it later," Herman interrupted. "I'll leave you to settle in. Come to the kitchen and help with dinner when you're ready." And with that, Herman walked out the door, and then leaned back into the room and, grasping the door frame, added, "Don't be long. You might miss dinner." A moment later, he was gone.

But Seth understood his hidden meaning. Translation: If you take too long, you won't eat. Message received loud and clear. Seth scouted the room again and spotted a mahogany chifforobe serving as a closet, and a matching dresser under a small window straight ahead. The room was of moderate size; however, it was much bigger than his small room in Georgia.

The rain gently padded against the window, echoing his sudden homesickness. Then Seth quickly put away his things and hurried down the stairs to meet his uncle in the kitchen to the left of the great room.

In the kitchen, pots and pans hung from the ceiling, and tall kitchen cabinets flanked the left side of the room. Another great pane of glass served as a window on the far end of the room. An old-fashioned stove was to the right of the cabinets, and a massive center island stretched from one end of the room to the other. Seth seemed to have stepped back to another time as he entered the room. However old fashioned it was, it appeared to be highly functional and much larger than Seth was used to.

"Can I help you do anything?" Seth asked his uncle, who was at the sink washing a head of lettuce. Then Herman instructed him to set the table.

Seth nodded, helping his uncle, and within minutes a dinner of roast chicken, fresh corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, gravy, and salad was on the table. Once he started eating, Seth noticed that he was hungrier than he thought.

"Tomorrow, we're getting up early," Herman began, dipping a roll into the gravy on his plate. "Get a good night's sleep tonight. We have a lot to do in the morning."

Seth nodded, unable to argue, feeling the effects of the day wash over him. Traveling halfway around the world and lugging everything from the Farmer's Market took a lot out of him. So much for sleeping in. Herman appeared to be a hard worker and Seth doubted that he would get much rest during his stay.

Seth wanted to ask his uncle about the scenes on the quilt across his bed and of the medallion that his mother had given him to bring along, but he was growing more and more tired by the minute, so he decided to file his questions away for another time.

After dinner, Seth helped his uncle with the dishes then went off to bed. In his room, Seth found his cell phone and called his mother to let her know that he arrived safely. He told her of the beautiful countryside, that it was like no other he had ever seen.

"I always liked St. John's," Victoria answered, suddenly sounding reminiscent.

"You've been here before?" Seth asked, surprised and curious.

"Yes," Victoria added reflectively. "It's been a while, but I'm sure it hasn't changed that much. I miss it."

"Mom, you should have come along," Seth said, knowing he would have pressed her into coming on the trip if he'd known.

Seth heard Victoria laugh on the other end. "No, this trip is for you, son. It's your time now."

Seth wondered what she meant, but he was tired and in no condition for a long, drawn out conversation. Through his window, Seth could see darkness taking over the sky.

"I love you, Mom," Seth said.

"I love you, too," Victoria grinned at the other end. "I'm already missing you."

"Me too," Seth added, then paused for a moment before adding, "Are you sure you're okay, Mom?"

Victoria paused at the other end then replied. "Yeah, I'm fine. Take care of yourself."

"I will. You, too," Seth added, and then placed the cell phone on the night stand beside the bed.

As he lay under the covers, waiting for sleep to take him, Seth wondered what his mother meant about it being his time and implying that it was not hers. Seth pondered the question while lying under the quilt, as his thoughts drifted to castles and knights and ships, and his eyes finally closed for the night.