Thank You

I'm so excited to be invited to join the manor! I received my invitation last night just before I went to bed and I spent the entire night dreaming about my room and what it was going to be like to live there. This morning I've been having my coffee and running around gathering the things I want to take with me. There's so much stuff, I hope you all don't mind that I'm a bit of a pack rat.

Oh my, I love this room! How did you ever find this bed? It's my grandmother's bed with the feather mattress. It even has the quilt I helped her make. We spent months working on that quilt. There is my writing table, I'll put my journal on it so it will be ready when I sit to write. I brought the clay piece my son made for me when he was just a little guy. It's full of pencils and pens, markers and crayons. I love seeing it there on the desk.

Let me see: now where am I going to put all this stuff I brought with me? Exactly ten steps from the bed is a wardrobe. I run my hand across it's smooth polished surface. It's tall, almost to the ceiling. It's made of a deep rich cherry wood with a fine tight grain. There are words carved above the door.

HEALTH AND HAPPINESS TO ALL WHO ENTER HERE

Hum, I wonder what that means? I open the doors to put my things away and a voice says, "Welcome, we've been waiting for you."

"What...Waiting for me? Who are you?"

"My name is Demantra and I will be your guide."

I step inside the wardrobe and before me appears a fairy. She leads me down a corridor with doors on both sides and as she walks (well, actually it's more like she floats) she tells me what's behind each door. The first door we come to is red and covered with Valentines. I look closely and I can see the one's I've made from construction paper and lacy paper dollies. I can see the one my first love gave me in the third grade with the candy that said, "I heart You."

"This is the door to your heart. Behind it lives everyone you have ever loved. Anytime you want to see them, or talk to them, or hug them, or kiss them they will be here waiting for you. Here is the key."

She hands me a golden key set with diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. I clutch it in my hand and pressed it to my chest; I feel the warmth coming from it. The next door I see is black. I feel a chill run up and down my spine.

"This is the door to your fears and uncertainties. This is where I came from."

"You're so beautiful; How could you come from here?" I asked.

"Remember when you were a child and a voice whispered to you from all the pain and madness around you...Become a ghost! If they don't see you or hear you then they can't drag you down into the pit of despair. Become a ghost; I'll show you how. That was me. I taught you to walk through a room unnoticed. I taught you to speak softly so that only those who still their own chatter can hear you. You never have to enter this room alone...I will always go with you. Here is the key."

She hands me a key made of iron heavy, cold, and gray. Then we came to a yellow door. Demantra opens this one to show me. Inside is a table and chairs and on the table is a lovely lace tablecloth. Beside it is a teacart with a china teapot, matching cups, saucers, dessert plates, and more. The walls are covered with bookshelves and all of my favorite authors are represented there plus so many more that I always wanted to read.

"This is the room of your delight. When you are ready, you may ask the others to join you here to talk about anything you want to talk about. Here you can speak and you will be heard."

She hands me a key of ivory carved into the shape of a bird. Back in the hallway I stand before a green door. Again Demantra opens the door to show me inside. Behind the green door is a studio with a glass ceiling to let in all of the light. On one side is my sewing space already set up. The other side is my drawing, whistling, thinking space.

"This is the room of your creativity. You can come here any time you like. You may share the things you make if you choose. Here is the key."

She hands me a key made of amber. The orange colored key is shaped like a butterfly with it's wings spread as if to fly away.

"That's all we have time for now," said Demantra. "Here are the keys to the other doors."

She hands me a necklace with hundreds of keys all around it. I take the keys she has already given me from my pocket and add them to the rest.

"How will I know of the other rooms?" I asked

"There are others here to help you," she said. "When you come to a door you don't know, tap on it three times and a spirit will appear to guide you. I was chosen to meet you first so you would know there is nothing to harm you here."

"Sometimes, I still need to be a ghost." I said.

"That's alright I don't think the other will mind, why don't you ask them and see?"

With that I found myself back in my room sitting on the edge of my grandmother's bed. I looked at the wardrobe and thought...I'm going to have fun in there. Now it's time for a nap. Lying on the feather mattress I trace the pattern of my quilt and the outline of the stitches. Just as I fall asleep I whisper.

"I love you Maw Maw."

From inside the wardrobe comes the reply.

"I love you, too, Baby."