Mackenzie's Trials

12 year-old Rosa Johnston bounced down the stairs, chattering as she went. She was bubbling over with excitement. Her shy sister Mackenzie, also 12, listened to her uncontrollable chatter, nodding and responding occasionally with “Yes”, “No” or “Uh-huh”. She shifted her pink silk dress up a bit. Her mother, Mrs Johnston, hadn’t taken her and Rosa when she went for the dresses and Mackenzie’s was a bit too wide. Rosa’s blue silk fit her perfectly. Short and chubby Rosa fit into pretty much everything. Unlike Mackenzie, who had the form of a leaf, slender and tall. “And of course we get to greet the guests!” Rosa’s voice cut into her thoughts. “We what?” asked Mackenzie, hoping she had heard wrong. “Greet the guests!” cried Rosa. “The mayor could be there, or a local author, or a singer, or...” Rosa droned on and on. But Mackenzie hardly heard a word she said. Not this, she thought. Oh please, please not this.

Mackenzie ran down the stairs, stopping her sister at the bottom. “What do you mean, “we”?” Rosa blinked. It took her a few moments to realize that in her excitement she had frightened her sister with a piece of news. “You heard right”, she said. All the excitement had drained from her voice. “I tried to reason with Dad, but he insisted. He was going to tell you himself, but...” Rosa broke of. Her sister’s face showed she was horrified. “How could he!” Mackenzie cried, burying her face in her hands. “Why didn’t Mum stop him?” “She...sort of agreed with him.” admitted Rosa. Rosa took her sister’s hand. “You’ll be fine,” she said, trying to ease her sister’s worries. “Mum and Dad wouldn’t do this if it wouldn’t help you.” “I guess you’re right.” sighed Mackenzie. “But will you hold my hand?”

The introductions were half over. Mackenzie was starting to relax. “That wasn’t so hard,” she admitted to Rosa. “And the introductions are pretty much over!” said Rosa. Just then, the housekeeper, Mrs Roland, came up to them. “Oh, there you are girls. The banquet is about to begin!” “Oh no!” cried Mackenzie. “It’s just food.” said Rosa.

The girls followed Mrs Roland up the stairs and into the lighthouse banquet hall. The girls sat in between their parents at the four-seat head of the table.