Family Photos, chapter 4
Giggle, Chuckle, Chortle and Hoot
Photograph #4: A blurred image of a little girl’s face in close proximity to the camera lens. Her pink tongue, the edges fuzzed, is out, and almost licking the glass. A blunt fringe of light brown hair is stuck together by the heat the little girl is in. Her grey eyes are squished with happiness, as her finger clicks the button.
I remember…
The craziness of Christmas morning with two children under five. Bright wrapping paper, shredded, balled and thrown in the corner. I remember the heat, the noise, the laughter. I remember hoping that the next year we would have one more to add to our brood. I remember smiling so much I woke up on Boxing Day with a sore face…
Elizabeth held the photo aloft, and looked at it again. In David’s block handwriting, the back relayed its information. LUCINDA, CHRISTMAS 2000. NEW DIGITAL CAMERA!
She remembered how strong willed Luci had been when told that they should just delete that one. At five, her cheeks had gone pinky red, her rain cloud grey eyes grew the colour of just laid concrete, and she’d yelled, ‘NO! That photo is MINE!’ When her parents had sat in surprised silence, she’d thought that to mean her request had been ignored.
In a bid to up her chances of being heard, she had turned to Elizabeth’s mum, Eleanor, climbed into her lap and said in a softer voice, ‘Grandma Ellie, that photo is mine.’ Eleanor had tickled Luci lightly, making her giggle. ‘Honey, you can have all the photos you want. Mummy and Daddy won’t get rid of it.’
David and Elizabeth had printed the photo out, and for six months it had lived next to Lucinda’s bed.
Elizabeth smiled as she remembered what her mother had said when David had opened the new camera. With her usual cheeky smile she’d said, ‘This is for you to capture all your moments together. Although maybe leave out the bedroom ones…’ Sassy Ellie.
In the present, Lucinda walked into the living room where Elizabeth was sitting among a shoebox of photos. At newly fourteen, she had lengthened out during the year. Curves were appearing and a new confidence was starting to replace her former awkwardness.
‘What are you doing, Mum?’ she asked as she stood in front of Elizabeth, scratching the top of her leg, just below her cut off shorts.
Elizabeth held the photo up in front of her and compared the two faces. ‘Just stick your tongue out a bit would you?’ she said with a smile.
‘What?’ Lucinda walked around and sat on the floor next Elizabeth’s knees. She caught sight of the photo of herself and laughed.
‘Oh no, that picture!’ She paused and said, ‘I miss Grandma Ellie, Mum. I wish she was still here.’
Elizabeth smoothed back Luci’s hair and said, ‘Oh honey, I know. I miss her too. Christmas time is always harder. She loved you so much you know. Her first grandchild! She would be so proud of the way you are turning out. You know what she’d say if she was here?’
‘What?’
Elizabeth put on a cheery voice and appraised Luci, ‘Luci, look at you! All woman and no girl left in you my dear! Mmm, those boys better look out, they won’t be able to get to you with the heart trail you’ll leave behind!’
Luci rolled her eyes and said, ‘Muuum!’
‘What? She would say that. I should know, she was my mother.’
Luci stood up and said, ‘Not that part. Your voice. Grandma Ellie so didn’t sound like that!’ She turned on her heel with a laugh and walked out of the room.
Elizabeth laughed too and packed up the photos surrounding her. She left them on a side table and headed into her bedroom.
Two hushed voices floated out of the wardrobe.
‘Give me that!’
‘No, I had it. Let me look!’
‘I want to see! C’mon, let me look first.’
‘No way, this was my idea. I said – ’
Elizabeth slid the mirrored door open.
‘Your idea was it, Tobes?’
Two boy faces looked up at her in guilty betrayal.
Jack recovered quickly and said, ‘Tobes said he wanted to see what you’d hidden in here for our Christmas presents. He made me come in here.’
‘Oh right, uh huh. Made you?’
Both boys looked at each other and squirmed.
‘Alright, out you get. You know you have to wait till Christmas.’
‘Five days!’ yelled Toby as they scrambled out and ducked past Elizabeth as she playfully whacked them on the bum.
‘Sammy!’ Jack yelled, ‘I saw your present! I shook it and – ’ His voice was cut off as Samantha squealed from her bedroom, ‘Don’t you dare tell me! I want a surprise!’
Shaking her head, Elizabeth gathered up the wrapped presents the boys had pulled from the piles of clothes and pushed them under the bed between seven rolled up sleeping bags.
Later that night, Elizabeth and Kate sat in the living room, the Christmas tree lit up and shining.
‘I just can’t keep everybody happy,’ said Kate. ‘Nadine still wants to see me on Christmas day, but to be honest, I just don’t feel like I could do it this year.’
‘She was your mother-in-law, Katie,’ replied Elizabeth.
Kate curled her feet up further under her and sighed. ‘I know. I just feel like Christmas puts such huge expectations on families to be wonderful, perfect, happy. When I know that on Christmas I will be sad that it’s another one without him, and Mum too.’
‘And Connor.’
Kate nodded. ‘Does it just get worse as you get older? More people die and we just get to miss more? Does the missing measurement just stretch to accommodate more?’
‘I think we just have to take each day as it comes and try to live with joy in knowing that God has each day planned out for us. It’s the little things. You know, I found the twins in the wardrobe today, peeking at the presents. The simple knowledge of the coming surprise makes them euphorically happy. And that makes me happy.’
Kate flicked through the photos Elizabeth had left out on the side table earlier. ‘You’re right. I know you’re right. It’s just hard sometimes.’
‘And that’s okay. It’s life.’
‘Wow, some of these are funny.’
‘I know, right? Here,’ Elizabeth searched for the self-portrait of Luci at five. ‘How happy is this photo? You can practically see the joy oozing out of that little face.’
Kate took it and smiled as she peered into the blurry eyes.
‘Stay here.’ she said and jumped off the couch.
She returned with her digital camera and sat down next to Elizabeth. Holding the camera out at arms length, she pointed the lens towards the two of them.
‘Stick your tongue out. C’mon, it makes you feel happy.’
Elizabeth laughed and then obliged. The camera flashed and the two women giggled as they peered at the digital screen.
Two joyful tongues and two pairs of green eyes giggled right back.
‘Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.”’ Psalm 126:2
