Always forget just how much time it takes to defrost a car after the first frost. But everyone is on their way now, and everyone is a little late today, including me. The defrosting did wake me up but now I am craving my coffee for a different reason. So let’s get on with the prompt and then I will thaw myself out. Timers at the ready and off we go.
well that did warm up my fingers and my brains, who knew. I don’t know what this story is, but I might poke around a bit in it at lunch.
Wednesday, November 29th: Alison regretted it almost immediately.
Alison regretted it almost immediately. As soon as the final word of the sentence left her mouth in fact. But the words were spoken and she could not take them back. Catherine went stiff, frozen. Her eyes narrowed and she turned on her heel, her body still rigid as she walked to the door. She let herself out without a word.
Alison let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. With her breath the words of earlier seemed more concrete. More irretrievable. She overstepped her bounds. She knew that. She was the one who accepted what was going on in the household calmly, evenly and rationally. She did not lose her temper. She did not argue. She was the calm in the storm.
Alison simply got on with doing what needed to be done regardless of her thoughts and opinions.
She sagged into a nearby chair. She wondered if she had finally been asked to do something so far beyond or it it was simply the last straw. This time, when she was informed that plans changed and she would have to adjust accordingly, she snapped instead of acquiescing. She informed Cathering that she would not be changing her plans and that the household could either adjust it’s schedule or go along without her for the night in question.
She thought through her words. She knew her voice was calm and level. She hadn’t raised it. Her tone was pleasant. As she spoke the words she was almost able to step out of herself and watch the words release into the air. She displayed neither anger nor resentfulness, she merely stated the fact.
It was her refusal to acquiesce. To change. That was what would cause the problems. And sitting in the chair she knew there would be problems. Her calm words laid down a gauntlet. Either Cathering would ignore her and go on without her involvement in the dinner, accepting that Alison would be at the opera or she would change the house plans and accept Alison’s schedule as valid.
Somehow she suspected the dinner would go on without her. ‘I suspect someone else will be sent to me to find out why I won’t change.’ She knew if Catherine bent on this then she would have to accept that such adjustments would have to be made in the future and Catherine, once she got over her shock, would never accept this.
Alison took a deep breath and realize she felt good. The tightness that she had been carrying around inside her for months was lessened. She felt as though she could breathe again. ‘And I won’t be taking it back no matter who asks,’ she decided. ‘Catherine told me the dinner would be on the fourteenth so that is the day I cleared to be here. It isn’t my fault she changed it to the 22nd.’
Ten til Midnight 