by: Olivia Dale
With Eliza having consumed her special Raven's Water Tea, she came back to her senses and even stopped shivering, all within fifteen minutes!
Janet stood next to her, rubbing her old aunt's stiff shoulders. She sat down into a chair next to her and took hold of Eliza's wrinkled hands. "Great Aunt Eliza," she said hesitantly, "Can you ever forgive me?"
Eliza looked into her beloved niece's eyes and squeezed Janet's hand tightly. "Of course I do. Forgiveness is something we mustn't do without." she looked down, and said with a flush, "I, I'm sorry, for the way I have treated you- and everybody around here. I'm an old, old lonely woman, never having received attention from, goodness knows who, but you Janet," she looked up at Janet again, "you gave me more love than I deserved, even with all my complaints and bickering."
Janet blinked, clearly at a loss for words.
"But, oh! My feet are as blocks of ice, Janet. I'm frozen stiff.." Eliza finished.
Just as Janet was about to ask something, Felix and Sara came bursting through the door, bright eyed and rosy, smiling from ear to ear in her barn clothes.
"Mother, Father said for you both to bundle up and go into the barn."
Janet's eyes widened. "The barn?" she asked, unbelieving. "Whatever is this about?"
"You'll see." Sara said as she hurried and retrieved their winter coats and mittens from the rack.
"You'll be in for a surprise."she said and plunked the coats onto a nearby chair.
~*~
Everyone was in the lambing pen as Sara and Felix explained about their "little heater".
"The motion of the bicycle sends an electric current to this box-"
Felix was saying, "which then sends it back through this cable. "
Sara, holding the strand of wire up so that everybody could see, continued their speech. "The cables are all hooked onto the light bulbs which are screwed onto this plank, and because of the electric currents flowing through because of the bicycle, they light up, and produce heat."
"Which is energy." Felix finished. "Now, Mr. Pettibone, will you please peddle that bicycle?" he asked his school master who was standing next to it.
Mr. Pettibone got on and peddled. Nothing happened.
"You're going to have to peddle a lot faster, Mr. Pettibone." Sara chuckled.
As he did so, they heard that familiar faint buzz and a warm glow appear from the light bulbs.
"Why it's as warm as a summer's day!" Alec said as he stood amazed at the lovely lit light bulbs.
Hetty laughed with delight and sat in the hay, next to light bulbs, holding a lamb and bottle feeding it.
"Well, the sheep are making use of it as well." she said as the rest of the flock shyly sniffed at the warm, bright contraption.
Janet and Felicity seated Eliza next to the lights into a sweet smelling pile of hay, and snugly tucked a blanket around her. Eliza laughed. "I don't think I'm going to be cold anymore after this."
Mr. Pettibone, from his perch on the bicycle, smiled at his pupils.
"Because of Sara and Felix's excellent demonstration
and presentation, I give them a passing grade and the prize for the Best Project Of The Year." he said, beaming. "This is ingenious."
Sara and Felix looked at each other in amazement. Did he just say
Best Project Of The Year?? They squealed with delight. Janet smiled, and looked at her dear aunt. "Now Eliza, you are more than welcome to stay with us." she said.
"For as long as you wish." Alec put in while holding one of the lambs in his arms.
Eliza smiled. "Are you sure?" she asked them.
"They are certain, Eliza. Don't make them change their minds." Hetty chuckled as she fed her lamb. "Do stay, we don't want you to go." Sara said, and Felicity, sitting next to her, nodded her head vigorously. Felix laughed. "I won't turn the heat off to your room anymore either, Great Aunt Eliza." he laughed as Eliza winked to him. However, his parents, Aunt Hetty and older sister Felicity glared at him for such a heinous act. Hetty pinched him and he flinched, yet still smiling at Eliza.
"Alright then. It's settled. Of course I'll stay." Eliza smiled and looked up at Janet. "Thank-you."
"No, thank-you." Janet told her, "for forgiving me and still loving me." she smiled as they embraced each other.
Outside, the sun was beginning to set and shone golden over the snowy hills, and into the King Barn, giving a bright, warm glow, just like the light bulbs.
THE END
