So, in fulfilling his Father's request, Vincent asked Lisa to go and speak with Jacob, and because it seemed to be a good thing, she didn't waste a minute, and went straight away! And with a hope filled heart, Lisa softly asked, “Father, you wished to see me?”
Humbly, Jacob stood up as Lisa spoke to him from the entrance of his chamber, and shamefully turned his eyes downward, as he was unable to look at her.
Softly, he then welcomed her, as he said, “Yes Lisa, please come in.”
Entering Jacob’s chamber, she was unsure what to expect. Vincent had only told her Father seemed to have had a change of heart, and because of this he wanted to speak with her.
Nervously, she sat in the chair Jacob offered her, hesitant to expect too much from him, but yet boldly, wished for everything.
Politely she sat, and as she looked into his face, she could see he seemed to be visibly shaken. Perhaps it was to be her time, her time to put the past to rest.
Jacob sat down too, unsure how to begin. As he shamefully thought back, on all that had transpired in their lives, knowing the blame he had cast on a very young Lisa, was unfair, and ultimately was his to bear.
It broke his heart, as he imagined the aloneness she must have felt, as she left the tunnels, and how it had altered her life, in ways he could never know.
Softly he said, “I don’t know where to begin, I, I have been in grave error. I realized today, for the first time, how wrong I was to have sent you away all those years ago, so wrong.”
As tears formed in Jacob’s eyes, he continued, "I cannot justify to you what I had done, please know I regret it now, with my whole heart, if I could go back in time, I would not have cast you away as I did. I made Vincent the center of my world, everything was about Vincent, he just seemed to have needed me more.”
As Jacob finally looked at Lisa, he saw she was crying too.
Tearfully Lisa told Jacob, “Father didn’t you realize I needed you too, we ALL needed you. I needed your love, and wanted your approval so badly, but I never seemed to be able to please you. I never seemed to have mattered. Even as my dancing became more disciplined and refined, you never seemed to look twice. Possessing your love was my driving force, and receiving your approval, was why I was so focused, and obsessed to get better. In a strange way, I owe you for that devotion I developed toward dance.”
Jacob thought back on those days, and on all the children he raised, and he knew Devin too, had deserved more than he gave to him.
He then wondered, what he could possibly do, to make up for all the mistakes and time lost. In reply to Lisa's comment, Jacob said, “I see that now. I should have guided you instead of shunning you. You were all my children. I should have embraced you all!”
He then hung his head in despair, as the regret for the past, carried such great pain for him, and he didn’t know how to right his wrong.
Hesitatingly, Lisa reached across the table, before placing her hand on Jacob’s. Tearfully, she admitted, “Father, I do understand your devotion to Vincent. He was special to all of us. I believe we all felt as you did. He was our center as well. He held us together somehow, by his special and wondrous spirit.”
As Lisa discreetly wiped a tear away from her cheek, she held her head high and proposed, “Father? Why must we focus on the darkness of days gone by, why can’t we focus on the light, I just want to focus on the light!”
Jacob solemnly yet hopefully asked, “Lisa? Vincent awoke something inside of me today, and helped me to remember what I had long ago forgotten. I had loved you once as a daughter, Dear girl, as a daughter. Can you forgive me for my frailties?”
Nodding an emphatic yes, she then revealed, “I long for what I had lost all those years ago, a family. We all have frailties from those days that need forgiving. I forgive you Father. I forgive you.”
Jacob looked up at Lisa, feeling so thankful for her merciful heart!
As Vincent entered with Jacob’s breakfast tray, he asked, “Should I come back with your tray later on Father?”
Jacob looked downward, as a nervous chuckle escaped his lips, and said, “No, come in Vincent." He then shared, "It would seem Lisa, and I have reconciled. She has forgiven me.”
Warmly, Vincent said, "That is wonderful Father, wonderful. It seems to be a day of new beginnings for us all."
Setting the tray down, he looked at Lisa, and said, “The children are looking for you. They have completed their chores in the kitchen, as you suggested Lisa, and now it appears they are most anxious to begin rehearsal."
Light-heartedly, Vincent looked at Jacob to say, "I don’t believe I have ever seen them do the dishes so quickly.”
Jacob raised a brow, and as he looked at Lisa, he said, “Very good! I see you have motivated the children in a good fashion so far. Perhaps you should go then since they await you."
Lisa stood before Jacob, and looking to Vincent, she told them both, “I feel as if I am home at last, here with my family."
Taking in a deep breath, she said, "I will go to the children, I have learned there is nothing more pliable then a willing student!”
Lisa then left the chamber, with her usual graceful style, to which Vincent stifled a smile, as he told Jacob, “I believe she will be delighted to know, Eric now too is one of her pupils!”
Feeling the freedom that only absolution can bring, Jacob let go of a laugh, and asked, “Vincent? Does
Eric have a crush on Lisa?”
Nodding, Vincent replied, “It would appear so Father.”
Amusedly, Jacob said, "Oh my!"
Vincent then tipped his head as he happily noted, “Things seemed to have went well between you and Lisa."
With warmth and emotion in his voice, Jacob answered, "Thankfully, yes. I said things which were needed to be said, and Lisa has forgiven me."
With a loving arm around his Father, Vincent simply nodded, happy this turned out so well.
Vincent then asked, "Did Mouse, and Jamie come to see you?”
Affirmatively, Jacob replied, “Yes, and they agreed not to go near the closed off tunnel! At least Jamie did. Hmm, I was a bit preoccupied, but I don’t recall what Mouse had said. What in the world did he say?"
As he pondered the conversation, Jacob then inquired, "Why do you ask?”
Vincent paced as he told his Father, “When I saw Mouse in the Dining Hall, he seemed, aloof, perhaps a bit shifty.”
Vincent then stopped in his tracks, and as he turned toward Jacob, he asked him, “Are you sure you got through to him?”
Jacob admittedly said, “One can never tell with Mouse. I know you will be leaving for Catherine’s at nightfall, but till then, do you think you could…”
Vincent finished Jacob’s sentence for him, as he was thinking the same thing himself! And so he butted in as he said, “Keep an eye on Mouse? Yes of course Father.”
Nodding worriedly, Jacob said, “Thank you Vincent. It is just that Mouse, is so headstrong. Once he gets an idea to do something, it is hard to discourage him!”
He then chuckled, as he recalled the one incident, when Mouse brought down a “grounds keepers” electrical cart from the park!
Jacob then inserted, "He nearly ran over Elizabeth in her section of the tunnels.”
Vincent’s half grin, gave him away! Although he tried to sound irritated by his irresponsibility, he like everyone else, found these antics of Mouse humorous.
And so Vincent added, "Of course the battery died, so thus the cart sits, virtually immovable, still gracing a branch of the south-side tunnel.”
Trying to hide his smile as well, Jacob asked, “He never got rid of it? Oh my. Perhaps that would be a good project to keep him busy and out of trouble uh?”
Lifting the lid to his plate of food, Jacob took in the steam that arose from his breakfast, and realized he was quite hungry! Perhaps a clear conscience, and unladed heart helped rouse his appetite, but at any rate, he then eagerly noted, "Buckwheat pancakes!"
He then enforced his earlier train of thought, by adding, "As we were saying, perhaps it would be wise to keep an eye on MOUSE”
As Jacob prepared to eat, Lou stood at the entrance of his chamber, greeting them saying, “Hello, how are you?”
Vincent approached Lou for them both, and with a welcoming embrace, he said, “Good to see you Lou. I don’t believe we have seen you since Winterfest!”
Lou nodded, saying, “Yes it has been too long.”
Warmly, Jacob asked, “So what is the fortunate occasion that brings you to us today?”
Informatively, Lou relayed, “Lisa’s lawyer gave me this registered letter to pass on to her.”
Curiously nodding, Jacob replied, “I see. Well perhaps we better give it to her right away.”
Volunteering, Vincent offered, “I will go and tell her.”
Upon entering the Great Hall, Vincent was able to observe Lisa's interaction with her young apprentice. Lisa was saying, “Very good Samantha, until next week then.”
Samantha looked at Lisa with great admiration, and admitted, “It will be so hard to wait till then. I wish we could have another class in between.”
Holding Samantha’s gaze, Lisa sternly told her, “We must not become single minded. It is a big world
and we must focus on all things. Now run along. You did well today. And thank you for helping me put the chairs back in place.”
As Lisa turned around, she saw Vincent watching them, and so curiously, Lisa asked, “What is it? The look on your face, you seem amused.”
Looking downward, he told her, “Not amused, just pleased.”
Happily, she replied, “I am happy you are pleased with me. Ah Vincent, it is so wonderful to be home, to be together again, and have a chance at a new beginning."
Vincent nodded, and then hesitantly said, “Yet...I sense an unrest within you.”
Turning her back to Vincent, she felt stunned he could see and sense this within her. Thinking to herself, Vincent was right. She did feel restless, because she longed for a part of her old life. The part where she was able to dance and share her talents with the world. She did love the accolades as well. She really hated to admit that part of her ego existed, but she did seem to thrive on the praise she received through her profession.
And so she admitted, “There is a degree of unrest. I do miss being with the company. They became my second family. It was a way in which I lived, for over half of my life.”
Vincent nodded, saying, “I understand."
He then told her, "Lou has brought a registered letter for you. It is from your lawyer, and you need to sign for it. May I escort you?”
To be continued
Chapter Twelve
Humbly, Jacob stood up as Lisa spoke to him from the entrance of his chamber, and shamefully turned his eyes downward, as he was unable to look at her.
Softly, he then welcomed her, as he said, “Yes Lisa, please come in.”
Entering Jacob’s chamber, she was unsure what to expect. Vincent had only told her Father seemed to have had a change of heart, and because of this he wanted to speak with her.
Nervously, she sat in the chair Jacob offered her, hesitant to expect too much from him, but yet boldly, wished for everything.
Politely she sat, and as she looked into his face, she could see he seemed to be visibly shaken. Perhaps it was to be her time, her time to put the past to rest.
Jacob sat down too, unsure how to begin. As he shamefully thought back, on all that had transpired in their lives, knowing the blame he had cast on a very young Lisa, was unfair, and ultimately was his to bear.
It broke his heart, as he imagined the aloneness she must have felt, as she left the tunnels, and how it had altered her life, in ways he could never know.
Softly he said, “I don’t know where to begin, I, I have been in grave error. I realized today, for the first time, how wrong I was to have sent you away all those years ago, so wrong.”
As tears formed in Jacob’s eyes, he continued, "I cannot justify to you what I had done, please know I regret it now, with my whole heart, if I could go back in time, I would not have cast you away as I did. I made Vincent the center of my world, everything was about Vincent, he just seemed to have needed me more.”
As Jacob finally looked at Lisa, he saw she was crying too.
Tearfully Lisa told Jacob, “Father didn’t you realize I needed you too, we ALL needed you. I needed your love, and wanted your approval so badly, but I never seemed to be able to please you. I never seemed to have mattered. Even as my dancing became more disciplined and refined, you never seemed to look twice. Possessing your love was my driving force, and receiving your approval, was why I was so focused, and obsessed to get better. In a strange way, I owe you for that devotion I developed toward dance.”
Jacob thought back on those days, and on all the children he raised, and he knew Devin too, had deserved more than he gave to him.
He then wondered, what he could possibly do, to make up for all the mistakes and time lost. In reply to Lisa's comment, Jacob said, “I see that now. I should have guided you instead of shunning you. You were all my children. I should have embraced you all!”
He then hung his head in despair, as the regret for the past, carried such great pain for him, and he didn’t know how to right his wrong.
Hesitatingly, Lisa reached across the table, before placing her hand on Jacob’s. Tearfully, she admitted, “Father, I do understand your devotion to Vincent. He was special to all of us. I believe we all felt as you did. He was our center as well. He held us together somehow, by his special and wondrous spirit.”
As Lisa discreetly wiped a tear away from her cheek, she held her head high and proposed, “Father? Why must we focus on the darkness of days gone by, why can’t we focus on the light, I just want to focus on the light!”
Jacob solemnly yet hopefully asked, “Lisa? Vincent awoke something inside of me today, and helped me to remember what I had long ago forgotten. I had loved you once as a daughter, Dear girl, as a daughter. Can you forgive me for my frailties?”
Nodding an emphatic yes, she then revealed, “I long for what I had lost all those years ago, a family. We all have frailties from those days that need forgiving. I forgive you Father. I forgive you.”
Jacob looked up at Lisa, feeling so thankful for her merciful heart!
As Vincent entered with Jacob’s breakfast tray, he asked, “Should I come back with your tray later on Father?”
Jacob looked downward, as a nervous chuckle escaped his lips, and said, “No, come in Vincent." He then shared, "It would seem Lisa, and I have reconciled. She has forgiven me.”
Warmly, Vincent said, "That is wonderful Father, wonderful. It seems to be a day of new beginnings for us all."
Setting the tray down, he looked at Lisa, and said, “The children are looking for you. They have completed their chores in the kitchen, as you suggested Lisa, and now it appears they are most anxious to begin rehearsal."
Light-heartedly, Vincent looked at Jacob to say, "I don’t believe I have ever seen them do the dishes so quickly.”
Jacob raised a brow, and as he looked at Lisa, he said, “Very good! I see you have motivated the children in a good fashion so far. Perhaps you should go then since they await you."
Lisa stood before Jacob, and looking to Vincent, she told them both, “I feel as if I am home at last, here with my family."
Taking in a deep breath, she said, "I will go to the children, I have learned there is nothing more pliable then a willing student!”
Lisa then left the chamber, with her usual graceful style, to which Vincent stifled a smile, as he told Jacob, “I believe she will be delighted to know, Eric now too is one of her pupils!”
Feeling the freedom that only absolution can bring, Jacob let go of a laugh, and asked, “Vincent? Does
Eric have a crush on Lisa?”
Nodding, Vincent replied, “It would appear so Father.”
Amusedly, Jacob said, "Oh my!"
Vincent then tipped his head as he happily noted, “Things seemed to have went well between you and Lisa."
With warmth and emotion in his voice, Jacob answered, "Thankfully, yes. I said things which were needed to be said, and Lisa has forgiven me."
With a loving arm around his Father, Vincent simply nodded, happy this turned out so well.
Vincent then asked, "Did Mouse, and Jamie come to see you?”
Affirmatively, Jacob replied, “Yes, and they agreed not to go near the closed off tunnel! At least Jamie did. Hmm, I was a bit preoccupied, but I don’t recall what Mouse had said. What in the world did he say?"
As he pondered the conversation, Jacob then inquired, "Why do you ask?”
Vincent paced as he told his Father, “When I saw Mouse in the Dining Hall, he seemed, aloof, perhaps a bit shifty.”
Vincent then stopped in his tracks, and as he turned toward Jacob, he asked him, “Are you sure you got through to him?”
Jacob admittedly said, “One can never tell with Mouse. I know you will be leaving for Catherine’s at nightfall, but till then, do you think you could…”
Vincent finished Jacob’s sentence for him, as he was thinking the same thing himself! And so he butted in as he said, “Keep an eye on Mouse? Yes of course Father.”
Nodding worriedly, Jacob said, “Thank you Vincent. It is just that Mouse, is so headstrong. Once he gets an idea to do something, it is hard to discourage him!”
He then chuckled, as he recalled the one incident, when Mouse brought down a “grounds keepers” electrical cart from the park!
Jacob then inserted, "He nearly ran over Elizabeth in her section of the tunnels.”
Vincent’s half grin, gave him away! Although he tried to sound irritated by his irresponsibility, he like everyone else, found these antics of Mouse humorous.
And so Vincent added, "Of course the battery died, so thus the cart sits, virtually immovable, still gracing a branch of the south-side tunnel.”
Trying to hide his smile as well, Jacob asked, “He never got rid of it? Oh my. Perhaps that would be a good project to keep him busy and out of trouble uh?”
Lifting the lid to his plate of food, Jacob took in the steam that arose from his breakfast, and realized he was quite hungry! Perhaps a clear conscience, and unladed heart helped rouse his appetite, but at any rate, he then eagerly noted, "Buckwheat pancakes!"
He then enforced his earlier train of thought, by adding, "As we were saying, perhaps it would be wise to keep an eye on MOUSE”
As Jacob prepared to eat, Lou stood at the entrance of his chamber, greeting them saying, “Hello, how are you?”
Vincent approached Lou for them both, and with a welcoming embrace, he said, “Good to see you Lou. I don’t believe we have seen you since Winterfest!”
Lou nodded, saying, “Yes it has been too long.”
Warmly, Jacob asked, “So what is the fortunate occasion that brings you to us today?”
Informatively, Lou relayed, “Lisa’s lawyer gave me this registered letter to pass on to her.”
Curiously nodding, Jacob replied, “I see. Well perhaps we better give it to her right away.”
Volunteering, Vincent offered, “I will go and tell her.”
Upon entering the Great Hall, Vincent was able to observe Lisa's interaction with her young apprentice. Lisa was saying, “Very good Samantha, until next week then.”
Samantha looked at Lisa with great admiration, and admitted, “It will be so hard to wait till then. I wish we could have another class in between.”
Holding Samantha’s gaze, Lisa sternly told her, “We must not become single minded. It is a big world
and we must focus on all things. Now run along. You did well today. And thank you for helping me put the chairs back in place.”
As Lisa turned around, she saw Vincent watching them, and so curiously, Lisa asked, “What is it? The look on your face, you seem amused.”
Looking downward, he told her, “Not amused, just pleased.”
Happily, she replied, “I am happy you are pleased with me. Ah Vincent, it is so wonderful to be home, to be together again, and have a chance at a new beginning."
Vincent nodded, and then hesitantly said, “Yet...I sense an unrest within you.”
Turning her back to Vincent, she felt stunned he could see and sense this within her. Thinking to herself, Vincent was right. She did feel restless, because she longed for a part of her old life. The part where she was able to dance and share her talents with the world. She did love the accolades as well. She really hated to admit that part of her ego existed, but she did seem to thrive on the praise she received through her profession.
And so she admitted, “There is a degree of unrest. I do miss being with the company. They became my second family. It was a way in which I lived, for over half of my life.”
Vincent nodded, saying, “I understand."
He then told her, "Lou has brought a registered letter for you. It is from your lawyer, and you need to sign for it. May I escort you?”
To be continued
Chapter Twelve
| Where Rainbows End! By Sharon Holtz Chapter Eleven |
