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piosenniel · 03-08-2003, 05:09 AM

Ruby recognized the look on Prim’s face, and groaned inwardly. She was hoping that the cleaning they had done after the party would be sufficient for the day. Her knees hurt from scrubbing the floor with the brush, and she relished the thought of just sitting in the kitchen, her feet propped on a chair, watching Cook and Buttercup chop vegetables and stir the pot of stew on the stove.

But Prim had that gleam in her eyes that signified a major cleaning project was being sorted out and organized in her head. ‘Ruby,’ she began, and Ruby wondered if she might just close her eyes and pretend she had gone to sleep. But Prim touched her on the shoulder and motioned her out of the chair. There was no avoiding it.

‘Ruby, they’ll be home in a little while, and if I know Miz Pio, the place is a mess. A homey jumble of all sorts of interesting things, I’m sure, but a mess nonetheless. Come on, lass. We’re going to get it cleaned up before she brings Mister Mithadan home.’ Prim approached Cook and spoke quietly to her. She looked at Buttercup, and Cook nodded her assent. ‘You, too, then, Buttercup. Come along. We’ll need another pair of hands if we’re to get this done quickly.’

The two younger Hobbits gasped in unison when Prim opened the door to Pio’s rooms and ushered them in with their rags and mops and buckets and brooms. It looked like the annual Shire Jumble Sale. There were piles of books all bearing numerous markers stuck in their pages, and maps and charts tacked here and there. Pen and ink drawings done by her were plastered haphazardly on the walls, while the pens and bottles of ink she had used to do them stood here and there where she had put them down in her haste as some other project called for her attention.

The couch and one chair were catch-alls for odd and assorted pieces of clothing, and the chair held the small box of rocks and other treasures she had hauled out last night to share with the children. A solitary rocking chair, had been pulled near the window, and seemed an island of orderliness in this sea of flotsam and jetsam, as it bore only a single opened book of poems upon its seat.

‘Oh my!’ squeaked the wide-eyed Buttercup as they opened the door to Pio’s bedroom. ‘Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse.’ Ruby shook her head as she craned her neck to peek in over Buttercup’s shoulder. ‘And here I always thought the Fair Folk were neat and tidy.’

‘Right, then!’ Prim squared her shoulders like a captain marshaling her troops. ‘Ruby, you take the bedroom. Get the fresh sheets from the linen cupboard and make sure the dust bunnies are chased from under the bed. Buttercup, you’re with me. Get those bookshelves emptied and dusted and I’ll start organizing and putting away. Hop to it, Hobbits! We’ve got our work cut out for us, and time grows short.’

The three women threw themselves into it with a vengeance. Little whirlwinds of energy, they sorted and dusted and cleaned and polished, until the place gleamed like a little gem. Prim, Ruby, and Buttercup leaned on their mops and brooms and smiled in a satisfied manner. The rooms now passed their muster - well-ordered and inviting, smelling of lemon oil and beeswax and lavender.

The final touch was several small vases of flower bouquets. Sweet smelling daphne peeked out from windflowers, daisies, poppies, and anemones in the main room. And fat, purple sprays of lilacs filled a large pottery vase on the chest in the bedroom.

‘Done!’ said Prim, once the last vase of flowers had been placed. ‘Let’s clear out the cleaning supplies.’ She took one last look round the place, nodding her head ‘yes’ to what she saw.

*********************************************

Once back in the kitchen, sipping on mugs of well-earned ale, the three fell to talking about the upcoming birth of Miz Pio’s twins. ‘According to her, the babies are to be born on Midyear’s Day.’ pronounced Buttercup, who had overheard Amaranthas talking to Cook. ‘That’s only a month and nine days away!’ said Ruby. She looked at the other two, and leaned in toward them conspiratorially. ‘I don’t remember seeing any baby things lying about, do you?’ Buttercup shook her head ‘no’. ‘And where is she going to let the little ones sleep? Did you see any cradles in that spare bedroom when you peeked in there, Prim?’

Ruby looked up at the silent Prim, and blanched. She had that look on her face again. ‘Ladies! I believe we have our next project.’

[ March 08, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]

03-08-2003, 05:09 AM	#135
piosenniel Desultory Dwimmerlaik Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Pickin' flowers with Bill the Cat..... Posts: 7,779	Ruby recognized the look on Prim’s face, and groaned inwardly. She was hoping that the cleaning they had done after the party would be sufficient for the day. Her knees hurt from scrubbing the floor with the brush, and she relished the thought of just sitting in the kitchen, her feet propped on a chair, watching Cook and Buttercup chop vegetables and stir the pot of stew on the stove. But Prim had that gleam in her eyes that signified a major cleaning project was being sorted out and organized in her head. ‘Ruby,’ she began, and Ruby wondered if she might just close her eyes and pretend she had gone to sleep. But Prim touched her on the shoulder and motioned her out of the chair. There was no avoiding it. ‘Ruby, they’ll be home in a little while, and if I know Miz Pio, the place is a mess. A homey jumble of all sorts of interesting things, I’m sure, but a mess nonetheless. Come on, lass. We’re going to get it cleaned up before she brings Mister Mithadan home.’ Prim approached Cook and spoke quietly to her. She looked at Buttercup, and Cook nodded her assent. ‘You, too, then, Buttercup. Come along. We’ll need another pair of hands if we’re to get this done quickly.’ The two younger Hobbits gasped in unison when Prim opened the door to Pio’s rooms and ushered them in with their rags and mops and buckets and brooms. It looked like the annual Shire Jumble Sale. There were piles of books all bearing numerous markers stuck in their pages, and maps and charts tacked here and there. Pen and ink drawings done by her were plastered haphazardly on the walls, while the pens and bottles of ink she had used to do them stood here and there where she had put them down in her haste as some other project called for her attention. The couch and one chair were catch-alls for odd and assorted pieces of clothing, and the chair held the small box of rocks and other treasures she had hauled out last night to share with the children. A solitary rocking chair, had been pulled near the window, and seemed an island of orderliness in this sea of flotsam and jetsam, as it bore only a single opened book of poems upon its seat. ‘Oh my!’ squeaked the wide-eyed Buttercup as they opened the door to Pio’s bedroom. ‘Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse.’ Ruby shook her head as she craned her neck to peek in over Buttercup’s shoulder. ‘And here I always thought the Fair Folk were neat and tidy.’ ‘Right, then!’ Prim squared her shoulders like a captain marshaling her troops. ‘Ruby, you take the bedroom. Get the fresh sheets from the linen cupboard and make sure the dust bunnies are chased from under the bed. Buttercup, you’re with me. Get those bookshelves emptied and dusted and I’ll start organizing and putting away. Hop to it, Hobbits! We’ve got our work cut out for us, and time grows short.’ The three women threw themselves into it with a vengeance. Little whirlwinds of energy, they sorted and dusted and cleaned and polished, until the place gleamed like a little gem. Prim, Ruby, and Buttercup leaned on their mops and brooms and smiled in a satisfied manner. The rooms now passed their muster - well-ordered and inviting, smelling of lemon oil and beeswax and lavender. The final touch was several small vases of flower bouquets. Sweet smelling daphne peeked out from windflowers, daisies, poppies, and anemones in the main room. And fat, purple sprays of lilacs filled a large pottery vase on the chest in the bedroom. ‘Done!’ said Prim, once the last vase of flowers had been placed. ‘Let’s clear out the cleaning supplies.’ She took one last look round the place, nodding her head ‘yes’ to what she saw. ********************************************* Once back in the kitchen, sipping on mugs of well-earned ale, the three fell to talking about the upcoming birth of Miz Pio’s twins. ‘According to her, the babies are to be born on Midyear’s Day.’ pronounced Buttercup, who had overheard Amaranthas talking to Cook. ‘That’s only a month and nine days away!’ said Ruby. She looked at the other two, and leaned in toward them conspiratorially. ‘I don’t remember seeing any baby things lying about, do you?’ Buttercup shook her head ‘no’. ‘And where is she going to let the little ones sleep? Did you see any cradles in that spare bedroom when you peeked in there, Prim?’ Ruby looked up at the silent Prim, and blanched. She had that look on her face again. ‘Ladies! I believe we have our next project.’ [ March 08, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ] __________________ Eldest, that’s what I am . . . I knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless - before the Dark Lord came from Outside.