Photobo

I can see Montfort Church with its needle-like tip top towering the white skies like a bickering sound, longing, calling me to love its majestic prowess. It was a very cold day yet, my heart is pounding, warm with the wind’s touch, kissing my cheeks with great gusto.

I was very young and naïve. Dubbed as the prettiest girl in the land by my mother, it was a great dream for me to watch in amazement, the noble march of princes’ and princesses where they parade their crowns and colorful garments as if inviting me to join them. Handsome nobles and beautiful princesses who wave at me with pride, at Saint Paul Vil.

One day, rumors had that, King Crono, announced to have a feast in commemoration of the late Queen Grisel, and to also favor the Prince, of his upcoming coronation, taking over King Crono’s rule. Everyone was invited including the townspeople but Lady Beatrice, who believed to have special powers. She was the King’s cousin and aunt to the Prince. So angry, Lady Beatrice, swore to make the King pay. So after mumbling a phrase, there an invisible wind  strongly blew over to the castle and locked the King and everyone in it. Thus, left the Prince alone with his maid. A story my mother told me when I was six years old. Now, I just turned 18 years old and very much aware what’s true and not. I don’t really believe in fairy tales but what I do believe in are my own intuitions in life.

It’s true though, that I saw those parades of nobles but since very young, I didn’t know whether they are what they seemed to be, real.

A lot has changed since then, when I turned 18, I grew to love art and became a full pledged artist, restoring museums and castles, putting my great imagination to work.

“Maria Pio!?”, a saucy attendant said. “Yes, I am here for this castle’s restoration, where should I need to go though?”, Oh!, right this way, please!, the attendant, leading me to a narrow entrance not that old but grotesque with weird prints, very odd for 60-year old palaces. “I’d like you to meet Madame Teresa, she is the caretaker of the place since ages. Madame!, this is Maria Pio, the artist who will make wonders for our palace, the attendant placing his hand up front as if introducing Madame to Maria and vice versa. Madame Teresa, a lady not more than 60 years, hair neatly woven up, with face soft and white toned, cheeks, a bit red. Her outfit and stature connotes nobility and pride. “A pleasure to meet you, Ms….!, the Lady said.

“Maria Pio”, the pleasure is all mine, I’m at your service!, Madame Teresa, right?. Oh, enough of the pleasantries, just call me, Tessa, please!. Okay, Tessa, then! I willingly agreed.

Tessa led the way towards one room to another, there was about 20 rooms, 10 on both sides. I was so happy to see the walls and tapestries, delicately hand crafted, chandeliers all lit up and in gold. Tessa then advised me to stay in one of these amazing rooms, for the span of 30 days, for the castle’s restoration period. I have my group with me to help out with the sorting out of colours, pictures, restoring of the walls paintings or carvings. Though the palace had been there for many years, the keeper really did a good job on maintaining the place’s beautiful features, as if real live human beings.

           “Maria, I advised my chef to prepare you and your friends (about five of them)meals and if you need anything else, tell Rolando, our butler, okay?. Okay!. I better go right ahead and please, make yourselves comfortable, Rolando here will escort your friends to the other rooms, Tessa said with authority. Thank you, Ma…., sorry, Tessa!. I reiterated. See you tomorrow guys!. Right! See you then, good night, sleep tight, Maria!, Paolo, Sheena, Mike, Joms and Nica, said as if in a chorus.

            Not much to see, it’s pretty dark outside!. Hmm! I wonder what happens out there. It’s glim and a little bit scary, really. This place seems lonely, the atmosphere breathes silence, broken heartedness. I wonder, maybe it’s what I feel inside not the palace. When I was younger, mother said my father needed to leave home for important matters because he held a high position in the palace courts. I would always imagine how he held me in his arms and played with me when mother was away for work. Ringgg, ring!!!, Ma, hi!, how are you?, I said calling my mother on Skype. Okay!, yes I’m here finally, it’s a bit gaudy yet, the castle is still beautiful as it was when I saw it before. Alright!, thanks, see you then, I love you!. Haay! Need to take a shower, how come it’s hot in here, hmm, maybe the wonders of having a fireplace, better than heaters, hehe! While Maria is sound asleep in bed, one of the paintings seems to move, as if looking at her profoundly.

            Good morning!, Tessa said seated in a long table for breakfast. Ham and eggs are the food I saw fist that urged me to join the Lady in the table. Yes, thank you!. I replied. Your friends seem to have enjoyed their night’s rest, they’re not up yet!, Tessa wondered. Oh! I’ll be checking the grounds first and they will here later, their just fixing some of our stuff to use for the restoration, I added.

            Just before our travel to St. Paul Vill, to Castle Maximillian, our company already sent for a hummer with computers, paints, ladders and a small fork lift to help them for ceiling restorations. Hmm! It will be hard for me to reach the top! Anyway, what’s that staircase over there? I wondered why it’s locked. I murmured. The castle is about three floors high, and pretty fancy. This is going to be a challenge. Mom would sure love the place. Hmm!

            Tessa toured us to the palace grounds wider than a football stadium , there’s a garden with flowers in bloom and a fountain in the middle with an angel pouring the water gently. We’re in charge of fixing the castle or palace since the inward and outward beauty seemed to have faded through the years. I remember 10 years ago that colors are still vivid, silver, gold and dark red. When the sun touches the palace the colors appear to shine like crystals sparkling in the waters. Wow, the skies are so beautiful matching the place’s beauty and extravagance. One thing though, I feel there’s something more to this place than behind its grandeur.

            I saw Tessa one time when she went out from one side of a wing with a young man, who wore a brown mask. She talked and laughed with him. Probably he is one of the valets or hand help. I was looking from the window above, where I was trying to check on one of the paintings, when he looked at me and as if scared to be seen, I hid myself.  Haha! Like a child I felt a strange feeling inside. Now, I still feel different, if I’ll have the chance, I’ll ask Tessa about him. But we still have lots to do…Where am I now? Yes, the wing that I need to check on whether it still needs paint change or restoring.

            Hello, Sir!, I said when the courteous butler interrupted, No, no, no! Rolando is much better!, he insisted. Okay! Rolando, can I ask why Ms. Uhm! Tessa, often visits the wing there? I asked innocently. Oh! Yes! One of the relatives who owns this castle lives there, Rolando explained. Really! He must be 100 years old now, how come he is very young? I added. Oh, well!, he is the nephew from the second generation of the Montforts. He’s name is Louis (Luwey). Alright! I replied. Madame Tessa will introduce Sir Louis to you, in the mean time, I’ll leave for now, lots of preparing to do for tonight!. Rolando, slightly bent down and then left.

            Okay, then! I wondered. While walking near the wing that seems to appear as an extension of the palace but separated. I knocked once then twice, no one’s in, I peeped through the little hole in the middle. Hmm! Maybe, I’ll come back later, I said to myself. But the door opened and I felt the need to check on this side of the castle. Hello! Good afternoon!, I’m Maria from the restoration company, can I come in?. Since there’s nobody’s home, I led myself in and looked around. It’s amazing how the chandeliers, carpets and walls are different from the other side where we are staying. Paintings are colorful and more grotesque. Some are abstract, human bodies, others are about nature complimenting with the humans in it. Visually the….the young man I saw came while checking up on the wall near a lamp and an old-fashioned clock bigger than me. Louis was already standing behind my back when I realized he was there. Oh! sorry, there you are sir! I said surprised. Yes! Maria, right! He replied fixing his brown skin-toned mask Yes! Aunt Tessa told me about you, I am Louis Paulino Montfort, just call me Louis for short. Okay, Louis! I added smiling. I better be going, I just visited the place to check on whether we still need to add other stuff for your side of the castle resto. Thanks, I’ll head off! It was a pleasure to meet you Louis!, I said walking out of the door. The pleasure is mine, Maria! Goodnight! Louis said cordially while holding the door knob, still looking at young Maria walking her way back to the middle side of the castle.

              Wow! That was awkward! Okay guys, what have you done lately, are we through with this part, pointing at the left side of the middle castle, I said to my team while they are making the plasters and paints for the colors needed for the walls. We’re good, Nica replied, so how’s the place you checked, was it restorable? She added quickly. Well, I can handle that part, I just need to repaint the walls and probably the staircase and it’s good as new, I added. Joms!, can you hand me the brush, please, I said trying to help out with the finishing touches on a stair handle. Everybody are quite relieved with the news that the castle needs a little restoring than what they thought when they started to accept the job from a Madame Teresa. Paolo and Sheena were already fixing the scaffolding set-up so they can start plastering some part of the ceiling. Mike started with the combination of paints while I tweeted my mom. Alright, guys! Finish things up and we’ll continue tomorrow, it’s almost six o’clock, and we need to meet here at seven sharp tomorrow for the briefing on how to restore this part of the ceiling. Mike, please keep the paints and stuff on a proper place where it’ll not be touched. Put a sign up front and the corner to advice the palace staff about our work. Thanks!. Good job, guys! Eat your dinner, I’ll just finish this and I’ll see you later!, I said deliberately, to check on the right wing I visited earlier to get more details on the place.

            I wonder what Louis is doing right now?, Hmm! Silly me! Why would I….I said thinking about how he looked at me, with those eyes as if looking through, inside me…I hesitated to continue walking and decided to leave when…Hi! Maria!, a voice familiar to my ear called me. Oh! hello, Louis, right?, I said happily. Yes! So what are you doing here? Have you eaten dinner yet?, Louis concerned. Oh, ah not yet, I was just running another round to check on your place to see what I needed to do to restore its natural beauty!, I added very much inspired about the idea of restoring Louis’ place. Okay! You can come in then, if it’s okay, you can eat dinner with me, if you don’t mind?, Louis hesitating. Really! I would love to!, I answered confidently.

            OMG! What a dining table!, I shockingly said when Louis escorted me to the dining room, which is twice as big as our living room in Joanesberg. Haha! Please sit here and I’ll be on the end seat parallel to you, or if you like we can sit together, if that is alright with you? Louis shyly asked. Of course, not at all! I’ll be happy to sit with a cool guy like you! I wittingly said to hide my fear of being next to him. Okay, then, here you go! While he pulled up an antique chair for me and beside him, he pulled his own and sat like a child, enormously happy to be with his best friend. It’s weird though that the food is already prepared, chicken soup with sort of like pork barbeque, with salads and fruits, then a bowl of lemonade of some sorts and some desserts, Jello?...Hmm! I love jello! Yummy!. We ate together and chatted about so many things like the place, when the castle built and who built it. “But I’d like o ask you one question though, if it’s okay?, I said. Yes, what is it? Louis said bravely. What happened to your face?