M I R R O R M I R R O R
Written by G J Donahue (4,286 words)
It was a cold sunny day in early December when Jenny pulled her car in front of the old brown stained shingled house. She had the correct address, because the man she spoke with on the phone said that there would be an old wooden rocking chair on the porch.
As she walked up the path leading toward the steps, she read the historic plaque on the outside of the house to herself. Jenny stepped onto the porch and saw the old man in a wheelchair. His gray hair and short cropped white beard shone in the bright sun. Jenny looked at the beautiful homemade quilt that covered his lap.
He smiled and spoke with a deep voice,
"You must be Jenny."
She nodded and stretched her hand out to him.
"You must be George. I’m pleased to meet you."
A woman opened the wooden door. She stood in a colorful housedress and her hair was held back in a bun. She stepped onto the porch and introduced herself.
"Hello. I’m Jeanne and you must be here to look at the mirror. Please come in."
Jeanne closed the door behind them as Jenny stepped into the parlor following George. She looked around at the collection of furniture, clocks and paintings of lighthouses on the wall. Jenny stepped closer to one of the paintings and admired the blues of the waves crashing against the base of the lighthouse.
George spoke up,
"My mother painted it quite a few years ago. The painting is one of the items I hung onto after her passing."
There was an awkward silence and Jenny turned and looked into the dining area. The dark wood table had huge round ornate legs, which matched the buffet and sideboard.
The six chairs around the table included one chair with arms. The wood shined as if it were new.
"Oh what a beautiful dining room set!"
Jenny said as she ran her fingers along the fine detailed lines. She had to know if it was a reproduction.
"It must be very old?"
George answered,
"It was my grandmother’s wedding gift from her parents. It is a 1927 Jacobean Colonial Revival. This set has been in this house and in this room ever since."
Jenny looked at the flocked fleur de le wallpaper that covered the walls just above the chair rail. It looked like a wonderful reproduction of old style wallpaper.
"Jenny, this wallpaper has adorned these walls since 1954, the year I was born. I remember my mother telling me that my father, who was a paperhanger, came over to prepare the room for Christmas that year. It was my first Christmas."
Jenny walked around and gently touched many things in the room and stared at the purplish glass in the bay window. They must be the original glass.
She spoke,
"The historic plaque on the porch claimed this house was built in 1914. It is so unique and different. Have you lived here long?
George spoke up,
"In the early 20’s my grandparents bought the house after a coal furnace fire swallowed up the French pockets doors in these walls between the dining room and the parlor. My mother and her brother and sister grew up here, in this house."
He ran his hand over a brown paper wrapped package that leaned against the wall.
"After my grandmother passed, Jeanne and I moved here and discovered some very interesting things about this house and its past."
Jenny was fascinated with the objects that were in the house and its history. There was a painting on the wall of a grist mill. She recognized it and turned to Jeanne,
"Is this the Grist Mill in Sudbury? It looks old."
"Yes it was painted by a woman named Eva Bent. Back in 1957 it hung in the Henry Ford Wayside Country Store after it was in the Boston Art Exhibit in 1954."
Jenny’s head was spinning. So many old items rich with their own story surrounded her. She looked around and did not see the mirror she came to look and purchase.
George leaned over in his wheelchair and tilted the tall thin package that lies against a door frame. The brown paper tied with twine that covered it opened as he tugged on the knot.
There it was. The mirror Jenny came to see. She saw pictures of it on the internet. She sat down on the floor cross legged in front of the mirror as George peeled back the crinkly paper. The shine of the gold leaf frame emerged from the wrinkled brown paper. She leaned toward it and stared at the fine detail of the rose petals and vines that intertwined along the golden framework.
The chips on the corners of the frame were evident but the ad listed on the internet indicated there was some minor damages and very `unique’ properties. Jenny thought the chips gave the frame character.
George tilted the mirror and read the weathered label on the back.
"It was manufactured by Longfellow and Sons in 1948. The silver is guaranteed or 10 years. I guess that guarantee is no longer valid."
Jenny chuckled.
"How many other faces have gazed into this mirror over all those years…?"
George turned to Jeanne and they shared a silent smile.
"I have to ask you, the asking price was fifty three dollars. Why did you list it with such an odd price?"
George laughed.
"Well, Jenny, the ad and the price did get your attention. This mirror has been in my life for fifty three years. From the day I was born until now, this mirror hung in this dining room. It was there for birthday parties, thanksgiving dinners, Easter…"
"What about Christmas?"
Jenny asked
"Oh yes. The mirror hung on the wall especially on Christmas. I remember the Christmas tree would be in the middle of the bay windows opposite the mirror.
You could see the reflection of the tree lights, tinsel and presents in this old mirror. It hung right here over the buffet table."
Jenny stood up in front of the buffet table and could barely see the outline of where the mirror hung on the flocking of the wallpaper. The velvety flocking was flattened where the picture hanger wire would press against the wall.
Jenny walked back to the mirror and lifted it off the ground. It was very heavy, with thick glass. She carried it over to the buffet table and turned toward George.
"I will buy it but may I hang it on the wall one more time, just to see how it looks?"
There was a nervous silent pause. Jeanne placed her hands on her husband’s shoulders. He looked back at her from the wheelchair for approval. Jeanne nodded and ran her hands through his silver hair.
"Well… I guess one more time would be nice. The nail is still there."
Jenny lifted the heavy mirror and with Jeanne’s help was able to place it on the nail. She carefully straightened it and made it level; however, as many times as she had tried to make it level, the mirror would tilt downward slightly toward the right.
"That’s how I remember it." George said.
"It always tilted downward to the right. My grandfather used to say the house was crooked and since we are on a hill, I believed him. I still believe him."
George smiled slightly.
Jenny stepped backwards into the center of the room with one hand under her chin and the other embracing her elbow. She stared into the mirror and said again aloud,
"How many other faces have gazed into this mirror over all those years…?"
Jenny looked into the mirror and could see George and Jeanne smiling off to the side.
After having some tea and cookies, in addition to buying the mirror, Jenny purchased an old looking floor lamp. After wrapping the mirror back up, she carried it to her car and carefully wedged the mirror in the rear seat of her car, waved goodbye and headed home.
George and Jeanne waved from the porch as Jenny drove away. Jeanne kissed George on
the cheek,
"George, do you think Jenny will find out, will she know when…"
George hushed her.
"Yes my love. She will find her answers in the mirror."
Weeks went by and Jenny did not have a minute’s time to un-wrap the mirror and hang it on the wall. The holiday season came upon her like a surprise. The mirror leaned against the wall wrapped in brown paper.
Christmas was approaching and Jenny barely had enough time between two jobs to go gift shopping. She needed to purchase small sized gifts because it was her turn to travel.
This year, it was her turn to take the train to her parent’s house in New York for the holiday. Last year, everyone met halfway in Connecticut. But now her brother, his wife and three kids would be asking `Are we there yet?’ from the rear of the family van would be too much to bear for the three hour ride up to Boston.
Jenny sat on the floor Christmas Eve surrounded by snippets of wrapping paper and ribbons, trying to finish the bows and name tags when the weather bulletin on the television in the other room commanded her attention. The news was not good. The storm which began last night had turned into a blizzard, socking Boston in one of its worst storm since the blizzard of 78’.
Jenny put the scissors and tape on the floor beside her and leaned back against the wall as news of Logan Airport flight cancellations causing the airport to shut down. All trains scheduled to leave South Station to New York, including her nine-thirty, have been cancelled.
There have been scattered power outages because of the heavy snow and ice on the wires. Jenny knew she had a flashlight in her bag if needed.
"I guess mom and dad will have to wait for their gift."
She unwrapped a bottle of wine and removed the tag `Mom and Dad’ off the cork. She walked barefoot into the kitchen grabbing a corkscrew and a wine glass out of the cabinet and that’s when the lights began flickering.
Quickly she opened the `junk drawer’ and scooped up an armful of candles and a box of wooden matches. Balancing the wine glass, candles, matches and corkscrew, she made her way toward the fridge and pulled out the containers of Chinese food leftovers and that is when the lights went out.
Frozen in place, she waited for her eyes to become accustomed to the darkness. The bluish white light from outside the windows helped somewhat. Jenny always thought it odd that even at night snow seems to give off that bluish white light. She made her way into the other room and placed the wineglass next to the unopened bottle. She lit a few of the candles and placed them on the floor. She sat down cross-legged and slowly removed the cork from the bottle, pouring the wine into the glass.
"I’ll let this breathe a little. Let’s add some more light here."
Jenny felt comfort talking aloud because the only sound that could be heard was the wind outside and the icy snow pelting against the windows.
She leaned back against the doorframe, staring at the wrapped mirror on the floor propped on the doorframe opposite where she sat.
"Hmmm. Lets add some more light in the room."
She tugged the string loose and peeled the paper away. The gold frame glittered in the candle light. She sat back and picked up her wine glass and clinked it against her reflection in the mirror.
"I would like to propose a toast, to all my friends who have joined me this snowy Christmas Eve."
She held her glass up and took a sip. Swallowing slowly and placing it back on the floor, next to the cardboard container with Chinese food.
"Crap. I need a fork."
She stood up and walked into the kitchen with a candle. As she reached into the drawer and grabbed a fork, some light came in from the other room. She glanced over her shoulder.
"Well, thank goodness at least I won’t be eating alone in the dark."
She headed into the room and sat down on the floor, oblivious which house lights came back on until she realized that the light was reflecting from the mirror…
The light came from the candles, but not her candles.
Jenny stared in disbelief at her reflection in the mirror, or rather the reflection behind her reflection in the mirror. It was not her room she was looking at through the mirror.
It was…
It was a reflection of the dining room in the house where she bought the mirror just weeks ago. She closed her eyes. She closed them real tight. She moved her hand along the floor and felt the stem of the wine glass. With her eyes closed, she brought it to her lips and took a sip of wine.
"This is weird. I am home, I am holding my wine glass and the power is out. There is no way…"
She slowly opened her eyes. She was home, on the floor, looking in the mirror and seeing another family.
Jenny silently stared into the mirror.
A happy young couple stood staring at the tree. The man was removing her coat while she balanced a small bundle in one arm. She stood beside a bay window with a Christmas tree facing her. Jenny swore the lights on the tree were real lit candles.
The woman was greeted by an older couple. The older couple hugged her and took the bundle turning and facing the mirror, facing Jenny. The bundle was a small baby. She held the baby to the mirror kissing the little one with big smooching sounds.
"My God. I can hear them!"
Jenny said surprising herself.
The baby, not more than two months old was on the older woman’s shoulder still facing the mirror. Jenny smiled and the baby smiled back.
"They say babies can see things grownups cannot."
Jenny said aloud.
Jenny decided to stay quiet and just watch and listen to the reflections.
Jenny could hear a faint echo of the song "White Christmas" in the background. The people were talking.
"Oh this is from Irving Berlin’s `White Christmas’. He wrote that in the forties and your dad bought this mirror in 1948 for my Christmas gift!"
Jenny found it harder to hear the conversations unless they were right next to the mirror. Soon the room dimmed as the older man, Jenny assumed was the baby’s Grandfather, blew out the candles in the Christmas tree. The new mother brought the baby to the mirror and the baby stared right into it. Jenny felt as if she and the baby were looking right at her. The woman whispered to the baby,
"Remember, Georgie Porgy, this is your first Christmas ever. Next week we will celebrate a new year 1955.’
She kissed the baby and walked away from the mirror. The images started to fade and soon Jenny was staring at herself again and a reflection of her candles.
"Naw... That just didn’t happen, did it? Must be good wine."
For a long time Jenny stared at the mirror waiting. Waiting for what she did not know. She turned and poured some more wine into the glass. As she stared at the glass, she could see the reflection of the mirror in the curve of the glass. She turned and faced the mirror.
The reflection showed the same room again, the fleur de le wall paper still on the walls and the dining room table was pushed toward the side. The tree was in the bay windows again, this time with lots of presents at its base.
The real candles in the tree from the last reflection were replaced with large glass light bulbs with metal clips holding them to the over weighted branches. Jenny squinted and had to look around her own reflection to see the rest of the room.
In the background, Jenny could see an old television set with rabbit ears and black and white snow across the screen. She could faintly hear a song in the background.
Two little boys ran up to the mirror, with their mother not far behind. Both wore plaid vests and little bow ties. The youngest had a scratch on his nose.
"Now Georgie, I told you to stay clean for Christmas dinner and to leave your little brother alone."
The little boy tried to squirm from his mothers grip and then stared into the mirror. Again Jenny felt he was looking right at her. The boy turned away and yelled,
"Mommy turn up the music that the Chipmunks signing qwismus!"
Jenny smiled. The little boy had a lisp.
The mother turned the music up from a big console stereo, just as the song was over. Jenny could hear the announcer.
"And that was The Chipmunks’ Song Christmas don’t be late. The most popular song of this 1958 Christmas season. I hope Santa has left good little boys and girls a hula-hoop.’
The mother turned the radio off and walked into the other room with the children in tow. No matter how hard Jenny tried looking at the mirror from different angles, she could only see the room with the Christmas tree in the bay window.
Jenny grabbed a candle and went to her bedroom. She came back with an old pair of small opera glasses. She sat back down and began to focus on the presents in the reflection and trying to look outside the bay window behind the tree.
It was frustrating for Jenny, reading things in the reflection, but eventually Jenny could read backwards. It did not take her long to realize that Regnar Enol was a box that contained the Lone Ranger pistol and holster set. Scanning with her opera glasses she saw a framed picture of a young boy with a cowboy outfit smiling on a rocking horse.
Jenny startled herself when a fuzzy image blocked her view. She pulled the opera glasses down from her eyes to see the mother was unplugging the lights on the tree.
"No No No! Not yet!"
Jenny yelled at the mirror as the image faded again. In the reflection of her own apartment, Jenny could see a second unwrapped bottle of wine next to her.
She leaned back and closed her eyes. They were strained from using the opera glasses and deciphering words in reverse. The wind howled outside her window. She had no idea what time it was.
Jenny woke up to a voice, what sounded like a radio or television. She half opened her eyes and could see another tree in the same room in the mirror’s reflection. This time two teenage boys with long shoulder length hair sat in front of the tree with a little girl, standing in very white very oversized go go boots holding a doll.
The oldest boy had thick glasses and was constantly flipping his head to move the long strands of hair out of his eyes. They were all bathed in fluttering white light.
The voice was loud, but electronic.
"And God said Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called the Seas: and God saw that it was good."
"And from the crew of Apollo 8 this Christmas Eve 1968, we close with good night; good luck, a Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you - all of you on the good Earth."
It was then Jenny caught the reflection of the television screen in the older boy’s glasses.
A back of someone’s head blocked the view in the mirror. She spoke aloud as the figure shut off the TV and faced the mirror. It was the mother who held the baby, several reflections ago, looking older now.
"Ok boys, put your sister to bed and let’s leave some cookies and milk for Santa."
The woman turned away and looked one more time placing her hand on the mirror. Instinctively Jenny placed her own hand on the mirror over the woman’s hand. The woman pulled her hand away and shivered a bit.
Moments later Jenny found herself pressing her hand against the reflection of her own hand. The images had faded again.
Jennie’s heart was racing. She wanted to know more. She sat back again opening the second bottle of wine, hesitating before she filled her glass again. She took a sip and closed her eyes almost dropping it as she heard a man cough. He was facing her in the mirror’s reflection. The man had long dark brown hair, parted in the middle. His dark brown beard framed his face and his blue tinted glasses reflected back his image in the gold leaf framed mirror.
As strange as this sounds, Jenny was looking at her reflection in a mirror, which emitted reflections of the past. The man’s glasses from the reflection in the past are showing a reflection of himself and the mirror on the wall.This is the first time in Jenny’s strange evening that she could see the rest of the room. It was dizzying.
A girl with long hair and too much makeup snuck behind him and whispered in his hear. Jenny strained to hear.
"Georgie Porgy kissed the girls and made them…"
The man brushed her aside. He looked in the mirror. He started whispering.
"Mirror mirror on the wall, is this it? Is this all? I’m 24 and there must be more, should I leave and come back no more?"
"Don’t do it!" Jenny cried out to his reflection.
"Don’t leave me now! Don’t go with that girl. You need to come back and finish this… this whatever it is. Please come back again."
He took his glasses off and cleaned them glancing close to the mirror staring into his own eye. Jenny swore she saw her reflection in his pupil. He walked away leaving only Jenny facing a reflection of the room and a Christmas tree with a Star Wars game under the tree.
As much as Jenny did not want to leave the reflection of the mirror, the 5 glasses of wine in her stomach could not wait any longer.
When she returned from the bathroom the mirror was dark. Her candles were mere puddles of wax. She ventured into the kitchen to bring out more candles to replace the ones that have gone out.
Jenny heard the crumbling of wrapping paper emanating from the mirror. It was the same room with fleur de le paper on the walls. A fully lit artificial tree with tiny lights sat near the bay windows. Jenny sat down facing the mirror as she had done all night during the storm and the power outage.
She looked at the tree in the reflection. On the floor next too it was a pile of newspapers. With her opera glasses and now having the talent to read backwards, she focused on the headlines talking about the upcoming Boston First night for the upcoming celebration of the new millennium 2000.
"Crap I missed few decades when I went pee."
A man in a wheelchair passed by the mirror and looked up. His beard and hair were starting to gray. He whispered,
`Mirror Mirror, This year my age is 46.I’m done with foolish teenage tricks.
I have returned and have the prize I won. I finally found her, and she is the one.’
`When in the morning she finds this gift. Unties the ribbon and the top to lift,
she will answer in a beautiful smile to stroll with me into this promised mile.’
Jenny realized that the images she was watching in the mirror was the life of the man she bought the mirror from! She leaned forward and squinted to see what he was doing. Clenched in his teeth was a red bag that he had place a red and gold box with shiny gold ribbon. He was wheeling toward the tree and placing it on a branch.