Meeting the Meister

Chriss read the letter with dread in her heart her hand shaking and an uncontrollable urge to write back to the writer deeply penetrated her being - a chance to stand up for herself - an opportunity to dignify herself. She read the words again and again '...how someone like you could have destroyed such a thriving business in such a short time....' the words really wryled her.
'...how badly you treated your staff....how rude you have been to the parents...' and '...just because you had another school doesn't mean you know what you are doing...' and so on.
After sitting with a heavy heart and reddened eyes at the kitchen table Chriss decided upon a plan of action. She won't bother with answering the letter, she wouldn't give the writer that pleasure, she would simply burn it and blow it to the wind.

Taking the letter she tore it to shreds and set it alight in the kitchen sink, with matches. Hurriedly she gathered the ashes and as if they were poison she lifted them in her hands, anxious to rid them from her home. She walked out of the back door, through the back gate and into the lane. No one was around then and she threw them into the windy air saying 'Be gone from me'. Some of the ashes landed on top of the hedge, Chriss had noticed and Chriss wondered whether she was going mad. It felt good though and she did feel as if her little ceremony had recreated something good from the ashes. She felt the return of dignity and the return of confidence and she felt ready to face the storm that was surely to come.

A few months ago, a psychic had told her 'there have been many tears and you have faced the storm, you have been blown back by the winds, but you have been walking into the storm, you have strength that you didn't know was there.'

This is exactly how Chriss felt, her long dark hair blowing behind her, the wind blowing the heavy rain in her face, but she kept her head high and simply walked through the storm, never swaying, never falling because she knew how determined she could be. The more powerful the storm and rain the stronger she felt the resolve to face it full on.

It was during the time of the poisonous letters and telephone calls that she and Peter met the mesiter. He was called the meister by Peter and Chriss, because he took control of them and tricked them at a time when they were at their most vulnerable. Gilne was a confidence trickster of the first degree, he was clever and persuasive and he was uncanningly able and believable and obvious meister of his trade.

As a result of Gilne's involvement in their ruin, Peter and Chriss were punished and scorned and lost everything. The whole situation ruined the family and there was no way out and no way back - just to move forward or stand still and they certainly were unable to move forward.
Before the year was out, Peter and Chriss were bankrupted, had lost their home, their cars and their happiness - they had lost all their money and were robbed twice and had lost both businesses and it was to take them many years to recover.

Meanwhile, Chriss was to receive more letters and more telephone calls which were an attempt to bully her and to discredit her. Chriss resolved to stand fast and Peter helped her as much as he was able however Peter's business was failing and Chriss had simply walked away from her own amidst a mist of unknowing. People were to meet her on the street and shout at her and wrongly acuse her of misconduct and Chriss had no strength nor the inclination to stand up for herself she simply wanted everything to finish - she had about as much as she could take.

During the coming months, Chriss would hide herself away from the world feeling so fatigued that she was unable to rise in the morning - just wanting to close her eyes and awake when everything was over. Her one comfort was her home and the beautiful garden that she loved so much and which she knew would soon be lost and gone forever.
She remembered the nights when she woke up in the early morning hours noticing the moon beams shining throught the cottage windows. Outside it was black and so very dark and inside the bedroom a silvery hue glistened as if to say 'be at peace there is a treasure here'. She would lie awake and just quietly study the silver light of the moon beams and sometimes she was able to catch a glimpse of the bright moon in the star studded sky. The sky was black, the window was black and silent except for the eerie sound of the resident Barn Owl, hooting in the night. There was something awesome and beautiful, almost heavenly about those 'waking' nights and it is as though, upon looking back, she was ready to see the watchman of her life.

Chriss deeply appreciated her life in her wonderful home and how close to nature it make her feel. She realised the beauty around her and the wonderful life pleasures she had the privilege to experience. The sun always seemed to shine there in her beautiful garden and she didn't want to lost it, but she knew it was just a matter of time.

In the Spring the Californian Poppies would start to grow by the old stone wall which always seemed to radiate the warmth from the sun. The whole flower bed by the wall was full of them and in a few weeks time, Peter and Chriss would spend time in the early mornings sitting by the old stone wall, with the sun beaming down simply enjoying the sight of the purple and pale pink Poppies. The Poppies were massive and seemed to flower all summer long but the late Spring was the best time to see them. There was also a mature fig tree that bore fruit for them and after placing them on the kitchen sill to ripen would taste so sweet and juicy.

Around the garden there were Japanese Maples which turned a beautiful red in autumn, and Lavender bushes, Willows and Roses. The butterflies and bees on the Lavender was really something to behold and everyone enjoyed studying the Lavender searching for the biggest bumble bee or the prettiest butterfly. Whites and Brimstones, Red Admirals and Painted Ladies and the caterpillars on the Nasturtiums which seemed to appear every summer, eating away at the leaves until there were hardly any left whole.

It was all a wonderful taste of heaven and was soon to leave their lives forever.