The Peacock 11

 We are seated in the small reception room, where we had our morning coffee and treats.  We have each claimed a comfy armchair, as though we do not want to sit any closer to anyone than we really have to.  A large orange cat has found its way onto one of the sofas.  I didn't know they had a cat here.  It is enormous, almost as big as a bobcat.   Aaron reaches his hand to the cat as he is sitting closest, and makes a gentle meowing sound.  The cat looks up at him, intently focussing with his amber green eyes, then proceeds to wash himself with his pink tongue.  No one has said anything yet, and we are all waiting for the two siblings, as Aaron seems to enjoy calling them.  

This room has an interesting colour scheme.  The walls are a very soft blue-grey, slightly more blue than grey.  A leaded glass window with diamond panes and rainbow bevelling looks onto the spring garden, and each of the three walls is adorned by an original painting.  I am looking directly at a skyscape of a cloudy sky slightly infused by a sunset, or sunrise.  There is an intensity of red orange near the bottom that gradually becomes diffused then lost into the blue grey mass of the clouds, which could otherwise be part of the colour on the wall.    Behind me A forest scene, rather suggestive of Emily Carr, with an emerald green cedar tree  boasting a massive reddish ochre trunk.   The third painting has a single gigantic red rose flooded with light and tones of soft blue and yellow and white in the background.   There is something very carefully arranged about this room, with the reddish maroon velour upholstery of the furniture contrasting with the blue-grey walls.  And with the choice of paintings.  Only now,for the first time I am noticing the carpet that separates and unites the chairs and sofas.  It is an oriental motif, areas of green, red and and yellow clinging like strange ornate moss to a background of dark blue.  Rather like staring at a large mandala.

Yes, this room is beautifully furnished and decorated, but there is something almost too planned, too deliberate about the arrangement of colours, but also planned to appear random and spontaneous.  This room does feel slightly sinister.  

Carl comes in, followed by Melissa, who sits on the sofa next to the cat.  Carl picks the other sofa.  The cat looks up at Melissa, as though wondering if it would  be worth the effort to climb onto her lap, but Melissa appears to ignore him.  He returns to washing himself.  Carol has just been asking Jesús about his life in Colombia, but now that our hosts are present with us, we are all eyes and ears.

He looks at us all, like an awkward friendly boy. Melissa remains with her eyes focussed on her lap, her face largely hidden by hair and baseball cap.  One could never imagine two siblings so different from each other, yet, not really different at all.

Carl opens, saying "Welcome everybody to our home. This is your home as well..."