Stepping Back in Time

Painting by Harayo Morito

The attic was already pretty hot. It would become unbearable in a few hours.  The heat of summer had arrived!

All he needed were two boxes. He hoped they were easy to find. His wife had told him at breakfast that she better pass on the twins, baby clothes, before she got struck with baby fever again. 

“Hudson! What are you doing? Your pancakes are getting cold.”

He saw Aria standing at the bottom of the attic steps, looking up at him.

Where were the pink boxes? They should stand out. Oh, there they were in the corner.

“Will be down soon, honey. I found the  baby clothes.”

He heard the sound of Aria’s laughter mixed with disbelief. “Wow! You sure were quick to get those boxes for me. Were you afraid I would change my mind? Maybe try for triplets this time, “she teased.”

Hudson handed her the boxes when he reached the bottom of the stairs.

“You know me, always quick to help.”

Aria twisted her mouth in a wry grin. “Good! Remember the leak in the sink that I told you about two weeks ago? It’s still leaking … my dear.” Looking too pleased with herself, she gave Hudson a quick kiss on the cheek before heading back downstairs.

Sighing, Hudson started to close the attic door. It looked like his words had gotten him in trouble again and that he would be going to the hardware store this morning.

Oh, but there was one more thing he wanted to get down from the attic. He had almost forgotten.

Going back up to the attic, he grabbed the large box that he had spied before and brought it down.

By the shape of the box, it was obviously a large picture. He thought it might be the picture he had of the family cabin by the lake. It would look perfect in his office.

Crash! “Nooo, Caleb, stay off the table!”

Hudson would have to look at the picture later. He put the picture in his office and then hurried downstairs, wondering if he and his wife would survive the “terrible twos.”

“Corinna, take that out of your mouth, now!”

It had been a busy day, but at least the sink was fixed. The twins were down for a nap, and Aria had dozed off on the couch while reading. Hudson walked upstairs to his office to get some work done and look at the picture he had brought down from the attic.

When he pulled the picture out from the box, he couldn’t believe his eyes. He had forgotten all about this painting! The painting of the lady in the white kimono. Emotions swept over him like a tidal wave. He may have forgotten that he had the painting, but he would never forget the lady in the white kimono.

*to be continued…*