Appearances are Everything

“Hello Papa, you wanted to see me?”

           “Yes Butternut, sit down,” he beckoned to a white metal garden chair before setting his tea on the matching table and closing his book.

            She fluffed her dress and sat down.

            “Can you tell me what today is?” he inquired looking over his reading spectacles at her with bright blue eyes.

            She pondered a moment, “yes papa, it’s the twelfth of March in the year 1946.”

            He laughed heartily, his grey moustache bounced on his lip, “yes, darling, you speak the truth, but what is today?”

            “Sunday papa, we went to church this morning. Otherwise I would be at school of course!” she laughed gaily.

            He gave her a sideways look of pure amusement and love before looking out among the garden. The Lisianthus and Agapanthus were in full bloom; the hedges around them were bright green and neatly trimmed. There were small blue Diana Fritillaries dancing between petals.

            “Today is your mama’s birthday.”

            “Miss Carol’s birthday isn’t until August, papa, I know because we always visit right before school starts.”

            “Not Miss Carol, Nancy, your real mother,” he snapped, “It’s her birthday and I think we need to visit her.”

            “Oh Papa, please, I don’t - ”

            “Don’t you argue with me, go pick some of those damn flowers out there,” he said angrily, grabbed her arm and tossed her off the seat. He picked up a silver bell from the table and rang it hard.

            Nancy ran off, shaken, to pick the Narcissus.

            “Yes, Mister Williams,” said the black bearded man that had just entered through the white picket gate.

            “Thomas, bring the car around, the Bentley please,” he said restraining his anger, “I want to look damn good when we pull up to the Institution.”