This is an unpublished snippet from Coming Home - Out of the Shadows. It's told from the point of view of the youngest girl in the story. I hope you enjoy it!
Say Cheese!
I love dinner, especially when we get to eat with Silvia’s father, who everyone calls the General. On those days we eat in the dining room at huge table – I counted fourteen chairs. They are dark wood with maroon velvety cushions. I do hope I grow fast as the chairs are so big! I’m only ten, so there is a good chance of that.
The white tablecloths and sparkly crystal lights remind me to be on good behavior, so I slow down and let Vardo enter the room first. She likes to go first as Vardo is fifteen and much bigger than I am -- in many ways. We are both here because Silvia is our friend and she insisted on bringing us.
“Hello, Arina. Welcome back!” Vardo calls to the woman seated next to the head of the table as she scoots into the chair across from her. Arina is the General’s girlfriend; Vardo adores talking to her because she looks like someone from a fashion magazine. I don't like Arina, as she mostly pays attention to the General and ignores us. If Vardo bugs her enough, she'll talk to her about fashion or shopping.
I take the seat next to Vardo and Silvia sits next to me. You’d think she would want to sit next to her father, but she’s afraid. He’s a bit scary – he wears dark uniforms and his gray eyes seem to look right into your brain. But I am kind of used to those type of eyes because Silvia has them, too. Plus, he’s always looked kindly at me, even the time when I knocked the water glass off the table.
Giselle comes in, and her smile fades when she sees Arina, I think she feels the same way as I do. But she says hello to Arina and then sits next to her. Giselle is always pleasant, even when we do things we’re not supposed to do.
“How was Paris?” Vardo asks Arina as we wait for the General to appear.
Arina wrinkles her forehead and pulls out her phone.
“What new fashions did you see?” Vardo tries again.
Ignoring her, Arina taps into her phone. “He’s late. Let’s see if my dear Nicolai has texted me.”
She’s so yucky. I hope the General doesn’t call her “dear” ever as I might have to make some sort of noise, rolling my eyes wouldn’t be sufficient. He appears a minute later and gives Arina a quick kiss. Gross.
As soon as the General is seated and able to greet everyone, the maid brings out salads on chilled silver plates. This was different! In the month we have been eating here -- since Silvia’s father rescued us -- dinner usually started with soup.
This salad has red berries, nuts and crumbles of white cheese on top of dark green leaves. I’m always hungry, so it looks good to me but I noticed Silvia eyeing her plate suspiciously.
“It’s spinach salad with strawberries and goat cheese.” Her father explains. He usually tries to answer Silvia’s questions, even when she hadn’t asked them.
“Just as I suggested! I had this on my trip and it’s delicious!” Arina beams and to show how much she likes it, shovels in a big mouthful.
“And I thought you’d like it better than beet soup.” He must of remembered that during one of our first meals with him, Silvia had been so nervous that she had to go throw up. She told Giselle that it was because of the borscht. I noticed we didn’t have it again even though he said it was favorite soup because it reminded him of being a kid. That was nice -- not having any parents, I wished I had a caring father like him. It was sad that Silvia’s grandmother hated the General and took her away when she was little but then again, if she hadn’t, I would not have met Silvia and be eating here.
I noticed a tiny ball of cheese had attached itself to the inside of Arina’s right nostril. It was clear from my angle, but General probably could not see it.
Vardo either didn’t see it or was ignoring it as she repeated her question about fashion. This time, because Arina always acted nicer to us when Silvia’s father was in the room, Arina began to talk about what colors were going to be popular this summer. “You girls should get some dusty lilac into your wardrobes.” As she spoke, she gestured with her fork and the white blob jiggled up and down in her nose.
I tapped Silvia in the leg and tried to point out the cheese, but Silvia had eaten all her berries and now was absorbed in trying to find leaves without any cheese on them.
I had to share this – it was too funny! “Look at Arina!” I whispered to Silvia. Giselle said whispering wasn’t polite but since my words don’t usually come out the way they are in my head, and Silvia always understood me, I usually got away with it.
Silvia took a quick glance at Arina who continued her lecture on colors.
“And white polka dots are in again, you’ll be seeing them everywhere!”
A silly smile spread over Silvia’s face and I wanted to explode with laughter. Silvia shook her head and I quickly ate a bit of salad, hoping that chewing would keep the laughter inside, as I did not want us to get in trouble.
Giselle leaned forward. She looked like she was about to say, ‘What is funny? We’d all like to hear it.’ But this time, since she was sitting on the white blob nostril side of Arina, I motioned with my eyes and tilted my head to alert her to the joke. It took a few seconds, then she winked, so I knew she saw it.
“Is everything alright?” The General asked. He had an eagle eye and noticed most things – but not white blob in Arina’s nose. Too bad. It would be fun to see him smile.
“Oh, Pliers was just saying how much she is enjoying dinner!” Silvia answered. That was perfect, because Silvia usually helped translate for me.
Arina laughed her fake ‘aren’t they amusing laugh’ and the exhale blew the cheese out and back into her salad. “Too bad no one can understand you, Pliers, you have good taste.”
*******************
Find out how Silvia and Pliers were rescued by the General, why she’s named Pliers, and if she can help save Silvia in Out of the Shadows – Coming Home.
Available in the Amazon Kindle Store !
The white tablecloths and sparkly crystal lights remind me to be on good behavior, so I slow down and let Vardo enter the room first. She likes to go first as Vardo is fifteen and much bigger than I am -- in many ways. We are both here because Silvia is our friend and she insisted on bringing us.
“Hello, Arina. Welcome back!” Vardo calls to the woman seated next to the head of the table as she scoots into the chair across from her. Arina is the General’s girlfriend; Vardo adores talking to her because she looks like someone from a fashion magazine. I don't like Arina, as she mostly pays attention to the General and ignores us. If Vardo bugs her enough, she'll talk to her about fashion or shopping.
I take the seat next to Vardo and Silvia sits next to me. You’d think she would want to sit next to her father, but she’s afraid. He’s a bit scary – he wears dark uniforms and his gray eyes seem to look right into your brain. But I am kind of used to those type of eyes because Silvia has them, too. Plus, he’s always looked kindly at me, even the time when I knocked the water glass off the table.
Giselle comes in, and her smile fades when she sees Arina, I think she feels the same way as I do. But she says hello to Arina and then sits next to her. Giselle is always pleasant, even when we do things we’re not supposed to do.
“How was Paris?” Vardo asks Arina as we wait for the General to appear.
Arina wrinkles her forehead and pulls out her phone.
“What new fashions did you see?” Vardo tries again.
Ignoring her, Arina taps into her phone. “He’s late. Let’s see if my dear Nicolai has texted me.”
She’s so yucky. I hope the General doesn’t call her “dear” ever as I might have to make some sort of noise, rolling my eyes wouldn’t be sufficient. He appears a minute later and gives Arina a quick kiss. Gross.
As soon as the General is seated and able to greet everyone, the maid brings out salads on chilled silver plates. This was different! In the month we have been eating here -- since Silvia’s father rescued us -- dinner usually started with soup.
This salad has red berries, nuts and crumbles of white cheese on top of dark green leaves. I’m always hungry, so it looks good to me but I noticed Silvia eyeing her plate suspiciously.
“It’s spinach salad with strawberries and goat cheese.” Her father explains. He usually tries to answer Silvia’s questions, even when she hadn’t asked them.
“Just as I suggested! I had this on my trip and it’s delicious!” Arina beams and to show how much she likes it, shovels in a big mouthful.
“And I thought you’d like it better than beet soup.” He must of remembered that during one of our first meals with him, Silvia had been so nervous that she had to go throw up. She told Giselle that it was because of the borscht. I noticed we didn’t have it again even though he said it was favorite soup because it reminded him of being a kid. That was nice -- not having any parents, I wished I had a caring father like him. It was sad that Silvia’s grandmother hated the General and took her away when she was little but then again, if she hadn’t, I would not have met Silvia and be eating here.
I noticed a tiny ball of cheese had attached itself to the inside of Arina’s right nostril. It was clear from my angle, but General probably could not see it.
Vardo either didn’t see it or was ignoring it as she repeated her question about fashion. This time, because Arina always acted nicer to us when Silvia’s father was in the room, Arina began to talk about what colors were going to be popular this summer. “You girls should get some dusty lilac into your wardrobes.” As she spoke, she gestured with her fork and the white blob jiggled up and down in her nose.
I tapped Silvia in the leg and tried to point out the cheese, but Silvia had eaten all her berries and now was absorbed in trying to find leaves without any cheese on them.
I had to share this – it was too funny! “Look at Arina!” I whispered to Silvia. Giselle said whispering wasn’t polite but since my words don’t usually come out the way they are in my head, and Silvia always understood me, I usually got away with it.
Silvia took a quick glance at Arina who continued her lecture on colors.
“And white polka dots are in again, you’ll be seeing them everywhere!”
A silly smile spread over Silvia’s face and I wanted to explode with laughter. Silvia shook her head and I quickly ate a bit of salad, hoping that chewing would keep the laughter inside, as I did not want us to get in trouble.
Giselle leaned forward. She looked like she was about to say, ‘What is funny? We’d all like to hear it.’ But this time, since she was sitting on the white blob nostril side of Arina, I motioned with my eyes and tilted my head to alert her to the joke. It took a few seconds, then she winked, so I knew she saw it.
“Is everything alright?” The General asked. He had an eagle eye and noticed most things – but not white blob in Arina’s nose. Too bad. It would be fun to see him smile.
“Oh, Pliers was just saying how much she is enjoying dinner!” Silvia answered. That was perfect, because Silvia usually helped translate for me.
Arina laughed her fake ‘aren’t they amusing laugh’ and the exhale blew the cheese out and back into her salad. “Too bad no one can understand you, Pliers, you have good taste.”
*******************
Find out how Silvia and Pliers were rescued by the General, why she’s named Pliers, and if she can help save Silvia in Out of the Shadows – Coming Home.
Available in the Amazon Kindle Store !
About the book: If he can rescue his long-lost daughter, General Nicolai Hewzenko thinks he’ll have everything he’s wanted. But for someone used to giving orders, relating to a twelve-year-old that has been brainwashed to fear him is a challenge. And the psychologist he hires intrigues him, but her dark past poses another problem. When troubles arise, both his life’s work and the safety of his new family is threatened.
Can they help each other find happiness?
A tale of rescue, kidnapping, and love -- with quirky characters and a bit of humor -- order your copy today!
Can they help each other find happiness?
A tale of rescue, kidnapping, and love -- with quirky characters and a bit of humor -- order your copy today!