Bettina’s Christmas Present, part one
By Madame vonHedwig on Monday, December 15th, 2008
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3 comments
Mother was in the Greenhouse. She so often was that Bettina always associated the smell of warm moist compost with Mother. Compost and tea and ginger cookies. The greenhouse was built on to the top of the airship’s envelope, so Bettina hopped up flight after flight of metal mesh stairs, watching where she had been get eaten by where she was going, carefully skirting the big silk balls that held the gas that kept the Schöneluft aloft. She knew never to touch those, for Mrs. Huang became very angry if you did. Actually, Mrs. Huang was particularly prejudiced against treacle and peanut butter, but Bettina could never be bothered to keep her hands clean unless cornered by an adult, so she simply never touched the gas balls, just in case. Mrs. Huang smelled of exotic spices, and garlic, and bugs.
Bettina was on a mission. All the other children were talking about Father Christmas, and, young as she was, Bettina knew that Father Christmas meant presents. She knew what she wanted, and soon Mother would know too.
Mother was wearing her leather apron and stout gloves nearly the length of her arm. She was pruning a vine that seemed to be trying to prune her back. The result was something between gardening and fencing.
“Aha! Nearly had me there!” Mother leapt back, shaking her pruners at the twining tendrils. “Oh, Bettina, my love, stay back from the Acrimonious Ampelopsis aconitifolia, it’s quite feisty this morning!”
“Mummy,” said Bettina, getting right to the point, “dolly go boom.”
“What dear? Did you break a dolly?”
“Want dolly. Dolly go boom.”
Madame vonHedwig (for that is Bettina’s mother’s name) was eyeing the writhing vine again. “If your dolly is broken, you could ask Adolphus to fix it, or your father, if he has time. Just don’t go into his laboratory without an invitation.” She lunged at the plant, grabbing and cutting in one swift movement. As she jumped back, the severed vine clutched at her gloved hand, squeezing tight before going limp. She shook it off. “Christmas is coming, you know,” Mother added, “you could ask Father Christmas for a new dolly. You could write him a letter. The twins will help.”
Bettina sighed and moved toward the stairs. As she left she heard a thud, then a flurry of snipping. “Cheeky devil!” Mother exclaimed.
Read part two now!
- Bettina's Christmas Present, part one
- Bettina's Christmas Present, part 2
- Bettina's Christmas Present, in conclusion (part three)
Tags: Bettina, children, Christmas, gas, greenhouse, lamp, light, steam, steampunk, stories, story, toys, von Hedwig, ya, young adult
3:18 pm
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8:09 pm
Do be careful with the Acrimonious Ampelopsis aconitifolia, dear MvH–it’s frightfully tenacious.
5:44 pm
Dearest Madame, I trust you were not harmed in your garden. A technique I always find helpful with Acrimonious Ampelopsis aconitifolia is to blindfold it before pruning. Of course, that can be the tricky bit.
cheers,
Madame Charette